Oso Grande, discontinued models & the Brouwer

[Hatuletoh]

Although I'm sure many people are familiar with the retailer Oso Grande Knives, I had never heard of them until the other day, when I discovered that they still had Brouwers for sale at the standard retail price of $186. I could hardly believe my eyes--Brouwers have been sold out for a long time at the knife stores I frequent--and immediately bought one. I was going to come here and post something like, "hey, if you're looking for a Brouwer, Oso Grande has them!" but...they don't anymore. It appears I got the last one, which is a bummer because I might very well have bought a second one (more on that presently). However, Oso Grande does still have a number of discontinued models in stock; I noticed the Mantra 2, Foundry, D'Allara, Serrata, Vrango, Opus, titanium Chaparral, and that Manix sprint run with the CPM-154 and S90V blade. There are probably others, but those were just the ones I saw and knew were no longer in production. Figured I'd mention this in case anyone was looking for a discontinued model they'd slept on, like I did with the Brouwer.

Speaking of which: why no more Brouwer? Yes, I understand fundamentally the answer is because the return didn't justify the cost, but it seems like the issue couldn't have been as simple as people not liking the design, or not buying enough of them. The Brouwer is a great little knife, and judging by how quickly it sold out when it was in production, and how much they go for these days on ebay--when there are any actually listed--it was and still is a popular model. And finally now owning one myself, I can see whay: the moment I took it out of the box I thought "this feels like my small Sabenza." Sure enough, the dimensions are almost exactly the same, which I find to be the perfect size for a smaller knife, and if perhaps it's not quite as solid as the slab 'o titanium that is a Sabenza, the Brouwer's retail price was less half that of the most basic, unadorned small Sabenza. The Brouwer is also about the size of the Chaparral, but with that titanium frame lock, the Brouwer feels much more substantial. It also seems like it would he an excellent platform for some sprint runs or exclusives, which have never been done as far as I'm aware. I'd love to see (and would pay a high price for) a Brouwer dressed out with the BladeHQ M4 blade and natural G10 show scale, a Knife Center Cru-Wear blade and smooth black G10 scale, St. Nick's 4V and red G10, or maybe a BladeOps Elmax and dark grey G10. Or how about a sprint with a Rex 45 blade? The small, thin blade would be great in Rex 45. Maybe paired with a a carbon fiber scale, or ultem--that would look cool with the skeletonized liner visible through the scale. So yeah, I really like the Brouwer, much more than I anticipated or I would have bought one a long time ago, and I'm belately quite sad that the platform is no longer in production. And I now have the problem of deciding whether to actually use the Brouwer I bought or keep it pristine in the box as a collection piece. I might just have to buy another one at exorbitant ebay prices so that I don't have to decide.

[ramblinwreck]

Their reviews are alarming. Several people bought online and never got what they ordered. Going luck and let us know how it goes.

[Giygas]

They have a super long history of listing items in stock but not actually having them.

[zhyla]

Speaking of which: why no more Brouwer?

Collaborations seem to be more tricky than in house designs. I assume there’s contracts that end or aren’t renewed etc. So you should expect they may be a limited run.

That said, the Brouwer kind of got skewered in reviews. It was pricey and the clip situation really got a lot of negative attention.

[ladybug93]

i wanted one and still do, but i think they were too expensive for what they were. i actually found seven of them in stock at a local shop and almost bought one a couple times from them. last time i went back, they were all gone. not sure what happened to them because i doubt they just sold them. i feel like i missed out by not snagging one, but it's just so expensive for such a small amount of blade. they were really nice though.

[CDEP]

I grabbed one after they were disco'd but still available, and don't regret it at all. It's a frequent EDC when away from home and a sub 3" blade is required. Carries great, solid ergos, and I love the blade shape.

No issues with the clip, but I'm one who always prefers the stock clips because, as with all things Spyderco, they simple function better than any other clip. Yes, it's a bit large for the handle, but the great thing about the consistency of the standard clip is that it makes it easy to go aftermarket for those who want something different. And if I'm doing something with this knife where the clip bothers me I should probably be wearing gloves or using another knife.

I will never complain about S30V on an EDC knife. There's a reason it is so ubiquitous.

Price? It's a colaboration, so I expect a tick up in price so both Spyderco and the designer get their ducats. I considered it a fair price.

If you can still find one, grab it. Wish I'd bought 2.

[Drubieg]

I tried to buy a discontinued Spyderco one time and payed for it only to find out after a few weeks that it wasn’t in stock. I called them and got my money back but wtf

[RamZar]

I bought a Brouwer when they were discontinued in November 2021 for $153. It’s a very nice and slim titanium frame lock folder made in Taichung. The Spydie hole is nicely incorporated so that it doesn’t make the folder so wide.


https://youtu.be/DQxOLnzlYXY?si=TEfXkCIVTaK0SO9k

[Pokey]

I ordered a Mantra years ago from Oso Grande shortly after it was discontinued. I got it with no problems. Things can change, though.

[Sharp Guy]

I had no real interest in the Brouwer when it was in production. I'm not sure why as it a Taichung model and right in my wheel house size wise. I don't really regret not buying one but I'd have to reconsider if there was a sprint or exclusive

As far as whether or not to use it. Unless you're a actual collector, I wouldn't save it for someone else to enjoy it? Carry it, use it, and enjoy it.

[cjk]

The Brouwer is very narrow in the pocket for a Spyderco. It looks particularly un-threatening when pulled out in public.
It's seems to be a really sturdy little thing yet still slices wonderfully for what it is.
There was an original version which rode higher in the pocket and a CQI version which had the clip holes on the Ti side moved up about as high as they could be. It was amusing to me that that the G-10 side clip holes were never CQI'd, only the Ti side.

I actually have several of them. It's still one of my favorites even though I don't care for frame locks. One of them come open in my pocket once, but it's still a favorite.

It strikes me as a near perfect balance of 'useful tool' and 'fancy knife'.

[Superflex]

Still available at BBS for $270