Spyderco Forums

sal wrote:Hi Qazy,

Welcome to our forum.

I guess I'm not quite sure of what you are asking for?

sal

Thanks for welcoming Sal.

Currently Spyderco logo is laser etched onto the blade (I though it was painted, but that’s besides the point). The etching does not appear to be very deep. I am not able to feel any depressions with the finger. This opens up a problem that the logo will disappear/faint if the blade is thinned or the surface is refinished especially on FFG blades.
I am wondering why not to engrave the logo like you can see on many Japanese blades or American custom makers.

You already have the technology since lettering on a ricasso is deeply engraved and the logo on the pocket clip as well.

This could be reserved for sprint runs or something. But I think it would add nice touch.

I have almost reground my Kiwi4 to zero on bench stones and it took a long time to actually wear the bug away and it is still a little visible. I hear people mention losing the bug (which doesn't seem like a big deal to me) but I have yet to really see anybody post pics of it coming right off easily. I am old school I guess because I consider taking some wet dry sandpaper, scotchbrite pads or polishing compound to a blade as maintenance. I don't do it all the time but if a knife gets scratched up enough or stained enough I will refinish it. My experience is that the Spydie will fade a bit the first time but that it actually takes quite a bit to wear it completely away. I have refinished quite a few Spydie blades. Of course your methods of refinishing will make a difference and obviously YMMV. I refinish mine by hand.

Its good to hear that it takes a while to remove the logo completely. Just based on the aesthetics alone - carved Spyderco logo, similar to the clip, would look awesome IMHO.

If it's deep, wouldn't it be a stress riser? Especially for FFG?

Nothing is universally loved but given that, on the on hand, Spyderco deems putting the :spyder: logo a necessity for brand identification, and on the other that qazy is either the only forum member, or at most one of a very few, ever to complain that it's too easy to remove, I'd say they've done about as well as they can.

The Deacon wrote:Nothing is universally loved but given that, on the on hand, Spyderco deems putting the :spyder: logo a necessity for brand identification, and on the other that qazy is either the only forum member, or at most one of a very few, ever to complain that it's too easy to remove, I'd say they've done about as well as they can.

You don't agree that engraved :spyder: like the letters on ricasso would look rad? Logo on the pocket clip is a good example.
I don't know, perhaps I am the only one that thinks that, but it strikes strange to me; plus the other benefits.

qazy wrote:

The Deacon wrote:Nothing is universally loved but given that, on the on hand, Spyderco deems putting the :spyder: logo a necessity for brand identification, and on the other that qazy is either the only forum member, or at most one of a very few, ever to complain that it's too easy to remove, I'd say they've done about as well as they can.

You don't agree that engraved :spyder: like the letters on ricasso would look rad? Logo on the pocket clip is a good example.
I don't know, perhaps I am the only one that thinks that, but it strikes strange to me; plus the other benefits.

As I said earlier, if it was up to me I'd eliminate it altogether. As for the rest, the way I see it, Spyderco could have made the :spyder: logo on the blade small and subtle, put it on the tang, or never added it at all. After all, they've been making knives for over 35 years and only began to put it on the blade in the last 10 or so. When they did that, they chose to make it fairly large and put it on the presentation side where it would be the most visible. So, while your suggestion to move the bug to the tang would address the complaints of those who prefer a blade without writing or other advertising, it goes against what appears to be Spyderco's intent for it.

Besides, most tang "stamps" are now laser etched as well, I doubt there's much incentive to go back to actual stampings or to set up for machine engraving.

Me too. I'd like it better if the bug was stamped instead of lasered on

qazy wrote:

The Deacon wrote:

Sharp Guy wrote:What Spyderco knives do you have with a painted logo? Mine are all current, or recently discontinued, models and none of the logos are painted.

Wondering the same myself. And besides that most, if not all, of the ones that were painted gold or are painted black are still laser etched under the paint. Personally, I ratther they just left the darn "bug" off, but know that's not likely to happen.

So, if I take the sandpaper or stones and refinish the blade to mirror finish, the paint (fill) will go away but the underneath logo will still be visible?

I have mirror polished a few Spydercos and ended up erasing the entire bug emblem. The laser etching isn't that deep. One was Golden production, two were from Seki.

anagarika wrote:If it's deep, wouldn't it be a stress riser? Especially for FFG?

Yes, yes it would be a stress riser. The shallow laser etching gives a nice permanent (unless abraded off) marking with very little risk to the blade.

Bill1170 wrote:

anagarika wrote:If it's deep, wouldn't it be a stress riser? Especially for FFG?

Yes, yes it would be a stress riser. The shallow laser etching gives a nice permanent (unless abraded off) marking with very little risk to the blade.

I am not too familiar with the term "stress riser" but if I understand it correctly it should be much lesser stress riser compared to the spydihole. But most likely, if enough lateral pressure is applied, something else will fail before the blade breaks.

qazy wrote:

Bill1170 wrote:

anagarika wrote:If it's deep, wouldn't it be a stress riser? Especially for FFG?

Yes, yes it would be a stress riser. The shallow laser etching gives a nice permanent (unless abraded off) marking with very little risk to the blade.

I am not too familiar with the term "stress riser" but if I understand it correctly it should be much lesser stress riser compared to the spydihole. But most likely, if enough lateral pressure is applied, something else will fail before the blade breaks.

Actually, sharp notches and inside corners are the worst stress risers. The Spyderhole is perfectly round and smooth inside, not a stress riser. It is worthwhile to look up terms like "stress riser," they can lead to a fascinating look at the engineering all around us. Stress risers are the reason why ships and airplanes have windows and doors with rounded corners.