Byrd Curious

[Azwaiian]

i've been a big fan of this forum for about 5 months now, that is when i discovered it. i come here a lot to learn from others, but i still consider myself a new guy to this forum.
one thing that has me curious, is why i have not seen any threads or comments on the byrd line. i've also noticed that when people post what spydies they own, almost no one list any byrd knives.
Byrds are considered to be Spydies right? only curious and would appreciate a good education on the topic. also, when i preach the gospel of spyderco knives, i always mention the byrd lineup as a good alternative for those who lack the funds to purchase a spydie.
by the way, i own 8 byrd knives and i truly enjoy them. i had 9 byrds, but i gave one away to my daughter, yep, a convert!

[r small]

I just ordered my first Byrd--a Cara Cara Rescue. Unfortunately KnifeCenter was out of stock so I'll have to wait a few days till I get it. Just about everything I've read about this line has been positive so I'm expecting the Cara Cara to be a great knife for the money (about $23).

[jldc]

I have a few byrd rescues in the glove box of my cars. They are well made and nice, but not as nice as most spydercos. IMO - great for any infrequently used knife, like a rescue knife. Certainly nicer than loads of other folders.

L

[araneae]

There has been plenty of talk about Byrds, generally very positive. They are very hard to beat for the money.

[Blerv]

Forums tend to be snobby hubs of knowledge (in a good way). Most of us own and love the Byrd line. Fantastic bargain performance.

[Muad'Dib]

I have nothing against the materials or production quality, after all I like my Persistence, I just can't stand the Byrd hole.

[SuzieQ]

Byrds do come up in discussions from time to time and usually in a favorable manner. It's just that they got a limited number of models and materials and no sprint runs so there's not much room for excitement there. The sprint runs seem to be half the fun of Spyderco's line up :) I do have a Meadowlark and I like what I got for my money. I even like the talon shape of the Spydie hole. But still, I really don't feel quite the excitement and joy when using it compared to for example my pink Delica FFG or even the H1 Dragonfly.

[jackknifeh]

I had a SS Meadowlark. It was in a box with about 5 other knives including expensive ones. A friend walked by a few times and looked into the box. Each time he only picked up one. The Meadowlark. So I told him to keep it. He still has it and asks me to sharpen it once in a while. I used it for a while when I first started buying better quality knives. That was when I first spent $60 on a knife and that purchase almost gave me heart failure. Now I have a Byrd Wings. I sold a few knives a few months ago just because I didn't use them. I didn't sell the Wings for 2 reasons. I wanted to keep it. It is a great tool box knife. Also, I wouldn't have been able to get enough money for it to make a difference in my reason for selling some knives. I wanted the money to buy other knives that I would use more. I did just that, the most recent being a Sage1 and Chaparral. I love those.

Back on subject. I think Suzie hit the nail. They don't bring on the excitement that Gayle Bradley's, Manix's, Sage's, even D'flies, etc. do. I'll say this. The Byrd knives are much higher quality than the $10 - $20 knives I've used all my life. In fact, from a performance viewpoint I doubt if the normal Spydercos are that much better than the Byrds. They are better in some areas, I mean I can't even closely compare a Byrd to a Gayle Bradley in aspect of price. But if I can't afford a GB the Byrds are a GREAT choice. Even if someone can afford a GB they may not have an interest in knives (or tools) that is required to justify over $100 for a knife. I wouldn't mind a less expensive Byrd in a pocket for when someone says "Can I borrow your knife?" That question usually makes my skin crawl. But I have an old Schrade $10 pocket knife I carry for that purpose. I've had that knife for over 25 or 30 years I think. I found it one day after I had forgotten about it and it brought back memories (all bad :D ) I'm kidding.

Jack

[syphen]

Byrd's are great tools but not exciting for me to own. I used to have numerous Byrd's but have given them all away.

[Evil D]

For me it's just because Spyderco knives tend to spoil me in the things i like about a knife (steel) so the Byrd line is so far down the list for me that i just never get to them. I do like a lot of the designs though.

[bartvdb]

like my byrd's greeetzzzz

[BAL]

I picked up a couple byrd robins at sale at Cabelas, and they are very solid and better knives than most of the old non-Spyderco knives that I used to carry and still have. However, I just don't like the feel of the teardrop hole on my thumb. For value, I prefer the Resilience, Tenacious, Persistence and Ambitious. Nothing wrong with the byrds though, I just prefer the varsity lineup.

[Nemonomicon]

I have 7 Byrds. PE Meadowlark 1 and PE Meadowlark 2, both in G-10. PE Meadowlark Rescue FRN. All black CE Crow (feather handle,) and a CE Crow in G-10. A Wings and Wings Slipit.

With the exception of the Crows and the (Large) Wings, the rest are work knives which I rotate. Excellent workhorse knives for the cost. I work in a warehouse so I'm always using one of my Byrds. So far so good, they've handled everything I've needed them to. I also have a Meadowlark 2 FRN CE on the way from New Graham Knives.

[sonictek]

I am a collector of all things I really don't need - it's the thrill of the hunt maybe? I have a half dozen or more Byrds; yes they are cheep (lol) but actually the word should be inexpensive because there is nothing cheap about them. I bought a Byrd Finch and have been carrying it to work for the last 4 months or so. I originally got it to see if I liked the size in my large hand without laying out big cash and then went ahead and bought a Ladybug for myself and the wife (everybody needs at least one, right?) Don't get me into the argument of "you could have bought XXXXX for that amount of money". The Robin2, Meadowlark2 and CaraCara2 in G-10 rival the quality of the Tenacious line as far as looks, F&F and feel. The steel is actually the same, the only difference is the choil in the front and the lock and if you want an opinion, I like the Meadowlark line a little better. Each have their +'s and -'s, it just depends on your expectations. BTW, I do have more expensive Spydies; I enjoy and carry them, too. That's why with all the different choices of models and steels, thanks to Sal and Co. - Spyderco has something for everybody to enjoy having and using every day.

[bartvdb]

got my robin in . greeetzzz

[bartvdb]

got my robin in . greeetzzz

[Mud Shrimp Moe]

Getting a Cara Cara Rescue PE FRN and a Finch FRN in today. This is my first experimentation with the Byrd line.

The G10 Byrds are high enough in price to push me toward Spyderco equivalents. But the FRN models are so below my price pain point, I'm pretty tempted.

[r small]

Just received my Cara Cara Rescue yesterday. Very pleased with the quality and construction. Built like a brick s*** house. Tried some cutting; cardboard, leather belt, etc. It'll go through anything. I'll take it to the park tomorrow and try some heavy cutting. Brush, greenbriar, etc. Should do the job.

[Half Sack]

Waiting on my Byrd Crossbill now, should arrive in a week or two, but I suspect I'll be very happy with it.
I'm really waiting to see how the quality control is on the knife more than anything, the Crossbill costs less than my Ladybug so I'm excited to see the pros and cons of both, given I'm very impressed and happy with my Ladybug even at it's price.

P.S. I think the creation of the Byrd line is one of the smartest business moves I've ever heard of. They become their own competitor and basically every Byrd complaint I've heard is simply solved by buying a Spyderco instead.

[Azwaiian]

P.S. I think the creation of the Byrd line is one of the smartest business moves I've ever heard of. They become their own competitor and basically every Byrd complaint I've heard is simply solved by buying a Spyderco instead.

I would definetly have to agree with you. The Byrd line is also a more affordable way to introduce someone to the wonderful world of Spyderco knives. Afterall, if someone really loves a Meadowlark or a Cara Cara, it's just an easy step up and purchase of a Delica or an Endura. Then the addiction kicks in and another collector has entered our realm!

Oh yeah!