Opinions Wanted: Top 5 Best Spydercos

[Igi964]

Delica Wharncliffe
Bow River
Gayle Bradley 1
Air
Manix 95 backlock

Changed my mind

1. FRN K390 family. Pick your size. Endura for me
2. Yojimbo 2
3. Air
4. Gayle Bradley 1
5. Manix 95 backlock

[M Sea]

This is super individualized by use/environment etc., but here are my personal top 5 Spydies.

1.Military
2.Spydie-Chef
3.Chaparral LW
3.Pac Salt SE
4.Salt Dragonfly PE or SE
5.PM2

[Jared]

I really struggle with 1 and 2 on this list because I love them both and use them both a lot. If you ask me tomorrow I may swap the order. Here goes:

1: Manix 2
2: PM2
3: Military
4: Endura 4
5: Delica 4

[Wartstein]

I have replied here more than 2 years ago already...

- My top three haven´t changed: (In no particular order):
Stretch 1, Endura 4 (both models in HAP 40, but in VG10 they are great too), Chaparral FRN.

- And I can´t choose at the moment which two out of the three Endela SE, Pac Salt and Manix 2 LW would make it on the top 5 list too...

- And if fixed blades are meant too: The Waterway would kick one of the folders out of the top five list. And the overall choice would get even tougher...

[Hovannes]

I don't have much experience with different Spydercos, but the one I'd put near the top of any list is the Rescue.
There's nothing else quite like it, not even the Salts as the Rescue's skeletonized liners give it some much appreciated oomph!
True, it's kind of a one trick pony, but it's one I've often been very grateful for having on me in past years. :D

[Holland]

1. Delica
2. Dragonfly
3. Mantra 1
4. Junction
5. Stretch

1. Dragonfly 2
2. Gayle Bradley 2
3. Chaparral 1
4. Mantra 1
5. Junction

[Maximumsmoochy]

Oh yeah, evergreen thread. Gonna go with:

1) Para 3
2) Native 5
3) Military
4) Advocate
5) Stretch 2

All but the Advocate come in a variety of steels so can provide adjustments to flavour to suit.

A year later and I'm at:

1) Para 3 - fully functional, covers all bases
2) Gayle Bradley 2 - functional and classy if a little large
3) Police 4 FRN - big friendly giant
4) Stretch 2 (SS) - ultimate outdoors knife
5) Techno 2 - if 007 carried a Spyderco

[ZrowsN1s]

This week:
Police 4 K390 G-10
Shaman (any)
Chief (any)
Wharncliffe Delica (Hap40) (soon to be K390)
Hawkbill Dragonfly

[Naperville]

Spyderco Native Chief
Spyderco Province
Spyderco Stuart Ackerman Sustain
Spyderco Jumpmaster 2
Spyderco Native 5

[brancron]

That is a tough one! If I had to choose right now, I might say the Endura, PM2, Para 3 Lightweight, Gayle Bradley, and Michael Walker Lightweight. Pictures:

[JD Spydo]

There are 5 other old School models that I would like to give honorable mention to.
1- The C-44 Dyad
2- The JD Smith
3-The G-10 Harpy
4-The AUS-8, full SE Catcherman
5- The 440V, full SE Native
I'll probably be stuck on Spyderco's old school models from here on out. And I'm looking so forward to the upcoming C-60 Ayoob Sprint Run which should be released this year sometime. My biggest desire is for many of the models out of the GOLDEN Era ( 1998-2004) be to made with newer/better blade steels and in some models with new handle materials. There are many of those older models that were perfect from the beginning IMO.

[Steeltoez83]

Not in any particular order but here goes.
1. 100 pacer in xhp
2. Delica red g10/dlc hap40(St nicks)
3. Millie blue g10-s90v(bento box)
4. Stretch 2 vtoku2
5. Alcyone bd1

Honorable mention is the byrd harrier 2 but I'm under the assumption byrds are not counted in this discussion. I tried to base my choices on designs over steel properties.

[Giygas]

Not in any particular order but here goes.
1. 100 pacer in xhp
2. Delica red g10/dlc hap40(St nicks)
3. Millie blue g10-s90v(bento box)
4. Stretch 2 vtoku2
5. Alcyone bd1

Honorable mention is the byrd harrier 2 but I'm under the assumption byrds are not counted in this discussion. I tried to base my choices on designs over steel properties.

I want a hundred pacer way more than I've wanted any knife for a long time. Glad to see someone say it deserves to be in the top 5.

Not sure why I didn't buy one when bhq had them marked down to $189. I NEVER see them on the secondary market, which I usually take as a good sign. I'd pay way too much money for one at this point, if I could ever find one for sale...

That is a tough one! If I had to choose right now, I might say the Endura, PM2, Para 3 Lightweight, Gayle Bradley, and Michael Walker Lightweight. Pictures:

I can't believe I've never noticed how similar the blade on my BM Nakamura is to the Walker LW.

[Steeltoez83]

Not in any particular order but here goes.
1. 100 pacer in xhp
2. Delica red g10/dlc hap40(St nicks)
3. Millie blue g10-s90v(bento box)
4. Stretch 2 vtoku2
5. Alcyone bd1

Honorable mention is the byrd harrier 2 but I'm under the assumption byrds are not counted in this discussion. I tried to base my choices on designs over steel properties.

I want a hundred pacer way more than I've wanted any knife for a long time. Glad to see someone say it deserves to be in the top 5.

Not sure why I didn't buy one when bhq had them marked down to $189. I NEVER see them on the secondary market, which I usually take as a good sign. I'd pay way too much money for one at this point, if I could ever find one for sale...

That is a tough one! If I had to choose right now, I might say the Endura, PM2, Para 3 Lightweight, Gayle Bradley, and Michael Walker Lightweight. Pictures:

I can't believe I've never noticed how similar the blade on my BM Nakamura is to the Walker LW.

I really think the 100 pacer was always overlooked. Comparison with the Millie

[Mugman16]

1. my carribean has never failed me
2. delica
3. para 3
4. quite fond of my brass scale swap s35vn tenacious
5. waterway

[dlum1]

Given I couldn't decide, I'll list my most used:
1.) 20cv Mule team
2.) S90v Military
3.) K390 Endura
4.) Rex45 Manix
5.) Lc200n spydiechef
I love my para3 and delica, but they only find their way into the pocket if I'll be in town. The serrated Caribbean only gets used if I need a hard use knife where the knife is likely to get wet or muddy. The manix vs a shaman was a toss up.

[Giygas]

Not in any particular order:

Mantra 1
Amalgam
Advocate
Mule Team (currently the A11 MT, but it varies)
Dodo/Qball

Like a few others have said, this is more a list of my most used spydercos than anything else.

It was really hard to leave the Zoomer out, as it is inevitably one of Spyderco's best knives, but I just haven't had a chance to use it as much as the others.

[ThomC]

Military
PM2
Shaman/Native/Chief
Opus
Tenacious

Well after a year and a half I guess an update is in order.

#1 is the Millie still because it's so **** comfortable. The perfect folder all-around for my hands.
#2 is the Police. For such a large folder it is very nimble and disappears when carried. Cuts like nobody's business too.
#3 is the Shaman. Not fond of comp locks but the design is *chef's kiss*. Makes me wish for a linerlock variant...
#4 goes to the Spydiechef. I've mulled about it for a year, time to give one a well-deserved try.
#5 is tough. From an aesthetics perspective, I guess the Native Chief and the Dragonfly.

[kataphraktos]

#1 Spydiechef. One knife for all EDC applications, this would be it for me. Gets carried more than all my other Spydies combined, probably.

#2 Dragonfly2 (mine is HAP40; my wife's is ZDP). Ingenious little knife. I've never found another small knife that comes close.

#3 Southard. Kind of surprised to see others in the thread list this one too. Not a perfect knife by any means but mine is a sentimental favorite and a permanent keeper.

#4 PM2. I don't love it as much as some but it's such an awesome tool that it belongs here, no question.

#5 Caly 3.5. For the stabby sort of gentleman.