Gbelleh, your contest gifted Stretch was a huge inspiration to do something similar with my small collection.
I hope you don't need it back!
-GT :D
Project: Ultimate EDC Rotation...
Day 2 - the blue Yojimbo.
I remember first seeing a picture of a Yojimbo back in 2010. I found the design strikingly bold and unique. Even more than three years later, it looks just as wonderfully strange. Like some kind of exotic bird of prey, or aquatic predator. Anyway, as much as I like the Yojimbo, I've only carried it once or twice before today. There's a lot to like about this knife. Compression lock, grippy G-10 scales with nested liners, razor sharp, FFG wharncliffe blade, etc. It was a joy to carry and use today, but… recent Spydies do have some refinements over this one.
My Yojimbo's lock isn't bad, but it's stickier than any of my Para 2s or Yo2, and just isn't as smooth to operate. The pivot isn't as smooth either.
Ergonomics are good, but also not as refined as more recent models. I remember Michael Janich recently discussing some design elements of the Yojimbo 2, and that it was designed so when the knife is gripped, all four fingers should wrap around the handle and touch your palm evenly. Well, this design element is also present in the original Yojimbo.
The only real negative I notice with the original Yojimbo's ergonomics is the sharp corners of the pocket clip dig into my palm. The Yojimbo's pocket clip is probably my least favorite aspect of the knife. It's overly large and shiny for my tastes. Plus, the sharp corners tend to catch in fabrics.
Again, I didn't find myself doing any hard tasks today. Mainly cutting up some more cardboard for recycling, and opening mail as usual. The Yojimbo breezed through these tasks with minimal effort. As far as the blade shape, I like wharncliffe blades, and they work well for my normally light EDC tasks. I found the blade length of the Yojimbo more than adequate for all my uses, even though there is still room in the handle for a bit more blade. As far as utility work, the Yojimbo does very well.
Overall, I enjoyed using the Yojimbo very much. But, newer models have surpassed it in ergonomic and lock refinement. Taking it for what it is, it's still a highly effective tool for EDC utility, and I'm sure a capable self defense tool as well. The original Yojimbo is a classic, and I seem to appreciate it more the longer I have it. I applaud Michael Janich for this design, and for all the improvements made on the Yojimbo 2. The original Yojimbo will definitely continue to get carried from time to time.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C85G2 - Yojimbo 2
I couldn't resist doing a direct comparison. :D
I remember first seeing a picture of a Yojimbo back in 2010. I found the design strikingly bold and unique. Even more than three years later, it looks just as wonderfully strange. Like some kind of exotic bird of prey, or aquatic predator. Anyway, as much as I like the Yojimbo, I've only carried it once or twice before today. There's a lot to like about this knife. Compression lock, grippy G-10 scales with nested liners, razor sharp, FFG wharncliffe blade, etc. It was a joy to carry and use today, but… recent Spydies do have some refinements over this one.
My Yojimbo's lock isn't bad, but it's stickier than any of my Para 2s or Yo2, and just isn't as smooth to operate. The pivot isn't as smooth either.
Ergonomics are good, but also not as refined as more recent models. I remember Michael Janich recently discussing some design elements of the Yojimbo 2, and that it was designed so when the knife is gripped, all four fingers should wrap around the handle and touch your palm evenly. Well, this design element is also present in the original Yojimbo.
The only real negative I notice with the original Yojimbo's ergonomics is the sharp corners of the pocket clip dig into my palm. The Yojimbo's pocket clip is probably my least favorite aspect of the knife. It's overly large and shiny for my tastes. Plus, the sharp corners tend to catch in fabrics.
Again, I didn't find myself doing any hard tasks today. Mainly cutting up some more cardboard for recycling, and opening mail as usual. The Yojimbo breezed through these tasks with minimal effort. As far as the blade shape, I like wharncliffe blades, and they work well for my normally light EDC tasks. I found the blade length of the Yojimbo more than adequate for all my uses, even though there is still room in the handle for a bit more blade. As far as utility work, the Yojimbo does very well.
Overall, I enjoyed using the Yojimbo very much. But, newer models have surpassed it in ergonomic and lock refinement. Taking it for what it is, it's still a highly effective tool for EDC utility, and I'm sure a capable self defense tool as well. The original Yojimbo is a classic, and I seem to appreciate it more the longer I have it. I applaud Michael Janich for this design, and for all the improvements made on the Yojimbo 2. The original Yojimbo will definitely continue to get carried from time to time.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C85G2 - Yojimbo 2
I couldn't resist doing a direct comparison. :D
Day 3 - Yojimbo 2.
The Yojimbo 2 has been a joy to carry today. As I said, I enjoy wharncliffe blades for my EDC uses, and the Yo2 is no exception. I used it to perform my usual mail opening, cardboard cutting (I hope I don't run out of cardboard during this!), and light duty tasks. The Yojimbo 2 seemed to handle it all while laughing and taking a snooze. I didn't cut a whole lot of cardboard today, but what I did cut seemed to just fall apart as if cut by a laser, or some kind of holey, hollow ground demon. (even though the edge still has a little previous damage from attempting to cut some really tough fiber optic cable when I first got this knife).
As far as ergonomics and design, the Yojimbo 2 is very nice to use. It retains the compression lock, and other nice features of the original, but has some noticeable improvements.
First is the smooth opening. The Yo2's pivot allows it to glide open fast and easy. It's probably the only Spydie that I can easily and reliably flick open with the middle finger. The blade is larger and heavier than the Yo1, causing the Yo2 blade to just fly out of the handle and lock up with a nice solid thunk. The compression lock operates more smoothly, and has a slightly larger cutout for access. The lock tab also seems less prone to pinch me than the original (for me at least). The handle is similar in some ways to the Yo1, but the Yo2 seems more refined, and more comfortable in the hand (probably thanks partly to the lack of excessive jimping, and the thumb rest on the blade, which I like a lot). The blade is larger, but is packed into a smaller handle, making the whole package both more capable, and nicer to carry in the pocket. The clip is also much improved on the Yo2. The rounded corners of the hourglass clip are far less prone to snagging, and the clip is much more understated than the original (though I'd still prefer it to be black, or at least matte finish).
As far as negatives, the shiny clip, and thumb hole being partially occluded by the scale are pretty much all I have to say. But, I still find it easy to open. The blade seems balanced and weighted so the momentum just whips it open easily.
To sum up the day (some of these days are too short): I've had the Yo2 for a while now, and carried and used it a couple times already, but never really studied it before. The Yojimbo 2 is even better than I remember, and made a superb carry knife today. It's apparent that a great deal of thought went into its design, and it's appreciated. I'm sure the Yo2 will be carried much more as a result of this. It might even enter the core rotation.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C58GPFG - JD Smith Sprint
The Yojimbo 2 has been a joy to carry today. As I said, I enjoy wharncliffe blades for my EDC uses, and the Yo2 is no exception. I used it to perform my usual mail opening, cardboard cutting (I hope I don't run out of cardboard during this!), and light duty tasks. The Yojimbo 2 seemed to handle it all while laughing and taking a snooze. I didn't cut a whole lot of cardboard today, but what I did cut seemed to just fall apart as if cut by a laser, or some kind of holey, hollow ground demon. (even though the edge still has a little previous damage from attempting to cut some really tough fiber optic cable when I first got this knife).
As far as ergonomics and design, the Yojimbo 2 is very nice to use. It retains the compression lock, and other nice features of the original, but has some noticeable improvements.
First is the smooth opening. The Yo2's pivot allows it to glide open fast and easy. It's probably the only Spydie that I can easily and reliably flick open with the middle finger. The blade is larger and heavier than the Yo1, causing the Yo2 blade to just fly out of the handle and lock up with a nice solid thunk. The compression lock operates more smoothly, and has a slightly larger cutout for access. The lock tab also seems less prone to pinch me than the original (for me at least). The handle is similar in some ways to the Yo1, but the Yo2 seems more refined, and more comfortable in the hand (probably thanks partly to the lack of excessive jimping, and the thumb rest on the blade, which I like a lot). The blade is larger, but is packed into a smaller handle, making the whole package both more capable, and nicer to carry in the pocket. The clip is also much improved on the Yo2. The rounded corners of the hourglass clip are far less prone to snagging, and the clip is much more understated than the original (though I'd still prefer it to be black, or at least matte finish).
As far as negatives, the shiny clip, and thumb hole being partially occluded by the scale are pretty much all I have to say. But, I still find it easy to open. The blade seems balanced and weighted so the momentum just whips it open easily.
To sum up the day (some of these days are too short): I've had the Yo2 for a while now, and carried and used it a couple times already, but never really studied it before. The Yojimbo 2 is even better than I remember, and made a superb carry knife today. It's apparent that a great deal of thought went into its design, and it's appreciated. I'm sure the Yo2 will be carried much more as a result of this. It might even enter the core rotation.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C58GPFG - JD Smith Sprint
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Fresh Eddie Fresh
- Member
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Day 4 - JD Smith sprint
The JD Smith foliage green sprint is another really nice Spydie that has gotten lost in the truffle shuffle, I mean the EDC shuffle. The design of the JD Smith really appeals to me with its slim grip and long, thin, pointy blade. Overall this knife is very well made, but has a few small issues that detract a little from the otherwise excellent fit & finish. The ricasso area seems a little rough and unfinished (much like the recent reintroduction of the Starmate). Also the tang has circular scratch marks from rubbing the liners, and the lock bar isn't perfectly even with the spine when it's locked open. Some might find the pinned construction another negative, but I don't mind it at all. None of these small issues bother me much, especially when it's being put to use.
This is another Spyderco knife that came out of the box scary sharp. I did the usual opening mail and cutting cardboard routine today, and cutting performance was excellent. I find the grip extremely comfortable, and the G-10 provides perfect grippiness. There's no jimping on this knife, but it locks into the hand so nicely that I didn't miss it.
I really like how this knife carries. It's a fairly long knife, but very slim in the pocket, especially compared to other wider bladed Spydies. I also REALLY like the pocket clip finish. Ahhh, just look at that nice matte finish on the clip! No one was blinded by the sunlight gleaming off my knife clip today.
Overall, this is another one that has been overlooked for too long (I'm really going to need more pockets after this). The JD Smith is a bit of a departure from what I've become used to carrying, but is no less excellent in function. I thoroughly enjoyed carrying and using it today, and I promise not to neglect it for so long ever again!
Tomorrow is National Knife Day, so I wanted to pick something special...
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C01S - Worker
The JD Smith foliage green sprint is another really nice Spydie that has gotten lost in the truffle shuffle, I mean the EDC shuffle. The design of the JD Smith really appeals to me with its slim grip and long, thin, pointy blade. Overall this knife is very well made, but has a few small issues that detract a little from the otherwise excellent fit & finish. The ricasso area seems a little rough and unfinished (much like the recent reintroduction of the Starmate). Also the tang has circular scratch marks from rubbing the liners, and the lock bar isn't perfectly even with the spine when it's locked open. Some might find the pinned construction another negative, but I don't mind it at all. None of these small issues bother me much, especially when it's being put to use.
This is another Spyderco knife that came out of the box scary sharp. I did the usual opening mail and cutting cardboard routine today, and cutting performance was excellent. I find the grip extremely comfortable, and the G-10 provides perfect grippiness. There's no jimping on this knife, but it locks into the hand so nicely that I didn't miss it.
I really like how this knife carries. It's a fairly long knife, but very slim in the pocket, especially compared to other wider bladed Spydies. I also REALLY like the pocket clip finish. Ahhh, just look at that nice matte finish on the clip! No one was blinded by the sunlight gleaming off my knife clip today.
Overall, this is another one that has been overlooked for too long (I'm really going to need more pockets after this). The JD Smith is a bit of a departure from what I've become used to carrying, but is no less excellent in function. I thoroughly enjoyed carrying and using it today, and I promise not to neglect it for so long ever again!
Tomorrow is National Knife Day, so I wanted to pick something special...
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C01S - Worker
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DeathBySnooSnoo
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- Location: Toronto Canada
Day 5 - Serrated Worker
For National Knife Day, I wanted to carry something special, so the C01 Worker was an obvious choice. We're extremely lucky today to have such a huge variety of incredible knives available to us. We're spoiled by a very high level of engineering and manufacturing capability. But I tried to really understand how innovative this knife was when it was introduced. To start, just appreciating the pocket clip and opening hole. I grew up in the 1980s, so I remember Buck 110s in belt pouches and carrying a Schrade Old Timer slip joint in my pocket as a kid. So I can imagine being back in the 80s, clipping the Worker into my pocket for the first time. Then slipping the knife from my pocket, opening the blade smoothly with one hand until it snaps into its securely locked position. Then holding the nicely shaped, curved handle comfortably, and resting my thumb naturally on the thumb ramp while cutting open the packaging from my new Duran Duran cassette!
Woah! That's a crazy looking knife, dude. Pretty rad though!
The Worker is nicely shaped, and rides in the pocket very comfortably.
My Worker is very well built, lockup is solid with no play, and fit and finish is excellent. One thing I like about the Worker is the false edge near the tip. It looks really cool, and is a useful feature, making the tip very versatile. I found it came in very handy today when cutting one of those little reward labels off an unopened Starbucks coffee bag. The tip was perfect for getting under the thin plastic and precisely cutting off the label without cutting into the bag.
The Worker excelled at tasks like cutting copy paper, opening mail, precise cutting at the tip, etc. But, I wasn't too impressed with how it cut cardboard. The serrations seemed to snag and tear through the cardboard, even though they're very sharp. But the serrations worked fine when cutting some hard plastic tubing. My Worker does not have beveled handle edges, so the scales are a little sharp during use. But, overall the Worker was very nice to use for light duty tasks.
The Worker represents innovation and ingenuity. The impact it has made on the knife industry is amazing. As I carried the Worker on this National Knife Day, I couldn't help but be inspired, and reminded of what's possible when we dare to follow our vision, remain true to our values, and share our passion with the world.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C151GTI - Schempp Tuff
Happy Knife Day everyone! :D
For National Knife Day, I wanted to carry something special, so the C01 Worker was an obvious choice. We're extremely lucky today to have such a huge variety of incredible knives available to us. We're spoiled by a very high level of engineering and manufacturing capability. But I tried to really understand how innovative this knife was when it was introduced. To start, just appreciating the pocket clip and opening hole. I grew up in the 1980s, so I remember Buck 110s in belt pouches and carrying a Schrade Old Timer slip joint in my pocket as a kid. So I can imagine being back in the 80s, clipping the Worker into my pocket for the first time. Then slipping the knife from my pocket, opening the blade smoothly with one hand until it snaps into its securely locked position. Then holding the nicely shaped, curved handle comfortably, and resting my thumb naturally on the thumb ramp while cutting open the packaging from my new Duran Duran cassette!
Woah! That's a crazy looking knife, dude. Pretty rad though!
The Worker is nicely shaped, and rides in the pocket very comfortably.
My Worker is very well built, lockup is solid with no play, and fit and finish is excellent. One thing I like about the Worker is the false edge near the tip. It looks really cool, and is a useful feature, making the tip very versatile. I found it came in very handy today when cutting one of those little reward labels off an unopened Starbucks coffee bag. The tip was perfect for getting under the thin plastic and precisely cutting off the label without cutting into the bag.
The Worker excelled at tasks like cutting copy paper, opening mail, precise cutting at the tip, etc. But, I wasn't too impressed with how it cut cardboard. The serrations seemed to snag and tear through the cardboard, even though they're very sharp. But the serrations worked fine when cutting some hard plastic tubing. My Worker does not have beveled handle edges, so the scales are a little sharp during use. But, overall the Worker was very nice to use for light duty tasks.
The Worker represents innovation and ingenuity. The impact it has made on the knife industry is amazing. As I carried the Worker on this National Knife Day, I couldn't help but be inspired, and reminded of what's possible when we dare to follow our vision, remain true to our values, and share our passion with the world.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C151GTI - Schempp Tuff
Happy Knife Day everyone! :D
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DeathBySnooSnoo
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- Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:30 pm
- Location: Toronto Canada
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jaypowell0185
- Member
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 5:44 pm
- Location: Arizona
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DesertDweller
- Member
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 8:33 am
Day 6 - Schempp Tuff
I remember sitting at my computer eating a Baby Ruth when the final prototype photos of the Tuff were released. I was very disappointed. Those dimples! :eek: Tuff was right! Tuff to look at! But, I have such respect for Ed Schempp's designs, and everything else about it was so awesome, that I knew I'd have to have one anyway. So, I bought one hoping it would grow on me… Well, it took a while. Longer than any other Spydie I've ever had. But, much like Chunk, screaming in horror at the first sight of Sloth, I too, eventually learned that looks can be deceiving, and learned to love the Tuff.
By taking a step back, and looking at the Tuff from a design, manufacturing, and even artistic point of view, I began to appreciate, and even like the dimples. The dimples do serve a purpose, and provide traction, while also reducing weight. This purposeful and efficient weight reduction can also be seen in the blade fuller, and of course, the Spydie hole. The dimples are also relatively easy to manufacture compared to complex texturing or 3D machining. Also, the dimples can be looked at as a continuation of the Spydie hole theme. I now find the Tuff beautiful in its own, purposeful, industrial way.
The Tuff is certainly built tough. It's as solid a tank of a folding knife as I've ever owned. Taichung's quality, and fit and finish are amazing as usual. It was a bit stiff out of the box, but has smoothed out nicely over the last year, and locks up with a very solid thwack. Disengaging the lock takes some deliberate effort, as does overcoming the detent when opening. The Tuff is large, and quite heavy (though the weight doesn't bother me at all). In the pocket, the Tuff actually rides nicely thanks to its smooth, oval closed shape. I really appreciate some of the subtle, but pocket friendly design elements, such as the flush hardware and pivot screws. Also, when closed, the thumb ramp jimping is neatly tucked just inside the liners, creating a nice, smooth surface all the way around the closed oval. Even if you carry tip-down, there's no cheese grater on the hand when reaching into the pocket!
The pocket clip is a nice dark color, and not too shiny. It's also angled slightly, which keeps the knife tucked back against the seam of the pocket. Even though the Tuff is large, I find it a breeze to reach past it to get my phone… Oh hold on… hello?… who?… Fratelli? Sorry, you have the wrong number. :confused:
Anyway, for comparison, here's the Tuff next to another tough knife, the Gayle Bradley folder. Even though the Tuff looks much bigger, it's actually slightly thinner than the Bradley, and rides in the pocket just as well, IMO.
Today, I used my Tuff in the yard a little bit. Most of the branches I was cutting were too large to chop off with the Tuff, but it had no problem with the smaller ones. I also used it to cut out a coupon, printed on copy paper. At first I had a lot of trouble cutting a straight line, but the Tuff's blade offers so many different holding position options, I soon found a good way to grip the blade with the thumb and middle finger in the fuller, and index finger controlling the tip. This resulted in nice controlled cuts. I also cut up a fair amount of thick cardboard. I will say, the thick blade took some effort to push through the cardboard, and for the first time, I found myself wishing for that extra inch of blade where the choil is. Overall, it handled the cardboard well and got the job done.
The blade…
Lockup is strong and solid as a vault, with a steel insert and over travel stop…
The fuller is an interesting design element, and makes for a very strong tip…
The Tuff is unique and interesting. More knife than I need 99.9% of the time, and probably not the most practical choice for office work. But it's a very well thought out design that succeeds in being tough, strong and solid, yet remains practical to actually carry in a normal pocket without shredding pants or hands.
The dimples are finally beautiful to me. As with so many things Spyderco, the true beauty is in the function.
The background of today's pictures helped inspire tomorrow's knife.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C36GTIP - M4 Military (G-10/Ti Knifeworks exclusive)
I remember sitting at my computer eating a Baby Ruth when the final prototype photos of the Tuff were released. I was very disappointed. Those dimples! :eek: Tuff was right! Tuff to look at! But, I have such respect for Ed Schempp's designs, and everything else about it was so awesome, that I knew I'd have to have one anyway. So, I bought one hoping it would grow on me… Well, it took a while. Longer than any other Spydie I've ever had. But, much like Chunk, screaming in horror at the first sight of Sloth, I too, eventually learned that looks can be deceiving, and learned to love the Tuff.
By taking a step back, and looking at the Tuff from a design, manufacturing, and even artistic point of view, I began to appreciate, and even like the dimples. The dimples do serve a purpose, and provide traction, while also reducing weight. This purposeful and efficient weight reduction can also be seen in the blade fuller, and of course, the Spydie hole. The dimples are also relatively easy to manufacture compared to complex texturing or 3D machining. Also, the dimples can be looked at as a continuation of the Spydie hole theme. I now find the Tuff beautiful in its own, purposeful, industrial way.
The Tuff is certainly built tough. It's as solid a tank of a folding knife as I've ever owned. Taichung's quality, and fit and finish are amazing as usual. It was a bit stiff out of the box, but has smoothed out nicely over the last year, and locks up with a very solid thwack. Disengaging the lock takes some deliberate effort, as does overcoming the detent when opening. The Tuff is large, and quite heavy (though the weight doesn't bother me at all). In the pocket, the Tuff actually rides nicely thanks to its smooth, oval closed shape. I really appreciate some of the subtle, but pocket friendly design elements, such as the flush hardware and pivot screws. Also, when closed, the thumb ramp jimping is neatly tucked just inside the liners, creating a nice, smooth surface all the way around the closed oval. Even if you carry tip-down, there's no cheese grater on the hand when reaching into the pocket!
The pocket clip is a nice dark color, and not too shiny. It's also angled slightly, which keeps the knife tucked back against the seam of the pocket. Even though the Tuff is large, I find it a breeze to reach past it to get my phone… Oh hold on… hello?… who?… Fratelli? Sorry, you have the wrong number. :confused:
Anyway, for comparison, here's the Tuff next to another tough knife, the Gayle Bradley folder. Even though the Tuff looks much bigger, it's actually slightly thinner than the Bradley, and rides in the pocket just as well, IMO.
Today, I used my Tuff in the yard a little bit. Most of the branches I was cutting were too large to chop off with the Tuff, but it had no problem with the smaller ones. I also used it to cut out a coupon, printed on copy paper. At first I had a lot of trouble cutting a straight line, but the Tuff's blade offers so many different holding position options, I soon found a good way to grip the blade with the thumb and middle finger in the fuller, and index finger controlling the tip. This resulted in nice controlled cuts. I also cut up a fair amount of thick cardboard. I will say, the thick blade took some effort to push through the cardboard, and for the first time, I found myself wishing for that extra inch of blade where the choil is. Overall, it handled the cardboard well and got the job done.
The blade…
Lockup is strong and solid as a vault, with a steel insert and over travel stop…
The fuller is an interesting design element, and makes for a very strong tip…
The Tuff is unique and interesting. More knife than I need 99.9% of the time, and probably not the most practical choice for office work. But it's a very well thought out design that succeeds in being tough, strong and solid, yet remains practical to actually carry in a normal pocket without shredding pants or hands.
The dimples are finally beautiful to me. As with so many things Spyderco, the true beauty is in the function.
The background of today's pictures helped inspire tomorrow's knife.
Tomorrow's Knife of the Day:
C36GTIP - M4 Military (G-10/Ti Knifeworks exclusive)
The only SE knife, which I was ever carried was Delica. I had the same experience with cutting cardboard.gbelleh wrote:Day 5 - Serrated Worker
But, I wasn't too impressed with how it cut cardboard. The serrations seemed to snag and tear through the cardboard, even though they're very sharp.
just opposite here. I loved dimples, when I saw them the first time. I didn't buy though, at least yet.gbelleh wrote:Day 6 - Schempp Tuff
I was very disappointed. Those dimples!
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf"
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian
My top choices Natives5, Calys, C83 Persian