M.J.-you've written a fair amount about Bali's-what's your take on the 'Fly? I assume you've gotten to play with it, certainly more than any of us..Special MBC class? Hmmm...
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Mike-What's your take on the 'Fly
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Michael Janich
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Dear Dijos:
Thanks for the question.
Yes, I have had the opportunity to play with the Spyderfly. In fact, I was fortunate enough to be a member of the think tank that Sal put together on balis during his early research into producing one.
The Spyderfly is very different than any other bali I've used. Sal is a big fan of the "handle drop" opening (similar to a latch drop reverse-reverse grip opening, but pinching the handle between the thumb and index finger). That preference, along with the desire to put signature round holes in the knife (a Spyderco tradition) prompted the flared handle ends and holes. This puts a lot of weight at the end of the handles and gives them lots of momentum, making manipulation seem almost effortless.
The fat locking pins on the Spyderfly are sure to last longer than the traditional skinny kind, and overall I'm condifent it will be a durable, long-lasting knife. Its design dynamics will force bali users to adapt to some of the knife's unusual dynamics, but at the same time, they will find that these characteristics will inspire some experimentation and variations that standard bali designs do not. This is always a good thing.
Some people may also take exception to the fact that the latch does not lock the handles together in the open position. I don't have a problem with this and feel that any time I'm holding both handles firmly in my hand, the blade is "locked" well enough for me. Some people have jacked me up for this opinion before, but I sleep well at night and still have all my fingers, so I'm confident that my opinion is valid.
Overall, I think the Spyderfly is going to shake the bali world up a little. Like anything else new and different, some will love it and some will hate it. The important part is that you actually TRY it to form an educated opinion. If you do, I think you'll probably want to keep it around as a permanent addition to your collection.
As for a dedicated balisong-oriented MBC class, I'd love to do one. If we could get trainer blades for everyone in the class, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Anyone interested?
Stay safe,
mike j
Thanks for the question.
Yes, I have had the opportunity to play with the Spyderfly. In fact, I was fortunate enough to be a member of the think tank that Sal put together on balis during his early research into producing one.
The Spyderfly is very different than any other bali I've used. Sal is a big fan of the "handle drop" opening (similar to a latch drop reverse-reverse grip opening, but pinching the handle between the thumb and index finger). That preference, along with the desire to put signature round holes in the knife (a Spyderco tradition) prompted the flared handle ends and holes. This puts a lot of weight at the end of the handles and gives them lots of momentum, making manipulation seem almost effortless.
The fat locking pins on the Spyderfly are sure to last longer than the traditional skinny kind, and overall I'm condifent it will be a durable, long-lasting knife. Its design dynamics will force bali users to adapt to some of the knife's unusual dynamics, but at the same time, they will find that these characteristics will inspire some experimentation and variations that standard bali designs do not. This is always a good thing.
Some people may also take exception to the fact that the latch does not lock the handles together in the open position. I don't have a problem with this and feel that any time I'm holding both handles firmly in my hand, the blade is "locked" well enough for me. Some people have jacked me up for this opinion before, but I sleep well at night and still have all my fingers, so I'm confident that my opinion is valid.
Overall, I think the Spyderfly is going to shake the bali world up a little. Like anything else new and different, some will love it and some will hate it. The important part is that you actually TRY it to form an educated opinion. If you do, I think you'll probably want to keep it around as a permanent addition to your collection.
As for a dedicated balisong-oriented MBC class, I'd love to do one. If we could get trainer blades for everyone in the class, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Anyone interested?
Stay safe,
mike j
The nice part about bali's is that you can exchange blades-if you get someone to whack out a few aluminum blanks, and drill holes, you can switch out the blades, and <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> doesn't have to be involved with a new product run..
Learning Can Be a Painful Experience
Learning Can Be a Painful Experience
