New to the Spyderco family
New to the Spyderco family
After finally ridding myself of all my "junk" knives that I bought when I was younger and knife dumb, I have finally jumped into the Spyderco club. I picked up a brand new Para military 2 in Black g10 today for $95. Then after fooling around with it and falling in love with it the guy sold me a new dragonfly2 in black FRN handles for $40. I mainly bought these two based off of the countless positive reviews that I found on them. My question is whats next? What are some of your guys favorite spydies that you would recommend to a spyderco newbie like me, you know those knives that every spyderco fan should have?
Excellent choices for your two first knives.
The dragonfly is a small knife, but I'd still recomend some flavor of ladybug for your keyring next. Small, inexpensive, and it gives you the option of trying out a couple other steel options. H1 is rustproof, yet doesn't hold an edge quite as long as some others or try out a ZDP ladybug and it will seem to stay sharp forever.
If you want to go high end, a Sage or chapparal.
Of course is any Spyderco collection complete without at least one delica or endura?
I don't know if you have any experience sharpening knives or not, but in my opinion the Spyderco sharpmaker is the ultimate sharpener for 95% of knife users and collectors. It takes a little practice, but it's the only sharpener most people will ever need or want. (just a warning once you figure out how to get knives sharp using it you will probably spend several nights sharpening every knife or pair of scissors you own.)
Congrats, and welcome to the club.
Grizz
The dragonfly is a small knife, but I'd still recomend some flavor of ladybug for your keyring next. Small, inexpensive, and it gives you the option of trying out a couple other steel options. H1 is rustproof, yet doesn't hold an edge quite as long as some others or try out a ZDP ladybug and it will seem to stay sharp forever.
If you want to go high end, a Sage or chapparal.
Of course is any Spyderco collection complete without at least one delica or endura?
I don't know if you have any experience sharpening knives or not, but in my opinion the Spyderco sharpmaker is the ultimate sharpener for 95% of knife users and collectors. It takes a little practice, but it's the only sharpener most people will ever need or want. (just a warning once you figure out how to get knives sharp using it you will probably spend several nights sharpening every knife or pair of scissors you own.)
Congrats, and welcome to the club.
Grizz
-
SolidState
- Member
- Posts: 1760
- Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:37 pm
- Location: Oregon
Welcome to the forum. Many years of empty pockets and wonderful knives await. It is a really positive and informative environment if you stick around.
"Nothing is so fatal to the progress of the human mind as to suppose that our views of science are ultimate; that there are no mysteries in nature; that our triumphs are complete, and that there are no new worlds to conquer."
Sir Humphry Davy
Sir Humphry Davy
Knives that every spydie fan should have? Can one be a true spydie fan if one doesn't have a Delica or Endura? It's like being a Benchmade fan without owning a minigrip. I guess the other iconic ones would be the Military, Native, and Ladybug.
If you like the 50/50 choil and want a distinctive Sal Glesser design, there's the Caly3(.5) and (to a lesser extent) the Sages. Most of the slipits share design origins with the Caly series, so those are also worth considering.
At this point, you may be thinking that the list is getting a bit long, but then there are the hawkbills, salts, fixed blades, collaborations ... it never ends.
If you like the 50/50 choil and want a distinctive Sal Glesser design, there's the Caly3(.5) and (to a lesser extent) the Sages. Most of the slipits share design origins with the Caly series, so those are also worth considering.
At this point, you may be thinking that the list is getting a bit long, but then there are the hawkbills, salts, fixed blades, collaborations ... it never ends.
You're doing it wrong. Your pockets should be filled with wonderful knives ...SolidState wrote:Many years of empty pockets and wonderful knives await.
Wow I'm glad to see how active this forum is and very positive at that. It seems a delica is probably in the works for my next one, but at the same time I want to try the zdp steel.
I want to put some blue loctite on the spidies I have now but I don't know if I can let them sit around for 24 hours without playing with them. I must say my new para 2 has some of the best ergonomics I have ever felt on a knife, and the dragonfly really is a big little knife. I am happy as could be with them, even though it made the Mrs. upset(totally worth it).
Do others like the sharp-maker too? I was looking at the lansky's and gatco's but I don't see many people who are completely satisfied with them. I will probably get a strop to compliment any sharpener I get.
I want to put some blue loctite on the spidies I have now but I don't know if I can let them sit around for 24 hours without playing with them. I must say my new para 2 has some of the best ergonomics I have ever felt on a knife, and the dragonfly really is a big little knife. I am happy as could be with them, even though it made the Mrs. upset(totally worth it).
Do others like the sharp-maker too? I was looking at the lansky's and gatco's but I don't see many people who are completely satisfied with them. I will probably get a strop to compliment any sharpener I get.
Welcome! It gets addictive fast and expensive even faster. I've acquired 10 in the past couple of months and even picked up a couple of Busses. I'll undoubtedly end up with more Spydies since they're constantly offering new and different steels, unlike Busse.
As for the sharpmaker, I find it does a great job at keeping an edge, far superior to and easier than setting up the gatco. However, I find the gatco coarse stones work better for reprofiling.
As for the sharpmaker, I find it does a great job at keeping an edge, far superior to and easier than setting up the gatco. However, I find the gatco coarse stones work better for reprofiling.
Lucky for you, there is a Delica in ZDP-189.geardog32 wrote:Wow I'm glad to see how active this forum is and very positive at that. It seems a delica is probably in the works for my next one, but at the same time I want to try the zdp steel.
I have a DMT Aligner, which is pretty similar to the Lansky and Gatco systems, as well as a sharpmaker. The ceramic stones that you get with the sharpmaker don't take off material enough for reprofiling, and you are limited (sort of) to just the two angles. I have propped up one end or the other of the sharpmaker to get angles outside the normal range, though, and it's worked well enough.Do others like the sharp-maker too? I was looking at the lansky's and gatco's but I don't see many people who are completely satisfied with them. I will probably get a strop to compliment any sharpener I get.
The problem I have with the DMT is that, even with the relatively wide blades Spyderco uses, it's hard to get an acute angle with the device (and you want a fairly acute angle for reprofiling) and the clamp does not work very well with FFG knives (which is pretty much all of my knives).
What I ended up doing was strapping the (rather tiny) DMT aligner stones to the sharpmaker rods. I have heard of people wrapping sandpaper around the rods as well, which is probably cheaper than using diamond stones. This has worked reasonably well for me on smaller knives. I may try sandpaper the next time I need to reprofile a larger knife.
All of this is a long winded way of saying that if you can afford it, the EdgePro seems to be worth the money. If 40deg inclusive is fine for you, though, I doubt you will need more than the sharpmaker. Alternatively, you can do it free hand or DIY a system like unit's (I think this is him ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeWmD5ATBKE).
-
DrChimRichalds
- Member
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 3:32 pm
- Location: Shirley, MA
-
jackknifeh
- Member
- Posts: 8412
- Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:01 am
- Location: Florida panhandle
Delica is a great choice and you have the option of VG-10 or ZDP-189. Either is great. If your sharpening skills aren't the best I'd start with the VG-10 blade.
But, I just got the Native about a month ago and for about the same money I think I like the Native a little better. The choils make it fit the hand a little better and I really like the S30V steel as well as VG-10 or even ZDP-189. S30V is more user friendly than the ZDP.
Good first choices I think even though I don't have either of those knives. Spyderco has so many options and selections I find it hard not to find a knife to fit the need I have when it comes to getting another knife (not that I need another :D ).
Jack
But, I just got the Native about a month ago and for about the same money I think I like the Native a little better. The choils make it fit the hand a little better and I really like the S30V steel as well as VG-10 or even ZDP-189. S30V is more user friendly than the ZDP.
Good first choices I think even though I don't have either of those knives. Spyderco has so many options and selections I find it hard not to find a knife to fit the need I have when it comes to getting another knife (not that I need another :D ).
Jack
-
jackknifeh
- Member
- Posts: 8412
- Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 6:01 am
- Location: Florida panhandle
I forgot to say welcome. Welcome. I just read BAL's post and should warn you, lots of people here are "nuts", hence the term "knife nut". Try not to let this happen to you. It takes control without you noticing it is happening. :eek: I am the only one who is still normal.
I don't want another knife.
I don't want to sharpen a knife that is already razor sharp.
I don't want to whittle on the legs of the dinning room chairs because they are the only thing left uncut in the house.
See, normal. :D
Jack
I don't want another knife.
I don't want to sharpen a knife that is already razor sharp.
I don't want to whittle on the legs of the dinning room chairs because they are the only thing left uncut in the house.
See, normal. :D
Jack