The "Back Burner" Knife

[sal]

I think there are variable in time. Tastes change, new comes out, even new physical limitations, laws, etc. A great question to ask each 5 years and notice the changes.

There are a few visitors here that we've all watched their changes in "Best choice for the day" as they change. Humans do that.

The "open minds" ("Drafty brain") here is a good lesson for all.

sal

[Brock O Lee]

Probably the Delica K390 wharncliffe.

I've tried to like the Delica a few times as an EDC, but the stars never aligned. Even the very nice Pakkawood HAP40 version doesn't see much light of day. For that reason I put off getting a Delica wharnie. When I eventually got one, everything clicked in place when I took off the clip, filed off the awkward "horn" on the grip (between the index and middle fingers), and used it as a workbench utility knife. That is where it still shines brightly.

[Paul Ardbeg]

The Amalgam and Caly's.

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Kapara - been trying to find a 20CV version for a minute now.

Military 2 - waiting on the Salt version.

Bodacious - pulling the trigger on the Spy 27 when it comes out.

Caly 3.5 - the updated version will get my

[kobold]

I still want the standard OG DLC camo Millie. But I bought the Chap SE. And the Magnacut Native and the Cruwear Stretch 2XL instead.

[CDEP]

Shaman.

Thought I wouldn't like/need a beast like that. It's #3 carry for me behind PM2 & Native 5.

Then, I initially passed on the Bodacious because I love the Shaman with the choil and felt I'd hate the "choil-less Shaman." Saw a YT review and got curious. To me the Bodacious is really a choil-less Native 5 XL and I love it.

[Chieftjs]

I put the Para3 in Maxamet on the back burner today. I bought a Para3 lightweight in Magnacut and a Rescue instead. I really was going to buy the Maxamet but the Magnacut has been harder to find lately.

[SchoonerBum]

The Manix 2 in S110v was a 2 for 1 back burner for me. S110v has been on my list for ages and I thought I would pick up a UKPK eventually just to try out the steel. Eventually I came across a good deal on a Manix 2 lightweight instead and I’m really glad that I bought it. S110v is fantastic at what it does, and the Manix fits me much better than I anticipated. It’s not my most carried spydie but it works really well for me and it comes in a lot of the salty/highly stainless options that I prefer. S110v is also fantastic, although I do wish it came in a smaller blade - hopefully we’ll see a Lil’Native lightweight in S110v someday.

[Wartstein]

Manix 2 LW

I was holding off from getting one for quite some time, since I did not care for how little cutting edge it offers in relation to the overall package and cause I generally prefer straighter edges over more curved ones (Manix rather features the latter).

After actually trying one now the Manix 2 LW is a Spydie that still could never become my "if you could only have one" or overall most versatile EDC folder....

...but I absolutely love my REX 45 variant for what it is and can offer in its particular niche.

[TkoK83Spy]

SPY27 Sage 5 LW.

My first ever Spyderco was the G10/CF laminate Sage 5. Sold that one years ago, as I got heavy into the hobby and was chasing all the sprints and exclusives. I've sold around 20 knives the past year and had an itch to finally buy something new.

I've seen a lot of love thrown towards the Sage 5 LW ever since it was first released, and remembered I enjoyed the size and ergos of the model I previously had. I've been wanting to give Spy27 a try, really liked the blue hue of the handle scales and realized I only had 1 Spyderco left in my collection that had a compression lock, that being Shaman and decided I wanted the lock in a bit smaller of a knife.

So, this knife has checked a lot of boxes for me and found mine at National Knives for a great price a couple months ago. I have 14 knives left that I rotate carrying, but this knife seems to make my pocket a couple days a week.

Wish I didn't wait so long! Great job Sal and crew.

[RustyIron]

Let's hear about a model or variant you wanted, but kept putting off buying. Only for you to get it and realize you should have got it sooner.

The knife I should have bought sooner would have been my first Spyderco. If I recall correctly, it was a Manix 2 in S110V. That knife opened my eyes to what a pocket knife COULD be. Since then, I've occasionally carried one of those brand x knives, but none of them ever excited me and I've always come back to Spyderco.

Since then I've purchased a lot of Spyderco knives. It would be a bit hyperbolic to suggest that any one is so much different than another as to be game changing. If you like the Manix, you can get buy with the PM2, and the Endura will be fine, as will the Delica, and even the Stretch 2 XL will work. There are subtle differences, but if I was forced to use one over another, it wouldn't be the end of the world. They're all good.

There's one knife I recently purchased that I didn't think would be very important to me. It was a petty for the kitchen. I already had top-shelf medium to big knives in the kitchen. My small knife was a Spyderco Mule. It was adequate, and I couldn't see throwing down serious cash on a dinky knife that probably wouldn't see much use. I was wrong.

One day I found this knife at a fair price, do I clicked "buy it now." I was shocked at what a joy it is to use. I never would have guessed.

[xceptnl]

One day I found this knife at a fair price, do I clicked "buy it now." I was shocked at what a joy it is to use. I never would have guessed.
IMG_4108 Large.jpeg

That's a great looking petty you have there. Tell me more.

[RustyIron]

That's a great looking petty you have there. Tell me more.

It's a Hatsukokoro "Kurokaze" Shirogami #2 Kurouchi 150mm Petty that I got from Burrfection.com.

It's not a "top shelf knife" made by a single artisan. The company has a bunch of different knife makers churning out different aspects of the process. The result is a pretty good knife at a more economical price.

My criteria were something in the 150mm range, wa handle, shirogami steel, dark wood. The Burrfection dude on YouTube does some informative videos. He has a very affordable knife in his store that meets my criteria. Unfortunately, he only gets a few at a time, and they're always gone before I can get one. After becoming impatient, I got this one and paid a little more. I'm 100% happy with the knife and recommend it. Keep in mind that I don't know much about Japanese cutlery. It's possible that there are better knives available for less. But I can assure you, this knife is far superior to any of the "consumer grade" products that rattle around in the drawers of 99.9% of all Americans.

[SpeedHoles]

My list is long of back burner knives, and I probably shouldn't think too hard about it because then I'll go seek some of them out now haha

I'd say the Wilson Southfork is one of them that comes to mind right away.
Maybe like the brown G10 ZDP-189 Stretch 2, the K2, and Barong...

More currently, the Bodacious.

[SpeedHoles]

@kennethsime
This is a noteworthy back burner for me as well. After carrying the 15V Millie 2, I don't know that I have a need to carry a Para 2 any longer.

I've noticed the same. With the Military 2 and then also already owning a few Para 3, between those two models, I don't carry the PM2 nearly as much, although I have many sitting around the house and barn so they still see use as being within arms reach...

[Pacu0420]

Native 5

I don't normally like backlocks. But the Native 5 is different somehow. One of my favorites now.

[Bolster]

Let's hear about a model or variant you wanted, but kept putting off buying...

Caly LW.

I keep putting off buying...because it isn't available yet!

[xceptnl]

Caly LW.

I keep putting off buying...because it isn't available yet!

Is it too late to change my answer?

[zuludelta]

Let's hear about a model or variant you wanted, but kept putting off buying. Only for you to get it and realize you should have got it sooner. I think most of us here are at the point that all new purchases fall more into the "want" category than the "need" category. With all the sprints and exclusives it's easy for some "wants" to lose priority to knives we know will only be around for a few hours/days/weeks.

Probably the Yojimbo 2. I had already filled a small Spyderpac with Natives, Delicas, Enduras, and Dragonflies in different configurations before I even considered trying Michael Janich's signature design. I was strictly a backlock guy back then and—at least on paper—the Yojimbo 2 didn't really offer anything materials-wise that I didn't already have from the Spydercos I already owned. I was intrigued by the Yojimbo 2's aggressive wharncliffe blade but had reservations about its versatility compared to the drop point blades I was accustomed to using for work, and I wasn't sure if the Compression Lock would be as easy to operate while wearing work gloves as a mid-backlock.

But one day I saw a Yojimbo 2 selling for a really good price online so I figured I might as well get one & see what it was all about. The first time I used it at work, it's like a light went on in my head. It did everything I needed a work knife to do really well. And outside of very brief periods, it hasn't left my work knife rotation since I got it over 7 years ago. It's the longest I've continually used the same knife for work.

[Enactive]

The Police 4 is the one that I wanted the longest, but didn't get until recently. It is a champ and I've carried and used it quite a bit for how recently I got it.