Spyderco Forums

Hey there everyone. I am looking for a nice knife to purchase.

I am a boy scout, who uses knives all of the time, and in general carry my knife with me, however, there is an issue. ITS FREAKING TINY!

The knife i currently have is the Gerber "Trendy" with the black steel, and cherry wood handle. It is a beautiful knife, holds a great blade, and i am impressed with Gerber's handywork. But as i said, its FREAKING TINY! i want a nice knife that is a good size! anywhere from 5-9 inches (including handle and blade) when open.

Let me see if i can get the trendy pics up...





Here's what i want:

-Locking folder
-5-9in when open
-Sturdy, strong construction (no ceramic blades please, i broke my friends, and he got PISSED.
-Not going to lie, partial serrations would be nice. not a necessity though.
-NO. i repeat NO fixed blades, i can't carry them with boy scouts.
-I prefer clips to lanyards, but either is fine

First, welcome to the forum!

Second, looks like a Paramilitary may do the trick. It's a touch larger which should fit your request. Nice G-10 scales and a choice of S30V or CPM-D2 (disco'd but available) blade, compression lock. Check it out, I think you'll like the functionality.

Larger yet would be the Military. Similar but a liner lock. In addition to CPM-D2 and S30V there have been BG-42, S90V... Maybe others.... Most are G-10 scales but a couple were carbon fibre (including the S90V, the BG-42 and a small run of S30V)

Ken

I would say a Delica or Endura would be your best bet. The Native would also be a good choice. On the higher end of things I would say the Military or Para Military would also be good choices although I have not had the Military or Para Military to give you first hand knowledge.

Good luck on your search and let us know what you get. :spyder:

I forgot, WELCOME TO THE FORUMS!! :)

If you want the knife to be able to take some abuse, I'd choose the one on the top, if you want superior slicing ability, you should get the one below :)



The one with the black blade is the Endura (you can get it with satin blade, too) which is 8 3/4 inch opened, the other is the new FRN Stretch that measures 7 15/16 inch. Both feature lanyard holes AND clips. Oh, and (at least in these examples) combination edge as requested

I'd go with one of these, seriously. They are all you need - and more.

Dennis

If your looking for a medium sized Spyderco with a comfortable grip and decent sized blade (3.5") the Stretch FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) is the ticket.

Sal designed the knife for his own needs long ago and until this year you could only get it with ZDP 189 steel (one of the modern expensive supersteels) and carbon fiber handles which made it about $200 anywhere on the web. Now you can get it in black with the VG10 (also a great steel but a bit cheaper) for about $70. It also comes in a blue FRN (plastic) handle with ZDP for about $30 more on average. It's also one of the few knives you can get in all three blade configurations (plain edge, combo edge, full serrated).

It's got a great tip and a nice sweeping belly for whittling or camp chores. Some people use them for food prep and give rave reviews as the blade is ground flat. It's also a pretty lightweight knife compared to some of the larger offerings so you will carry it more frequently regardless of slacks or jeans.

As great as all the Spyderco knives are, I think the Stretch has received the most positive feedback (or least negative) thus far. It's a real outdoors designed knife. It may look different and less tactical but ergonomically it's a dream come true for us budget buyers.

It's just under 8" when open. 4.5ish" closed.

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=422


Edit: I just read your request below pics of your Gerber.

A robust value alternative would be: The Manix 2

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=418


The Deacon did a GREAT article comparing the Manix 2 to the Stretch FRN (along with the Native and older mini Manix). Many pics and cutting comparisons.

http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthre ... ight=manix

FRN Delica, or perhaps an Endura or Stretch even, should do serve you just fine, as well as having the benefit of being Boy Scout budget friendly at the same time.

knifedude wrote:I would say a Delica or Endura would be your best bet. The Native would also be a good choice. On the higher end of things I would say the Military or Para Military would also be good choices although I have not had the Military or Para Military to give you first hand knowledge.

Good luck on your search and let us know what you get. :spyder:

Welcome,Welcome....aaahhh the good 'ole boy scout days :)

I agree...Endura is an excellent choice for a first spydie and its affordable, lightweight.

on average, how much is the endura? i havent quite yet gotten into "cutlerylover" or "nutnfancy" style knife collecting, so price is an issue for me, especially with no job.

Since you are still a Boy Scout, I'll assume you have a budget and might not want to spend the coin on a ParaMilitary...$120-150. I'll recommend knives that fit in the $40-70 dollar range you could snag off a popular auction site or some online retailers.

Based on you needs, I think these models will fit the bill:
Spyderco Delica 4 FRN ~ C11BK
Spyderco Endura 4 FRN ~ C10BK
Spyderco Centofante 3 ~ C66BK
Spyderco Native III FRN ~ C78BK
Spyderco Persistence G-10 ~ C136G
Spyderco Tenacious ~ C122

I've owned all but the Persistance and Tenacious, but I hear they are good knives for the price.

Another way to get a good knife slightly cheaper is to snag them off knife collectors who are selling on http://www.bladeforums.com or knifeforums in the exchange area. There are some deals to be had just buy knowing what you want and watching the for sale postings.

ive heard great things about the tenacious, but ive also seen how it doesnt stay closed, and it could open at any time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLvRNpi-vxw

To be completely honest, the Tenacious is not a bad knife for the price, but I think your first Spydie should be one made in Japan or the US, and with a better steel.

The Endura goes for less than 60 bucks if you're lucky. Take a look at the ebay auction No. 230377983589. You may pick it up for a real good price there.

I've paid $56 plus shipping for the partially serrated Stretch I showed in the above pic. You can't beat that (or maybe actually you can if you look around a while at knife-bst.com or bladeforums ).

For lots of us, part of the knife fun is getting a special knife for a low price, but when it comes to an Endura, it gets fairly easy to make a good deal. Keep an eye on the ebay auction I mentioned, maybe your hunt can already end in 5.5 hours with that one :)

Dennis

Don't forget about the Centofante 3 or 4. They sell all the time for 50-55 bucks and are better than the Delica in my humble opinion.

I agree with some of the others. You cannot beat the Endura for strength, dependability and price. You get a lot of knife for around 50 bucks. I have 8 of them and love them all.

Nifty_Nives wrote:on average, how much is the endura? i havent quite yet gotten into "cutlerylover" or "nutnfancy" style knife collecting, so price is an issue for me, especially with no job.

About $50 bucks.

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/index.asp? ... =GO&Page=1

Do look into your local knife laws if you care to carry it on you when not in the scouts/woods. A Delica/Salt1/Persistence, etc at 3" is pretty much a safe bet anywhere. The Stretch is 3.5" (and tenacious) and the Endura is 3.75". While you can probably get away with carrying any folder on you if you're discrete I'm from the "only what is legal" standpoint.

Nifty_Nives wrote:ive heard great things about the tenacious, but ive also seen how it doesnt stay closed, and it could open at any time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLvRNpi-vxw

That was a freak accident caused by it being tossed around in a fanny pack.The Ball detent works excellent on my Tenacious and it stays closed fine.Don't let one incident turn you off, the Ten is a cheap,strong,very well built knife that will last a long time through hard use.

I'd say endura or delica spyderco classics but if you wanna spend more money the stretch is nice i think it's a great design . If you want really hard use the Manix 2 can be had for $74 before shipping at certain sites and it's USA made with 154CM but no combo edge just TOUGH AS TOUGH can get . I needa buy an Endura i just keep putting it aside

I would say a Delica, Tenacious, or a Persistence. All are excellent knives, I own them all and have total faith in all of them. Spyderco doesn't make junk, no matter where they make their knives. That knife was probably angry that it was in a fanny pack. I'd bite the guy too. Don't put too much stock in one guy's youtube video.

The Delica is a great all around knife and would be a great starter Spydie.

Welcome to the Spyderco forum. :D

Get the :spyder: Manix 2 :spyder: , it is the size you're looking for and is about $100. This knife is made in Golden, Colorado is beefy as all **** and will last you a long time. Or maybe a :spyder: Salt 1 :spyder: , maybe.

Once you make the transition to Spyderco, you'll most likely do with your gerber as I did with mine.
Shiny footprints.

i'd go for a pacific salt. they never rust or corrode, and get tougher the more you use and sharpen them. just about the best workhorse knife ever made.

or, just bite the bullet, and pick up a military. it will last you for years... i've put the mili through the paces, living in africa, alaska, and rural appalachia... i've never been let down.

the endura 4 is also a great choice.