Still trying wear out my FRN knives

Iole · #1

I'm still carrying a FRN Delica and Endura with the build in clips. I finally had to tap the rivets to take up some slop in them. I carry them everyday and they still keep cutting and cutting. So far haven't lost any of them.

The Endura just says Seki-Japan but "no steel id". Anyone know if it was Gin-1 or 2 used in it's those days?

fredswartz · #2

Can't help you with the steel. Someone will know. I used to dis FRN as cheap etc. until I (hard) used a Calypso Jr. for several years and couldn't wear either the scales or VG10 blade out. I now like FRN scaled knives for EDC for the light weight and
durability. I just took a NIB C52SBK out of the box to use as a new EDC.

rnbtexas · #3

Does it look some what like this?

This one does say Aus 8. It was verified by Spyderco as a 1st Gen this past week. Hope that helps.

The Deacon · #4

It's either GIN-1 (which was labeled G-2 at one time) or AUS-8, most likely GIN-1. Spyderco used both at that time, and the choice was sometimes based on availability.

Donut · #5

IMO, bi-directional FRN is one of, if not THE best handle material I've ever used.

Iole · #6

rnbtexas wrote:Does it look some what like this?

This one does say Aus 8. It was verified by Spyderco as a 1st Gen this past week. Hope that helps.

Yep, the same, but does not specify metal.

Ferris Wheels · #7

I have some FRN knives on my buy list but I seem to be starting at the top with the higher end spyderco's and working my way down.

Iole · #8

I'm 25-30 years behind in my process of using the older Spyderco blades first to the newest purchases. I think I have several lifetimes of tools to use up.

phillipsted · #9

I still have my gen1 Delica from ages ago - I've posted pics of it several times here. What a great knife. Carried it for years and years and never came close to wearing it out. Plenty of dings in the FRN, but nothing close to fatal.

Mine is marked "G2", but as Deacon noted, they used both GIN-1 and AUS8 interchangeably at the time. Doesn't keep an edge nearly as long as current steels, but it sharpens up nicely and can get razor sharp.

One of my first "true loves" in the knife world. You never forget your first love.

TedP

yowzer · #10

I know a number of people who still carry first-generation Delicas and Enduras, with no thought of replacing them because they still work just as well as they did when bought new. Short of loosing them (And I know a guy who dropped his in the woods and found it a year later), they'll probably never change up.

We are not the typical knife owner. They are.

(And I prefer FRN over G-10 any day of the week. I like knives despite G-10 handles, not because.)

Blerv · #11

I think FRN knives (even unlined and pinned) are fantastic.

It is interesting to hear people thrash them for a decade with no complaints and others mention how they are frequently preening them to tighten. Either some drastically use the knives harder or the "fully serviceable" mindset has people on placebos.

As they say, if it's not broke...disassemble it in a YouTube vid. :)

deputy tom · #12

I still have the first generation Endura that I bought when they first came out. I semi-retired it and purchased a gen 4 Endura which is my EDC now. Great knives.tom. :cool: