Byrd Gooney

[Cletus]

I just got a Gooney, and what a neat design! This knife cuts cardboard amazingly well. I just got done cutting a bunch, and it dulled slightly, but it stropped right back quite easily. Any more curve to the blade and I wouldn't have been able to strop it. It is well made, especially for the price! Great knife!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Great to know!

Would it be a good food knife, like cutting meat, bread, tomatoes?

[ChrisinHove]

Great to know!

Would it be a good food knife, like cutting meat, bread, tomatoes?

It’s not ideal for food prep in my opinion, but waaay better than a spoon, or nothing at all.

[Mark!]

A funny story about how I met Gooney.

An Endura knife fell to the floor, and the tip broke off. I started thinking about what to do with it. Of the roughly two hundred knives in my collection, perhaps only a couple dozen hadn't been completely disassembled. All the mechanisms and blades had been removed, sharp edges and serrations had been filed down or modified. So, completely modifying and remaking knives is commonplace.

After buying the Matriarch, I started thinking about how to make something similar, but more utilitarian. Something that wouldn't look so bloodthirsty. And something that would be easier to pierce and stab. And then Endura fell just in time... And there is still a lot left of the blade - 87 mm.

First, I made the beak on a semicircular diamond sharpener. Then I tried cutting everything, including food. The beak cuts well when pulled toward you. It grabs the food and bites into it. But when you push the blade away from you, you need a blade with a convex belly. I wanted this belly to be closer to the handle, like the Spanish Navaja Solsona. So I slightly refined the new profile. Each time I ground the profile and tried it again. And I did this many times. I experimented like this for about two weeks, perfecting the curve and shape.

Each time I cut the food and assessed how the new profile started to work. Eventually, I arrived at a result that was fairly close to satisfactory. Then I decided to check if there was anything similar in profile among the knives currently in production. I photographed my version of the redesigned Endura. I converted it to a high-contrast black-and-white version so that search engines would only see the blade profile.

And...
That's how I learned that my beloved Spyderco brand had just released the Gooney.

[sal]

Hi Mark!,

Welcome to our forum and thanx for sharing your story.

sal

[Mark!]

Hi Mark!,

Welcome to our forum and thanx for sharing your story.

sal

Thank you, Sal!
And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for inventing the Spyderco. It's the most sophisticated folding knife in the world. In the entire history of knife civilization. In the world of knives, you are as great a creator and engineer as Stradivari was in the world of violins. It's thanks to you that we all have these amazing knives.

[sal]

Hi Mark!

Thanx much for your kind words. I may have been the spark that started Spyderco, but the crew is the fire that is Spyderco.

sal

[8th_Note]

Let me start off by saying that we did Christmas early this week and I got 4 knives (3 gifts and 1 bought for myself). Those 4 knives are: Spyderco Manix 2 LW in M4, Spyderco Sage 5 LW in SPY27, Spyderco Canis, and Byrd Gooney.

I really think the Gooney is my favorite of the 4. It is just so unique. And the quality and fit-n-finish are amazing for the price. The backlock especially is superb on this Gooney (and I love a full stainless back spacer as well).

I've got just a couple of questions though, as I have not disassembled the knife yet.

First, does the Gooney have phosphor-bronze washers? I can't see any washers in there

Second, the description says that it's linerless. But it sure seems like it's got nested steel liners in there (see pics). Are the liners a CQI thing and the description just hasn't been updated?

Thanks !!

[8th_Note]

So I finally had time to disassemble the Gooney. It most definitely has full nested steel liners and phosphor-bronze washers

[Mark!]

Thank you very much! It looks very reliable.

[cabfrank]

8th_Note, I assume the description you are referring to that says linerless is a mistake. I doubt liners would be added as CQI. Agreed? I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Interesting post, thanks for sharing.

[Aladinsane]

So I finally had time to disassemble the Gooney. It most definitely has full nested steel liners and phosphor-bronze washers

IMG_20251217_114552939_HDR.jpg

Seeing that those are unskeletonized liners, and the description says it is linerless, is the weight different from the listed 104g?

[Manixguy@1994]

So I finally had time to disassemble the Gooney. It most definitely has full nested steel liners and phosphor-bronze washers

IMG_20251217_114552939_HDR.jpg

Seeing that those are unskeletonized liners, and the description says it is linerless, is the weight different from the listed 104g?

That’s a good question, appears description is way off so I’m not sure if I would trust the weight information . Maybe this info needs to be brought up to a moderator, like Taz . Dan

[8th_Note]

So I finally had time to disassemble the Gooney. It most definitely has full nested steel liners and phosphor-bronze washers

IMG_20251217_114552939_HDR.jpg

Seeing that those are unskeletonized liners, and the description says it is linerless, is the weight different from the listed 104g?

I do not have a scale handy

[SchoonerBum]

Since Gooney Birds live on the ocean, any chance we’ll see a salt model with the Gooney blade shape? I would definitely rock one of those at work.

[sal]

Hi SchoonerBum,

Not likely in the near future.

sal

[MIspyder]

Hi everyone. I dont post much at all, mostly learning and appreciation for the Spyderco brand.
Been into spyderco since the early days of the brand. I have to say, in all of my 15 or so spydies , none are serrated. BUT THIS design has me hunting for an SE version today. I was almost ready to pull the trigger on a Leafjumper SE, but saw this post and absolutely have to have a Gooney in SE.
Thanks Sal for your eye for great, ergonomic and functional slicey tools. Been a fan since you got things going back in the day.
Thank you for this very cool design..

[Manixguy@1994]

Hi everyone. I dont post much at all, mostly learning and appreciation for the Spyderco brand.
Been into spyderco since the early days of the brand. I have to say, in all of my 15 or so spydies , none are serrated. BUT THIS design has me hunting for an SE version today. I was almost ready to pull the trigger on a Leafjumper SE, but saw this post and absolutely have to have a Gooney in SE.
Thanks Sal for your eye for great, ergonomic and functional slicey tools. Been a fan since you got things going back in the day.
Thank you for this very cool design..

Welcome to the Forum ! Stay tuned , Gooney SE has not been released yet . I am also waiting for the same variant and have a yard project waiting to see how it will perform on vines . MG2

[sal]

Hi MIspyder,

Welcome to our forum.

Thanx much for the interest and support over the year.

sal

[BeggarSo]

Lol gotta get a Gooney!

Hey Sal maybe that should be a slogan for advertisement something like

Spydercos Byrd Knives

"Gotta get a Gooney" Birds not invited.