an observation

[twinboysdad]

I admit to recently taking a dip in the tacticool blade pond. I got away from Spydercos for a few months and bought a few from a maker I will not name, but the consensus would be "real elite soldiers carry these" and stronger tips. I still EDC'ed my Caly 3.5 but on the weekends was rocking one from the other maker. I came to the conclusion that a) not only do these other knives not cut well, they cut like crap. b) they are hard to sharpen c) they are unnecessarily heavy. I got so frustrated that I was about to buy the only model they make with a thumbhole and I had a moment of clarity...

Cutting- I am spoiled on FFG and expect my knives to be capable of cutting a variety of mediums and cutting it well. There is a reason people who cut things in competitions like GB, designs knives the way they do. I realize I am unwilling to sacrifice that degree of cutting for a blade that will go though a car door. And most importantly I realized that if you need a fine tip, they are hard to find if you did not bring your own. Conversely, things to pry with are everywhere. There are always screwdrivers or quarters around for that stuff but when you need the Spydie tip, you are usually SOL if you did not bring one.

Sharpening-I admit that the saber D4 and E4 are beyond my sharpening abilities. However, FFG is almost foolproof and I actually have run them through my Chef's Choice machine that I use on my kitchen knives and it works fine.

Weight-I am not on ounce counter, but NF does have something with the 4 oz thing. I like a robust knife, but 6 oz annoys me. I admit it and it is my preference.

I was able to sell the 3 other brand knives for zero loss, so hopefully the new owners will enjoy. Spyderco simply presents the best package of weight, steel, grind, and the thumbhole that is the best deployment method around. Just my opinion, sorry for the lengthy rant.

[xceptnl]

I enjoyed the rant and echo your feelings. I have some other non-spydies that I have found to be pretty good all around (average weight, acceptable thickness behind edge, easy enough to sharpen, semi precise tip, etc.) but they don't slice like my spydies. I will add that I have become annoyed with thumbstuds on most knives. not so much as an opening device, but when the blade is in use, they are in the way. The only exception is when they double as a blade stop and are positioned all the way against the frame at the spine. Even on these few models I still would prefer a thumbhole.

[rycen]

Sharpening-I admit that the saber D4 and E4 are beyond my sharpening abilities. However, FFG is almost foolproof and I actually have run them through my Chef's Choice machine that I use on my kitchen knives and it works fine.

Can you elaborate a little bit on how the blade grind effects sharpening?

[twinboysdad]

The angle of the saber D/E4 has been tough for me. I tried it on a Lansky V and just never could get it sharp.

[Evil D]

Eh, different knives for different uses. You only get yourself into these kinds of mentalities when you expect one knife to be able to do all tasks. I have a very thick bladed knife with a very thick grind and a very thick edge bevel that won't slice cardboard nearly as well as my Para 2, but I don't use it to slice cardboard, I use it to chop down saplings and other hard around the yard jobs that I wouldn't dream of using my Para 2 for. Then again, if you find that you never need to chop down saplings or you prefer to just get an axe or machete, then these kinds of knives may be of no use to you at all, which is also fine. My point is just that, those heavy bladed knives do have a purpose, maybe just not for you.

[bh49]

I enjoyed the rant and echo your feelings. I have some other non-spydies that I have found to be pretty good all around (average weight, acceptable thickness behind edge, easy enough to sharpen, semi precise tip, etc.) but they don't slice like my spydies. I will add that I have become annoyed with thumbstuds on most knives. not so much as an opening device, but when the blade is in use, they are in the way.

+1
I didn't have a luck with non-Spydies either. Most of them were not comfortable in my hand, hate studs as opening system and blades are too thick behind the edge. The only exclusion in cutting I found so far are two Moki gents knives, but they cannot compete with Kopa in ergo dept.

[yablanowitz]

I got a chuckle from your "rant". Having grown up in the sixties and seventies, I consider Spyderco a part of the tacticool blade pool. It may be the shallow end from a performance standpoint, but for the most part their cutting ability is still compromised for the sake of stupidity resistance.

[Holland]

nice little rant :D i have had a very similar experience with emerson (im assuming thats what u bought??). the steel went dull fast and was overall to tacticool and not enough of a knife for me :)

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

As a guy who likes less "ergonomic" handles I have found that there are other companies that are far more comfortable in hand. BUT I will admit that the steel is what really draws me back to Spyderco over and over. Not just the super steels, but the everyday steel that we take for granted...it is usually far superior to 95% of the competitions efforts.

[twinboysdad]

Holland...you are correct sir. I went through a mini 15 (good luck sharpening that), A100, and 7V. The 7V was the worst cutting knife I have ever used, I have Oneida steak knives that are better for EDC. A100 was the best but next to impossible to open left handed. Again, Ernie seems cool, the wave is awesome, glad people dig them, and their company seems really patriotic. But I am glad I was able to "keep the cheese, just let me outta this trap" with those 3 for no $ loss. Again, I am such a fan of all things Spyderco that I am officially done with all other folders and call me a fanboy

[sal]

Thanx much for the kind words. Everyone at Spyderco extends their best effort for you.

sal

[kennethsime]

Agreed. We sell a ton of Benchmade at my work, along with the other big guys like Cold Steel, SOG, Kershaw/ZT, etc. Even some higher end like CRK, WH, etc. I've handled Striders, too. I always come back to Spyderco. Thin, light, excellent fit & finish, superb steel, and THE best customer service. Unlike SnooSnoo, I find Spydercos to have the best ergonomics both in-hand and in pocket. I would rather carry a Stretch/Delica/Endura over a Griptillian any day of the week, even for extended use.

[xceptnl]

Holland...you are correct sir. I went through a mini 15 (good luck sharpening that), A100, and 7V. The 7V was the worst cutting knife I have ever used, I have Oneida steak knives that are better for EDC. A100 was the best but next to impossible to open left handed. Again, Ernie seems cool, the wave is awesome, glad people dig them, and their company seems really patriotic. But I am glad I was able to "keep the cheese, just let me outta this trap" with those 3 for no $ loss. Again, I am such a fan of all things Spyderco that I am officially done with all other folders and call me a fanboy

I have experienced mixed outcomes with this brand. I don't love the asymmetrical grind, but 154CM is a great overall steel. The thumb disc is hit or miss with me. I think it would be ranked above the thumbstud, but well below the Spyderhole in my rankings.

[Holland]

As a guy who likes less "ergonomic" handles I have found that there are other companies that are far more comfortable in hand. BUT I will admit that the steel is what really draws me back to Spyderco over and over. Not just the super steels, but the everyday steel that we take for granted...it is usually far superior to 95% of the competitions efforts.

amen brother! spyderco raised the bar so high in all categories that i have a hard time venturing away from them. asides from a kershaw blur i bought years ago (before i knew anything about knives) my whole collection/rotation is all spydercos! as far as venturing away goes, i hope to eventually find a phil wilson custom in a nice exotic steel :)

[dialex]

I hear you bro. There are many great knifemakers out there (and thank God for this) and some of them make outstanding - although superbly unuseful stuff (I was thinking at the Meford Praetorian now). I simply can't imagine to go outdoors (or anywhere where I might need a real user) with other knife than a Spyderco.
The only non Spyderco I carry is a balisong because: 1. it is fun to use and 2. so far there is no locking balisong made by Spyderco.

[xceptnl]

...and some of them make outstanding - although superbly unuseful stuff (I was thinking at the Meford Praetorian now). I simply can't imagine to go outdoors (or anywhere where I might need a real user) with other knife than a Spyderco.

This was in the back of my mind when I first read the OP.

[springnr]

I recently did the same.... except within the spydie line

I went for the Techno after reading raves.

Air or Chaparral, back to slicers for me, probably end up with Air or both.

[bdblue]

I will add that I have become annoyed with thumbstuds on most knives

I have knives from a number of different brands and I like them all. Spyderco makes good products but I won't say that they are better than some of my other knives. I will grant that the big problem with liking knives from other brands is that you will end up like me with about 15 different knives in your EDC rotation.

As for thumb studs- I like them because they are compact but many of them are less than optimum. Well similarly I find that thumb holes vary in my Spydercos as well. For instance my PM2 is one of the easiest and most positive knives to open that I have. Other Spydercos have smaller thumb studs and are not as quick to open. But as for thumb studs I have a number of knives with them that are slow to open because your thumb has to be on the stud just right or they won't open. OTOH my Kershaw Blur has big thumbstuds that are easy to reach and very positive to open. I don't think I have worried about thumbstuds being in the way when using a knife. Of course the main problem with blade holes is that they make the knife larger.

[GoodEyeSniper]

funnily enough, the average thin tipped spyderco will penetrate most car doors much easier than those knives which use that as a marketing device.

[WorkingEdge]

Having been buying knives for the past 15-20 yrs including a couple of the car door penetrators, I've now only been looking at Spydercos. My reasons are as follows:

1. Diversity And new offerings - there is something for everyone and I've found soooo many models to like. Add sprints and exclusives...you get the point.
2. Fit and finish (believe it or not, the Taichung models I have are the most amazing, better than my USA models. Techno and Southard has zero play in any direction with as much force as I can generate by hand (with no pressure on the lock). Much better than other "tank" knives from other companies. Although "any lock can fail" these sure feel like fixed blades.
3. Being part of a community -I have learned so much on this forum and not sure if any other owner of a major knife maker participates in forums and obviously has a greater passion for knives than most.