Favorite 3” in house spyderco folder?

[zuludelta]

Oddly, I find the Delica unambiguously non-ergonomic for my hand. I've bought, and then given away, it just doesn't work for me. Perhaps it works for people with much larger diameter fingers (though I wear a size L to XL glove). There must be enough variability in physiology that, like shoes, there's no one-fits-all. This is sad for me because I like the size and the blade shape and the variety of the Delica.

Funny thing about the Delica and the Endura. I didn't like how they felt in hand when I first tried them a while back—no biggie, I just kept on using the Native, which was my primary carry at the time. Fast-forward a few years later & I got a chance to try a Delica again. This time, however, it felt like a real good fit in my hand. And it was the same thing with the Endura. But I don't think I changed anything in the interim.

[Tristan_david2001]

I do like and very much respect the delica design, the first finger groove point does hit in the middle of my middle finger, I’ve seen some people before mention having an issue with that. But I can barely feel it and it doesn’t bother me at all, I find the delica a very ergonomic knife for a non choiled slim-pocket friendly sized 3” folder. Very comfortable thumb ramp which I like. But I think the calys are much better as knives that are directly competing in this type of pocket knife for me. I feel the full flat ground leaf shape is just a better slicer and a more versatile shape overall, the finger choil provides closer and more comfortable control over the edge, and the more fluid lines of the Caly handle just feel better in my grip. Also the delica largely comes with seki bi directional frn, which I’m sure is comfortable and more comfortable than my stainless steel handle version which is the only one I’ve held, but I’m just not a fan of seki frn. A frn delica also feels too “the standard” in a way for me personally.

[Bolster]

Funny thing about the Delica and the Endura. I didn't like how they felt in hand when I first tried them a while back—no biggie, I just kept on using the Native, which was my primary carry at the time. Fast-forward a few years later & I got a chance to try a Delica again. This time, however, it felt like a real good fit in my hand. And it was the same thing with the Endura. But I don't think I changed anything in the interim.

Based on this, ZD, I'll give the Delica another try. I have higher hopes for the Endura because it has a "guard radius" (quillion radius?) that appears to better approximate the radius of an average finger like mine. In the past my impression was that the Delica's radius was huge, and my hand didn't lock in, but continued to "hunt for home." I'll confess I do like good control of the heel of the blade, often doing a lot of cutting work there, so finger choils or handle-forward are preferred...I tend to not purchase knives with large ricassos...but I'll keep an open mind, and try again.

[Steeltoez83]

Leaf jumper for me. I based my criteria on having just 1 knife on hand for 90 days. The native 5 ive always carried something else with it. The delica same way, i like it better without a pocket clip anyways. The sage is nice but i find the ergos of the LJ to mirror the stretch and i just like it better in hand. The para 3 is good but i know i wouldnt carry it 90 days straight. The ukpk is also a sidekick legal eagle kind of blade for me. I think the caly 4 inch will be the best size option in terms of carryability, cutting power, balance in hand, etc. The bd1n on the newer polestar performed very well in my cut testing, so the alcyone would be an option. But id give a slight nod to the LJ in ergos and in k390. Sure its not a stainless steel like bd1n however after the recent rust testing i did with k390 and maxamet i have no fear of using it in any terrain. The lil tempo is probably the hardest one to pick against but i look at pricing and the slight increase in ergos does not match the cost difference. Naturally id pick the k390 version over vg10. I realize thru testing 2 coats of chapstick everyday the steel doesnt form rust after 40 minutes of soaking in rain water for 40 minutes. Neither did maxamet, neither did cruwear and i tested it 6 days in a row. I think the LJ is a knife id carry for 90 days. So i voted LJ.

[Tristan_david2001]

Leaf jumper for me. I based my criteria on having just 1 knife on hand for 90 days. The native 5 ive always carried something else with it. The delica same way, i like it better without a pocket clip anyways. The sage is nice but i find the ergos of the LJ to mirror the stretch and i just like it better in hand. The para 3 is good but i know i wouldnt carry it 90 days straight. The ukpk is also a sidekick legal eagle kind of blade for me. I think the caly 4 inch will be the best size option in terms of carryability, cutting power, balance in hand, etc. The bd1n on the newer polestar performed very well in my cut testing, so the alcyone would be an option. But id give a slight nod to the LJ in ergos and in k390. Sure its not a stainless steel like bd1n however after the recent rust testing i did with k390 and maxamet i have no fear of using it in any terrain. The lil tempo is probably the hardest one to pick against but i look at pricing and the slight increase in ergos does not match the cost difference. Naturally id pick the k390 version over vg10. I realize thru testing 2 coats of chapstick everyday the steel doesnt form rust after 40 minutes of soaking in rain water for 40 minutes. Neither did maxamet, neither did cruwear and i tested it 6 days in a row. I think the LJ is a knife id carry for 90 days. So i voted LJ.

It was great reading your response, very well thought out and logical reasoning. While I’m still biased and believe the Calys are the best spyderco pocket knives, at the same time it’s hard for me to disagree with your points. The leaf jumper is high up there for me. For regular edc I prefer a slimmer profile and a choil, but if I was in the market for a harder use work knife, aside from the original lil temp models the leaf jumper is a really hard option for me to ignore. I don’t know why but the aesthetics just look a bit off to me, I think because of the way the bottom of the plunge goes pretty far under the top of the thumb ramp, even though it might be a functional necessity for the handle forward backlock design . from briefly handling it and checking it out in store a while back the ergonomics really did strike me, as you said very much mirrors the stretch 2 behind the choil and the stretch 2 also has some of my favorite pocket knife ergonomics, but the leaf shape on the LJ just pushes it forward for me.

[Steeltoez83]

Leaf jumper for me. I based my criteria on having just 1 knife on hand for 90 days. The native 5 ive always carried something else with it. The delica same way, i like it better without a pocket clip anyways. The sage is nice but i find the ergos of the LJ to mirror the stretch and i just like it better in hand. The para 3 is good but i know i wouldnt carry it 90 days straight. The ukpk is also a sidekick legal eagle kind of blade for me. I think the caly 4 inch will be the best size option in terms of carryability, cutting power, balance in hand, etc. The bd1n on the newer polestar performed very well in my cut testing, so the alcyone would be an option. But id give a slight nod to the LJ in ergos and in k390. Sure its not a stainless steel like bd1n however after the recent rust testing i did with k390 and maxamet i have no fear of using it in any terrain. The lil tempo is probably the hardest one to pick against but i look at pricing and the slight increase in ergos does not match the cost difference. Naturally id pick the k390 version over vg10. I realize thru testing 2 coats of chapstick everyday the steel doesnt form rust after 40 minutes of soaking in rain water for 40 minutes. Neither did maxamet, neither did cruwear and i tested it 6 days in a row. I think the LJ is a knife id carry for 90 days. So i voted LJ.

It was great reading your response, very well thought out and logical reasoning. While I’m still biased and believe the Calys are the best spyderco pocket knives, at the same time it’s hard for me to disagree with your points. The leaf jumper is high up there for me. For regular edc I prefer a slimmer profile and a choil, but if I was in the market for a harder use work knife, aside from the original lil temp models the leaf jumper is a really hard option for me to ignore. I don’t know why but the aesthetics just look a bit off to me, I think because of the way the bottom of the plunge goes pretty far under the top of the thumb ramp, even though it might be a functional necessity for the handle forward backlock design . from briefly handling it and checking it out in store a while back the ergonomics really did strike me, as you said very much mirrors the stretch 2 behind the choil and the stretch 2 also has some of my favorite pocket knife ergonomics, but the leaf shape on the LJ just pushes it forward for me.

I was in the same boat bcuz the blade shape of the LJ doesnt flow with the handle aesthetically. I bought mine with the endela bcuz i felt they were very comparable and wanted to see which one i felt was better. Plus i caught it at the summer sale and the price was right. However when i first got into spyderco the aesthetics never appealed to me. But after real usage and not cutting down imaginary rainforests Ive come to appreciate the details. I definitely prefer the LJ over the endela but thats just my opinion. I dont use the choils in my cutting but many others do. I find it easier to sneak my index finger down the spine to make detailed draw cuts. Which for me is as far of detailed cuts I normally go with. To me the LJ is a great useful functional cutting tool. I care more for functionality in multiple grips than aesthetics.

[David R]

I love the Native for the steel choices. The Sage cuts better every time. The M4 and Maxamet Sages are nice, but S30V as the standard Sage steel is tired. I think it's time to move the Sage steel from S30V to Magnacut.

[Tristan_david2001]

Leaf jumper for me. I based my criteria on having just 1 knife on hand for 90 days. The native 5 ive always carried something else with it. The delica same way, i like it better without a pocket clip anyways. The sage is nice but i find the ergos of the LJ to mirror the stretch and i just like it better in hand. The para 3 is good but i know i wouldnt carry it 90 days straight. The ukpk is also a sidekick legal eagle kind of blade for me. I think the caly 4 inch will be the best size option in terms of carryability, cutting power, balance in hand, etc. The bd1n on the newer polestar performed very well in my cut testing, so the alcyone would be an option. But id give a slight nod to the LJ in ergos and in k390. Sure its not a stainless steel like bd1n however after the recent rust testing i did with k390 and maxamet i have no fear of using it in any terrain. The lil tempo is probably the hardest one to pick against but i look at pricing and the slight increase in ergos does not match the cost difference. Naturally id pick the k390 version over vg10. I realize thru testing 2 coats of chapstick everyday the steel doesnt form rust after 40 minutes of soaking in rain water for 40 minutes. Neither did maxamet, neither did cruwear and i tested it 6 days in a row. I think the LJ is a knife id carry for 90 days. So i voted LJ.

It was great reading your response, very well thought out and logical reasoning. While I’m still biased and believe the Calys are the best spyderco pocket knives, at the same time it’s hard for me to disagree with your points. The leaf jumper is high up there for me. For regular edc I prefer a slimmer profile and a choil, but if I was in the market for a harder use work knife, aside from the original lil temp models the leaf jumper is a really hard option for me to ignore. I don’t know why but the aesthetics just look a bit off to me, I think because of the way the bottom of the plunge goes pretty far under the top of the thumb ramp, even though it might be a functional necessity for the handle forward backlock design . from briefly handling it and checking it out in store a while back the ergonomics really did strike me, as you said very much mirrors the stretch 2 behind the choil and the stretch 2 also has some of my favorite pocket knife ergonomics, but the leaf shape on the LJ just pushes it forward for me.

I was in the same boat bcuz the blade shape of the LJ doesnt flow with the handle aesthetically. I bought mine with the endela bcuz i felt they were very comparable and wanted to see which one i felt was better. Plus i caught it at the summer sale and the price was right. However when i first got into spyderco the aesthetics never appealed to me. But after real usage and not cutting down imaginary rainforests Ive come to appreciate the details. I definitely prefer the LJ over the endela but thats just my opinion. I dont use the choils in my cutting but many others do. I find it easier to sneak my index finger down the spine to make detailed draw cuts. Which for me is as far of detailed cuts I normally go with. To me the LJ is a great useful functional cutting tool. I care more for functionality in multiple grips than aesthetics.

Same here, the biggest thing that got me interested in spyderco is they’re designs taught me that my favorite looking designs are a form follows function approach and my favorites are a culmination of design features that I look for functionally.

[anycal]

Native for me, but I don't discriminate. It is my most used in this category, but any of these will do when a smaller knife is in rotation.

And I just realized the Para 3 is missing from this lineup...

Awesome, love that photo! Do you own yourself a para 3?

Yes, couple of G10 versions. Frequently in my rotation. Gave the Para 3 LW away. Wasn't for me.