How Do You Discover New Spyderco Models?

[WilliamMunny]

Exactly as the topic says, how do you discover new Spyderco models… without buying them all that is?

I don’t have a store that’s not 2 plus hours away I can visit so I am limited to buying them or the internet. For example I love the G10 Manix, never thought much of the LW, until I got a second in a mystery box. Now the Manix LW is my go to and the G10 Manix comes out a lot less. I have also had the opposite experience where I was sure I would love a model until I got it and found it just was not for me.

I want to try a Native 5 G10, Endela K390, Para 3 LW and a few others but I don’t want to put the money out just to find out it sits in my closet. I was going to try something new for Father’s Day but think I was too slow as anything I was looking for at SMKW is sold out last night, had some great prices (Native 5 G10 S30V for $135) that made it a lot easier to buy.

Let me know how you find that next great Spyderco to add to your user collection.

[aicolainen]

This resonates, only I'm probably looking at 2 days of travel to get to a real knife store with a sizeable selection. Rather unrealistic unless I by chance happen to be in the neighbourhood of one in relation to vacation or business travel.

In the early days (not all that long ago) I did exactly the same "miscalculations", reading specs and watching a bunch of reviews to figure out what will be suitable for my hand size (smallish), use and general preferences. It failed miserably so many times, and some of the ones I dismissed by the same logic would go on to suit me surprisingly well when I finally got the chance to try one.
Theres both some positive and negative outcome from these experiences; on the positive side I'm more openminded and generally don't dismiss anything if I see a viable use case. On the negative side I've become less enthusiastic and don't easily get excited when I see something that would appear to be right in my wheelhouse.

Spyderco is my favorite knife brand, I'm not what you would call a fanboy - I don't get attached to brands, I just buy what I like, and the numbers don't lie. There's no other brand that's even close. Unfortunately Spyderco is pretty much the least accessible of what I consider the big brands here in Norway, so it's not just that I'm forced to buy my knives online, I have to buy most of them from abroad, adding significant shipping and import fees to the price AND make returns rather non feasible (even for warranty/QC issues).

Back in those (hit and miss) early days I bought the knives my research had deemed good candidates wherever I could find them. Domestically if possible, otherwise EU or worst case; a US dealer. Even if my US purchases don't correlate with a sale, prices are generally so much better, that if I buy enough knives to offset the shipping and import fees, I would still end up with a rather nice price for each knife in a European perspective. So that's one approach. Batch buying from the US.

As I've accumulated more knives and there isn't much I REALLY need anymore, I've switched more to trying my luck with good deals. They aren't as easy to come by here in the EU, but I've been able to strike a couple of really good deals on Lamnia and I've even had some luck with the online seconds sale. This approach has allowed my to try a couple of designs that weren't really on my radar, and on occasion that has turned out as rather positive experiences.

What I would have liked to do if knives were a bit more popular and there was more of a community was to meet up with other people with a similar interest in knives and discover new knives through the collections of other enthusiasts. It's a bit nerdy, but being next to free and a lot less stressful, that's a rather easy equation. Besides, most knife enthusiasts seem to be really nice people.
This got long winded, again... sorry.

[WilliamMunny]

This resonates, only I'm probably looking at 2 days of travel to get to a real knife store with a sizeable selection. Rather unrealistic unless I by chance happen to be in the neighbourhood of one in relation to vacation or business travel.

In the early days (not all that long ago) I did exactly the same "miscalculations", reading specs and watching a bunch of reviews to figure out what will be suitable for my hand size (smallish), use and general preferences. It failed miserably so many times, and some of the ones I dismissed by the same logic would go on to suit me surprisingly well when I finally got the chance to try one.
Theres both some positive and negative outcome from these experiences; on the positive side I'm more openminded and generally don't dismiss anything if I see a viable use case. On the negative side I've become less enthusiastic and don't easily get excited when I see something that would appear to be right in my wheelhouse.

Spyderco is my favorite knife brand, I'm not what you would call a fanboy - I don't get attached to brands, I just buy what I like, and the numbers don't lie. There's no other brand that's even close. Unfortunately Spyderco is pretty much the least accessible of what I consider the big brands here in Norway, so it's not just that I'm forced to buy my knives online, I have to buy most of them from abroad, adding significant shipping and import fees to the price AND make returns rather non feasible (even for warranty/QC issues).

Back in those (hit and miss) early days I bought the knives my research had deemed good candidates wherever I could find them. Domestically if possible, otherwise EU or worst case; a US dealer. Even if my US purchases don't correlate with a sale, prices are generally so much better, that if I buy enough knives to offset the shipping and import fees, I would still end up with a rather nice price for each knife in a European perspective. So that's one approach. Batch buying from the US.

As I've accumulated more knives and there isn't much I REALLY need anymore, I've switched more to trying my luck with good deals. They aren't as easy to come by here in the EU, but I've been able to strike a couple of really good deals on Lamnia and I've even had some luck with the online seconds sale. This approach has allowed my to try a couple of designs that weren't really on my radar, and on occasion that has turned out as rather positive experiences.

What I would have liked to do if knives were a bit more popular and there was more of a community was to meet up with other people with a similar interest in knives and discover new knives through the collections of other enthusiasts. It's a bit nerdy, but being next to free and a lot less stressful, that's a rather easy equation. Besides, most knife enthusiasts seem to be really nice people.
This got long winded, again... sorry.

Same, have about 10-15 Spyderco knives that cover anything I need. Big, small, salt, stainless, tool steels, tough, edge retention and so on. At this point I am looking for something neat, a surprise, maybe the Sage 121, but so hard to know when it’s just from the internet and a lot of it is personal preference.

[Naperville]

When I feel like discovering or buying new knives:

I pour over YouTube videos from knife retailers, knife reviewers, look at knife catalogs and knife magazines(major year end issues and monthly issues), go to forums and see what people think. I also go to knife retailers and look at specifications.

Then I create TO BUY lists on my computer and try to keep them arranged through the manufacturer or bladesmith.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

I would recommend buying ones you’re interested in to try them out. If it doesn’t resonate with you, then sell it. There’s a very active secondary market for them like the BF Exchange, which is also a good source to buy new models at less than retail from folks who are doing the same turnaround.

[Manixguy@1994]

I would also suggest a show , it is a great way to handle a large variety of different models . I don’t have a clue where you live but in my area I have different places to check out and shows nearby . Good luck ! MG2

[zhyla]

In addition to BF swap there’s a very active /r/knife_swap where Spydies pop up a lot.

Brick and Mortar are long dead. Often gun shops have a small selection at MSRP. My advice is to buy from retailers that allow return. Return what you don’t like enough.

[Airlsee]

This resonates...

Just popped in to say that I really enjoyed this post.

As far as buying exclusively over the internet...definitely pour over the spec's and videos comparing to knives you are already familiar with. I agree with Radioactive that the secondary market (BF Exchange, r/knife_swap & Spyderco Millie, PM2, P3 Club on Facebook) is an excellent option. I recently had a G10 S30V Native 5 listed for $120 that never even received an offer...I'm fine keeping it, but there are deals to be had for sure.

[Switchback]

I usually take the approach mentioned above. I buy a knife and then if it doesn’t resonate with me, I will sell it.

I usually take a loss on the sale but I don’t mind that because I consider it a rental fee.

I live about 85 miles from a popular online knife dealer who also has a storefront. I can handle the knives before buying them and come home with something that I will most likely keep. But I still end up losing money on the gas for a 170 mile round trip. Then if I do decide to sell it, I lose a little bit more.

Because of this, it’s more cost effective for me personally to buy online whether I keep the knife or sell it. This goes for all brands of knives. Not Spyderco specifically.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I find them by looking at legitimate online knife shops and the Spyderco website and this forum and....my Spyder Sense. :)

[270ultimate]

Lucky enough to live about 3 hours from SMKW, and an hour from a Shepherd Hills Cutlery. I’ve also found a few at a small gun shop, and got a Delica 4 at a local liquidation store. It was BNIB for $40.

The Shepherd Hills has a pretty astounding selection of Spyderco products, even though they seem to prioritize Case. (Also quite a bit of Benchmade, Buck, Leatherman, Winkler, Zippo, etc.)

[mikey177]

I measure the width of my palm and compare it to the closed width of the knife as indicated in the online spec sheet. I try to imagine how my hand will hold it, paying attention to any choil, finger grooves or contouring. I also look at online reviews from people with a similar hand size to mine (which is essentially just Nick Shabazz lol).

I feel like I've come full circle in knife collecting. When I started maybe 10 years ago I wanted to try every model, even the expensive titanium framelocks. Nowadays, I gravitate toward affordable utilitarian designs like the Endela and Native 5.

I might still be tempted to try a new design, especially if it's a wharncliffe, a framelock or a backlock, but there's much less pressure to acquire something just for the sake of curiosity.

[apollo]

Since there are no stores worth the travel in my country i am kinda dependent at what i get to see and handle at the Spyderco meet in Amsterdam.

Besides that hanging around reading and viewing pictures on this forum is more then any store can give!

[Tristan_david2001]

The internet and a few local knife shops.

[wrdwrght]

Over the years, I’ve added to what has already been mentioned this forum’s older posts (Sal’s, of course, but also members’ who are less or no longer active), as well as the Spydiewiki, to which many of these members have contributed.

Making reference to these sources has encouraged me to snoop the secondary markets perhaps to buy earlier Spydies so I can more fully appreciate what the Glessers offer us today.

But, then, historical roots are a fascination to me. They may be of no interest to you.

[Manixguy@1994]

I thought I should add another great source is friends ! Many times over the years buddies have picked up new Spyderco knives and had an opportunity to handle before a possible order . Sometimes it was a home run and other times saved me time and money . MG2

[GT99]

I watch videos and do have a knife shop about an hour away, but generally I just buy them and if by chance I dont like it I can sell it, so far I have 20 spydies and I havent sold one yet, I have never disliked any but I have bought some and liked it way more than expected like the stretch 2 in k390, gayle bradley 2 and spydie chef, there are some I just wont buy because I know I wont like them due to size (dragonfly, manbug etc) also on the fence about a Para 3 because of its size and the fact I think the PM2 size is perfect so I have 4 of those (different steels, 2 standard and 2 wharncliffe exclusives) but size is a big thing for me, I am not big on small knives, I did however buy a Native 5 knowing I might not like the size, while I do prefer bigger its still nice to have one small knife and I knew Id like it regardless because I liked the model (fluted CF s90v version) but Id probably not buy a standard one or FRN one. speaking of size and not being able to handle them, instead of just reading the specs on size, order a spyderco catalog, it takes a bit to get but well worth it, the knives in it are actual size so you can put your knife you own next to it or your hand by it and see what its actual size is, its very helpful and the smartest thing they could have done with their catalog, Ive bought a few I didnt think I would have that way because I assumed the knife was smaller or bigger etc.

[zuludelta]

A local authorized dealer (about an hour-and-a-half drive/two-hour public transit commute away) used to be my primary resource for learning about & trying out new Spydercos. The location has the largest Spyderco inventory in Canada AFAIK, and has very knowledgeable & friendly staff. They shifted to being an online-only operation during the pandemic, and unfortunately, after the pandemic restrictions lifted, they remained an online-only shop (though I guess it was better for the long-term health of the business, rent being as astronomically high as it is in Vancouver).

These days, my primary source for information about new Spydercos is the Internet (particularly the official Online Reveal catalogues & a select few YouTube knife channels whose output I trust). I have owned & handled enough Spydercos over the years to have a pretty good sense of whether or not a new (or new to me) Spyderco will fit my hands, as long as there are figures/pics/videos/impressions available of the knife comparing it in dimensions & handling to standbys like the PM2, Para 3, Delica, Endura, Native, DF2, or Tenacious.

This forum has also been a very important resource for learning about Spyderco models I am not familiar with. There aren't any "knife guys/gals" in my social circle (I do have an uncle who is really into knives, but he's more into the kitchen knife side of things), so the only people I really talk folding knives with are the fine folks in this forum.

[Nestor]

To be honest...I don't. I look what is on sale and if it is something interesting I do quick research and just buy it. Usually nothing new ends up on sale and I am fine with that.

[Slash]

Exactly as the topic says, how do you discover new Spyderco models… without buying them all that is?

I don’t have a store that’s not 2 plus hours away I can visit so I am limited to buying them or the internet. For example I love the G10 Manix, never thought much of the LW, until I got a second in a mystery box. Now the Manix LW is my go to and the G10 Manix comes out a lot less. I have also had the opposite experience where I was sure I would love a model until I got it and found it just was not for me.

I want to try a Native 5 G10, Endela K390, Para 3 LW and a few others but I don’t want to put the money out just to find out it sits in my closet. I was going to try something new for Father’s Day but think I was too slow as anything I was looking for at SMKW is sold out last night, had some great prices (Native 5 G10 S30V for $135) that made it a lot easier to buy.

Let me know how you find that next great Spyderco to add to your user collection.

You could try to marry into royalty...