The more I carry and use the UKPK the more I like it

[Flash]

I can tell a big difference in edge retention between BD1N and S30V when cutting the same things day in day out with my UKPK’s, and how different they are to bring back to hair-popping sharpness after using them for around the same amount of time. I think most enthusiasts would.

I’m currently using a Native 5 in Spy27 a lot lately and this steel appears to me at least to bridge the gap of being both easy to bring back to a high level of sharpness and hold a good level of edge retention - it almost has the best properties of both these steels without the their relative shortfalls all whilst being able to achieve a higher level of initial sharpness than either. At least with my sharpening inputs.

Don’t sleep on Spy27 as it just may well be one of the best “user” steels in the UKPK line up.

[Roefisher]

I can tell a big difference in edge retention between BD1N and S30V when cutting the same things day in day out with my UKPK’s... I think most enthusiasts would

Ouch

In my defence, I wasn't saying I don't know the difference in steel performance. If you use a knife at all, it doesn't take much wit to know which ones create and hold an edge better.

What I meant was that even the older steel model slipjoints I own all do their duties perfectly well for me and only take a few minutes on the oilstones or waterstones to get back to a nice sharpness - and they stay that way long enough for me to be happy to carry and use them. Sometimes I'd make the extra effort and give them a secondary, sharpen again, bevel on the Sharpmaker if I feel like it but usually I don't bother.

But I still enjoy trying to get the best possible knife in whatever category but only when I'm looking to buy. I feel the same way about everything and usually try to buy the best one available. But, once I own it, I wouldn't give up on a perfectly good item to grasp to the latest model - a good example being cordless drills. I have a 5ah Makita drill & impact driver which does more than everything I want it to do. I could go online today and buy a 6ah battery, or even the newer again XGT RANGE. I'm sure they're great but I am happy enough where I am.

But if people want to follow every new steel, and even refuse to buy a lower rated steel, waiting for the "next big thing"... more power to them. I just don't always see the need.

Mark

[ladybug93]

Ouch

i wouldn't worry about it too much... not saying this is how flash is, but some people think a knife steel isn't good enough if it can't make it through a full day of being mistreated as a boxcutter without any edge loss.

[Flash]

I can tell a big difference in edge retention between BD1N and S30V when cutting the same things day in day out with my UKPK’s... I think most enthusiasts would

Ouch

In my defence, I wasn't saying I don't know the difference in steel performance. If you use a knife at all, it doesn't take much wit to know which ones create and hold an edge better.

What I meant was that even the older steel model slipjoints I own all do their duties perfectly well for me and only take a few minutes on the oilstones or waterstones to get back to a nice sharpness - and they stay that way long enough for me to be happy to carry and use them. Sometimes I'd make the extra effort and give them a secondary, sharpen again, bevel on the Sharpmaker if I feel like it but usually I don't bother.

But I still enjoy trying to get the best possible knife in whatever category but only when I'm looking to buy. I feel the same way about everything and usually try to buy the best one available. But, once I own it, I wouldn't give up on a perfectly good item to grasp to the latest model - a good example being cordless drills. I have a 5ah Makita drill & impact driver which does more than everything I want it to do. I could go online today and buy a 6ah battery, or even the newer again XGT RANGE. I'm sure they're great but I am happy enough where I am.

But if people want to follow every new steel, and even refuse to buy a lower rated steel, waiting for the "next big thing"... more power to them. I just don't always see the need.

Mark

My post wasn’t aimed to disparage anyone.
I just like to see for myself through my own day-to-day use what advantage one cutlery steel offers over another. As a knife nerd It’s kind of what floats my boat and Spyderco in particular has enabled to do this.

I still appreciate the old steels and old (low) edge geometry all the time. Just today, I couldn’t think of another knife I’d rather be carving pumpkins for my daughter than with my old Opinel no.7 Carbon.
…but then it makes me think how great this no.7 blade would be if it had a modern powder metallurgy steel with a high vanadium content and an optimal heat treat. I’m sure no normal knife using person thinks like this, just an enthusiast (AKA massive nerd)!

[benja-man]

I'm resurrecting this thread because my newly acquired UKPK in SPY-27 has seen a surprising amount of pocket time since I got it.

I have one in LC200N, too, but it lives in my bike bag as a dedicated food prep knife for camping and similar situations.

SPY-27 appears to be insanely easy to sharpen, which is a lot of fun.

Has there ever been a UKPK in a tool steel? I find myself wanting one in K390 specifically, spec wise it seems well suited to the UKPK pattern - something for any occasion...

[crow2071]

I have some early UKPK knives in GIN-1 if that counts? Lol

[Aladinsane]

LOVE my UKPKs!! I originally got one to have a non-locking version of my excellent C-113 Caly 3. I have recently acquired a cobalt blue SPY27 version, and a BD1N drop point version. One thing I noticed was the slip joint is much more secure on the latest iterations of this knife. Like the Caly, these fit my hand perfectly, so much so that I really have no desire to have anything very different, and even sold my hollow ground Manix 2 and my Centofante 3 because their ergonomics paled in comparison!! Now I'm looking at the Urban, and also the Salt versions of the UKPK with SE, but since I'm an addict and don't ever learn, I want to try the Alcyone, too!!

[JFR1]

I'm also a big fan of the UKPK. Have one in S110V that I've EDC'd on and off for the past four years and it's been great! I've also got an S90V Urban and love that as well, but I will say the slipjoint mechanism isn't as nice as the split fork of the UKPK. My UKPK takes significant force to get past the "locked" position so it's nearly a backlock. Still... I almost like the way the Urban fits my hand a little bit better and the shorter blade is definitely an asset to me as I'm using my knife in people's homes and it's a little less threatening, I've found. I didn't want to like the Urban, but it's in my pocket more than I expected, especially with that nice little S90V blade.

[Razzy]

Wow! The UKPK! Received mine today. In a different thread I commented that being new to Spyderco knives, I am not warming up to the finger choil concept. This was based on the Dragonfly2. On the UKPK however, the ergonomics are like magic. The knife and hand just melts together, choil included. The choil design on this knife simply works, and totally makes sense in conjunction with a slipjoint. And, it's lightweight, Salt version.

[Scandi Grind]

It wouldn't really be likely for Spyderco to make a locking UKPK in Golden would it, 'cause then it would pretty much be a Caly, which is made in Japan, and I know Spyderco doesn't like to change manufacturers for knives. I really love the design of this knife, and while I don't generally have an issue with non-locking folders, I feel perfectly safe using them, I also have a hard time choosing a non-locking option when I could get something that locks for around the same price. It just seems like I'm giving up a safety feature without much advantage to speak of, other than that I do really like the design. I guess there are some things that I do like about a slip joint over a locking folder. It's just a bit simpler, and this one is super duper light, I just can never bring myself to think that I would give up a lock for this one. Ah, the internal debate continues...