Mr Blonde wrote:Time for some fiber in this diet of protos; carbon fiber to be precise. Sorry for the bad pun, I just couldn't resist. :D
Paul, I know you don't quite 'dig' the appeal of carbon fiber, so I'll start with the Kiwi, to keep you interested.
The cf insert isn't quite as polished as my left-handed Delica III that was made a few years ago, but it's not as dull as the CF on my ZDP Caly III either, somewhat in the middle. Perhaps some of the shine is lost because the insert is rounded and 3D, as opposed to the flat slabs of CF on my Delica 3. Still, very nice Kiwi. I'm positive I'll pick one of these up once they hit the market.
Wouter
Shocking as it may sound, I find that Kiwi rather attractive. :)
Mr Blonde wrote:I remember it having no dual steel liners.
Wouter
Levi wrote:Just the one... left side I think. I remember because I thought it was rather odd.
In your excellent photos Wouter, it looks like a single steel liner on the clip side. No surprise if that's the case, it would be just like the final runs of the original Rookie.
So when the new Schempp designs come out we can expect to see them in Foliage green? I am kinda really into the color...I just put in an order for the new G10 and can't wait for my first foliage green folder! Out of curiosity, does anyone know what inspired this influx of foliage green into the new Spyderco releases? I really like the move away from black, it feels like a nice breath of fresh air.
:spyder: Fred Perrin Street Beat, Blue Yojimbo, Black Yojimbo, Chinook III, Lava (x2), Delica
For 2008: Rocklobster, Rookie, Phoenix, Barong, Khukuri, Lum Chinese folder, Urban
wouter, you rock! can't thank you enough for your time and efforts to take and post these amazing pics! so much fun......
Users: SS Police PE, Delica 4 PE, Kopa Cocobolo, Blue Dodo SE, Yellow Pacific Salt PE, Micarta SPOT SE, Gray Calypso Jr, Temperance SE, Burgandy Jess Horn w/ZDP, UK Penknife, BB Delica 3 PE, Captain, CF Military w/BG-42, Lava, Caly3 SE, Para-Military SE, Manix CE, BB Para-Military SE, Delica 4 Wave, Ocelot CE, SpyderFly, Navigator II SE, Vagabond, D'Allara Drop Point CE, Black Assist I, Bug Set (and also: Sharpmaker, SS byrd Finch PE, Profile Set, byrd Firebyrd, Large Spyderpac, byrd Wings)
Very nice review and pics again Wouter :cool: :cool:
Too bad I couldn't be there
If (oh, let's hope so :p ) the liner lock Sage comes in full spyderedge as well, I will buy AT LEAST 2. One for me and one for my son(he really digs all my CF handled knives)
Arend(old school Spydie lover)
MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF THE SPYDEREDGE!!!
VERY PROUD OWNER OF A CALY III/SE #043 :D
....AND A FG(PARA) MILITARY/SE IN CPMD2(thanx Sal)
Michael Bolton wrote:So when the new Schempp designs come out we can expect to see them in Foliage green? I am kinda really into the color...I just put in an order for the new G10 and can't wait for my first foliage green folder! Out of curiosity, does anyone know what inspired this influx of foliage green into the new Spyderco releases? I really like the move away from black, it feels like a nice breath of fresh air.
Know? Not really. Suspect? Sure. Sal had the color custom made for certain. I suspect it was primarily to better serve our military forces. I also suspect he had to order a bunch to get it made, so it will be showing up in a lot of knives for a while.
Personally, I'd like to see a blue G-10 darker than the previous Smurfbone, but light enough to not look black in normal indoor light. For now, I'll probably have to settle for an orange UKPK.
I don't believe in safe queens, only in pre-need replacements.
drf wrote:Thanks for the great pics. I really like the new Schempp designs, however I think they beg for micarta and stainless bolsters like the persians.
Oh yeah. I forgot about the blosters. That would be nice too. A dark blue G10 also sounds sweet as well.
:spyder: Fred Perrin Street Beat, Blue Yojimbo, Black Yojimbo, Chinook III, Lava (x2), Delica
For 2008: Rocklobster, Rookie, Phoenix, Barong, Khukuri, Lum Chinese folder, Urban
Oops, almost forgot that the Superhawk also has a (peelply) CF handle. It still is a beast of a knife and entirely designed due to the forums, and one forumite in particular I think; JD I hope this knife will come out soon for you.
The new Police model is big, very big. Or rather, very long. I think the blade was somewhere around 4,5 inches long. It's quite a handfull; but still not too heavy in the hand, much lighter than a Manix/Chinook. I liked the choil and the G10 makes a world of difference in this model IMO. The SS Police does feel a bit slippery, so I was always curious why this model is such a hit. Well, Sal wasn't too sure either. According to him, the Police is always in the top 10 best selling knives: "I'm not sure why, but we keep selling them, so we'll keep making them". It's a good bet that the SS model will exist along side this new variation.
And in case anyone is curious, this blade will not be etched with the model name. Even though dealers often request the model name on the knife, Sal told us that the afi's in general dislike it; so -in principle- no model names are put on the blades.
Moving from one pointy knife to another, the P'kal trainer was briefly demonstrated and shown as well. Sal is very quick with this knife. Eric explained a bit more about the engineering involved with this lock. I'm not too fond of MBC-only designs, and I really hope this caged ball lock gets used in other models as well. The P'kal trainer handled really smoothly. The live version was not at the meet.
Since we're firmly in the Save And Serve category of knives, I can't leave out the Citadel. These automatics were specifically designed for people who use them with gloves on, don't want to lose their grip on the knife under any circumstance, and who are most likely to be able to purchase them in the US; soldiers, LEO and rescue personell.
The bi-directional texturing is, apparently, a tiny tour de force for the manufacturing process (to get it right). Together with the guards -front and on the butt end of the knife- it makes for one sure grip. The knife isn't as heavy as I expected. I really liked the smaller one, that one was just right for my non-glove wearing hand. The blade is pretty solid too, no fine Rookie tip for the Citadel.
The second automatic of the meet was the Embassy. This is one sweet auto-opener. This one is more geared towards people who need it for (secondary) rescue work I think. It's a lot thinner, sleeker and is easier on the pockets, compared to the Citadel. Compared to a Delica, the Embassy is a bit bulkier. The Embassy reminds me a bit of the Mini Manix, same overall size and feel.
The aluminum handle has a G10 insert, which feels really nice in the hand. The serrations on the around 3-inch blade looked really sharp. All the automatics came with safeties, but they were easy to manipulate. Even after firing the blade only two times or so, I got the hang of it.
A different kind of Save And Serve model is the Jumpmaster. This knife was designed after a request from a ....yes...jumpmaster from the 82nd Airborne. After some back and forth, Sal visited the designer at his 'workplace' in South Carolina. There was even some actual static line at the meet, so we could see the material this knife was designed to cut. Sal gave all designing credit to the people who worked with the Spydercrew on this design.
THe knife is made from H-1, to keep it as low-maintenance as possible. At first I wasn't too enthusiatic about the announce FRN handle and sheath, but I was pleasantly surprised. The FRN for the handle has a nice texture to it, very solid. Notice the Temperance lineage in the pattern.
I'm not sure how the Smallfly is a 'Save and Serve' knife, but rest assured; it's restricted like one. :D I really hope to get one of these, if only the trainer. I'm not an expert on the balisong, but the Smallfly seemed just right to me. The weight, size, materials and those holes on the handles for added opening tricks, make the Smallfly a very addictive knife to play with. I can see myself annoying my wife all evening long, just flicking and clicking with the trainer while watching TV.
The trainer's blade is made from 440C. The live version has a single edge, weehawk blade, from 154 CM I believe. Both blades are around 3 inches long and the handle slabs are G10. This one, like the automatics, is made in the Golden plant.
A classic revived; the Mariner Salt. I believe the original Mariner was the first folding knife ever to combine one-handed opening, clip carry and a serrated edge. The revamped Mariner Salt has a blade and handle made from the rust-impervious H1. This time around, the hole in the handle is not a drying vent. H1 doesn't rust, so drying the inside of the handle isn't necessary. The hole is intented to be a shackle key.
Since we're talking about H1, I'd better roll out the rest as well. The Aqua Salt was also at last year's Meet. To my eye, the blade has been refined a wee bit; it seems to have a bit more belly to the edge and the tip seems a bit pointier. I love that bright yellow handle. The sheath impressed me. I felt dubious about an FRN sheath. The injection molded Perrin Streetbowie sheath had a terrible rattle when the blade was sheathed (I fixed that BTW with a hairdryer and some thumb pressure). Not so with the Aqua Salt's sheath; the fit was tight, but with a small push of the thumb, the knife pops out. The G-TekLok clip looked pretty solid as well. I'm not sure about the material, but it feels like heavy duty concealex to me. I'll be certain to get on of these aqua salts.
Naturally, I can't leave out the Rocksalt. Ed Schempp's design was not just intended for people who work around water. It should also be a great blade for people who want to use it in the jungle, or when you need a no-maintenance knife (save for sharpening). COmpared to last year's prototyp, the handle seemed a bit more refined. The FRN texture feels similar to G10 IMO. with a sharpened swedge, this knife could make a really nice fighter.
Before we got to this knife, we got to handle some real fixed blades intended for bladesports (concept models, so no pics). After those, the Rocksalt seemed very light and small. My wife commented on how nice the handle felt on the Rocksalt, so she instantly gained 10 cool-points in my book. I have no intended use for the Rocksalt, but I think I'll find a reason to order one anyways.
