D'Allara 3 feedback

[kelpie]

I am new to the D'Allara model, first i knew of it was spoting some of the more artistic photos in the latest catalogue, then searching through said catalogue to figure out just what the model was. This looks like a beaut of a knife, i like the way that the blade looks a little similar to the Southard at the tip. After lusting over the photos (positive) then seeing the price (negative), then seeing the steel (negative) i've been on the fence. In my situation the price means probably 2 knives a year, is the D'Allara 3 worth being one of the two?? I like to try different steels and i have 4 in S30V (including my two most used Spydercos, Swick and Paramillitary 2).

i've decided i'll get one for a number of reasons; The D'allara story. The blade design (for me a good versatill EDC). S30V is a good steel - (good is boring ;-) ) and if i don't like any part the knife it seems like Sal will design a new version for me if i let him know how its going (along with feedback from the rest of you!!)

[sal]

Hi Kelpie,

Welcome to our forum. Looking forward to your comments.

sal

[DougC-3]

Borrowing Reject's pics for illustration (thanks, Reject :) )

My favorite things about the FRN D'Allara are the handle ergos, hand-filling grip for power cutting, and overall appearance including blade design, and also the BBL of course and the wire clip. Sounds like I like everything about it :D So when practicable, I'd like the new FRN model to be as much like the old one as possible. I know this would make it more of a special purpose knife, but I think a lot of the most liked spydies are special purposed in one way or another.

About the blade design, I think the swedge, slightly pronounced spine ridge over the opening hole, and slight dip in spine downhill from the hole give the current FRN model a jaunty character for lack of a better word. Also the hollow grind line, but I concede that the FFG, though more bland looking is more useful and practical.

I love the BBL and was surprised to learn that some people regard it and the CBBL as 2-hand closers. Quick, smooth, and easy one-hand closing has been one of my favorite things about all my BBL & CBBL knives. I guess it depends on hand shape, etc -- thank God we're all different.

Thanks for continuing this project. I hope I can manage to get one of the G10 models at some point and definitely plan on getting an FRN model.

[Reject]

[DougC-3]

Thanks again, Reject, for all the great pics from Downunder! By my measurements it looks as though the new one, when closed, is around 10% narrower as measured through the center of the opening hole and across the handle. I'm sure a lot of people with limited pocket space will really appreciate that and I can stand to give up a little blade appearance panache in order keep a D'Allara in production :D

I missed the boat on the CF Dodo and don't have a Tusk, so I can't wait to get my first ceramic ball knife. (Is there any other spydie with the ceramic ball?)

[dplafoll]

I love the BBL and was surprised to learn that some people regard it and the CBBL as 2-hand closers. Quick, smooth, and easy one-hand closing has been one of my favorite things about all my BBL & CBBL knives. I guess it depends on hand shape, etc -- thank God we're all different.

Thanks for continuing this project. I hope I can manage to get one of the G10 models at some point and definitely plan on getting an FRN model.

If you look at Reject's pics with a direct comparison, you can see how much more of a cutout there is on the FRN model to access the BBL. It's not that the lock is a 2-handed lock; rather, it's that the D3's iteration of it doesn't have enough space to be able to get at the BB while also maintaining a normal or easy grip on the handle all with one hand. Engaging the BBL one-handed isn't "thoughtless" like on a Manix or (pardon me) an Axis lock. Perhaps this makes the D3's lock safer, but changing that would, for me, single-handedly (LOLOL) change this from a "maybe later" to a "very interested".

[DougC-3]

I love the BBL and was surprised to learn that some people regard it and the CBBL as 2-hand closers. Quick, smooth, and easy one-hand closing has been one of my favorite things about all my BBL & CBBL knives. I guess it depends on hand shape, etc -- thank God we're all different.

Thanks for continuing this project. I hope I can manage to get one of the G10 models at some point and definitely plan on getting an FRN model.

If you look at Reject's pics with a direct comparison, you can see how much more of a cutout there is on the FRN model to access the BBL. It's not that the lock is a 2-handed lock; rather, it's that the D3's iteration of it doesn't have enough space to be able to get at the BB while also maintaining a normal or easy grip on the handle all with one hand. Engaging the BBL one-handed isn't "thoughtless" like on a Manix or (pardon me) an Axis lock. Perhaps this makes the D3's lock safer, but changing that would, for me, single-handedly (LOLOL) change this from a "maybe later" to a "very interested".

I'm sure that's true. I saw the discussion in the Amsterdam thread about the lack of a generous chamfer around the ball. I was thinking more about one-hand closing with the older knives. For me, one-hand closing with the old D'Allaras is much easier by using the thumbnail on the ball. I wonder if that would help with the new one. I'm looking forward to trying one out the next time I go to our B&M in Vestavia

[kvnlau7]

As far as i am concerned, being a conservative luddite, you could just carbon copy the first D'Allara and i'd be a happy camper.
Major concern in Amsterdam was manipulating the lock though, so more scalloping around the ball is #1

I second this sentiment.

Same here. But honestly i love the design. I personally being less of a user more of a collector would love to see another run of these in G10 where the ceramic ball lock mechanism would be easier to disengage.

The D'allara 3 nocks alot of things out of the park.
-Size being 3.4 with a Oal under 8 makes it a pleasure to carry and EDC. the slenderness helps aswell.
-ergo's this is one of those designs that need no jimping yet feels great in the hand with no hotspots.
-Paperclip clip , a spyderco trademark at this point. The design is polarizing but its so functional.

TL;DR Its a real spyderco design and ergonomic wise , I just would like to see it easier to flip.

I could see my self buying this knife and many sprint runs of it. even at its current price.

[dplafoll]

I love the BBL and was surprised to learn that some people regard it and the CBBL as 2-hand closers. Quick, smooth, and easy one-hand closing has been one of my favorite things about all my BBL & CBBL knives. I guess it depends on hand shape, etc -- thank God we're all different.

Thanks for continuing this project. I hope I can manage to get one of the G10 models at some point and definitely plan on getting an FRN model.

If you look at Reject's pics with a direct comparison, you can see how much more of a cutout there is on the FRN model to access the BBL. It's not that the lock is a 2-handed lock; rather, it's that the D3's iteration of it doesn't have enough space to be able to get at the BB while also maintaining a normal or easy grip on the handle all with one hand. Engaging the BBL one-handed isn't "thoughtless" like on a Manix or (pardon me) an Axis lock. Perhaps this makes the D3's lock safer, but changing that would, for me, single-handedly (LOLOL) change this from a "maybe later" to a "very interested".

I'm sure that's true. I saw the discussion in the Amsterdam thread about the lack of a generous chamfer around the ball. I was thinking more about one-hand closing with the older knives. For me, one-hand closing with the old D'Allaras is much easier by using the thumbnail on the ball. I wonder if that would help with the new one. I'm looking forward to trying one out the next time I go to our B&M in Vestavia

It does, but at least for the way I manipulate the Manix or an Axis, I have to adjust my hand on the handle much more to be able to close the D3 one-handed. Here are some pictures to (attempt to) illustrate:

Normal grip:
Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

Approximation of how my hand naturally wants to engage a BBL/CBBL/Axis. Essentially, only my thumb and index finger move while the rest of the grip stays the same. It's not impossible to do this, but it feels very unstable.
Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

I use those same two fingers to disengage most of my knives, as seen here.
Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

But this is the grip I had to use to be able to disengage the D3's lock one-handed with any consistency. The difference is that in the above example, I am trying to grab the ball with the pads of my fingers, and between the cutout size and the texture of the ball, they can't get a good grip that way, like they can on a Manix. For the record, I tried a Manix at the same time as handling the D3 for comparison. In this grip, though, I'm grabbing the ball with fingernails instead. It seems to be a matter of getting my hand in such a position as to be able to both grip the knife and manipulate the lock. It's dead-simple on a Manix, and with this knife if you split those two objectives it's dead-simple using two hands.
Untitled by dplafoll, on Flickr

[DougC-3]

This seems a little more complicated than the way I do it: M2- just hold the back of handle against palm horizontally while pulling lock with thumb and forefinger and rotating wrist 5 or 10 degrees to let gravity swing the blade to closed position. With D'Allara 2 - same but pull ball with thumb nail while flipping blade around with forefinger.

It just occurred to me that the FRN model might not keep the ceramic ball and deep-carry clip :eek: I sure hope it does

[PSquared]

Quick, first impression overview of the D’Allara 3

Mine arrived earlier in the weeks and I’ve been carrying exclusively since it arrived. It’s not a lot of time to get to know the ins and outs of a knife I’ll admit but I’ve been carrying knives for more than 35 years through Scouts, Army, construction sites, in offices and in various outdoor activities in and out of the water. I’ve got a pretty good idea if what will work for me in a knife and what won’t.


Reject’s photos in an earlier post are a great comparison against the earlier FRN versions. Whilst there is a side by side folded shot, it doesn’t clearly show is that the current version is a takes up a lot less pocket space than my WTC knife – this is a very good thing in my mind.


This knife has a lot going for it :
I might be one of the few that prefers the Japanese made knives to the Taichung knives and am happy to pay a premium for the Japanese craftsmanship. This sample supports that view. The fit and finish is exemplary. The only niggle I might have is the “crispness” of the liner edges but that is easily fixed with a Sharpmaker rod.

Blade shape works very well for me – the shallow belly is similar to the modified sheepfoot and leaf blades that I prefer to use (CRK Insingo, Caly 3, Centofante 3, Memory, Benchmade Arcane, Strider PT as examples).

Happy with the full flat grind but would have been just as happy with a hollow grind. S30V is also fine (my most carried steel) but VG10 (2nd most carried steel), if it is a cost saving consideration, would also be fine in my books. 3mm blade stock is perfect in my world for a blade this size. A crowned spine is all that’s missing but I’d be in a tiny minority wanting that.

I really like that it doesn’t have a choil and that the grind goes all the way back to the handle. The fact that the finger guard of the handle is also nice and far forward is a plus for me as well. No jimping works for me and the I think I prefer the shallower thumb ramp on the new version.

The handle is a great, simple design that doesn’t force your fingers into position and the swell and front and rear guards lock the hand in nicely. Like the Centofante 3 handle, the simple design just works irrespective of the size of your hands. The flat G10 works but I’d like to see the 3D contouring come back on an FRN model. I like the grip on the WTC knife, my C78 Native 3 (the Japanese one) and on my Enuffs.

The elephant in the room is the lock. The engineer in me loves it. The user of the knife as a tool, not so much. My sample’s bearing is easier to manipulate than my WTC knife but not as easy as my Tusk. The bearing diameter is less than the handle thickness so it is slightly recessed – not enough G10 is cut away to get easy access. I have small, soft (office worker) hands – large calloused fingers might have a problem. I can release the lock one handed with lightweight gloves on with some effort – didn’t even bother to try with heavy duty work gloves. The spring is fine. I can, with a violent movement, shake the blade out – if the spring is softened to make opening easier, some of the blade retention will be lost. Wet hands make operating the lock a lot more difficult.






I said in an earlier post that I want / expect the BBL to work with the ease of an Axis lock, it doesn’t and I don’t think it can without going the Manix CBBL route (and that has a version going back to a back lock).

I don’t think you can look at this knife without a comparison to the Griptillian (in G10 or in FRN versions). I don’t have a full size G10 Griptillian with factory scales but the photo with a Noryl scaled version shows the similarities in shape, size and lock action.






The Grip’s lock action is, in my opinion, far more friendly in use – the textured Axis bar is proud of the scales rather than recessed and works easily with cold or wet fingers and with gloves.

I like the D’Allara 3, I like it a lot but the less than easy manipulation of the lock spoils it (a reason I won’t get a Bradley Folder and don’t ever use my Hungarian). It’s okay if you open your knife, use it and close it once or twice a day. Like a lot of others, I take pride in my knives and fidget with them and open and close them even when not needed – the BBL isn’t great for that. If it was my money paying for FRN moulds, I’d change this to a back lock (and bring out a G10 back lock version as well) and have a lot more confidence of a commercial success particularly seeing the competition has a very similar model that is easier to operate. There is already a solid back strap so you aren’t adding weight there. The pivot could move up making the folded profile slimmer. Contour the scales without having to create pockets so fingers and thumbs could get the the ball. If I wanted to make an “afi’s” knife … the G10 version is it.

[Evil D]

I'd just like to point out how far liners have come. Part of me thinks it's a little overkill but it's gonna make for a really rigid knife.

[Igi964]

Wouldn't it be better with cage ? Manix is such a nice knife to unlock and play with:) I know its supposed to be a work knife, but I still think it will make it better since pretty much all complaints are about the hard unlock:(

[Matt Deaner]

I just received one of these today. Fit and finish was fantastic, and it was the sharpest out of the box Spyderco I have received.

Yes, the lock is a little hard to use, but it's not a deal breaker for me. I can open and close the knife with one hand just fine. I think the lock will loosen up as the knife wears in.

I love the thinness, the ergos, and the wire clip. This one is challenging my Spyderchef for edc....

[kelpie]

i've carried the knife for a week, learning something new just about every day.

the thin handle, coupled with how the pocket clip rides is very impressive. i haven't loved the wire clips on the dragonfly model, i do like it on the D'allara.

whats going on with the pivot and a little side to side blade play? is this a factor of how the ball bearing lock works? is it to do with the pivot diameter? i have set the pivot just a little on the stiff side and it flexs under side strain. Would be interesting to hear if anyone else has issues with this? i'm thinking under heavy duty side strain this coud be a weak spot (heavier situation than my EDC, more like an emergency ""try and pry something open with your knife situation)

i like the Ball Bearing a lot. easy, easy knife to open. Lockup has been 100%, even when playing round. closing the knife has gotten easier. i can close one handed without alot of bother, two handed is easier. The engineering simplicity of the ball bearing is very cool, and looking at the evolution of the D'allara a signature of this model

Haven't cut much with it yet, but what i have has made me smile. This knife wants to be in my hand cutting stuff, putting a smile on my face. The handle blade relationship seems special. (not sure why/how, if i figure it out i'll let you know)

I am impressed so far, i get the feeling it is going to be a long while before i want anything else for my edc.

(pivot screw and pocket clip screw both came loose in the first few days. interesting data point for some other threads)

[laker_cj]

Apologies if this was said and I missed it in the thread somewhere in my quick glance through; what about dimpling the ball to give it a bit more texture? Much like a golf ball; that's one thing that I thought would improve the ease of using the lock; and have heard a few others say the same about the lock as well that I've spoke with.

[twinboysdad]

I handled it at Patrick's FRIDAY lunch spot, Mark's, and it is one I want when the price goes down. Fits my hand well and flat. It is a "2 handed closer" to a degree but that doesn't bother me. The price is my stumbling block now

[drummer3]

Fwiw, I too would like to see the 3d sculpting of the D1 on the D3. Machined G10 or C.F. would be very nice. O have not gotten my hands on the D2 yet but it looks like a winner.

Also, show another vote for a better steel clip option. I like more tension and durability than the wire provides.

[Evil D]

Sal is it too soon to ask about a sheepsfoot version?

[sal]

Sal is it too soon to ask about a sheepsfoot version?

No plans at this time for other than an FRN version of this model.

sal