I bought my first few Spyderco's a couple weeks ago: a pair of Ladybugs, folliage green for me and purple for my wife, and a Delica 4 for myself. First impressions:
1. Great design and great craftsmanship. Nicely rounded edges on the scales, sharp edges on the blades, great balance, very comfortable to hold.
2. Bi-Directionally textured FRN is one of the coolest inventions I've seen in a long time. I can't stop pulling the Delica out of my pocket just to experience the texture.
3. I was very surprised to find that I love the clip! I bought the Delica thinking it would probably feel too big in my pocket and only be a special use knife, but clipped in my front pocket I totally forget it's there. I thought the clip would make the knife uncomfortable to hold but I hardly notice it's there.
I have a Sage I on order right now and I look forward to comparing the liner lock to the back lock and the CF to the FRN. There are some great pictures of the Delica 4 being assembled in somewhere on this forum. If anybody has posted similar pictures of the Sage being assembled I'd love to know about it.
Also, am I correct in thinking that there's never a danger of dulling the blade when closing a Spyderco with a loud snap? I read the definition of "Kick" in the glossary and it led me to believe that the contact is always between the base of the blade and some type of opposing stopper.
Anyway great knives and great forum. Looking forward to learning more.
Just bought my first Spyderco's
First, welcome to the Spyderco forums.
The edge of the blade does not come into contact with any internal part of the knife.
That is at least the case with all of my Spydercos. I believe it's the kick or ricasso that stops the blade before it makes contact. You should be good to go.
The edge of the blade does not come into contact with any internal part of the knife.
That is at least the case with all of my Spydercos. I believe it's the kick or ricasso that stops the blade before it makes contact. You should be good to go.
Aaron
Current EDCs: Golden models
:spyder: FG D2 Military:cool: Orange UKPK:spyder:
NEXT: Rock Lobster, Manix2, TiMil
Current EDCs: Golden models
:spyder: FG D2 Military:cool: Orange UKPK:spyder:
NEXT: Rock Lobster, Manix2, TiMil
I was motivated by the catalog where it said "No two knives embody all that is Spyderco more than the Endura and Delica." From the catalog pictures I thought the Endura was a better looking knife because of the blade shape, but decided to go with the Delica because it seemed a little less threatening. Now that I'm totally comforable with the Delica, I'm starting to look at a Stretch ZDP-189 for my next knife :) . It's funny how your perspective changes once you actually get to handle and carry a knife for a while. The tricky part will be getting my wife's perspective to change along with mine. I think I might have to upgrade her from a Ladybug to a Dragonfly in order to ease the process.RIOT wrote:Welcome,
Glad to hear your first Spydie is a Delica. Its been my favorite for 16 years now, let us know how you like the Sage to the Delica when it arrives
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bohica1998
- Member
- Posts: 904
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:42 am
- Location: Arkansas, USA, Earth
You could get her a pink Native to go with that purple Ladybug! OR...if you want to stick with purple, there is a soon to be released purple Native coming. The 2009 Forum knife.I think I might have to upgrade her from a Ladybug to a Dragonfly in order to ease the process.
18 
's and counting so far... 
Current Inventory: C14SBK Rescue SE - C14SBL Rescue SE - C14PBK Rescue FG PE - C14SBK Rescue FG SE - C10PSGRWBK Endura USN CE Emerson Opener/Black Blade - LBK3HB Ladybug Hawkbill SE - C12SGY Matriarch SE G10 modded - C78PSBK Native 3 SE - C78PBK Native 3 PE - C41SBK Native 4 SE - C41PBBK Native 4 Black Blade PE - C41PSBBK Native 4 Black Blade SE - C77PYL SpyderHawk H1 PE - C106PYL Tasman Salt PE - C122GP Tenacious SE - BY22SBK Meadowlark Hawkbill SE - LGRP3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill PE - LGRS3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill SE
's and counting so far... Current Inventory: C14SBK Rescue SE - C14SBL Rescue SE - C14PBK Rescue FG PE - C14SBK Rescue FG SE - C10PSGRWBK Endura USN CE Emerson Opener/Black Blade - LBK3HB Ladybug Hawkbill SE - C12SGY Matriarch SE G10 modded - C78PSBK Native 3 SE - C78PBK Native 3 PE - C41SBK Native 4 SE - C41PBBK Native 4 Black Blade PE - C41PSBBK Native 4 Black Blade SE - C77PYL SpyderHawk H1 PE - C106PYL Tasman Salt PE - C122GP Tenacious SE - BY22SBK Meadowlark Hawkbill SE - LGRP3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill PE - LGRS3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill SE
I'll try to find a store in the Philly area that has one in stock and see if she likes it. Thanks for the suggestion.bohica1998 wrote:You could get her a pink Native to go with that purple Ladybug! OR...if you want to stick with purple, there is a soon to be released purple Native coming. The 2009 Forum knife.
Thanks, Sal. Not many companies where you get welcomed on your first thread by the owner.sal wrote:Hi Casey,
Welcome to the Spyderco forum and thanx for the support.
Many of our models have been continually refined for many years. Input from customers have "shaped" the current versions.
sal
The Delica 4 certainly feels like a refined knife. I've read the comments of owners of earlier linerless Delica's who preferred the lower weight. But even though I've never handled one that was linerless, I can't really relate to that. 2.5oz is pretty feather weight, and when it's clipped to my pocket, I can't feel it at all. I'm guessing that the people who don't like the liners carry their knives in the bottom of their pockets. I really like the solid feel of the Delica 4 and imagine it would lose some of that without the liners.
My only complaint is the black clip. Not that it looks bad, it's just that in less than two weeks of casual use it's already showing signs of wear due to the black scraping off. Since it will probably a long time before the rest of the knife shows any signs of wear, I'd prefer a silver clip that ages as gracefully as the rest of the knife. Also the lanyard hole seems too small to be very useful, but since I don't see myself ever using a lanyard, that's not much of an issue for me. All in all, it's a fantastic knife that I expect to get a lot of use from.
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Toad310
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- Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:59 pm
- Location: Palm Desert, Beverly Hills, California
- Contact:
You can remove the paint, and polish the clip in about 15 minutescasey wrote:Thanks, Sal. Not many companies where you get welcomed on your first thread by the owner.
The Delica 4 certainly feels like a refined knife. I've read the comments of owners of earlier linerless Delica's who preferred the lower weight. But even though I've never handled one that was linerless, I can't really relate to that. 2.5oz is pretty feather weight, and when it's clipped to my pocket, I can't feel it at all. I'm guessing that the people who don't like the liners carry their knives in the bottom of their pockets. I really like the solid feel of the Delica 4 and imagine it would lose some of that without the liners.
My only complaint is the black clip. Not that it looks bad, it's just that in less than two weeks of casual use it's already showing signs of wear due to the black scraping off. Since it will probably a long time before the rest of the knife shows any signs of wear, I'd prefer a silver clip that ages as gracefully as the rest of the knife. Also the lanyard hole seems too small to be very useful, but since I don't see myself ever using a lanyard, that's not much of an issue for me. All in all, it's a fantastic knife that I expect to get a lot of use from.
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bohica1998
- Member
- Posts: 904
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:42 am
- Location: Arkansas, USA, Earth
That might work, or there's usually one being actioned on Ebay . Sometimes even a Buy It Now. As far as the forum knife goes, it hasn't been released yet, but soon...I'll try to find a store in the Philly area that has one in stock and see if she likes it.
18 's and counting so far...
Current Inventory: C14SBK Rescue SE - C14SBL Rescue SE - C14PBK Rescue FG PE - C14SBK Rescue FG SE - C10PSGRWBK Endura USN CE Emerson Opener/Black Blade - LBK3HB Ladybug Hawkbill SE - C12SGY Matriarch SE G10 modded - C78PSBK Native 3 SE - C78PBK Native 3 PE - C41SBK Native 4 SE - C41PBBK Native 4 Black Blade PE - C41PSBBK Native 4 Black Blade SE - C77PYL SpyderHawk H1 PE - C106PYL Tasman Salt PE - C122GP Tenacious SE - BY22SBK Meadowlark Hawkbill SE - LGRP3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill PE - LGRS3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill SE
's and counting so far... Current Inventory: C14SBK Rescue SE - C14SBL Rescue SE - C14PBK Rescue FG PE - C14SBK Rescue FG SE - C10PSGRWBK Endura USN CE Emerson Opener/Black Blade - LBK3HB Ladybug Hawkbill SE - C12SGY Matriarch SE G10 modded - C78PSBK Native 3 SE - C78PBK Native 3 PE - C41SBK Native 4 SE - C41PBBK Native 4 Black Blade PE - C41PSBBK Native 4 Black Blade SE - C77PYL SpyderHawk H1 PE - C106PYL Tasman Salt PE - C122GP Tenacious SE - BY22SBK Meadowlark Hawkbill SE - LGRP3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill PE - LGRS3HB USN Ladybug Hawkbill SE
The clip on my Tasman looks like its been thru **** and back....and I love it. Gives it character!
My Spydies: Sharpmaker • Tasman Salt • Saver Salt • Ladybug Hawkbill Salt • Salt 1 • Blue/Gray Meerkat • Burgundy Meerkat • Manix2 Ltwt Translucent Blue • Manix2 Ltwt Blacked Out • Manix2 Backlock • Ladybug 1 Red • Blue UKPK • Tusk • Blue Lava • Dog Tag • Bug • Honeybee • Grasshopper • Stepped Ti Chaparral • McBee • AEB-L Urban
I hear you guys. Sometimes I'm too anal about how my stuff looks, especially things I care about. If the clip scratching is the biggest complaint I have about this knife, that tells you a lot.BDNX wrote:The clip on my Tasman looks like its been thru **** and back....and I love it. Gives it character!
I expect my knives to show signs of wear. And if your knife's actually been through **** and back, it deserves to have a few scars to prove it. But if it hasn't, and mine hasn't yet, then I think it should still look like new, and it probably would if it had an unpainted clip.
Meanwhile, my Sage I came in yesterday. It couldn't be more different from the Delica 4, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to get it. First impressions:
1. It's a perfect jewel of a knife. Because of the open construction you can see the silver liners up against the carbon fiber scales around the entire perimeter of the knife. Even though it's just an exposed structural detail, it feels like chrome accents on a car. Looking at the blade from above, you can see the perfectly gradual distal taper along the length of the blade. Looks gorgeous. Also looks like it would be very effective for puncturing.
2. The blade is sharper out of the box than either the Delica 4 or the Ladybug. Really, really sharp. One of the reasons I got back into pocket knives was because I recently started sharpening my own kitchen knives with an Edge Pro Apex system. I bought a new VG10 Santoku, and got to compare it to my newly sharpened classic Chicago Cutlery. I've succeeded in getting my kitchen knives scary sharp, but the Sage is just a little sharper.
3. I've heard people call the CF scales on the Sage "grippy". Not so much. Compared to the FRN scales on the Delica, the CF is almost totally smooth. The first word that comes to my mind is "trippy". They have a 3D look. As you look at them from different angles, you first see a checkerboard pattern, then a diagonal pattern from uppler left to lower right, then a diagonal pattern from upper right to lower left. It's amazing to look at.
4. It opens effortlessly compared to the Delica 4. I guess that's one of the advantages of a liner lock. I kind of miss the authoritative click of the back lock on the Delica 4, but I think I'll come to like the Sage better as far as opening. Closing is a different matter. Closing the Delica is a breeze. Press straight down on the lock button and the blade falls into your index finger with the force of gravity. With the Sage, you have to really mash the liner lock out of the way, after which the blade doesn't budge. With a small shake, it still doesn't budge. After a slightly more vigorous shake it comes crashing down. I'm sure I can get the closing action more to my liking with either a little lube or an adjustment to the pivot screw, or maybe just a little more use or experience will take care of it.
5. The clips are totally different. The Sage rides much more discretely in your pocket, with just a tiny arc of carbon fiber poking out. The Delica has 4 silver screws set against a black clip and a good chunk of the handle poking out. Nobody's going to miss the fact that you're carrying a Delica. I find the Delica a little easier to get in and out of my pocket. Between the clip style and the amount of knife poking out, it's just a little easier to grab onto.
When it comes to holding the knife, the clip on the Sage presents a little bit of a problem. With the hourglass clip on the Delica, the whole top portion of the clip is flat against the handle. With the wire clip on the Sage, the raised portion of the clip goes all the way to the top of the clip to facilitate deep pocket carry. The end result is that on the Delica, the clip nests right in the middle of the hollow of my palm and is very comfortable. On the Sage, the clip pokes against the lower part of my palm. Not nearly as comfortable to use.
Two very different knives. I like them both, and I'm not sure which one I'll carry more often. For the next few days it will be the Sage. I recommend them both, but I'm glad I bought the Delica 4 first. I would highly recommend it to anybody thinking about buying their first Spyderco.
1. It's a perfect jewel of a knife. Because of the open construction you can see the silver liners up against the carbon fiber scales around the entire perimeter of the knife. Even though it's just an exposed structural detail, it feels like chrome accents on a car. Looking at the blade from above, you can see the perfectly gradual distal taper along the length of the blade. Looks gorgeous. Also looks like it would be very effective for puncturing.
2. The blade is sharper out of the box than either the Delica 4 or the Ladybug. Really, really sharp. One of the reasons I got back into pocket knives was because I recently started sharpening my own kitchen knives with an Edge Pro Apex system. I bought a new VG10 Santoku, and got to compare it to my newly sharpened classic Chicago Cutlery. I've succeeded in getting my kitchen knives scary sharp, but the Sage is just a little sharper.
3. I've heard people call the CF scales on the Sage "grippy". Not so much. Compared to the FRN scales on the Delica, the CF is almost totally smooth. The first word that comes to my mind is "trippy". They have a 3D look. As you look at them from different angles, you first see a checkerboard pattern, then a diagonal pattern from uppler left to lower right, then a diagonal pattern from upper right to lower left. It's amazing to look at.
4. It opens effortlessly compared to the Delica 4. I guess that's one of the advantages of a liner lock. I kind of miss the authoritative click of the back lock on the Delica 4, but I think I'll come to like the Sage better as far as opening. Closing is a different matter. Closing the Delica is a breeze. Press straight down on the lock button and the blade falls into your index finger with the force of gravity. With the Sage, you have to really mash the liner lock out of the way, after which the blade doesn't budge. With a small shake, it still doesn't budge. After a slightly more vigorous shake it comes crashing down. I'm sure I can get the closing action more to my liking with either a little lube or an adjustment to the pivot screw, or maybe just a little more use or experience will take care of it.
5. The clips are totally different. The Sage rides much more discretely in your pocket, with just a tiny arc of carbon fiber poking out. The Delica has 4 silver screws set against a black clip and a good chunk of the handle poking out. Nobody's going to miss the fact that you're carrying a Delica. I find the Delica a little easier to get in and out of my pocket. Between the clip style and the amount of knife poking out, it's just a little easier to grab onto.
When it comes to holding the knife, the clip on the Sage presents a little bit of a problem. With the hourglass clip on the Delica, the whole top portion of the clip is flat against the handle. With the wire clip on the Sage, the raised portion of the clip goes all the way to the top of the clip to facilitate deep pocket carry. The end result is that on the Delica, the clip nests right in the middle of the hollow of my palm and is very comfortable. On the Sage, the clip pokes against the lower part of my palm. Not nearly as comfortable to use.
Two very different knives. I like them both, and I'm not sure which one I'll carry more often. For the next few days it will be the Sage. I recommend them both, but I'm glad I bought the Delica 4 first. I would highly recommend it to anybody thinking about buying their first Spyderco.
Thanks for the suggestion Nomaded. The cricket is a nice looking knife. I just need to convince myself that I would be able to sharpen that curvy blade effectively.
By the way, I learned the technique for closing the Sage - pressing the liner lock, gently start the blade with my index finger, get out the way, then finish closing with my index finger. It's actually very elegant compared to a back lock with its strong spring action on the close, and I like it a lot now that I know what I'm doing.
By the way, I learned the technique for closing the Sage - pressing the liner lock, gently start the blade with my index finger, get out the way, then finish closing with my index finger. It's actually very elegant compared to a back lock with its strong spring action on the close, and I like it a lot now that I know what I'm doing.
Hm. Not having any experience with the Edge Pro Apex sharpener system, I can't really comment about that. That said, it's pretty easy with the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker :) .
As for your technique for closing the Sage, that's definitely a common way to close liner locks, especially if the blade doesn't move smoothly enough to be able to close it half way by jerking the knife towards you while holding down the liner lock.
As for your technique for closing the Sage, that's definitely a common way to close liner locks, especially if the blade doesn't move smoothly enough to be able to close it half way by jerking the knife towards you while holding down the liner lock.
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