Spyderco Forums

Anyone else miss the days when they were new to the forum and new to spyderco knives? I miss those days.

I still love helping people on the forum find deals or answer their questions but I guess the luster has worn off for me. The thrill of the chase has faded.

I have bought and sold nearly 150 spyderco models, always searching for the most perfect knife for me. The Lil Native DLC compression lock is that for me. I don't really need anything else. It's a blessing and a curse.

The chase was always the most fun part for me. Trying to see which models I liked and didn't like. Every day I pull that lil native out of my pocket to cut something and I think to myself "it's too perfect". I love everything about it. Every knife before and after it I have found incompatibilities with my needs and usually sell them off. I guess it's true that there really is a perfect spyderco model for everyone.

My Sage 2 has pushed every other knife out of my pocket, but I want the same knife with an ATR 1 style integral Ti compression lock and a Vanax blade. I'd like same elements in a Native 5 shape. I'll probably buy a Sage 5 LW when it comes out to save wear on the now difficult to replace Sage 2. I've also pretty much convinced myself to buy a Para 3 LW to hold me over. If Eric and the team give us a Para 3 LW Salt that would probably be a must buy for me, but the BD1N on the standard Para 3 LW may have enough corrosion resistance for my wants. IOW, the only way to improve on what I already have are lock and materials combinations that only exist in my mind.

I still love collecting Spyderco knives, but I feel nearly the same way about the Lil Native as you. It is everything I wanted out of an "EDC knife" back when I bought my first EDC knife. Had the Lil Native been available back then, I can almost guarantee I wouldn't have the collection I do today.

I bought the Lil Native immediately upon release, but even though I've continued collecting since the release of the Lil Native, it's easily one of my favorite Spydercos ever. Second only to the PPT Perrin. :spyder:

I've actually been packing to move recently, and all of my knives got packed except my Serrated DLC Lil Native, Plain Edge Lil Native and Lum Tanto. (Also the ladybug that stays on my car keys :D )

I'm with you Spydergirl! It's a little different for me though. I haven't found the one model for me but I feel like I have examples of all the models I really want. There are still a couple that'll I'll probably pick up. I'll get a Para 3 LW and I still haven't bought a Lil Native. I'll get around to it when I there's a sprint or exclusive that's different from what I already have. So I'm not really done but I am going to coast for awhile. It's kind of a relief to be honest because now I feel like I can sit back, use, and enjoy all the different models I have. I might even dress a few up in some micarta scales or something.

Pretty much the same for me. I have had many Spydercos pass through my hands over the years. Always searching. Then, probably fortunately I had to sell most of my knives except for my ancient SAK bought at sea on my ship in 1962, and my now antique Buck 112. When I was able to buy a few Spydercos later I am very cognizant of what I want and why. My two regularly carried are my Para 3 and One-Eyed Jack.

I really miss my Rhino so I suppose I will eventually get another. Mostly I will enjoy what I have and being on this forum community.

I am always surprised when I hear people say they are endlessly searching. There are so many great Spyderco Knives. I would be satisfied with any one of many that I have. I enjoy the variety. And beyond different designs, there are different steels to investigate.

But it is all good. Different people are just wired in different ways.

In the past, I have settled down and stopped the hunt, but something drew me back in, and I'm not quite sure what that something was. Part of me desires the comfort and familiarity of having a simple set of 2 knives and using them without question, and part of me likes the chase.

There is one thing I like more than the chase; the specialized variety.

New and different can be exciting, but can also overcomplicate a simple cutting task.

Hmmmm, which knife should I carry today?

Well, am I going to be around water? Do I need a stout knife? A light knife? Long or short blade? How long will I be cutting? Will I need to worry about legality wherever it is I'm going? Will I be dressed for a formal event?

Fortunately I have knives that are a perfect fit for any situation. I used to carry a Manix 2 and a Delica 4, and being the well balanced knives they are, no task was left uncut. The problem was that I didn't want to use them for certain things, or they weren't the best(in my opinion) for particular circumstances. Now I take comfort in knowing I have that one knife for that very specific scenario, no matter what.

Of course, new steels are always a tempting lure; my collection is a clear indication of this. 9 Spydercos, in 9 different steels, with another 9 steels, and a few models I don't yet own, but soon will. So maybe my steel hoarding is no different than what others have gone through, on their quest for the perfect knife. Maybe I'm on a mission to find the perfect steel(for me). Or maybe I'm just addicted and logic doesn't apply.

Either way, I don't feel jaded... yet... but I know it's only a matter of time...
or maybe I'm stuck with this. Would that really be so bad though? I think not.

I guess it depends on the underlying reason that drives a person. If you are a collector than you will probably not be searching for the perfect knife. In that case the chase for all the items of a specific model is important. Different handles, different steels and maybe even CQI. When your chasing the perfect knife and you found it I can imagine that it is kind of a joy and disappointment at the same time. The use of your perfect knife brings joy and the fact that the chase is over causes some disappointment.

Other people are users. They see a knife as a tool and don’t care about the perfect one as long as it is good enough to get the (cutting) job done.

I am in the middle of all this. I like to try out new models and new steels. Maybe a bit chasing for that perfect knife. :D However, there are many different models that I like to use. It depends on the cutting task at hand. I recognize the choice at the beginning of the day of which knife to carry. I often leave the house with three or more knives…

My collection is always in flux. This way I can justify the cost to myself (and my wife). My most used at the moment are my all black salt 2 serrated and Spydiechef.

I also like being a member of this forum so I can read and post experiences and opinions with you all.

I have different knives for different activities so I don’t carry my work knives at home, and I don’t carry my around the house knives at work. And then there’s the gym setting that I spend a lot of time in so I need something different for that too. Then there’s yard work, on the water, in the woods, yada yada. Thats the great thing about Spyderco, they make a certain blade for every occasion.

Sounds like you’ve got knife fatigue. Maybe step away for a while. Come back in a few years(if you can hold out that long) and feel the rush when you discover all the latest and greatest. Time away will give you an opportunity to chase down all the sprints you missed out on too. Play it out until you lose interest and do it all over again, until you’re old and gray.

Goodluck

And I thought this was a thread about another BHQ Exclusive!

I have a small but growing collection of Spyderco Knives. I've probably been averaging 3 or 5 knives a year for the last 3 year years. I like the choosing a different knife to carry each day depending on what I'm doing. It's interesting to see how certain knives get more use then others.

I haven't ever sold a knife. Not sure I ever will, but I'm a bit of a hoarder.

I think the thing is, if you stick around, you get rewarded with great stuff.

It's hard to be bored with the golden age of knives.

Who thought Hinderer would make a great flipper with a thinner blade ?

Who thought college kids would bring us things like the Amalgam or the Arius ?

Not to mention the opportunity to laugh at people who are bored at the thought of a S90V Ti CF Military. :D

I thought this thread was going to be about Jade g10. :o

For me, the chase has definitely slowed over the years as my collection has grown, but it's never completely stopped.

I was sure this thread was going to be about some custom jade scales on a Spydie :p In recent times with all the Spydies I have, I too had become jaded. Then the Smock comes out, the Waterway appears, and now the Ikuchi gets released. Then I read this thread about how great the L'il Native is (don't have one} and the temptation is great. I've definitely slowed down on my Spydie purchases but when the right LC folder comes along it will be a "must have." Likely pick up the Chief when it becomes available. So much for being jaded. :D :spyder:

Edit to add, if they ever make the lightweight Caly 3.5 in stainless it would probably end my search. The 3.5 has been my favorite carry for years.

I definitely need another lil native.

When the Shaman initially hit, I didn't have the resources to buy it immediately, but once I did get it in my hands, it clicked so well that it's my easy answer to the "you only get to keep one knife, what is it" question. I can do anything I need to do with it, and plan to rely on it for decades.

Even though the Southard was my first Spyderco and retains a lot of sentimental value, it just doesn't compare. My hands are "in love" with the Shaman.

I'd say the biggest effect (for me) on coming across a knife that clicks that well is how much I can slow down in terms of 'the chase'. There's a lot of new models I'm excited to see and hold, but I no longer feel the pressure to try and find "my" knife.

Nah, for me it's not about finding the "one." I like the variety and after many years I'm no less interested in new models like the Ikuchi, Lightweight Para 3 and Native Chief. I am more selective than I used to be. I don't feel the need to check out every new release.

I've had a few that were "the one" for quite a while but were either replaced or I went back to another "the one" that came before it. I might always fall back on the Military so maybe that's truly my soul mate knife.

Rather than jaded I prefer think of it as dialing in my preferences and needs. This is especially true with steel types which is probably the area where most people are jaded, I've actually moved away from the extreme high end steels and back to simpler/easier to sharpen steels. All of that is dependent on my needs and uses though. If I'm honest with myself I just don't need ridiculous wear resistance anymore and I value being able to very easily get my knife to peak sharpness with the least amount of effort and time.

Beyond all that the "chase" kinda bums me out more than anything. I have boxes full of knives I rarely use anymore and I've spent so much money on them that I wish I had funneled into other hobbies.

Count me in thinking about the natural G10 scales being the topic of conversation here.

I remember when I first joined over a year ago under a previous username and seeing SpyderGirl posting, what seemed like a different knife every day and thinking...this girl is loaded!! How the heck does she have so many knives, and also thinking...how does she choose which knife/knives to carry on a daily basis.

I get it now though, and I think the chase is fun...to a certain extent. For me, I have 12 Spyderco knives at the moment in 8 different models. I can find a particular use or setting for all of these depending what I'm doing that day. As of right now, I know I couldn't narrow my knives down to a single knife and not have sellers remorse.

So on that note, good for you SpyderGirl or anybody that has found their meant to be edc! Though we all know when something new comes out, you'll be one of the first to get it :p

As a famous philosopher once said, 'tide comes in and it goes out... you can't explain that...'

Kidding aside, it is understandable, and more often than not, inevitable. I went through this myself several times in the past. Although I still enjoy lot of aspects of what I used to do, and still participate in some of the activities which used to consume lot more of my time, things change. Life changes.

Seem like the only things that tend to stick around are the things that garner the appreciation and happiness of those around you. As great as any on-line community is, it is no substitute for personal interactions.

Burnout is real. The way I see it, if one no longer finds value in what he/she does, it's time to buy another knife. For now...