Anybody like to see Spyderco use natural materials more ?.

[Bladekeeper]

Hi just been thinking lately that I'd like to see Spyderco produce more knives with natural material .
Wood , stag ,mother of pearl etc i understand the ethics of mass producing thousands of bone handled knives eg maybe a concern .
But where its sustainable for example it would be nice , there are certain woods that have huge collateral damage in getting the right colour and burls .
For example ebony not all ebony is black yet to find a good tree with the perfect colour over 100 trees are cut .
The rest are or were basically dumped as no one wanted blonde ebony or lighter shades in the grain .
Sources like this could be good , I know there was the bushcraft issue where the spalted maple hadn't been treated .
But that was an oversight would anybody like to see more natural materials ? leather sheaths .
Or maybe a few higher end models with a mother of pearl spyderco logo ?, maybe its not financially viable .
But just a few models a year especially adding to the ethnic series perhaps finding a community somewhere to source the goods.
Supporting a fair price for whatever is used would only be a good thing any suggestions or am I way off in thinking it would sell or be possible.
Any thoughts me I'd like a wooden folder like the tenacious , maybe a cheap wood but given a nice finish .
With a nice leather pouch for example or maybe like Santa Fe does using gemstone and the like on a few classic models .

[hiredgun]

I like bone and stone on my knives, so if Spyderco did some more of those like in the Kopa or older Kiwis, I'd be all over them.

[girlyMANN]

stag, stag, stag!

[Mick]

I love stag - it's my favorite handle material, but since the embargo on Indian Sambar stag several years ago you just don't see much good quality stag anymore. And what you do see is quite expensive.

I would certainly like to see more bone & burl wood handles on Spyderco's

[bh49]

I love woods, bone, stag and some stones. Spyderco is the favorite brand, so I certainly would love to see more knives with these materials. I am not sure how these materials popular with most of Spyderco crowd, most likely not. So some limited runs or sprints will be great. I cannot wait for bolstered Caly3 with smooth bone scales.
Production wise, If Spyderco would make production Para2 with cocobolo and S110V, it will be sold, but many people will complain about scales not having enough grip or cracking after they drive trucks over knife :rolleyes:

[Holland]

I would love to see some more models with wood and bolsters

[Donut]

Maybe a sprint or a different model series. I wouldn't mind seeing the Sage get a couple fancy handles.

I don't think I'm classy enough of a person to use them, though. :) I have a slipjoint with mother of pearl scales, never thought it was "natural".

[bh49]

I don't think I'm classy enough of a person to use them, though. :)

Brian,
This is easy to fix. Use them and you will became classy. :) Also helps to pick-up classy chicks :) :D

[TomAiello]

Maybe I'm weird, but I prefer materials that are more functional and less expensive. I'll take G-10 (or FRN) over wood for almost anything.

I do understand that some people collect Spyderco knives for their artistic value, and I appreciate that. For me, they're more tools than art, though, so I'll stick to the basic functional pieces. I'd rather have FRN handles and s110v blade than a VG-10 blade with fancy handles.

I have no problem with them making them (especially sprint runs), though. Collectors should have cool stuff, too. :)

[Blerv]

Hey, copper is a natural material .

[rodloos]

Hey, copper is a natural material .

LOL, that would look great along with my copper flashlights! :)

I guess my perspective is warped by the knives I encountered growing up, in the markets in Peru there were lots of poor-quality knives with plastic handles designed to look like stag or horn or something, so I just can't get warmed up to the look.

Wood such as on the Sage IV or Puukko is nice, though I always *feel* it is less durable - I haven't actually damaged or scratched mine yet though. I've seen some amazing samples of petrified wood that had a 3D effect to it, but I doubt that is available in sufficient quantities.

[Bladekeeper]

It'd certainly be a sprint "special run" type thing I have in mind .
Obviously the frn and vg10 etc is the staple but as someone stated just now and then for the collectors .

[sal]

Hi Bladekeeper,

The problem with natural materials is stability. The Spalted Maple was treated, obviously not enough?

Most of the woods crack after they hit our shelves in dry Colorado.

sal

[einstein2001]

Hey, copper is a natural material .

+1 Seriously

[Bladekeeper]

Hi Bladekeeper,

The problem with natural materials is stability. The Spalted Maple was treated, obviously not enough?

Most of the woods crack after they hit our shelves in dry Colorado.

sal

Thanks Sal your right I think finding a balance between appealing to what the 'natural' buyer would want and keeping the QC consistent is the problem.
Maybe a native tree to dessert areas would be good but then would it fare well in wet climates and cold ?.
My bedroom was -2 for nearly 12 weeks between November and march this past winter , all my knives did fine .
The only issue was rust spots but not on any Spydercos but another make that used 8CR13MOV although all my wood is stabilised .
I suppose if the solution doesn't meet the end demand its a fruitless excersîse I'm just dreaming in my head :D .
A stag crown scales with a Persian blade would look sweet though ?.

[PMBohol]

Sal made a good point about the stability of wood. The wood of today is not the same as the wood of yesteryear. Older growth and straight grains made for stronger wood way back when. In the family we have some old wooden handled knives as well as other items that look as good today as they probably did when they were on the store shelf. Perhaps the answer is somewhere in between? Synthetic materials that add class and looks to a item.

When I got my Southard, one of my first thoughts was how beautiful it would look with ebony or rosewood scales.

[Bladekeeper]

Sal made a good point about the stability of wood. The wood of today is not the same as the wood of yesteryear. Older growth and straight grains made for stronger wood way back when. In the family we have some old wooden handled knives as well as other items that look as good today as they probably did when they were on the store shelf. Perhaps the answer is somewhere in between? Synthetic materials that add class and looks to a item.

When I got my Southard, one of my first thoughts was how beautiful it would look with ebony or rosewood scales.

I agree but IMO FRN , micarta and g10 cover those well I'd love to see spyderco use linen micarta its a great scale material very durable and classy too.
Maybe Kirinite ? But again the wood used on those bushcrafts has a reputation as being unstable amongst wood guys so I've been told.
Now my suggestion would be full stabilisation of these woods like the Wests system or what K&G use , I've a few of these woods/burls .
Some call them plasticised as they take on a glossy plastic feeling but doesn't diminish the burl or appearance some like box Elder can look like marble though .
This process for me is what stabilised wood should be its hard & cold ,water beads up and rolls off the surface , some stabilise woods where they may soak in moisture .
Then after 5-10 minutes a puddle is left where its pushed out this I think is where the problems occur .
I'm not sure if older wood had any more properties that made it better maybe things where used to preserve it that are no longer allowed ?.
But iirc a lot of woods need to reach maturity before being harvested ok maybe 60-70 years ago trees were harvested that were hundreds of years old maybe age gave them greater stability.
But that's not possible to maintain , its an emotive subject when talking of using natural sources as sustainability and making sure what is taken is re balanced is hugely important .
I just think maybe somewhere some ethnic communities have materials that would if used would support the community.
Spyderco do great work already in projects so maybe if it was wood then each tree cut could be replanted to keep a balance.
Also certain materials are farmed , leather etc mop is starting to be farmed like artificial or forced pearls are .
Its just a collectors thing for me wanting to see the luxury end expanded on customs are an option but a high end custom won't necessarily be better than a high end spyderco.
A Vallotton here is custom prices in fact higher I just had a mother of pearl folder , with rwl34 blade and ss bolsters , and file work with a sheath made for $80 more.
So IMO the market is there but again wether it'd be worthwhile for Sal and spyderco I'm not sure :) .

[PMBohol]

There are eco-friendly plantations that grow mahogany, as well as other species of wood but whether that wood is free of stability problems could only be answered by the experts. I'm sure that idea has been brought up before.

The new Valloton has a nice look and classy too. I have researched some Japanese kitchen knives that use a wood/resin component for their handles. So there are options and it probably depends on cost as well as how it works with the manufacturing process.

Part of this discussion I think involves a romanticism with beautiful objects. When someone sees a knife with mother of pearl inlays or a fine wood scale, they are drawn to that part of the knife, just like the steel snobs here will drool when a certain steel is used on a fairly popular model of knife.

Folding straight razors can be found but what if they have genuine ivory handles? My father had one in his collection. It takes me back in time when I look at it.

[bh49]

The new Valloton has a nice look and classy too.

Did I miss something? Is it Spyderco or custom?

I have researched some Japanese kitchen knives that use a wood/resin component for their handles. So there are options and it probably depends on cost as well as how it works with the manufacturing process.

Not only Japanese kitchen knives. Victorinox also is using wood on some of their kitchen knives. Also tons of folders from GEC, QC, Moki, Mcusta and others made with wood and other natural materials scales. I absolutely love stag bone on QC Mountain man. Unfortunately the knife is little too big for me.

[jsveiga]

One of the main reasons why I love Spyderco knives is the technological appeal: Large choice of different high-tech steels and "engineered" looks (I don't like the "classic look" ones such as the Vallotton).

On most Spyderco designs, form follows function, and it shows.

Traditional, hand made damascus is beautiful, but it does not perform as a purpose-engineered super steel.

Accordingly, if a FRN, FRCP, or G-10 handle is engineered to give me lightness, durability, and grip, and it delivers just that for a lower cost, I'd never pick a wood, turtle shell, coral, rhinoceros horn, dolphin bone, whatever finish handle over that just for its looks or "natural" appeal. I like nature, where it's at naturally. (and definitely not when it flies or crawls on me).

Of course, if it is found out that a toucan beak handle is cheaper, lighter, stronger, more durable, has better grip, and is more resistant to chemicals than titanium or any synthetic material, I'd go for it (and start toucan farming).

Meanwhile, I choose engineered synthetic industrialized over artistic natural handicraft anytime.