Chaparral FRN or Raffir Noble?

[Omlin]

Hello everyone. I like leaf shaped blades with finger choils, but what really draws me to the Chaparral are the Raffir Noble scales. However, the new grey lightweight Chaparral seems to be such a hit with so many reviewers. Any differences I should know about? Which one would you choose regardless of cost?

[twinboysdad]

Raffir is cool but not a lightweight medium for handles. It is slick as well. I like the FRN better.

[dc50]

Not sure this will help you. I have the Raffir,I don't use it because its too pretty I also have the CF Chaparral which I now use instead of the Raffir. If I had the LW Chaparral, I would use it, instead of the CF I'm a very sick puppy! :p

[crazywednesday]

FRN. In my opinion it's a better value. For me it's a purpose driven knife, I'll carry mine in the summer when I'm wearing extremely flimsy shorts. It's size and weight is perfect for that use.

[SF Native]

Raffir if you want some bling and it’s going to be a light weight carry as it’s a bit slick.
Frn if you want something that won’t slip in the hand and you want a more work like knife, which is funny as it’s a pretty thin blade stock.

[Sharp Guy]

I really like how some of the RN knives look but for a user I'd much prefer the FRN or CF versions. I carry the FRN version often at work and the CF version often when out during the evening. The Chap is such a great little knife I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

[timlara]

FRN all the way for me. The new texture on the Chaparral FRN is really nice in particular.

I'm more of a "feels" guy than a "looks" guy, so to me the Raffir Noble scales are just too slippery as they are smooth acrylic material. They definitely look cool, but you really can't beat Spyderco's FRN for utility.

[TomAiello]

I own them all. I mostly carry the CF.

I gift the RN, because it just looks so "fancy".

[this_is_nascar]

Chaparral FRN, if you're actually going to use the knife.

[abbazaba]

Can't go wrong with either. FRN is clearly a better value, but if the Raffir speaks to you, get it. CF is my favorite FWIW. All of them are super light weight.

[Omlin]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Form should follow function, so I'm leaning towards the FRN - lighter, better grio & more affordable, but the Raffir Noble is gorgeous

[The Deacon]

Have all the Chaparrals and, of the two, I'd go with the FRN, but I prefer the CF version to either of them. Not a fan of the peek-a-boo see through look of the Reffir Noble. As for the FRN, I'm not totally convinced wire clips are going to play well with it, in the long run. Not an issue if, like me, you remove the clip and carry loose in your pocket. As for looks, the FRN is OK, but the CF is a major step upward in terms of looks, classy but understated.

[Doc Dan]

I have the LW and the CF. I carry the LW a lot more, like almost everyday (the only thing that kicks it out of my pocket is the Urban LW K390). So, the LW gets my vote.

As for the RN, those scales look real good and unusual. However, I think they will scratch up if you carry the knife and not look so good in the long term.

[this_is_nascar]

My issue with the RN us unless you can buy it in person, you risk getting really nasty looking scales. I sold mine because the scales were so see-thru, it was horrible looking.