Baby Jess Horn: Perfect Pocket Knife?

[Doc Dan]

I am excited about the upcoming Baby Jess Horn. For a long time I kept badgering about the need for a stretched out Manbug or something similar, that had the same proportions as the Baby Jess Horn. Then, Sal surprises us with the BJH. It has a more narrow blade instead of a wide leaf blade. Without a pocket clip it is just the right size for an all around carry everyday knife. It has good steel and that all important hole for one handed opening. Is it the perfect pocket knife? It looks like it on paper.

What do you all think?

[Larry_Mott]

I miss the swedge grind and some more exciting scales, other than that, and as a knife by itself it's great!

[Surfingringo]

I think it might have special appeal to the more traditional guys. My Dad for example likes Spyderco as a company but he doesn't like the aesthetics of many of the designs. He's 75 years old and his tastes are probably not going to change any time soon. Anytime he gets a new Spydie he immediately removes the clip and despite me showing him how easy it is, he continues to open and close with two hands. Fair enough. As far as looks and size, he likes something sub 4" closed with what he calls a "sleek" shape. Most Spydercos are too wide/tall for him. (I kind of share his taste for the narrower blade profile). So I showed him the new baby Jess Horn the other day and he's quite into it. He's got about 7-8 spydercos at the moment but I'm going to pick him up a Jess Horn when they come out and I'm pretty sure it's going to knock everything else out of his pocket.

[FCM415]

This is gonna be my first. Preordered nice and early.

I'd like to see a bigger version sprint also, in FRN or G10.

[Doc Dan]

I, for one, am glad that swedge is no longer there. For one thing, they are illegal here. For another, I don't like it. This FFG design is one thing that decided me on the knife. However, I do appreciate that others like them.

Lance, I do as your father does. I take the clips off most of my Spydercos and drop them down in my pocket.

[The Deacon]

It's a nice little knife but, for me, it has some serious competition...

Granted, if it was a model I wanted to carry daily, I have enough of the originals to last several lifetimes, but I still find Spyderco's decision to downgrade the Sprint into yet another "semi-tacticool" knife with peel-ply G-10 scales somewhat depressing.

[Larry_Mott]

I, for one, am glad that swedge is no longer there. For one thing, they are illegal here. For another, I don't like it. This FFG design is one thing that decided me on the knife. However, I do appreciate that others like them.

Lance, I do as your father does. I take the clips off most of my Spydercos and drop them down in my pocket.

How can a swedge be illegal? I'd understand if you sharpen it to a double edge, but it is not sharp from the factory. Where do they draw the limit? I am thinking of Lum Chinese and Dragonfly which both have "swedge-ettes" :)

[SG89]

I still find Spyderco's decision to downgrade the Sprint into yet another "semi-tacticool" knife with peel-ply G-10 scales somewhat depressing.

Me too

[Doc Dan]

I, for one, am glad that swedge is no longer there. For one thing, they are illegal here. For another, I don't like it. This FFG design is one thing that decided me on the knife. However, I do appreciate that others like them.

Lance, I do as your father does. I take the clips off most of my Spydercos and drop them down in my pocket.

How can a swedge be illegal? I'd understand if you sharpen it to a double edge, but it is not sharp from the factory. Where do they draw the limit? I am thinking of Lum Chinese and Dragonfly which both have "swedge-ettes" :)

The law here says that if it has a "false edge" that can be sharpened it is illegal. I know, I know, but that is the way it is.

[Doc Dan]

Deacon, Autumn Bone or something would be my first choice, or even Elk. But, I will take it as it comes. I hope they are released soon. I pre-ordered and that is something I never do.

[The Deacon]

Deacon, Autumn Bone or something would be my first choice, or even Elk. But, I will take it as it comes. I hope they are released soon. I pre-ordered and that is something I never do.

Mine would have been a caramel paper Micarta, but I'd be fine with polished tan G-10. Heck, even the grey G-10 they're using would probably look decent polished up. Just think that peel-ply has not place on a gent's knife and should be left for the tactical crowd. I could be wrong, but I think that's what killed the Kiwi 4, or at least was a major contributor to its early demise. And, given that my white Micarta Baby Horn only weighs 1.4 ounces, and the Sprint weighs over 2, I'm betting they also added liners.

[ABX2011]

I'm looking forward to this one. I'm glad there's a clip. Otherwise I'd pass. Would prefer dressier scales.

[SpyderNut]

I was heavily interested in this knife...until I saw that it was pinned construction vs screw-together. :/ It's not that I don't like pinned per se, it's just that I think peel-ply G-10 and screw-together go hand-in-hand (in my crazy mind, at least).

[JRinFL]

I miss the swedge grind and some more exciting scales, other than that, and as a knife by itself it's great!

Wow, lovely collection. And I agree on all points, swedge and scales. My one and only is black micarta in SE. Someday I may stumble upon a lightly used plain edge in micarta...someday.

[Peter1960]

... I still find Spyderco's decision to downgrade the Sprint into yet another "semi-tacticool" knife with peel-ply G-10 scales somewhat depressing.

Well said! And that's even the reason why I will not buy the Sprint Run and accept lack of it in my Jess Horn collection.

[FCM415]

I'm new relative to the guys who got to buy the earlier Jess Horns.

After this discussion, I still really like the knife as is but yes some micarta or bone would really be fantastic and tasteful.