Spyderco Forums

I am looking towards buying my second spydie this time I have some different requirements for this knife. My :spyder: D4 is great for cutting boxes but now I need something tough and somewhat abusable. Not that I like abusing my knives but I want something that I don't fear breaking. I am told the :spyder: Manix is the benchmark for tough and was wondering if some owners can give me a review on the durability of the knife. Also if anyone else can tell me of a good tough spydie it would be great I want to look at many options. I know that not all :spyder: 's are only good as boxcutters so I want to hear your opinions.
Spyderco quality is great but each knife is different so don't take it as an insult to spyderco with the box cutter comment. I just need a better work knife.

The C41 Native is tough and abuseable. Best of all, at $39.99 it's also easily replaceable! :)

Manix, ATR, D'Allara, Chinook...give one of those a shot.

Other than the manix you mentioned, the ATR is still readily available, and is definitley worth some consideration. Very durable, strong lock, thicker blade tip than a lot of others

The Manix is great, if you can find one. The ATR is a great hard worker.

When someone says tough the MANIX is the first spydie that comes to mind.


Atr is a bargain at $75 bucks or the ti version for around $200

take care
aj

As the others have said, ATR is a tough knife and an alround great knife.

I don't have a Manix, but I have an ATR I use every day now. Great knife, the handle feels good and the tip is not likely to break.

a fixed blade is going to be best for an EDC beater... if you can hold out a little bit, the aqua salt and rock salt (especially the rock salt!) might be your best bets in extremely hard use blades.

as far as "abusing" your knife goes... wouldn't you rather use it hard, treat it well, and use other tools for "abusive" chores like prying? small pry bars ("wonder bars") are about $3 at walmart.

I'll put in a good word for the Chinook III.
The Chinook has a thicker tip than the Manix, which can be good or bad depending on what you are doing (worse for cutting, but more durable).

The ATR is also a pretty bullet proof knife, but the blade isn't as thick as the Chinook or Manix.

roof_top_eagle wrote:I am looking towards buying my second spydie this time I have some different requirements for this knife. My :spyder: D4 is great for cutting boxes but now I need something tough and somewhat abusable. Not that I like abusing my knives but I want something that I don't fear breaking. I am told the :spyder: Manix is the benchmark for tough and was wondering if some owners can give me a review on the durability of the knife. Also if anyone else can tell me of a good tough spydie it would be great I want to look at many options. I know that not all :spyder: 's are only good as boxcutters so I want to hear your opinions.
Spyderco quality is great but each knife is different so don't take it as an insult to spyderco with the box cutter comment. I just need a better work knife.

You never really defined what you would be using it for other than it needs to be "tough" and "somewhat abusable". I could recommend the Adventura as I have abused the crap outta mine over the last two years - cutting open tuna cans and coffee cans, using it as a screw driver, hammer, drywall cutter, pry bar, etc. But my level of abuse may not be your level of abuse. If you can give us an idea of the kind of tasks that will be asked of your new Spydie, we could probably come up with a more appropriate response than Manix, ATR, Chinook, etc. By the way, a SS handled D4 or E4 is a really, really tough and abusable knife too!

I'll second the D'allara drop point. This knife can be found for under $60 if you look hard enough. Hard use ball bearing lock, great grip ergos with the shape and directional frn.

I don't hesitate to push mine; it takes it and asks for more. IMHO one of the best :spyder: values out there.

The Paramilitary is a pretty tough little knife. I've never felt like I'd break it while doing anything with it. Manix too.

I have a few Spydercos but one particular one I abused was a First Gen PE Endura with FRN handles. I even beat the crap out of it's spine with a hammer and cut all sorts of stuff during a remodeling job. I was trying to destroy it with what I thought was fairly abusive behavior. That thing just took it. I grinded the hammer marks a bit and turn the rest into file work. That knife sold me on :spyder:

Shike

:spyder: Fixed temperance is a monster, I really dig the baby-manix. :spyder:

How about the aptly named Spyderco that is tough, handy, and affordable - the ENDURA.

TR Graham

i'd cast my vote for a pacific salt... or wait until the rock salt, or aqua salt come out.

real workhorses, and the convenience and work-hardening properties of H1 are great... the more you use it, the tougher it gets. :D

TASMAN Salt! :D

That knife takes everything that I throw at it, and just in case I come across something that it can't handle, I have my Saver Salt to help me out. :cool:

gt_mule wrote:I'll second the D'allara drop point. This knife can be found for under $60 if you look hard enough. Hard use ball bearing lock, great grip ergos with the shape and directional frn.

I don't hesitate to push mine; it takes it and asks for more. IMHO one of the best :spyder: values out there.

Another D'Allara fan here, as well. I'm using mine pretty hard every day in a construction type environment, and I am really pleased with how it performs. Easily the sharpest, most comfortable working folder I have ever used. I like to think I don't abuse this knife, but it certainly gets heavily used, so it does get whacked against stuff, dropped, and is almost constantly fouled with the crud that ends up in my pouch.

Man, I love the blade...the hollow grind cuts *so* nicely, and that acute edge is just stupid easy to maintain.

I think I will add to the chaos and say that I think the Assist is also an incredibly tough knife. I know it is very large (94mm blade), very unattractive, and it doesn't have a sharp point, but it is very tough. The blade retains its thickness all along its back, it has the lift and pry tip, you can use it as scissors, and it has the carbide tip - just in case. The blade is 80% SE, for really rough cutting (and it can easily slice through some very rough materials!), and the last 20% is PE for the more detailed cutting (plastics in particular are cut more easily). AND it has a Whistle!!! :D