The serrated Chaparral is pretty cool

[Wartstein]

...
I always figured the SE run was more Spyderco doing us a solid than them introducing a competitive model. There are not many people out there looking to pay $140 for an SE knife. We’re lucky they did a run at all.

That´s absolutely true!

Still: Should the Chap SE have to go again, this would really showcase how persistent the "myths" surrounding Spydercos serrated blades still are..

I do NOT say by any means that SE must be the best choice for everyone - but I am certain: If magically all folks looking for an EDC knife in that size range got a Chap SE in their hands, try it out completely unbiased and focus on pure performance, edge retention and the like: It´s hard to imagine that this exact knife would not become really popular in its size range.

[R100]

I have one of these and I do like it but don't quite agree with those who are saying its the ultimate slicer. I also have a SE K390 Delica which has shallower serrations and even after being reprofiled on the Sharpmaker to 15° is thinner behind the edge and is a noticeably better cutter than the Chap.

Serration depth and angle varies as grinding wheels wear so the differences may be particular to my specimens. That said, I did a little test slicing tomatoes this morning with both shaving sharp and the Delica cut quite a bit more smoothly and efficiently. I have found the same with a range of materials.

I'm actually a little disappointed in the Chap and after a period of initial "honeymoon" carry have gone back to the Delica when I want that type of knife. I have removed the clip and it weighs 2.1oz, the same as the Chaparral, and I find the handle quite a bit more comfortable and the extra blade length very useful. The longer plain edge section at the tip is also better for my use.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has SE knives they feel cut better than the Chaparral SE? I think it's good but not the absolute best, at least in stock form.

Dan

[Wartstein]

I have one of these and I do like it but don't quite agree with those who are saying its the ultimate slicer. I also have a SE K390 Delica which has shallower serrations and even after being reprofiled on the Sharpmaker to 15° is thinner behind the edge and is a noticeably better cutter than the Chap.

Serration depth and angle varies as grinding wheels wear so the differences may be particular to my specimens. That said, I did a little test slicing tomatoes this morning with both shaving sharp and the Delica cut quite a bit more smoothly and efficiently. I have found the same with a range of materials.

I'm actually a little disappointed in the Chap and after a period of initial "honeymoon" carry have gone back to the Delica when I want that type of knife. I have removed the clip and it weighs 2.1oz, the same as the Chaparral, and I find the handle quite a bit more comfortable and the extra blade length very useful. The longer plain edge section at the tip is also better for my use.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else has SE knives they feel cut better than the Chaparral SE? I think it's good but not the absolute best, at least in stock form.

Dan

Thanks for sharing, that´s really interesting and make me want to get a serrated K390 knife even more (as long as they can be found) since your Delica must be great when it can "beat" the Chap SE!

As one really into good serrations I´d also be very interested in people sharing which SE Spydie they find even better than the Chap SE when it comes to sheer cutting/slicing power!

What has to be kept in mind though:
Imo blade length can come into play here - the longer the blade, the more one can do a true "slicing" motion like in drawing the blade in one go through the material, while with a short one (like on the Chap) one might run out of blade before they run out of material and thus the cut is less efficient.
This of course only applies in tasks like cutting large pieces of cardboard, your "tomatoe test" on the other hand for example should really show that the K390 SE Delica works better (for you? For many? Generally? Can´t tell..), not really influenced by blade length.

Now to me the serrations themselves are very well done on the Chap SE (for what I like), but I feel like the amazing slicing power comes from the combination of those kind of serrations AND the thin stock - I may share a pic once more comparing Delica and Chap blade stock, the Chap is noticably thinner.

[Wartstein]

...
I'd be interested to know if anyone else has SE knives they feel cut better than the Chaparral SE? I think it's good but not the absolute best, at least in stock form.
..

As said: I have no SE knives that cut better than the Chap SE, but I can do a little ranking of those that I really use(d) a lot and come to my mind right now (ranking not the models themselves, but the factory serrations and how they cut in my use)

1. Chap SE
2. Endela SE, Stretch XL SE (actually pretty close to the Chap SE)
3. Salt 2 LC200N SE, Pac Salt 2 LC200N SE (both ffg) (starting to be a bit too pointy and "aggressive")
4. Pac Salt H1 SE (sabre hollow grin) (good for "brutal" outdoor work, not so much for general EDC)
5. Endura VG10 SE and CE (comboedge), Delica VG10 SE and CE (sabre grind) - (on the verge where I am not sure if I prefer PE over those particular kind of serrations, at least when it comes to general EDC and the factory serrations)
6. Stretch 1 CE (the factory serrations on that one were horrible (for what I like!) - super "pointy and snaggy", a knife where I definitely prefer PE over SE (resp. the SE section of the comboedge), so I sold it and only kept PE Stretch 1s)

[Aladinsane]

I hope you are wrong about the Chap going out of production!! At least it wasn’t on the “discontinued list” for this year. Hopefully it will stay in production, it seems to be pretty popular around this forum at least! I should be able to get mine pretty soon, then I won’t have to worry!

!! I meant explicitly the Chap SE - this is the one I fear for a
Don´t think that the FRN Chap PE is in any "danger"

Hey man, I'm picking up what you're throwing down!! I will MOST DEFINATELY be getting a SE Chaparral!! Don't you worry about that!! And that is the one will be getting as soon as possible!

[vivi]

What has to be kept in mind though:
Imo blade length can come into play here - the longer the blade, the more one can do a true "slicing" motion like in drawing the blade in one go through the material, while with a short one (like on the Chap) one might run out of blade before they run out of material and thus the cut is less efficient.
This of course only applies in tasks like cutting large pieces of cardboard, your "tomatoe test" on the other hand for example should really show that the K390 SE Delica works better (for you? For many? Generally? Can´t tell..), not really influenced by blade length.

I've always felt serrated edges work better on larger models for this exact reason. It's not very often I found myself going for push cuts when I carried SE blades.

If I were into carrying two knives, one PE one SE, I'd choose a larger model like a Police or Military for the SE, and carry a small PE like a Victorinox Recruit.

[Wartstein]

I've always felt serrated edges work better on larger models for this exact reason. It's not very often I found myself going for push cuts when I carried SE blades.

If I were into carrying two knives, one PE one SE, I'd choose a larger model like a Police or Military for the SE, and carry a small PE like a Victorinox Recruit.

You really have a point here!

And touching on your point: I also think that longer blades profit more from thin stock than short ones.

So if I´d carry one SE and on PE I´d choose a long AND thin blade for the serrated one (in my dreams a Chap XL SE...) and a short, thick, hard-work one for the PE (so I could also do things like prying or "drilling" with that one)

[Wartstein]

Hey man, I'm picking up what you're throwing down!! I will MOST DEFINATELY be getting a SE Chaparral!! Don't you worry about that!! And that is the one will be getting as soon as possible!

Good to hear! Hope you´ll share how you like it !

[kobold]

Already had a PE FRN Chap before, but sold it, bc I found the handle too thin. But the SE beckoned and I wanted to give it another try, with a blade swap in mind.

My self-imposed two-knives-a-year allowance was reset with the new year and I was lucky to find a good deal. Had to wait for a month and now it's here, yay! So, I disassembled and cleaned/oiled everything and removed the pocket clip. The action is smooth and the lock bar is not too hard to press down. The pocketability w/o the clip approaches Victorinox Cadet territory. I am very pleased with everything. I might even learn to live with the FRN.

I didn't do any cutting yet, because I cut myself, um, on an open can of hummus in the kitchen. :-) But will probably report back later.

[StuntZombie]

I like those rounded-off looking serrations.

Jim

the shallow, wavier serrations and thin stock reminds me a lot of my SE Spartan



Definitely a different cut than a 3mm stock saber ground blade with spikey serrations. The spartan is nice for slicing fruit, cutting rope, etc.

Funny, I was reading through this thread thinking that Spyderco caught up with Victorinox in serration design. They cut so well, that it's almost like the material you're slicing doesn't exist. It's probably the knife that's cut me the most, just because it goes through fruits and vegetables so easily.

I think I'd be more inclined to grab the Chaparral if it was handle forward design. I just hate seeing all that blade steel go to waste. If it's going to be unsharpened, it might as well be hidden by the scales.

[Wartstein]

Funny, I was reading through this thread thinking that Spyderco caught up with Victorinox in serration design. They cut so well, that it's almost like the material you're slicing doesn't exist. It's probably the knife that's cut me the most, just because it goes through fruits and vegetables so easily.

I think I'd be more inclined to grab the Chaparral if it was handle forward design. I just hate seeing all that blade steel go to waste. If it's going to be unsharpened, it might as well be hidden by the scales.

With all respect, I don´t know if I got you right - ?

Especially in the Chap imo it is not the case at "all that the blade steel" that is used for creating the choil "is go to waste".
"Especially", cause the Chap, just like the Dfly, does need that choil for offering a good four finger grip, unless one happens to have really small hands.
So there has to be that unsharpened (choil) part there, and the Chap still offers almost as much cutting edge as for example the substantially larger Native 5 anyway...

Now I get that you´d like that choil part be covered by the handle in a "backlock handle forward manner"!
This could be nice or perhaps even better than the current Chap handle indeed - but you should really try the Chap as it is now: Really comfortable and stable in hand with the forefinger in the choil!

And, yes, in blade thinness and how the serrations work the Chap SE could be the closest to what you like in a Vic SE blade.

[StuntZombie]

I would rather have a handle like that on the Leafjumper. I dislike having to rely on a finger choil on the blade itself for a comfortable grip.

[kobold]

I think an XL Chap would need a finger choil to stay true to its name.
In my mind an XL Chap is similar in appearance to the gray G10 Stretch XL, which, despite its full sized blade, works well with a forward finger choil.

[benja-man]

I think an XL Chap would need a finger choil to stay true to its name.
In my mind an XL Chap is similar in appearance to the gray G10 Stretch XL, which, despite its full sized blade, works well with a forward finger choil.

Thank you for this particular picture! A Stretch 2 XL is the next knife I am getting as it appears to be the most ergonomic full sized knife in the lineup. Your picture seems to confirm this assumption.

[kobold]

I think an XL Chap would need a finger choil to stay true to its name.
In my mind an XL Chap is similar in appearance to the gray G10 Stretch XL, which, despite its full sized blade, works well with a forward finger choil.

Thank you for this particular picture! A Stretch 2 XL is the next knife I am getting as it appears to be the most ergonomic full sized knife in the lineup. Your picture seems to confirm this assumption.

Yes, you'll be happy with it, for sure.

[Palestrina]

Owning the Chaparral SE for a few days now my first impressions are as followed.

- I haven't owned a Chaparral before, it feels like a premium knife, even with the FRN scales. Fit an finish is perfect, I love the steel backspacer, action is smooth. No complaints from me, except that now I'm tempted to get it in different scale variations.

- I'm unable to flick it open, no chance. So I open it like a gentleman, which somehow seems to fit the concept of the Chaparral anyways.

- The blade. I have to compare it to the Delica SE, and this is where I got really surprised. The blade is really thin, Opinel territory, I really like it. Compared to the Delica the serrrations are way more aggressive, they are deeper and the bevel is much higher. I've tested it on paper, cardboard, onions and tomatoes - it's a great slicer, but I feel like especially on cardboard the Delica worked a bit smoother, especially in a sawing motion the serrations on the Delica don't get hung up that easily. On the tomatoes and onions the clear winner is the Chaparral, no doubt.

I will carry it for the next couple of weeks. It feels great in the pocket - in the sense that I don't feel it in there. I'm glad it has the wire clip, which I really enjoy. All in all a solid knife.

Also I would like to ask how you guys are planning on sharpening the Chaparral SE. On my Delica SE I've used the Sharpmaker at the 20 degree angle to create ta micro bevel (I think you can clearly see that on the picture above) and it works great, it's a scary sharp knife I would not want to hand to anybody. But the Serrations on the Chaparral are quite different, and seem to be more fragile. If anyone here has already sharpened it, please let me know your process and thoughts.

[dsvirsky]

The serrations on the Chaparral aren't fragile at all. Sharpen it just like you do with the Delica, except, if you wish, you will probably be able to use the 15° slots.

[JoviAl]

Owning the Chaparral SE for a few days now my first impressions are as followed.

- I haven't owned a Chaparral before, it feels like a premium knife, even with the FRN scales. Fit an finish is perfect, I love the steel backspacer, action is smooth. No complaints from me, except that now I'm tempted to get it in different scale variations.

- I'm unable to flick it open, no chance. So I open it like a gentleman, which somehow seems to fit the concept of the Chaparral anyways.

- The blade. I have to compare it to the Delica SE, and this is where I got really surprised. The blade is really thin, Opinel territory, I really like it. Compared to the Delica the serrrations are way more aggressive, they are deeper and the bevel is much higher. I've tested it on paper, cardboard, onions and tomatoes - it's a great slicer, but I feel like especially on cardboard the Delica worked a bit smoother, especially in a sawing motion the serrations on the Delica don't get hung up that easily. On the tomatoes and onions the clear winner is the Chaparral, no doubt.


20250208_120842.jpg


I will carry it for the next couple of weeks. It feels great in the pocket - in the sense that I don't feel it in there. I'm glad it has the wire clip, which I really enjoy. All in all a solid knife.

Also I would like to ask how you guys are planning on sharpening the Chaparral SE. On my Delica SE I've used the Sharpmaker at the 20 degree angle to create ta micro bevel (I think you can clearly see that on the picture above) and it works great, it's a scary sharp knife I would not want to hand to anybody. But the Serrations on the Chaparral are quite different, and seem to be more fragile. If anyone here has already sharpened it, please let me know your process and thoughts.

I have been sharpening mine on my CBN/ceramic double stuff. I’ve been sticking to the original grind - the scallop bevels are so deep you can just follow them on the stone like you would with a zero grind.

[Palestrina]

I have been sharpening mine on my CBN/ceramic double stuff. I’ve been sticking to the original grind - the scallop bevels are so deep you can just follow them on the stone like you would with a zero grind.

That's interesting, I never thought about that, since it worked so great with the Delica SE on the Sharpmaker.

[JoviAl]

I have been sharpening mine on my CBN/ceramic double stuff. I’ve been sticking to the original grind - the scallop bevels are so deep you can just follow them on the stone like you would with a zero grind.

That's interesting, I never thought about that, since it worked so great with the Delica SE on the Sharpmaker.

I have a Sharpmaker too (and a galley V, KME, traditional stones…) but for me the Double Stuff is the easiest to use in this specific use case. If I wanted a micro bevel then I’d be all for the Sharpmaker, but I want the absolute minimum edge angle I can get away with on this little slicing laser beam of a knife