the "wolf in sheep's clothing" thread

[twinboysdad]

After finding Spyderco and owning a bunch, I realize that there are many models that are a whole lot more knife than they appear. Could be a much more aggressive cutter than appears (cricket se), could be a benign gent-ish edc that fights off mountain lions (caly 3.5) or even the Schempp Balance ending up as a SD blade for nurses. What model blew your doors off AFTER intially buying it and realizing you underestimated it? Hence, the wolf in sheep's clothing...





Mine are the Ladybug hawkbill (see Mark Greenman reviews at good kit), Caly 3.5 (essentially a refined Endura that is off the radar) , Dodo (cuts way more aggressive than even looks)and Centofane 4 Wharrnie

[Evil D]

I think the Ladybug hawkbill is probably the most wolf in sheeps clothing possible. That little knife is downright nasty. It's a lot like a keychain Civilian.

[dcoffe01]

Spyderco Air - it was much more than I expected.

[Clearytja]

This is going to be hard to believe but my Manix is my sheep in wolf's clothing. I had an original...felt like if was a little too big, sold it and picked up a Two in G-10 blue flat ground. It looks like a superhero's knife. Ready to fight for truth, justice and the American way. The first time I used that flat ground S30V blade it sliced like a maniac. I have the evil version on the way now ...all blacked out with PS. It still can be a good guy's knife.....just maybe Batman's.
TC

[Stuart Ackerman]

The Tenacious...lotsa blade edge for the blade length...and looks more NKP friendly...
In VG10, it would be in my top ten list of knives...

[chuckd]

The Vallatton, and it might not be your typical entry, but I though the knife was extremely cool before owning one, and have come to find it being so much better than I had originally expected that it is my "wolf in sheeps clothing" favorite.

[Gunslinger]

The dragonfly, It has so much control and just enough blade the get most jobs done. I was on a job remodeling a customers kitchen and bathroom, all the cardboard boxes from cabinets, countertops, a vanity, bath tub, sink, etc. had to be cut down to fit into 2 recycling dumpsters. Dragonfly got the job done.

[Blerv]

The Khukuri and Rookie pack a ton of blade into a very small package. Knives like the Poliwog, Dodo, and Lava pack a bunch of handle into a small knife.

[Pomelly]

Lately I reassessed the Dodo: that power!!! A real Lion in sheep's clothing.

[BAL]

For a slight twist to this question, I'll offer up the Yojimbo 2. I bought a Yo2
when it first came out late 2011 to use as a Self Defense knife, to carry and
not to use for cutting, to keep that sharp edge, JIC.

I liked it so much that I bought a second one to actually use. It is thick, has a
great stout point to cut into packages, dig out splinters, the Wharnie blade makes
a great cutting surface that is not only a slicer, but a tough cutting tool.
The thumb ramp makes it easy to manipulate for a wide variety of cutting tasks.

So I say that it is a wolf in sheeps clothing, because to me it is not only a dedicated
self defense knife, but as good of an EDC as you can get.

[kbuzbee]

Well, you already called it out but I have to say the Balance. That little knife can do everything short of food prep. Simply amazing design.

Ken

[Mr Blonde]

I never 'got' the Walker C22 design, until I got the zdp-189 carbon fiber sprint run as a gift. Wow, what a knife! Awesome user and slicer.

[PSquared]

I never 'got' the Walker C22 design, until I got the zdp-189 carbon fiber sprint run as a gift. Wow, what a knife! Awesome user and slicer.

+1 okay +2 actually. I was in Japan recently and managed to find both a lightweight in AUS 8 and a blue Almite sprint while I was there - very impressive knives!!

As an aside, whilst I wasn't actively looking for knives while in Japan, if I saw a knife shop I went and had a look. Saw a total of 7 Spydercos (the two I bought and another C22 lightweight, a remote release, a D4, a cricket (yin/yang) and a small Terzoula (which I probably should have bought even though it was CE)).

Camping shops sold Opinels and Leathermen, no Spyderco, Kershaw, SOG, Moki, Al Mar, Mucasta or any of the other fabulous stuff that comes out of Seki.

[NoFair]

I never 'got' the Walker C22 design, until I got the zdp-189 carbon fiber sprint run as a gift. Wow, what a knife! Awesome user and slicer.

This and the Cricket!

[Commendatore]

Now I have to throw the UKPK Rescue in the ring.
Be it opening+shredding cardboard boxes or cutting tree branches or hard bread this stout blade excels and the handle, besides being awesome orange, feels soooo comfortable.
Some mentioned a rescue blade should have a lock. I think this knife used as an all-around knife with the edge directed towards the stuff I want to cut works perfectly without. I didn`t have to use it in an emergency and probably this could change my opinion, right now I feel very familiar with handling it.

[wrdwrght]

Of the knives mentioned so far, I have only the Ladybug Hawkbill (H1) and the Dragonfly (G10 & H1). Even after a year of owning the tiny Hawkbill, its nasty hook and serrations still sorta creep me out. And the Dragonfly still impresses me as a much bigger knife than it is, and I have some much bigger Spydies.

But the knife that has surprised me the most, even though reviews of it here and elsewhere have amply previewed it, is the shortish Techno. If it's not a wolf in sheep's clothing, it is definitely a bull in the china shop: way stouter than I had imagined yet perfectly graspable for seriously heavy-duty cutting. I could have put its deep belly to good use while butchering caribou during my anthropologizing days in northern Quebec. If I didn't know better, I'd use the Techno for batoning, as its blade is quite a wedge.

FWIW, I came to the Techno via the Southard, and to the Southard via the Gayle Bradley. Anyone else see this as a natural progression? Anyway, so much for my intent to stick with choiled leaf-shaped blades.

[Blerv]

Of the knives mentioned so far, I have only the Ladybug Hawkbill (H1)

Good one! Yea the Ladybug Hawkbill is an absolute beast.

[twinboysdad]

Just think if we can ever get Sal to make a MANbug hawkbill! Or Dragonfly Wharncliffe ala the "Lil' Yo"?

[Dodge]

Just think if we can ever get Sal to make a MANbug hawkbill! Or Dragonfly Wharncliffe ala the "Lil' Yo"?

Or a dragonfly hawkbill!!

[Fred Sanford]

For me, the knife I discounted at first was the Dragonfly. The first one I got was an original AUS-8 model without the Boye dent. I thought....."What, this is just too small to be worth while". I didn't carry it much. Then, on a whim, I started. It impressed me so much that I bought a few more and now have some D'Fly 2's and some ZDP D'Fly's. :)

Small but mighty.