The Logic of Our Acquisitions

wrdwrght · #1

Glad am I that Sal has said no one is going to buy every knife Spyderco produces. I certainly can't afford to, so I have done some thinking about what has caught my eye since I began to acquire Sypdies in February.

I discover that I prefer (over the many alternatives):

Leaf/spear points
Plain edge FFG
Finger choil and spine jimping
G10 or titanium scales (torxed not pinned)
Deep-carry (whether hour-glass or wire clip; love the latter).

Within these parameters I want a representation of steels, locks, colors, sizes, and places of manufacture.

These guidelines have me glued to the:

MANIX2 (Colorado-made, with Ball-Bearing Locks) (have Tan CTS XHP, Foliage Green CPM M4; Black CTS BD30 coming; Orange CPM S30V wanted)
SAGE (Taiwan-made, with CPM S30V steels) (have Titanium 2 Reeve Integral Lock and Blue 3 Collins Bolt-Action Lock; Black Carbon Fiber 1 Walker LinerLock wanted)
DRAGONFLY (Japan-made, with Mid-Lockback and Boye Dent) (have Foliage Green 1 VG 10; Yellow 2 H1 wanted)

Nevertheless, I have also acquired a:

TENACIOUS (my first Spydie; have given it to a friend; it prompted me to prefer a finger choil)
DigiCam PARAMILITARY2 Compression Lock (my second Spydie; bought after reading about CPM S30V but before settling on my leaf/spear preference)
Titanium UK PENKNIFE (a slipit for travel in Europe; now I effectively have a Caly3 torxed not pinned, and CPM S30V not VG 10, not that there is anything wrong with VG 10; its titanium handle prompted me to get the Sage2)
LADYBUG3 Hawkbill Salt (for deadheading the garden; figured its hook of a blade would grab stems; its H1 steel has prompted me to want the Dragonfly Salt)

In addition to the foregoing, I lust for the SUPERLEAF, the NATIVE5 and, above all, the imminent CHAPARRAL. For the latter, I'll probably wait for one with fluted titanium scales.

You see how logical and self-controlled I am? I almost have my wife convinced... :D

What green-lights your acquisitions, apart from spare cash?

the ob · #2

my green light is this; Is it made by spyderco.

bh49 · #3

wrdwrght wrote: You see how logical and self-controlled I am?

What is logical? :confused:

wrdwrght wrote: What green-lights your acquisitions, apart from spare cash?

I buy what I like

WalzAaronFFG · #4

I am still new to Spyderco, but what got me started was the great reviews from online reviewers. After I saw the nutnfancy review for the Delica and Endura 4 I knew I had to own one. From that point every non-spyderco knife seemed to be flawed in its capabilities in some way or another.

The key features that grab me are JIMPING... Seriously, the Manix 2 is probably the best example of this. It is the most grippy knife I have ever held. It is as if it sticks to my hand and I can't put it down.

I also love FFG Leaf blades

Carbon Fiber scales

Colored FRN scales

Quality Lockbacks! Everyone seems to make liner/frame locks nowadays. Lockbacks have a particular "throwback" appeal to me.

I also love the fact that Spyderco doesn't ignore what is happening with knife laws. I'm from the US so I have it pretty good compared to the UK fans, but I still love being able to choose from multiple sub-3" options, while still being able to buy some larger blades for camping, etc.

Those are the things that attracted me and kept me interested

Donut · #5

How did you get a Tan XHP Manix? :)

Welcome.

tonydahose · #6

wrdwrght wrote:Glad am I that Sal has said no one is going to buy every knife Spyderco produces.

i know a few people who would prove Sal wrong on that comment :eek: .

as for the question of acquisitions, it started with different colored handles, then to old models, then to all of the kopas and beyond

, then to all variations of the enduras and now i just buy what new models interest me.

wrdwrght · #7

Donut wrote:How did you get a Tan XHP Manix? :)

Got wind a while back that this model was a sprint for Bento Box Shop. I got on BBS's list and had the knife within a week at a fair price. Nice steel that has developed a very mild patina that I rather like.

dbcad · #8

A great deal of what Spyderco offers appeals to me. Most of it is the thought that I feel is put into these knives. Pick up a Delica and see if you can feel the same thing :)

Part of it now is blade materials. Have to stick to the Mules for that. They're the only exotic materials I can afford except for ZDP189 which is phenomenal once you figure out how to get it really sharp again.

I say just enjoy Spyderco, a very unique company :)

wrdwrght · #9

tonydahose wrote:i know a few people who would prove Sal wrong on that comment :eek: .

as for the question of acquisitions, it started with different colored handles, then to old models, then to all of the kopas and beyond , then to all variations of the enduras and now i just buy what new models interest me.

We are a rather disturbed crowd, aren't we? :rolleyes:

The Deacon · #10

My original "logic" was to collect only plain edged Spyderco midlocks. That's a fairly broad range of knives, and I still wasn't been completely successful limiting myself to them. Although, now that I'm retired, I find myself sticking a lot closer to it than I did when I was working.

chuck_roxas45 · #11

Logic? What logic? For me it's like "me see, me drool".

gbelleh · #12

I don't really put any logic into what I get. I just buy what appeals to me, and skip what doesn't. Unfortunately for my wallet, most of what comes out does appeal to me!

I especially like the ethnic series, and the more unusual looking knives. Once I got hooked on Spydercos (with models like the Tenacious and Delica), I quickly found my tastes evolving. Now, the ones I initially found hideous and bizarre are my favorites.

dj moonbat · #13

I bought Spyderco because they threw better materials into their knives at actual, production-knife price points. When I see the right knives that fit that mold, I buy.

I can't buy anything bigger than 3" blade, unless it's relegated solely to camping in the Angeles National Forest or what have you. So that lops off a significant portion of the catalog.

VashHash · #14

Your manix must be the M4 and not xhp. I usually buy for steels, funtionality and aesthetics. I love when all three criteria are met but sometimes I settle for just one of those. There is no logic only madness and madness knows no bounds. I have no way of justifying my purchases other than want.

wrdwrght · #15

VashHash wrote:Your manix must be the M4 and not xhp. I usually buy for steels, funtionality and aesthetics. I love when all three criteria are met but sometimes I settle for just one of those. There is no logic only madness and madness knows no bounds. I have no way of justifying my purchases other than want.

Quite right. I wrongly said the Tan is CTS XHP and the Foliage Green is CPM M4. The Tan is M4 and the Foliage Green is XHP.

scatteredsage · #16

All the knives in my collection are users, so I try to bear in mind an actual purpose for the knife in my uses and how different the knife is from others already in my collection (I won't own FFG Delicas in every color, I prefer some variety). I also have some ironclad rules:

No combo edges, must be either plain or fully-serrated edge
No smooth handle scales
Small in-pocket footprint: I must be able to access keys when clipped to my RF pocket
Tip-up pocket clip (for thumb-hole/stud openers)

How the knife will appear to NKP is also a consideration, but I carry a Swiss Army Knife for public use in addition to a dedicated folder, so this is less of an issue.

jackknifeh · #17

wrdwrght wrote: What green-lights your acquisitions, apart from spare cash?

Excellent that you have created specific desires. That shouls result in you having a set of knives with none that you wish you hadn't bought. I've only categorized my desires recently. Prior to that It's just what struck my fancy at the moment. Now I determine my acquisitions by category. 1. Standard EDC, 2. dress/classy, 3. hard use for work (carpentry, yard work, etc.) around the house. Then I pick choices to fit into each category. That way I don't buy a Manix2 and carry it to a wedding or use a Ladybut to trim bushes. :D

Jack

basemodel · #18

Love this thread! Get the Dragonfly2 Salt with SE, you won't regret it. A great little big knife. And yes, Spyderco's jimping is really on point.

gbelleh · #19

When I first started getting into Spydercos, I was more logical. Because I didn't yet have certain categories, blade types, steels, etc. Now I have more than enough of all types. So now it's all about what is appealing. If I still applied logic, I'd never buy another knife again.

DeathBySnooSnoo · #20

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