What Steel Would You Like To See in the Native Chief?

[barnaclesonaboat]

I hardly know why I bother saying this because I am probably a small minority, but I want AEB-L in this knife or any of the other Spydercos I like really. Why? Because I am a simple guy who likes simple steel. That, and it sounds like Spyderco got a pretty killer heat treat on this steel for the mule. I wouldn't mind seeing AEB-L take over as the standard lightweight steel in BD1-N's place.

This hot take 100%. The AEB-L mule is indeed a rather hard/evolved heat treat on a simple steel, rendering a really great material for thin, slicey edges. I have my AEB-L mule somewhere in the 26-28 degrees inclusive range and it stays keen for me that way for a good long time. Rolls on occasion but doesn't chip, and mostly just acts like a laser. Sharpened it plenty. No, I don't cut up cardboard boxes or perform other especially abrasive tasks with it regularly. I've not used a Chief, but I really want one and a steel that supports thin, slicey geometry like the AEB-L mule sounds great for a folding ~4 inch blade with a subtle belly.

[Steeltoez83]

Im content with xhp/rex45/ magnacut on my chiefs already. So im gonna vote pops pro cut with the wave feature cutout.

[Sterling454]

Given the options, CruWear is the easy choice. Big blades call for tough heavy-use steel. If the option was listed in the poll, MagnaCut (ideally in a satin or stonewashed finish) would be my top choice.

Fingers crossed for a button compression lock Chief 2 like what the Smock features!

[Fireman]

Delete the forward finger choil, make it a Salt and as a cherry on top, make it a compression lock and you have something. The regular handle is long enough and you don’t need the forward choil as much with the long blade with the fine point. IMHO maxing out the useable edge length is the priority like on the Caribbean. Basically I want it to be a Caribbean XL

[kobold]

If I count K390 as 10V, I have folders in every option except 3V/4V. I wouldn't mind a digicam G10 / DLC config in one of those.

[Manixguy@1994]

Delete the forward finger choil, make it a Salt and as a cherry on top, make it a compression lock and you have something. The regular handle is long enough and you don’t need the forward choil as much with the long blade with the fine point. IMHO maxing out the useable edge length is the priority like on the Caribbean. Basically I want it to be a Caribbean XL

Great idea ! I agree wholeheartedly a version with choil deletion. MG2

[Fireman]

Delete the forward finger choil, make it a Salt and as a cherry on top, make it a compression lock and you have something. The regular handle is long enough and you don’t need the forward choil as much with the long blade with the fine point. IMHO maxing out the useable edge length is the priority like on the Caribbean. Basically I want it to be a Caribbean XL

Great idea ! I agree wholeheartedly a version with choil deletion. MG2

I always knew you were smart
A salt sheep’s foot choil-less in single bevel chisel grind with a hollow grind on the non bevel side to be specific. New Spyderco marketing slogan, “Dare Excelence. Spyderco.”

[Naperville]

Choil deletion with a bit more hilt sounds excellent, and just keep all else the same.

How about a titanium version with a pattern on the grips to augment a hold on the knife?

Still hoping for a 5" blade version...no choil too would be awesome.

[cjk]

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

[Danke]

No to steel. Yes to High Impact Ceramic.

[Naperville]

I hardly know why I bother saying this because I am probably a small minority, but I want AEB-L in this knife or any of the other Spydercos I like really. Why? Because I am a simple guy who likes simple steel. That, and it sounds like Spyderco got a pretty killer heat treat on this steel for the mule. I wouldn't mind seeing AEB-L take over as the standard lightweight steel in BD1-N's place.

This hot take 100%. The AEB-L mule is indeed a rather hard/evolved heat treat on a simple steel, rendering a really great material for thin, slicey edges. I have my AEB-L mule somewhere in the 26-28 degrees inclusive range and it stays keen for me that way for a good long time. Rolls on occasion but doesn't chip, and mostly just acts like a laser. Sharpened it plenty. No, I don't cut up cardboard boxes or perform other especially abrasive tasks with it regularly. I've not used a Chief, but I really want one and a steel that supports thin, slicey geometry like the AEB-L mule sounds great for a folding ~4 inch blade with a subtle belly.

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days.

AEB-L, 3V, more 4V, MagnaMax, and whatever else Spyderco can throw at the Native Chief, I'll try to buy one of more copies. I am not rich, I just like the knife. I still need to buy the L200N and BD1N versions.

What I do know about AEB-L is that it takes a high polish. What about a Sprint Run of Spyderco Native Chiefs that have highly polished blades? I think people might be interested in buying them. YES, they would be safe queens for most of us, but I can see myself buying a couple with a higher than std cost grips. NO to FRN, and plain G10 for this run. How about Black Ebony Wood grips with partial or full liners?

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

I did not know this but that is why Spyderco has a few designers and engineers on staff...I would think. Maybe not. Maybe they have enough talent in house from prior designs that they can make it happen.

[horzuff]

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

There are backlocks with stop pins that play the same role but allow a full-edged blade

[cjk]

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

There are backlocks with stop pins that play the same role but allow a full-edged blade

Such things do exist, but not in US made Spyderco lockbacks. I have a QSP lockback with a stop pin for the closed blade position. It works.
Taichung Spyderco lockbacks have stop pins for both open and closed (namely the Chaparral and the Sage 4). I'd be willing to bet that this is really a "Taichung maker decision" moreso than a "Spyderco design decision", but I'd be happy to be be proven wrong.
The Jumper series (Rock and Leaf) had more edge due to the handle forward design, but evidently didn't sell well enough to stick around. I liked the Jumper handles a lot, but thought the knives were less attractive when closed than other Spydercos (like for the Stretch 2 as an example).
I do think that while it's not a lockback, the Bodacious seems like a kinda natural successor to the Jumpers as it has a handle forward design that's actually good looking both open and closed.

[cjk]

...

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

I did not know this but that is why Spyderco has a few designers and engineers on staff...I would think. Maybe not. Maybe they have enough talent in house from prior designs that they can make it happen.

I'm sure they could design whatever they can imagine. Let's say they did make a lockback with the edge all the way to the handle (like they did with the Siren), but then it was slightly less safe to close . One would have to be more particular and careful to close it one handed. You could probably still do it, but it wouldn't be "automatic" for owners of previous Spydercos who have been dropping the ricasso or choil on their finger for decades.
There'd be some percentage of customers who would be bothered by that and return the product just because it worked a bit different. There'd be some percentage of customers who would cut themselves trying, then go complain online. Before the advent of social media, an unhappy customer would tell an average of 9 people about their experience. Now, that number is much bigger.
A satisfied customer usually only tells two or three people.

And now, after all my blathering, I'm wondering that if what the folks who are asking for a choil-less native chief would actually be better served by a "Siren XL"?

[Stas]

...

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

I did not know this but that is why Spyderco has a few designers and engineers on staff...I would think. Maybe not. Maybe they have enough talent in house from prior designs that they can make it happen.

I'm sure they could design whatever they can imagine. Let's say they did make a lockback with the edge all the way to the handle (like they did with the Siren), but then it was slightly less safe to close . One would have to be more particular and careful to close it one handed. You could probably still do it, but it wouldn't be "automatic" for owners of previous Spydercos who have been dropping the ricasso or choil on their finger for decades.
There'd be some percentage of customers who would be bothered by that and return the product just because it worked a bit different. There'd be some percentage of customers who would cut themselves trying, then go complain online. Before the advent of social media, an unhappy customer would tell an average of 9 people about their experience. Now, that number is much bigger.
A satisfied customer usually only tells two or three people.

And now, after all my blathering, I'm wondering that if what the folks who are asking for a choil-less native chief would actually be better served by a "Siren XL"?

Honestly, I never cut myself closing for instance Rockjumper this way. “they could design”… anything

[vivi]

...

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

I did not know this but that is why Spyderco has a few designers and engineers on staff...I would think. Maybe not. Maybe they have enough talent in house from prior designs that they can make it happen.

I'm sure they could design whatever they can imagine. Let's say they did make a lockback with the edge all the way to the handle (like they did with the Siren), but then it was slightly less safe to close . One would have to be more particular and careful to close it one handed. You could probably still do it, but it wouldn't be "automatic" for owners of previous Spydercos who have been dropping the ricasso or choil on their finger for decades.
There'd be some percentage of customers who would be bothered by that and return the product just because it worked a bit different. There'd be some percentage of customers who would cut themselves trying, then go complain online. Before the advent of social media, an unhappy customer would tell an average of 9 people about their experience. Now, that number is much bigger.
A satisfied customer usually only tells two or three people.

And now, after all my blathering, I'm wondering that if what the folks who are asking for a choil-less native chief would actually be better served by a "Siren XL"?

I'd be all about a Siren XL. I really like the design but it was just a bit too small for me to want to EDC. More so the handle than the blade, though I'd welcome more edge too.

Not gonna dig up all the videos etc., but me and wartstein have posted a lot of safe ways to close lockbacks without dropping the blade on your finger.

[Manixguy@1994]

...

All of y'all who want "no choil" or a "different lock" or whatever pretty much want a completely different knife.
A lockback needs a ricasso or a choil so something touches the lock bar and stops the knife closing so the edge doesn't contact the backspacer.

I did not know this but that is why Spyderco has a few designers and engineers on staff...I would think. Maybe not. Maybe they have enough talent in house from prior designs that they can make it happen.

I'm sure they could design whatever they can imagine. Let's say they did make a lockback with the edge all the way to the handle (like they did with the Siren), but then it was slightly less safe to close . One would have to be more particular and careful to close it one handed. You could probably still do it, but it wouldn't be "automatic" for owners of previous Spydercos who have been dropping the ricasso or choil on their finger for decades.
There'd be some percentage of customers who would be bothered by that and return the product just because it worked a bit different. There'd be some percentage of customers who would cut themselves trying, then go complain online. Before the advent of social media, an unhappy customer would tell an average of 9 people about their experience. Now, that number is much bigger.
A satisfied customer usually only tells two or three people.

And now, after all my blathering, I'm wondering that if what the folks who are asking for a choil-less native chief would actually be better served by a "Siren XL"?

I'd be all about a Siren XL. I really like the design but it was just a bit too small for me to want to EDC. More so the handle than the blade, though I'd welcome more edge too.

Not gonna dig up all the videos etc., but me and wartstein have posted a lot of safe ways to close lockbacks without dropping the blade on your finger.

I also would love to see a larger version of the Siren . I would welcome some more room in handle and blade length . I have both versions and regret passing on the Waterway. Dan