Okay.... I got my Endura today. First impression; I think I really like this FRN. It is not what I imagined it to be. It's nothing like the FRCP, imo. It feels more solid/stable/comfortable. To my surprise, it doesn't feel cheap. I will carry it the rest of the week and see how I get on with it.
I'm not very familiar with back locks. It's proving to be a difficult task to push the bar down with my thumb. Are they all this stiff and hard to push down? My thumb is already sore...lol. So far, this is my only complaint. I love the size and ergos on this kinfe. Looking forward to using it.
Good to hear! The Seki models are bulletproof. I don't currently have any trouble with the lockbar being stiff and I don't recall having an issue when I first started carrying them either. Something I do pretty routinely with a new knife is disassemble to get any excess loctite off the lock mechanism, pivot, etc so that would be my first point of advice if you find anything "off". I can't imagine there's much variation from spring to spring so it might be something you just have to get used to/break in.
If you disassemble, I HIGHLY recommend reassembling the two sides of the scales first, putting the spring and lockbar in, then the blade. I had a lot of trouble reassembling a Delica scale-blade-scale style because there's a plastic post that's hard to line up under spring tension. I'd do it like this:
Okay.... I got my Endura today. First impression; I think I really like this FRN. It is not what I imagined it to be. It's nothing like the FRCP, imo. It feels more solid/stable/comfortable. To my surprise, it doesn't feel cheap. I will carry it the rest of the week and see how I get on with it.
I'm not very familiar with back locks. It's proving to be a difficult task to push the bar down with my thumb. Are they all this stiff and hard to push down? My thumb is already sore...lol. So far, this is my only complaint. I love the size and ergos on this kinfe. Looking forward to using it.
I hope that you like it!
If I had been dialed into this thread, I would have recommended a Spyderco Native Chief in S110V or Magnacut PE or SE. I luv mine! I must have 5 or 6, FRN, Native Chiefs, 3 of them in my 2026 4Runner suv alone. The FRN, Native Chiefs are the only folders in my car and they will not rust on me. They are a steal. It's like a cheat code for a great knife. They compete with $600+ Hinderers for pocket time.
I have slept on all FRN knives because of my own foregone (wrong) conclusions. I will NEVER purchase another FRCP knife. FRN is way above FRCP in feel and quality, IMO. The Native Chief is a knife on my radar. It is a total bad *** looking kife...lol. All scale material (except FRCP) will be considered for now on.
Glad that you like it!!!! FRN is very stiff, has good color, and is sticky in your hand without being abrasive. I have not noticed any wear on my jeans either, but I don't always carry it in my jeans after using it. I may put it in my coat pocket or pants pocket.
I really like the Native Chief. I lost count on how many I had. It's over a dozen. I should have done an inventory when I boxed everything up for the move. I would have purchased more 15V Native Chiefs but they sold out. I think that I have 2.
I moved on the 15th of January. Moved in on the 19th. Stayed in the hotel until the 19th. I think I've officially unpacked 10 out of 50 boxes 30 days later, hahahaha!
All of my knives, sharpeners, books and clothes are in the boxes. I eat out every day, but that has to stop. I put back on 15lbs!
I was looking at Chiefs (15V) on Cutlery Shoppe. Can you tell me why the LW version (blade) is 2mm shorter than the G10 version?
If I had been dialed into this thread, I would have recommended a Spyderco Native Chief in S110V or Magnacut PE or SE. I luv mine! I must have 5 or 6, FRN, Native Chiefs, 3 of them in my 2026 4Runner suv alone. The FRN, Native Chiefs are the only folders in my car and they will not rust on me. They are a steal. It's like a cheat code for a great knife. They compete with $600+ Hinderers for pocket time.
I have slept on all FRN knives because of my own foregone (wrong) conclusions. I will NEVER purchase another FRCP knife. FRN is way above FRCP in feel and quality, IMO. The Native Chief is a knife on my radar. It is a total bad *** looking kife...lol. All scale material (except FRCP) will be considered for now on.
Glad that you like it!!!! FRN is very stiff, has good color, and is sticky in your hand without being abrasive. I have not noticed any wear on my jeans either, but I don't always carry it in my jeans after using it. I may put it in my coat pocket or pants pocket.
I really like the Native Chief. I lost count on how many I had. It's over a dozen. I should have done an inventory when I boxed everything up for the move. I would have purchased more 15V Native Chiefs but they sold out. I think that I have 2.
I moved on the 15th of January. Moved in on the 19th. Stayed in the hotel until the 19th. I think I've officially unpacked 10 out of 50 boxes 30 days later, hahahaha!
All of my knives, sharpeners, books and clothes are in the boxes. I eat out every day, but that has to stop. I put back on 15lbs!
I was looking at Chiefs (15V) on Cutlery Shoppe. Can you tell me why the LW version (blade) is 2mm shorter than the G10 version?
You will have to ask Spyderco. I'm just a customer like you.
When you get their ear, ask them when we will have a run of Spyderco Native Chiefs with 5 inch blades!
...
When you get their ear, ask them when we will have a run of Spyderco Native Chiefs with 5 inch blades!
I asked for a Native Chief XL long ago, but it didn't seem to gather much steam. Maybe it will happen if the Police 5" is popular?
Our work is cut out for us. That just means that we have to join BladeForums and advertise the Police 5" for Spyderco to get the Native Chief.
Re: What Type of Scales Do You Prefer Poll
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2026 6:45 pm
by Wowbagger
OK this may be one of those moments where the whole class including the teacher gets really quiet and tries to think of something positive to say , or just anything to say or at least tries not to run away .
Here goes :
One of the pet peives / things I look for is some texture at and right around the pivot / on the sides of the handle .
Part of why I get along with the Drunken ; has those big gnarley bolt heads there . Love that ; my pinch grip there really has something to lock on .
soooooo then we have to please all the people all of the time and on a knife with just tons of texture patern all over the whole freaking knife the one place there is none , and has a slick patch to boot . . .
is . . .
right where I want / need some serious texture . Kind of is the reason I don't carry my FRNs as much as I would think I would.
I fondle the knife , gaze at the lovely alloy , put an extra nice edge on , cut some stuff at home with it . . .
then . . .
take something else to work with me . Almost invariably .
With other knives I love to use I have gone so far as to add heat to stick gun grip films . I love this stuff !
See : just an oval dot gets it done.
Covering the sides of the entire handle is even better .
So ; I'm thinking an oval dot on the pad for the pocket clip at the pivot .
Problem is , if I start doing it I swear I am going to fill in the FRN pattern with hot glue and once cured . . .
gun grip the entire both sides of the handle .
OK , don't mind me . I'll sneak out the back way now . . .
Carry on as you were .
All this love for FRN is going to make purchase a knife with it so I can see for myself...lol. Please, tell me it is nothing like the FRCP on my Manix 2 LW.
I can't say it's "nothing" like FRCP because they're both still a sort of plastic, but what I can say is Seki's FRN feels softer to the touch and I like it a heck of a lot more than FRCP. FRN "Feels" a lot less likely to crack. There's a softer tone when tapping your nail on it.
This.
To be clear: I do very much like FRCP too and never had any problems with it, bus as you say: FRCP somehow "feels" more like hard plastic, while especially Seki FRN (and this even more on the models with liners,like the Endura) a bit more "rubbery".
One cool thing about FRCP though is that they can make it translucent (while apparently not FRN)
Update: I missed out on the Endela K390. I don't want to wait for it to be restocked. I found an Endura 4 in K390 at Cutlery Shoppe with FRN scales. I'll carry it, use it and get a feel for the FRN. I hope I like this stuff..... there are a lot of Spydercos I would want if I liked it.
Great choice!!
Overall and generally (model, steel...), but also in order to find out if you can come to like FRN.
If you won´t on a Seki FRN with liners (my personal absolute favorite when it comes to folder handles), it probably just really is not for you
Re: What Type of Scales Do You Prefer Poll
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2026 9:25 pm
by Wartstein
As others have said already and no offense to the op, but putting G10 and Micarta together makes it hard to vote properly.
G10 is fine, but I don´t care too much for it, while I love Micarta - second best handle material for me, third would be wood, just love the look and feel of it.
No 1 though from a practical point of view:
FRN, no doubt.
I´d take FRN over G10 any day of the week even if an FRN version of a model costed more than its G10 variant (luckily, and one of several pros of FRN, it´s pretty much always the other way round).
Light, super strong (in a way even "stronger" than G10, see here viewtopic.php?p=1532174#p1532174 for example), with Spyderco often better contoured than other handle materials, grippy but still pocket friendly due to the usually soft landing spot for the clip.. not at all "cheap plastic" to me, but a high tech, perfect handle material.
At this point I actually solely have FRN Spydies (ok, one is FRCP to be precise) plus a single custom Micarta model
FRN for me, but it has to be unlined and from Japan.
May I ask, what's better about japanese frn?
The Japanese FRN has no perfectly smooth sections and it thereby avoids any lego-like feels. You know how the side of a lego brick is as smooth as glass? You get that gloss smooth texture on the back of a native 5, or the rounded edge of a para 3 etc. but the molds in japan appear to have a microtexture on even the flat parts that makes it feel softer and more premium some how. The actual plastic mixture may be different, i’m not sure. With few exceptions, most people tend to agree that the FRCP on the manix feels the most like a lego and is a bit more brittle than FRN from any country. My favorite frn handle is on the dragonfly 2 because it fits the character of the knife and it is an integral! (Both halves are one piece).
Spyderco used FRCP on the manix lw because they could make it translucent so that people could see the inside of the new ball bearing lock. That is cool and all, but I wish when they make a manix with a color that is not translucent they would just use FRN.
All of that said the native 5 and the para 3 lightweights both have nice handles that I enjoy, but the para 3 lw is easiest to get in and out of the pocket because the native 5 lw clip seems to land just off the pad and get caught. That is a pet peeve of mine.
Re: What Type of Scales Do You Prefer Poll
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 11:10 am
by Ikhnaton
I voted G10/Micarta, FRN and smooth G10, partly because I don't have any CF or Titanium and I do own those I voted for, in a Sage 5LW, Manix 2XL and Bodacious. Haven't really thought that much about which material I prefer, since it largely comes down to shape and texture for me.
I really like how the rough G10 on the M2XL works with the shape of the handle to provide a wonderfully secure grip. Also it's great how the smooth G10 on the Bodacious feels when adjusting the handle in your hand for different grips. And it's also really nice how the textured FRN on the Sage 5LW adds in making the knife feel extra easy in the hand.
FRN for me, but it has to be unlined and from Japan.
May I ask, what's better about japanese frn?
The Japanese FRN has no perfectly smooth sections and it thereby avoids any lego-like feels. You know how the side of a lego brick is as smooth as glass? You get that gloss smooth texture on the back of a native 5, or the rounded edge of a para 3 etc. but the molds in japan appear to have a microtexture on even the flat parts that makes it feel softer and more premium some how. The actual plastic mixture may be different, i’m not sure. With few exceptions, most people tend to agree that the FRCP on the manix feels the most like a lego and is a bit more brittle than FRN from any country. My favorite frn handle is on the dragonfly 2 because it fits the character of the knife and it is an integral! (Both halves are one piece).
Spyderco used FRCP on the manix lw because they could make it translucent so that people could see the inside of the new ball bearing lock. That is cool and all, but I wish when they make a manix with a color that is not translucent they would just use FRN.
All of that said the native 5 and the para 3 lightweights both have nice handles that I enjoy, but the para 3 lw is easiest to get in and out of the pocket because the native 5 lw clip seems to land just off the pad and get caught. That is a pet peeve of mine.
I'm also a linerless Japanese FRN guy. The weight savings benefit far outweighs the added strength of the liners imo.
Re: What Type of Scales Do You Prefer Poll
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 5:31 pm
by silver & black
So.... I have carried only my Endura for the last week+. I have to say, I love this knife... and the FRN scales. It took a bit of learning with the back lock, but I have figured out how to operate it one handed. I will definitely be purchasing more Seki knives in the future. I'm on the "inform me" list at Cutlery Shoppe for the K390 Endela when it's re-stocked.
Re: What Type of Scales Do You Prefer Poll
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 6:03 pm
by benben
I’ve somewhat had a change of heart lately, I’m gonna go with titanium first now, but I do love both G-10 and Micarta.
So.... I have carried only my Endura for the last week+. I have to say, I love this knife... and the FRN scales. It took a bit of learning with the back lock, but I have figured out how to operate it one handed. I will definitely be purchasing more Seki knives in the future. I'm on the "inform me" list at Cutlery Shoppe for the K390 Endela when it's re-stocked.
Fantastic. They're the most hardworking knives in Spyderco's lineup, imo. They're just made to be carried and used. I had an endela and ended up selling shortly after getting my first Stretch 2 XL. In my eyes it was more practical to carry a knife with a 3.9" blade vs a 3.4" blade for only a little bit more pocket real estate. It also features a choil, and is linerless which significantly reduces weight. To me it's the most exemplary model Spyderco has to offer. Here's a photo comparing the handle lengths vs blade lengths.
So.... I have carried only my Endura for the last week+. I have to say, I love this knife... and the FRN scales. It took a bit of learning with the back lock, but I have figured out how to operate it one handed. I will definitely be purchasing more Seki knives in the future. I'm on the "inform me" list at Cutlery Shoppe for the K390 Endela when it's re-stocked.
I had a problem with my ability to post but it seems to be cleared up now .
I was trying to let you know :
on the big river at this moment there are :
Plain edge straight spine Endela K390.
Spyder edge Endela K390.
and
Wharncliffe Endela K390.
I'm getting a Wharncliffe soon .
EDIT TO REASSURE : fear not , the image is of a Spyder Edge on the Plain edge page but if you read the description IT IS A PLAIN EDGE . Can be verified by the part number ; compare those or contact the vendor . I've experienced this goofyness more than once.
So.... I have carried only my Endura for the last week+. I have to say, I love this knife... and the FRN scales. It took a bit of learning with the back lock, but I have figured out how to operate it one handed. I will definitely be purchasing more Seki knives in the future. I'm on the "inform me" list at Cutlery Shoppe for the K390 Endela when it's re-stocked.
I had a problem with my ability to post but it seems to be cleared up now .
I was trying to let you know :
on the big river at this moment there are :
Plain edge straight spine Endela K390.
Spyder edge Endela K390.
and
Wharncliffe Endela K390.
I'm getting a Wharncliffe soon .
EDIT TO REASSURE : fear not , the image is of a Spyder Edge on the Plain edge page but if you read the description IT IS A PLAIN EDGE . Can be verified by the part number ; compare those or contact the vendor . I've experienced this goofyness more than once.
FPK is plain edge .
Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with the big river. Is that a dealer?
So.... I have carried only my Endura for the last week+. I have to say, I love this knife... and the FRN scales. It took a bit of learning with the back lock, but I have figured out how to operate it one handed. I will definitely be purchasing more Seki knives in the future. I'm on the "inform me" list at Cutlery Shoppe for the K390 Endela when it's re-stocked.
I had a problem with my ability to post but it seems to be cleared up now .
I was trying to let you know :
on the big river at this moment there are :
Plain edge straight spine Endela K390.
Spyder edge Endela K390.
and
Wharncliffe Endela K390.
I'm getting a Wharncliffe soon .
EDIT TO REASSURE : fear not , the image is of a Spyder Edge on the Plain edge page but if you read the description IT IS A PLAIN EDGE . Can be verified by the part number ; compare those or contact the vendor . I've experienced this goofyness more than once.
FPK is plain edge .
Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with the big river. Is that a dealer?
