newbie. what are the must have knives?

[the ob]

I have been collecting knives for a while, but mostly local brands (I live in Oregon) and just ordered my first Spyderco, a Massad Ayoob The new limited sprint run and am loving the feel and quality.

I am generally a person that likes to collect and also like knives that I can EDC.

All of that being said, what are the must have Spyderco knives that I would want for my collection and also the ones that I would want for EDC?

Not necessary, but I do generally prefer knives made in either the US or Japan. I understand there are great models made elsewhere and am open to those as well.

I have looked through the forums and there is SO much info, that I get a little confused. Sorry if there are obvious answers.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[dj moonbat]

Various configurations of Delica, Endura, and Dragonfly are all from Japan. All are classic Spyderco EDC knives.

[Allen R.]

Id say delica or endura theyre around 50 bucks and what i edc cuz of the price u wont really mind beating it a little bit then a manix its a tough heavy beast of a knife then u gotta have a para or military oh heck ur about to open a door my friend that u will never ever close and ur wallet is gonna be alot lighter beware these knives are like crack

[The Deacon]

From a user's point of view, it depends on your likes, dislikes, handedness, the laws where you live, and the tasks you normally perform with your knife. My personal favorite is the Stretch, but as with most things, YMMV.

From a collector's standpoint, I the following (listed in mostly SKU order) would all be in the "holy grail" of serious Spyderco collectors category:

■ 1st Generation (2 screw) C01 Worker

■ 1st Generation (P.I.G.) C07 Police

■ Original (Swiss made) C22 Michael Walker

■ C27 Jess Horn

■ Original (black Almite with laser cut blade) C67 "R"

■ C76 25th Anniversary Delica

■ WTC Knife

■ Ramco Laguiole

There are dozens of others that are very desirable and sought after, and other Spyderco collectors may have one or two they feel should be included in the above list, but I don't think any of them would argue that the eight listed above don't belong in the top 10 "grail" Spydercos.

Then there's the C35 Q, with so many variants that were produced in small quantities that some collectors make their sole pursuit.

[dbcad]

Welcome The ob. This is a pretty cool place :)

See what you think of the Bradley. Tough, built like a tank and pretty at the same time.

A lot depends on what you would want in an edc knife. I oscillate between small and large myself. Bradley is on the larger side. Sage series is a wonderful middle choice.

You'll get a lot of opinions here for sure. Research at your liesure :)

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

It's not really an answerable question by anyone other than yourself. Look a all the different models, get as many in hand as you can before buying, and then judge what your needs are compared to the steel, comfort, handle materials and price point.

Personally I love the Manix 2, Stretch and Native 4. But there are a dozen more that I really really really like and will often carry instead. The Terzuola is my favorite slipit, the original Manix C95 is my favorite larger folder...so there really is no good answer. But you will find some good suggestions here that is for sure!

[gbelleh]

Collecting is a personal thing. No one knows what your must haves will turn out to be. I know my own :spyder: collection has changed and evolved over the last 2 years, and I own and love many knives now that I hated at first sight.

But I can tell you that overlooking Spydercos made in Taichung Taiwan would be a HUGE mistake. They are exceptional in quality and fit & finish.

[cckw]

the knifes like Delica and Endura are old designs. The fact that you are impressed with the Ayoob indicates you are into the newer designs, and you might not like the older models at all (I don't). look at paramilitary, Military, perhaps manix2, and look for a thread that shows models that have came out this year because pretty much all of those are cool innovative designs.

[jabba359]

Some of the most popular user designs are:

Delica
Endura
Military
Para-Military 2
Manix 2
Stretch
Sage
Caly3/3.5 or UK Pen Knife (UKPK)
Dragonfly 2
Native
Ladybug
Persian (big or small)
Tasman Salt/Spyderhawk

I think it's fairly safe to say that these knives form the core of Spyderco sales. Of these, I have at least one of each model except for the Para-Military. While these are the "safe" go-to knives, some of the stranger ones are my favorites. I love everything that Ed Schempp designs (Balance, Schempp Rock, Khukuri, Navaja). The Ayoob you got is another of the less-normal knives. If you want to go for all out strangeness, check out the Shabaria, Zulu, Chokwe, Kiwi or Dyad. You probably won't find anything else quite like them. Some Spyderco designs may look weird, but they become much more attractive once you hold one in your hand and discover how good they feel and how well they function.

[jabba359]

the knifes like Delica and Endura are old designs. The fact that you are impressed with the Ayoob indicates you are into the newer designs, and you might not like the older models at all (I don't).

The Ayoob is an older design as well, as the current one is a sprint run based on the original Ayoob that came out a decade ago.

[DemskeetSkeet]

I have been collecting knives for a while, but mostly local brands (I live in Oregon) and just ordered my first Spyderco, a Massad Ayoob The new limited sprint run and am loving the feel and quality.

I am generally a person that likes to collect and also like knives that I can EDC.

All of that being said, what are the must have Spyderco knives that I would want for my collection and also the ones that I would want for EDC?

Not necessary, but I do generally prefer knives made in either the US or Japan. I understand there are great models made elsewhere and am open to those as well.

I have looked through the forums and there is SO much info, that I get a little confused. Sorry if there are obvious answers.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Your bank account is going to run dry with this new addiction ; )

Type in Spyderco on eBay and you'll see a whole slew of models, new old, and discontinued.

I typically to buy on eBay but it's a good place to check knives out.

Spyderco is a company that produces a lot of knives around the world but they are set apart from most companies. There quality control is by far the best, and that goes for their knives made in China, Italy, Japan, U.S., Taiwan, etc.

Every single knife must meet specific standards or they won't sell it. They usually mark it as being "flawed" and sell it at a discounted price.

You won't be disappointed with the quality of any Spyderco Knife. You could be disappointed in the aspect of you not liking the ergonomics, blade profile, etc. so the best advice is to research; look at pictures here on the forum, eBay, check specifications on the product page at Spyderco.com

Good luck and happy collecting!

[Pinetreebbs]

All great answers! The list changes by the interest in one or more of the following:

Design Use; defense, general cutting, hard use, etc.

Scale material, Green G-10 or my favorite, Carbon Fiber

Blade steels

Collaborations or designers

Ethnic series knives

[Slash]

Buck 110 in brass and wood is a must have knife to start any collection.

[the ob]

wow! thanks for the help. You are all great.

I do not want to overlook the product made in Taiwan, it is just that I prefer US and Japan products generally.

I know what is going to happen to my bank account. As I mentioned, I am from Oregon and have been collecting local knives and it does put a strain on my $$

I am going to start looking at each of the models you suggested one by one. It is a little difficult to handle them as there are supposedly only two spyderco dealers in the whole city. Most of what I am going to have to do is online and it is often hard to judge these things online.

[WalzAaronFFG]

As others have suggested, Delica and Endura. I prefer the full flat grinds, but you can buy hollow grinds as well. They come in numerous handle colors and a few different steel types.

I would start collecting the ZDP-189 steel production knives. They all have the same British Racing Green handles to match.

ZDP-189 Stretch, Endura, Delica, Dragonfly, Ladybug

In descending order according to size. I know you said you prefer USA and Japan, but the Taiwan Sage 1, 2, and 3 are some of the best made knives I've seen from spyderco so far. I'm sure many others would disagree, but Taiwan is putting out some great stuff. I just got my Sage 3 and it is one of my favorite knives along with the G-10 dragonfly in foliage green

[Blerv]

I like the weird ones the most. That said, the staples I would recommend for edc are:

Delica
Stretch
Ladybug
Dragonfly
Sage (any)
Manix2 (any)
Para2
Tasman
Caly3.5

Some of those fit similar roles like the Manix2 vs Para2 and Caly vs Sage. Others go Native vs Delica, etc. Picking based on preferences saves a ton of $.

For more flavorful options I enjoy anything collaborated specifically Schempp, Perrin, or Dialex. Bonus points for sprints :) .

[Pinetreebbs]

From a user's point of view, it depends on your likes, dislikes, handedness, the laws where you live, and the tasks you normally perform with your knife. My personal favorite is the Stretch, but as with most things, YMMV.

From a collector's standpoint, I the following (listed in mostly SKU order) would all be in the "holy grail" of serious Spyderco collectors category:

■ 1st Generation (2 screw) C01 Worker

■ 1st Generation (P.I.G.) C07 Police

■ Original (Swiss made) C22 Michael Walker

■ C27 Jess Horn

■ Original (black Almite with laser cut blade) C67 "R"

■ C76 25th Anniversary Delica

■ WTC Knife

■ Ramco Laguiole

There are dozens of others that are very desirable and sought after, and other Spyderco collectors may have one or two they feel should be included in the above list, but I don't think any of them would argue that the eight listed above don't belong in the top 10 "grail" Spydercos.

Then there's the C35 Q, with so many variants that were produced in small quantities that some collectors make their sole pursuit.

How about a Stretch with wood scales and bolsters? :D

[monsterdog]

Go out on a limb and get a PPT.

Then get the Para and Military, both are must haves. Delica and Endura as well. Modern classic is the UKPK.

[the ob]

Go out on a limb and get a PPT.

Then get the Para and Military, both are must haves. Delica and Endura as well. Modern classic is the UKPK.

why is getting that one going out on a limb?

I like that one. Generally I am into some of the weirder ones. I just like how unusual they are and that they are different than knives I own already.

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

Just that the PPT is not normally one of the knives that are suggested as first purchases like the Delica etc are. If you like unusual look for a Zulu or a Shabaria.