Stag Kiwi SlipIt

[The Deacon]

Had to see what these were like, so I ordered two of them from NGK, and received them today. I would rate one as better than the other but I have to say that, for the price, they're both very nicely done. The stag is definitely inlaid between end bolsters, and the fit at the ends is nice and tight. The scales do stick out considerably beyond the bolsters, but not in the brutally ugly way the scales on most Italian switchblades stick out with raw ends showing. On the contrary, these scales are rounded down to the bolsters quite nicely. The metal parts all fit together quite well too, you have to look really close to see that there are five layers of steel at the ends. The scales on the one are quite nicely matched for thickness, and are relatively flat on top.

The scales on the other, while perhaps a better color match, are very thick, more rounded, and one has a pronounced concave area. Both offer considerably more grip than the all stainless version and can easily be opened with one hand. They're not in the same league with my stag SFSW custom Kiwi or even with the original jigged bone version but, for their roughly $30 street price, I wouldn't expect them to be.

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[cosmo7809]

Thanks for the great pictures Paul.


I like the looks of the stag but I dont know if I could over come how much they stick out...


Question, can you take out the stag by unscrewing the screws.

[psimonl]

They look like knock-offs from... Spyderco.

I really don't like the way the scales look like some gummy tuff stuck on the sides...

Sorry,

Simon

[jabba359]

They look like knock-offs from... Spyderco.

I really don't like the way the scales look like some gummy tuff stuck on the sides...

Sorry,

Simon

+1

They might be worth getting to rescale in various materials, à la Tony's crazy Kopa collection.

[ChrisR]

I'm a bit undecided about the stag handles but I do like the Kiwi3 SLIPIT. One reason I have never bought a stag-handled knife is that they tend to be rather old-fashioned knives your grandfather or a farmer might have pulled out of their pocket but this does look like a proper, modern Spyderco. The only thing I am a bit dubious about is the depth of the inlay and the mismatch between the pairs of scales ... but I will probably get one sometime soon.

But what is most exciting to me is how it would be really great to see what the knife-makers and modders could do with one of these ... just imagine them with Coral inlay or a nice piece of wood ... or even a thin waffer of CF ... very nice indeed :)

[The Deacon]

Everyone's entitled to like and dislike whatever they choose, for whatever reason.

That said, stag scales are traditionally thicker, at least at their center, than the bolsters. Primary reason for that is that you want the rough part of the stag to remain intact, but the ends look better taken down smooth. Granted, the Kiwis would look better if the scales were a bit thinner overall and were brought down to meet the bolsters perfectly. They'd also look better if pains were taken to match sides. But doing either or both those things would definitely add considerably to labor costs and probably increase waste as well.

Unlike wood, you cannot "book match" stag. I can tell you I spent a good twenty minutes at a vendor's table picking out the two pieces I sent to SFSW for my custom stag Kiwi. I can also tell you I've seen worse matches on knives that were an order of magnitude more expensive. Do they look as good to me as my SFSW one, no, but I have to admit leaving them thicker at the ends retains more of the textured surface. Do they really look any worse that the micarta "blob" on a Viele II, or the partial scales on a Phoenix, Volpe, or Sebenza, not to me.

Good news, at least for some, is that the screws are the only thing holding them on, are T-6 Torx, and are not doped. So they come off quite easily should one wish to either invest some time in fitting the stag or replace it with something else. Bolsters are just about 1/32" thick. I think that might be a bit too thin for stone but SFSW may prove me wrong. Wood, micarta, or some thin CF, should work quite well.

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[cosmo7809]

Thanks again for the pictures Deacon. As mentioned above maybe Tony can work his magic on kiwis.

[feed_the_animals]

Deacon

As always, your insight seems backed by considerable knowledge. Like others, I was initially excited by the idea of a stag Kiwi. My grandfather has gifted some old stag Case knives to me that I cherish. But when I handled the knife I was put off by the thick bolsters that looked disproportionate and unfinished to me.

Reading your remarks about the matching and swell-of-profile issues inherent in stag scales helped put my complaints (born largely from ignorance) into perspective. This seems like a good lesson in Spyderco aesthetics - many of us like the radically minimalist and contemporary looks and appreciate that they are more often than not born of functionality. However, it takes some understanding to see that they are also the result of a faithful adherence to knife-making convention. Thanks for showing us the missing pieces.

[feed_the_animals]

apologize for the double post - meant to say "scales", not bolsters, of course.

[mykite]

The knives are simply awesome. But I am a little bit worried about the price. I really wonder whether they are worth $30 apiece. In my view he should not remove stag handles. Once he removes them, then it will be difficult for him to fit them back. It will also destroy the overall beauty of the knives.

[Donut]

Nice pictures, thank you.