Spyderco Calypso Jr. Review (Grey FRN)

Fisher of Men · #1

Hey all,

I just got 2 Spyderco Calypso Jr's in the mail today.

I like the layout of the knife and how it feels in my hand. It's very easy to open and is truly "scary sharp". Both of them are very sharp. I did noticed (as was mentioned here before) that when closed the blade tips are a bit off center. It almost appears that if you change the clip to the other side they will be off center the other way. I guess it's no big deal. The handle's are really light. This is the first knife I've had with Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN) handles. I really like FRN.

I'm a little disapointed it doesn't say "Seki-City" Japan on the blade. It only says Japan. The other side says "VG-10" and "Spyderco". The Spyder hole, while being smaller than the hole on my Scorpius, is not too small. It can open the knife just fine (I have large hands).

PROS:

Small - fits in my hand nicely (and I have large hands).
Opens and closes smoothly with just the right amount of effort.
Really Really Sharp out of the box.
Good price at $35.

CONS:

After further review...I don't have any cons!

All in all it's a good knife. I've compared it side by side to the Benchmade Mini-Griptilian that boxer93 lent me and I have to say that I prefer the Spyderco. The Min-Grip feels more solid but that may just be due to the stainless liners. The Calypso Jr. has no liner.

I don't think you can go wrong with this knife. If they come out with a new color or a different handle material I will buy another :)

Enjoy,
Fisher of Men

vinny77 · #2

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VultureParade · #3

Nice review Fisher :)

And Vinny, you're correct, you are :)

-Bryan

crahen · #4

Now, what I'm about to say is going to stir up the Benchmade people. Maybe.

I have some Benchmades ( :eek: :eek: ). And they're nice knives. BUT, not perfect

Case in point, I had a Mel Pardue Benchmade gent's knife. Those not familiar with it; ATS-34, titanium frame lock, G-10 partial scales, 3 3/8" closed.

Sounds good doesn't it? I thought it was JUNK :eek: Felt cheap, looked kinda cheap. Lock would flex BAD no matter what I cut :eek: Even though it was ATS-34, just seemed like it would not hold an edge that great. Not as good as my G-2/GIN-1 Spydercos :eek:

So, it just goes to show you. You can't judge a knife company from one knife

Now, I'm going to make some of the Spyderco people throw their favorite Spydie at me :eek:

In my personal opinion, I like the Calypso Jr., but, I never thought it seemed as nice overall as the FRN Delica. Don't know why. Just the way I feel. But don't get me wrong the Calypso Jr. is a very nice knife

hanswurst · #5

hi fom
i know how you feel saying it feels "cheap". my thoughts when i first got mine, but after carrying and using mine for two months on a daily basis, i have to say it's tougher than it looks and feels initially. i think it is the light weight that makes it feel "cheaper". if you like a more solid feel, give the native a look.

marco

Mariner · #6

You know, this all comes down to personal preference, and what bothers ya and what doesn't. I love that the FRN contributes to making the Caly Jr. a very light knife. I can throw that sucker into a pants pocket and it's like nothing's there. Yeh, the blade on my Caly is a tad off-centre at the tip too, but the same is true for my BM 806 which is a much more expensive knife. This does not affect the operation of either, and neither bothers me in the least. Wait until you start cuttin stuff with that Caly. Then you'll really be impressed :D .

crahen · #7

Mariner wrote:You know, this all comes down to personal preference, and what bothers ya and what doesn't. .

You are 110% right on

:D Opinions on knives, or anything else for that matter, is like anal pores, everybody has one :D :D

And when it comes to a review, the only thing the reviewer can do is give his feelings and opinions, and let everyone else decide for themselves.

And yet some of what we all are talking about is degrees of difference. As I said, the Calypso is a very good knife. Period. I happen to like the Delica a little better. And what we are also talking about is what knife we prefer amongst a group of very good knives :D

Moon · #8

I read a post by Sal somewhere on the forums that said some of the Japanese makers only want "Japan" on the blade.

OutofGum · #9

How much does the Mini-Griptilian cost?

Scotch · #10

I think it would be better without the "Japan"

really cant wait to get mine

crahen · #11

OutofGum wrote:How much does the Mini-Griptilian cost?

At NGK;

Mini-Grip- $53 and change

Calypso Jr.-$40 and change

Give me the Calypso Jr.

:D

Fisher of Men · #12

I bought my Calypso Jr's from Spyderco.com for $34.95. It was like $69.90 for 2 of them. One is for my wife :)

I have to say that I don't have as much experience with knives as you all do. I am for sure not giving up on the Calypso Jr. I am going to EDC it for a while. I think it will actually be a great knife.

Thing is...for me at least...is that with Spyderco, I sometimes get the knife and don't like it a ton right of the bat. It seems that they grow on you and after about a week of carry I really like them. That's how it was with my Scorpius :)

Spyderco is a very addicting knife. It's the whole package (the knife, the hole, the company, the down to earth owner). Spyderco is just cool :)

Peace,
Fisher of Men

Mariner · #13

Fisher of Men wrote:Spyderco is a very addicting knife. It's the whole package (the knife, the hole, the company, the down to earth owner). Spyderco is just cool :)

Oh sooo.... true, especially the addicting part :D .

crahen · #14

[quote="Fisher of Men"]I bought my Calypso Jr's from Spyderco.com for $34.95. It was like $69.90 for 2 of them. One is for my wife :)

I have to say that I don't have as much experience with knives as you all do. I am for sure not giving up on the Calypso Jr. I am going to EDC it for a while. I think it will actually be a great knife.

Thing is...for me at least...is that with Spyderco, I sometimes get the knife and don't like it a ton right of the bat. It seems that they grow on you and after about a week of carry I really like them. That's how it was with my Scorpius :)

Spyderco is a very addicting knife. It's the whole package (the knife, the hole, the company, the down to earth owner). Spyderco is just cool :)

Peace,
Fisher of Men ]

Great price through SFO. You should have bought a dozen :eek:

And you don't need any experience to know whether you like a knife or not

For me it's usually the other way around. I buy a Spyderco, I like it, and after awhile I like it more :D EXCEPT, for the Mini-Dyad. Never did like that thing. Didn't feel right in the hand. Gave it away :eek:

denn · #15

exactly my sentiments on the caly jr too FoM. only difference is that i pai th "european" price for it, that'd be $115........... :eek:

my main gripes, as little as they are, are the cheapo FRN plastic handle and the spiky thumbramb of the bladespine when you choke up on the handle. otehr than that it's great. i guess i would feel better about it if i paid $35 for it, but i was just not in the mood for an international purchase at the time.....

224477 · #16

FoM,

thanks for the review, I also got one of them in my pocket right now. I think its great! Really! I would like to add him a bigger brother, the Caly C54, but its a hard to get one, so maybe some good God outside is listening to my silent prayer :) Now seriously, it the best spydie i have (i just have three

)

boxer93 · #17

FoM,
It's great that you could compare them side by side, you should continue this test for a couple of weeks. I guess I prefer the lightweight FRN, especially in my work pants. After carrying it for a while it's strength will defy 'cheap'. I had the feeling that the dual liners and weight may win you over. Now you should try :spyder: cos G10. I'd reccomend the paramilitary, but then I'm biased.
Chris

Fisher of Men · #18

boxer93 wrote:FoM,
It's great that you could compare them side by side, you should continue this test for a couple of weeks. I guess I prefer the lightweight FRN, especially in my work pants. After carrying it for a while it's strength will defy 'cheap'. I had the feeling that the dual liners and weight may win you over. Now you should try :spyder: cos G10. I'd reccomend the paramilitary, but then I'm biased.
Chris

:) I would love a Para Military. If I had the money to grab one I would. Right now over $100 for a knife is a bit much. I'll have to wait a few months as I have some other stuff to take care of :)

On a side note I'm in a Passaround over at BladeForums for a G-10 Manix PE. I should have it in about 3 weeks I think. That's a schweet knife. Just too big for me to carry. :)

Hit me back on email as I don't want to have your Mini-Grip for too long....

...but then again, I kinda wanna buy/trade it from you. :)

jwyslak · #19

FRN is fiberglass reinforced nylon and while it is not expensive it is certainly not cheap in fact tests show that the stuff is virtually indestructable. That means it won't break. It has a very high impact rating so if you drop it, it will not be affected and the stuff will seemingly last forever. In a tactical situation, frn is great; it is lightweight and forgiving.
The blade that turned me onto spyderco was the Claypso Jr. and in fact the Calypso Jr. was an EDC for 5 years, this knife is still razor sharp and is in excellent condition. If you want a great knife for EDC for just about anything go with the Calypso Jr.

Fisher of Men · #20

Now this is probably not what matters so please tell me if my impression is wrong.

I can take my Calpyso Jr and hold it horizontally with the spine of the blade facing me. If I grab the blade and the handle and try to bend it up and down I can get a little bit of play. There is no way that happens with the Mini-Grip. And just so you know I'm not doing it hard (as in abusive). That's part of the reason that I said "cheap". If this is not a valid point then please let me know and I will disregard this. Remember I'm new to knives. :)