Pre-need replacements: Have you ever needed to use one?

[Brock O Lee]

Yesterday I received my first ever exact duplicate, or pre-need replacement, a SB Stretch.



I have never needed a backup before, and I do not foresee wearing out or losing my user SB Stretch in the next decade+, so I was pondering the merits of this purchase... :)

So the question is, for all of you guys who buy backups or "pre-need replacements" - have you ever actually had to revert to one of your backups?

Like for instance, have you ever lost or broken or worn out a user knife that you had to use your backup? I am not talking about selling a backup to fund another knife.

I would love to hear these stories, and see pictures of the poor worn-out users (sprint runs/limited run exclusives especially) that you eventually retired in favor of a exact backup you bought earlier exactly for that purpose.

[yablanowitz]

I've lost two C39 Micarta Dyad juniors and worn out the blade of a Sprint Run S90V/CF Military. I didn't exactly retire the Military, I swapped the M4 blade from another sprint into the CF handle and used it until the M390/CF sprint came out. Unless you work construction/demolition/renovation like I do, I doubt you'll ever wear out your Stretch, but loss can happen any time. I'm pretty sure seatbelts snagging the pocket clips was how I lost my Dyads.

[Surfingringo]

I don't buy backups. As much as i love some of my spyderco models, I have the utmost faith that they will continue to innovate and put out newer and better designs and steels. I don't want to spend my knife budget on replacement knives that I don't need yet when it seems there is always something better around the corner. I got to handle the new brown stretch recently and imo that is an excellent example of what I am talking about. It is a vast improvement on the current design...again, my opinion. No, its not available in superblue, (yet), but you know it will eventually be offered in something every bit as cool. So yeah, I just keep my wallet ready for the new stuff and don't bother with duplicates.

[bearfacedkiller]

I do not buy duplicates of the exact same knife but I do buy duplicates of the same model in different configurations if it is a model I like.

So far I haven't needed a backup and while my first Para2 is definitely showing signs of wear it still has plenty of life left in it.

[jmh58]

I don't buy duplicates (aint never wore a knife out) or same model in different configurations.. Figure one is good enough.. John

[jabba359]

I've bought a few duplicates, but they'll probably end up as trading material rather than replacements. Out of my 70 folders, only 6 are duplicates. I do have some models with a few variations, however.

(Sorry for all the edits. I keep making stupid typos.)

[Johnnie1801]

I don't buy backups. As much as i love some of my spyderco models, I have the utmost faith that they will continue to innovate and put out newer and better designs and steels. I don't want to spend my knife budget on replacement knives that I don't need yet when it seems there is always something better around the corner. I got to handle the new brown stretch recently and imo that is an excellent example of what I am talking about. It is a vast improvement on the current design...again, my opinion. No, its not available in superblue, (yet), but you know it will eventually be offered in something every bit as cool. So yeah, I just keep my wallet ready for the new stuff and don't bother with duplicates.

I agree with this and also I don't have enough money to spend on back ups. I will buy different variations of a knife however, eg Manix and Manix lw, to me those would be different knives even though they share the same design.

[tvenuto]

I'm with BFK. I have a gray and an orange (and a SB) Delica for instance, but I use them both. I've bought one or two exact replacements in the past, but I always end up getting rid of them so I won't be doing it further.

[swigert]

Only duplicate I have is the USN SE Ladybug. Didn't want to hunt another Down if I lost one.

[gbelleh]

I generally don't buy exact duplicates, and have never bought (or needed) a pre-need replacement. I figure I'll cross the bridge of replacing a knife if I ever come to it.

[SpyderNut]

Have I ever needed to use a pre-need replacement blade? The honest answer is "No." Having said that, however, I'm sure I've used the term "pre-need replacement" a few times as an excuse to buy more knives. :D

[bh49]

I have pre-need replacements only for my favorite discontinued knives. I never needed to put to use them yet. I was close to this after my expementation with 50/80 stones on WE, but decided against. Still thinking about it. Every time I open my beloved Forum Native I am ashamed of my actions. I learned my lesson at high moral price. I think that I should continue to use the knife (it doesn't have belly any more, almost like Zowada) a cutter and reminder of my "didn't think through" actions.
And you never know the future.

[Fresh Eddie Fresh]

I have never needed a duplicate knife, but having one allows me to use/carry the knife without having to worry about losing it... even though I haven't lost one yet! :)

I used to buy two of everything, but that got expensive...

[Bill1170]

Only with Swiss Army knives. I haven't lost any Spydercos yet, and only duplicate two models that I use constantly, because I'd miss them terribly. They are the FFG VG-10 Delica and my smurf Para2.

[Surfingringo]

I would like to clarify my position. Though I don't purchase pre need "replacements", I do purchase pre need knives all the time. That simply means that I am able to justify purchasing a knife, for which I can identify no clear need, under the assumption that I might need it in the future!! :rolleyes:

[JD Spydo]

I've lost two C39 Micarta Dyad juniors and worn out the blade of a Sprint Run S90V/CF Military. I didn't exactly retire the Military, I swapped the M4 blade from another sprint into the CF handle and used it until the M390/CF sprint came out. Unless you work construction/demolition/renovation like I do, I doubt you'll ever wear out your Stretch, but loss can happen any time. I'm pretty sure seatbelts snagging the pocket clips was how I lost my Dyads.

I truly understand your concerns YAB because I had two of those Micarta Dyad Juniors>> sold one, lost the other one and I've never been able to snag a replacement since. I normally don't give hoot about super small pocket folders anyway but there truly was something very special about the Micarta Dyad Junior>> and the FRN Dyad Junior models are nice but they just don't have the ridgidity of the Micarta version. That is truly one of Spyderco's lost super classics>> I would love to see a Sprint of that model>> and it's about the only small Spyderco folder I can say that about.

I truly wish I could find backups for two out of the 440V Spyders>> I would love to have a SE, 440V Native and an SE 440V Military. There was something so unbelievably tough about both of those models. And believe me 440V can take punishment without worries about chipping.

[farnorthdan]

No pre-need replacements so much as duplicates after forgetting about pre-orders I've done and ordering again, I will admit though that a few of the duplicates I have I don't regret. They should make for good trade fodder or have high resale value down the road.

[Brock O Lee]

Thanks for all the comments so far...

I am somewhat surprised that so few people believe in backups... I was under the impression that backups were the norm. I am actually in the no-backup (no exact duplicates) camp too, even though I stumbled with this last purchase... :p Glad to see most of you are as broke as I am! :D

My gut feel is that the vast majority of backups are not used as backups, but end up on the secondary market. Maybe that is not such a bad thing... I bought a few NIB sprints on the secondary market years after they have been discontinued.

EDIT: now that I think of it, I did need a backup once, and I did not have one at the time, but it was not a Spyderco. It was for my favorite limited edition AAA flashlight (a 4Sevens Preon Revo SS). It emerged from the washing machine with a shattered lens... Luckily I found parts for it, and I still use it until this very day.

And another one, I lost an Swiss Bianco Alox Rambler limited edition! I see they are available again nowadays... Mmm...

[Liquid Cobra]

I have purchased a few pre-need replacements which are always the first to be liquidated when I need emergency funds for that next out of the blue purchase. Typically when Sal drops a new sprint or I find something new I've been hunting for for months. I try not to buy duplicates anymore as they always end up being sold. I think it's a good thing that people do that though, as it gives the opportunity to buy something hard to find to someone else down the road.

Currently there are so many new models I'm excited about I can't even entertain the idea of buying a duplicate knife.

[ABX2011]

I have a few duplicates even though I admit it's silly for reasons stated above.