Need info about Copilot CO 9

Not real smart · #1

I have just started to collect Spyderco knives my fist purchase was a set of 3 Copilot CO 9 with marine animal engravings /decals
Can anybody give me some info about them i.e. Age, Value ,Rarity .
Have added a photo file .

Any advise about these and any recomendations about what to collect would be greatly appreciated.

While I have been collecting knives for some time my knowledge of Spyderco is very limited.
Looking forward to learning more and hopefully making some new friends with this forum.

boxer93 · #2

I'd say DEMA is http://www.dema.org/ . Spyderco was an exhibitor in 2010.
I've never seen them. Nice find.
Chris

Not real smart · #3

Chris,
No info about them from DEMA.
Have google and look though the Spyderco pages nothing.
Might have stubble on to something better than I thought.
Do you think that the '90 on the middle knife could be the year it was made ?
Thanks for being the first person I spoken to at Spyderco.
Wish you could get a prize. lol.
A newbie from Down under,Shane.

The Deacon · #4

Not sure, they could be one of two things. Spyderco has made knives for organizations to resell, these could fall in that category. Spyderco has also made up "show specials" to sell at their own booth at knife shows and trade shows. I'm certain the DEMA CoPilots fall into one of those two categories, just not certain which. The 1990 is definitely the year of the show for which it was made.

Sal would be the most likely to know the facts, couple other old timers here may also know the full story.

The CoPilot · #5

Those DEMA CoPilots were made by and sold by Spyderco for the Diving Equipment Manufacturers Association (DEMA) annual show. Quantities on each were fairly limited (about 100 pieces per year if I recall). They are definitely on the list of hard-to-find CoPilots along with the David Yellowhorse CoPilot. Unfortunately (for their collector value) these examples appear to have been carried and dinged up a bit. If they were new in the box and in mint condition, I would think they might sell for more than $100 each. I would expect these to bring considerably less given the condition.

Not real smart · #6

G'day Copilot,
Wonderful ,Thanks for the info . Photo makes them look worse than they are but your right have been used and carried,
Happy to know that I did not pay too much for my first Spyderco got all 3 for $100.
Will have to watch out for the Yellowhorse.

fast.ed · #7

Really like the Co-pilot CO9BK. If anyone sees one, let me know please.

#8

CoPilot is exactly right. Sal used to make and sell a small number of C09s specific to the DEMA Show (diving show) every year he set up a booth during the 1990s. The show oldtimers still carry them and ask every year if we can make them again. We asked the show's organizers if we could use their logo to start the practice back up in 2006 and their answer was "no".

Nice find.

Joyce

The Deacon · #9

Are the rightmost two overlays of some kind? For some reason it looks that way to me.

fast.ed wrote:Really like the Co-pilot CO9BK. If anyone sees one, let me know please.

Like this?

The CoPilot · #10

The humpback whale CoPilot for the 1993 DEMA show is engraved into the stainless steel scale. The other two are what I like to call "onlays" where another piece of material was adhered (usually glued) to the stainless steel handle scale.

Not real smart · #11

Thanks everybody for your input.
Copilot is right about the engraved Whale and the others are a metalic Decal .
The decal is what make the knives look a bit rough, lots of little dents on its surface.
Dont think there is anyway to fix it though as is a very thin sheet .
Any Suggestions?

The CoPilot · #12

There is really no way to "repair" the damaged decals. I say that you should carry and enjoy those CoPilots. That's what Sal designed and produced them for.

Dr. Snubnose · #13

Not real smart: I think you should change your username to Pretty Smart as you got those three for $100, great find....I see two of them in the photo are marked 1/100 is the third the same?.....Doc :D

Not real smart · #14

Doc,
The one with the squid/octopus decal has no marking/writing. Probably why its the most bumped about.
I am not real smart because I often buy things first then find out about them. As Homer says Doh.
Just purchased a Brian yellowhorse Crickett waiting on delivery. Think it s worth more than I paid .Am researching it now after I paid for it another. Doh

I am going to carry the most scruffy copilot but though I might try and smooth out the decal by using a slighty wet rag and a warm iron, this works to take small dents out of wood .
You never know if you don't give it ago

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Need info about Copilot CO 9

Need info about Copilot CO 9

Thanks for reply.