Spyderco Forums

BTW...the dull finish on mine is due to the acid etching that I do to expose the patterns of the cast structure...

I found the cast 440 C cast to be very good at cutting. Initial sharpening didn't always function well. It depends on the consistency of the material and the nature of its production. However when the sharpening bevel reaches the consistent material it performs very well. By nature of the process of slow cooling to produce the placial carbides the material sacrifices one deminsion of strength. The Serrata has approximate geometry to support the blade,IMHO. Enjoy the knife...Take Care...Ed

Ed,

How sharp is the blade at this point "However when the sharpening bevel reaches the consistent material it performs very well." can it :

-shave
-push cut newsprint

or is it :

-slicing newsprint

or less?

Stuart Ackerman wrote:The Amsterdam model had the edge all the way at the rear of the blade, VERY close to the thumb in edge up configuration...
This one has the edge away from the scales to make it safer for the user...

I have a complicatewd grind to get it to work for me, and the makers battled to replicate my grind...hence Spyderco's solution to widen the blade at the rear, and leave a gap of unsharpened blade...

I like the edge very close to the scales, just like the scandis.
A knife has to be used with care, we can't make a knife foolproof.

neo wrote:I like the edge very close to the scales, just like the scandis.
A knife has to be used with care, we can't make a knife foolproof.

I agree.

This is one of the knives I look most forward to this year. Great looking bush knife (for me) when not out with the south fork

Got my notice that these were in stock at GPK! Immediately ordered mine! Been waiting for a long time for this knife. I absolutely love the catalog picture along with the sheath! :D

They're up for sale at CS for a good price.

Stewart, I was wondering about the designed purpose of this knife. With the thick spine of the blade and nice belly, I would assume it is a heavy butchering knife primarily. Could you elaborate on this knife and it's purpose please? Thanks for a great knife design! :)

Stewart, I was wondering about the designed purpose of this knife. With the thick spine of the blade and nice belly, I would assume it is a heavy butchering knife primarily. Could you elaborate on this knife and it's purpose please? Thanks for a great knife design! :)

eric m. wrote:Stewart, I was wondering about the designed purpose of this knife. With the thick spine of the blade and nice belly, I would assume it is a heavy butchering knife primarily. Could you elaborate on this knife and it's purpose please? Thanks for a great knife design! :)

I just love the knife design, I definitely am going to get one.
I think from all my knives I like the looks of this one the most, I dream one day it would be available in my favorite steel 3V.
It wouldn't be a serrata because it would loose the toothy edge but will have other qualities.

Cliff,
The biggest difference is the durability of the edge. Having made or used a few dozen of the Boye dendritic steel kitchen knives my initial sharpening bevel was not durable. After sharpening the second or third time there was a large difference in how long the edge performed. I think there is a de-carb zone on the surface that might be .005-.010 thick.
All the dendritic pieces that I put together were ground before and after heat treating. Once through the effected zone the edge retention was good. The difference went from days to months. I check sharpness by slicing thin light weight paper, drawing the complete edge through paper looking for any areas that drag and tear the paper....Take Care...Ed

eric m. wrote:Stewart, I was wondering about the designed purpose of this knife. With the thick spine of the blade and nice belly, I would assume it is a heavy butchering knife primarily. Could you elaborate on this knife and it's purpose please? Thanks for a great knife design! :)

Intended function ?
To cut fibrous materials, all sorts of rope, all sorts of fabric, plant matter, food preparation, kitchen use, skinning animals...
Using the first Spyderco proto, I I did chop polyethlene pipe tubing to test the edge for chipping and it was fine, no rolling, but edge would not cut hemp rope cleanly...a touch up one stroke each side on a 4 inch long med gray ceramic rod and and would cut well again...

As long as you do not baton it, you will be fine...( I hate batoning, as big users break knives, and then complain...)

Hi Stuart,

I liked the Serrata a lot when it was showed al last years A'dam meet, will definitely buy one.
Very nice design, congrats!
One question:
Have you got any information, where the 440C comes from, same manufacturer as for the Cat and Chicago?

Marcus

Marcus,
Thank you...
Sal will know the answer about the source of steel...

Stuart Ackerman wrote:Intended function ?
To cut fibrous materials, all sorts of rope, all sorts of fabric, plant matter, food preparation, kitchen use, skinning animals...
Using the first Spyderco proto, I I did chop polyethlene pipe tubing to test the edge for chipping and it was fine, no rolling, but edge would not cut hemp rope cleanly...a touch up one stroke each side on a 4 inch long med gray ceramic rod and and would cut well again...

As long as you do not baton it, you will be fine...( I hate batoning, as big users break knives, and then complain...)

My knife is on it's way! Thanks for answering my question Stuart! Didn't think this knife was a dedicated kitchen knife, although it can fill that role. More along the lines of a bushman's knife for heavier cutting tasks! No I do not baton my knives, but I always want my outdoors knives to be built on the sturdier side, just in case! Thank you again. Beautiful design!!! :)

Eric...that means that you are the first buyer of a Spyderco Serrata?
Well done...

Thanks again Stewart for a great knife! :)