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I'm really debating about picking up a new UKPK, if for no other reason than I love the looks of it! Forgive me if this is a reposted topic, but can anyone tell me which of the two knives they might prefer, Delica or UKPK, and why.

Hey Barry,

I know for me, it's an easy choice...hands down the UKPK! I know I profess my love of the Manix and Shaman often around here, but the UKPK may honestly be the most comfortable knife in hand that I own. Light weight, better ergos, thinner blade stock and POSSIBLY a longer cutting edge?? Can't remember off the top of my head.

It's a tough one. UKPK has better ergos at least for my medium hands but I like the looks of the Delica slightly more ... old school iconic Spyderco. Both are good allaround users. Enough said.

Delica is my favourite knife due to a lot of characteristics it shares with the UKPK. Light, thin, good overall size and blade length, and blade thickness (2.5mm)

I've never had a UKPK, but it's like the caly3, which it looks identical to me, the handle is very comfortable.

The delica fits my hand well and the sprint runs have a super aggressive taper and are ridiculously thin which is why I prefer the delica.

If the 52100 UKPK ever happens, I will definitely be buying one

bearrowland wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:07 am

I'm really debating about picking up a new UKPK, if for no other reason than I love the looks of it! Forgive me if this is a reposted topic, but can anyone tell me which of the two knives they might prefer, Delica or UKPK, and why.

I have both the Delica and the UKPK in multiple versions—I like them both a lot, but use them in different situations (although there is a lot of crossover in their use).

For an all-around folding knife, it's hard to beat the Delica 4, even though it's no longer the great value it was several years ago with the price increases. It's light, robustly-built, has a sturdy and reliable locking mechanism, is reasonably ergonomic, carries discreetly in the pocket and in hand, and the VG-10 blade holds a working edge for a decent amount of time, sharpens back up easily, and is corrosion-resistant enough for my needs (here's a story: I lost my VG-10 Manbug in a snowbank last winter for over a week & only found it when the snow had partially melted... all it had was some surface rust that I was able to take out with some WD-40 and a paper towel).

The only real complaint I have about the Delica 4 is that it can be a pain to fully take apart for a thorough cleaning, but there are ways to clean the pivot, washers, and lock face without having to do a full disassembly.

I use my combo edge Delica as a warehouse work knife and a general utility knife.

I find the UKPK to be lighter, more ergonomic, and more "carry-able" than the Delica 4 (it has a deep-carry wire clip). It's very easy to take apart if you need to do a thorough cleaning but because it's so simple in construction you don't really need to take it apart to get at the innards. It also has an unequivocally better blade steel if you get the CQI version of the standard model that has a CTS-BD1N blade (older versions have CTS-BD1... that extra "N" makes a big difference). Basing it purely on the chemistry, CTS-BD1N should have better wear resistance and significantly higher corrosion resistance than VG-10 (I think CTS-BD1N has the highest corrosion resistance out of any of the non-powder metallurgy steels used by Spyderco outside of "rustproof" steels like H1 & LC200N). The UKPK is a heck of a lot more affordable than the Delica 4 to boot, and is a significantly better value based purely on the materials used in construction.

The biggest difference between the two, of course, is that the UKPK is a non-locking knife. But I don't really find that to be a major factor for most "convenience cutting" tasks around the house & for EDC. If you hold the UKPK the way it's designed to be held, the risk of it closing accidentally on you while cutting is minimal. The only reason I don't use the UKPK as a work knife is because I sometimes find myself having to use a knife in a confined space where I have to hold the knife in unorthodox ways that, if I did that with a UKPK, I would be unable to ensure that it would not close on me accidentally.

So, long story short: if you're just looking for a folding knife to use for convenience cutting tasks, the UKPK is the better choice. It's more ergonomic (for my hands, at least), has higher wear resistance, has significantly better corrosion resistance, it's more affordable, it's lighter, it's a lot easier to clean and maintain, and it's more discreet to carry.

If you're going to use the knife in situations where the additional safety of a locking mechanism is important, though, go with the Delica 4 or for a slightly higher price tag, a Para 3 Lightweight in CTS-BD1N (which some people jokingly call the "Delica 5"). Or if you don't mind a slightly shorter blade and shorter (but blockier) handle, grab the CQI version of the Cat in CTS-BD1N... it has similar ergonomics to the UKPK, is priced about the same, and has a liner lock.

zuludelta wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:56 pm

bearrowland wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:07 am

.....
So, long story short: if you're just looking for a folding knife to use for convenience cutting tasks, the UKPK is the better choice: more ergonomic (for my hands, at least), has higher wear resistance, has better corrosion resistance, has a lower price, it's lighter, it's a lot easier to clean and maintain, and it's more discreet to carry.

If you're going to use the knife in situations where the additional safety of a locking mechanism is important, though, go with the Delica 4 or for a slightly higher price tag, a Para 3 Lightweight in CTS-BD1N (which some people jokingly call the "Delica 5"). Or if you don't mind a slightly shorter blade and shorter (but blockier) handle, grab the CQI version of the Cat in CTS-BD1N... it has similar ergonomics to the UKPK, is priced about the same, and has a liner lock.

Very nice and detailled comparison and interesting especially since I personally only know (and really like) the Delica, but never even handled a UKPK! :) [Shortened you post when quoting it above just in order to make mine not too long]

Just one little remark though: I think calling the Para 3 the "Delica 5" really can just be meant as a joke: Delica 4 and Para 3 both have their place and some will prefer the one, some the other. But in Spydercos line up in this particular size range I personally think the two models are almost as far apart as possible (and between them would be knives like Native, Sage 5...)

What both the Delica and UKPK do especially well for such small knives imho: Thin (2.5mm) blade stock.

UKPK for the choil and the jurisdiction friendliness, for sure. I carry a UKPK or Urban frequently when traveling, and I haven't carried a Delica in years.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:15 pm

Just one little remark though: I think calling the Para 3 the "Delica 5" really can just be meant as a joke: Delica 4 and Para 3 both have their place and some will prefer the one, some the other. But in Spydercos line up in this particular size range I personally think the two models are almost as far apart as possible (and between them would be knives like Native, Sage 5...)

I wasn't a fan of the Para 3 LW when it first came out... I got one, tried using it as a work knife for several months, then gifted it to someone else. Dimensionally, the handle looks like a cross between that of the Delica 4 & the Native 5 (two of my favourite work knives in the ~3 inch blade size) so I should have liked it, but something about the ergos just felt off for me.

I gave the Para 3 LW a chance again late last year though, and I liked it a lot better the second time around. I think it has to do with the fact that I'm now more comfortable holding "tweener"-sized knives like the Native 5 behind the choil—I'm fortunate(?) in that my hands are narrow enough that I can maintain a solid 4-finger grip on the Native 5 behind the choil—and when held that way, the Para 3 LW starts handling more like the Delica 4 to me, with the added bonus of a taller handle similar to the Native 5 (which is less fatiguing to hold onto during lengthy cutting/slicing sessions).

Anyway, this is just a long-winded way for me to say that I understand why some people call the Para 3 LW the "Delica 5". It's not as slice-y because of the thick blade stock, but in my hands at least, they do handle similarly.

Apologies to the OP for derailing the thread!

zuludelta wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 3:09 pm

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:15 pm

Just one little remark though: I think calling the Para 3 the "Delica 5" really can just be meant as a joke: Delica 4 and Para 3 both have their place and some will prefer the one, some the other. But in Spydercos line up in this particular size range I personally think the two models are almost as far apart as possible (and between them would be knives like Native, Sage 5...)

......

Anyway, this is just a long-winded way for me to say that I understand why some people call the Para 3 LW the "Delica 5". It's not as slice-y because of the thick blade stock, but in my hands at least, they do handle similarly.

Apologies to the OP for derailing the thread!

Thanks for the explanation, valid points! Don´t want to derail the thread either too far, so just briefly: For me personally the Para 3 still could only be called a "Delica 5" when it comes to popularity, but in blade stock thickness (Native, Sage 5, UKPK). lock (Native), grip area on the actual handle (Sage 5) other Spydies in this size range seem to be closer to the Delica than the Para 3.
But if if Para 3 and Delica handle similarly in your use, than of course one can´t argue against that for you (and others with a similar "hand geometry") the Para 3 LW IS kind of a Delica 5 indeed! :)

Wait for the Caly 3.5 Lightweight?

Thanks everybody for the motivation to make the jump! As everyone knows, sometimes all it takes to hit the purchase button is a little enablement lol. I have a Delica 4 and love its size and how it handles. Don't kill me, but I might just wait for that Caly lightweight!!

You can't go wrong with either!

Let's see if I can make something like a Dichotomous Key to see if we can answer this question, or perhaps suggest an alternative.

1)Do you like finger choils?
2)Do you like locking blades or are you just wanting to try out a slip joint?
2a) If you like locking blades, what's your preferred lock mechanism?
3)Do you like thinner blades like your Delica has, or do you want something with a thicker blade?
4)Do you want a Delica-like tall hump for the Spyder-Hole, a flat spine over the hole, or something in between?
5)Do you want try out a less common steel (usually with a less common handle color to go along with it)?

The Delica’s handle shape and large ricasso is odd. I prefer the UKPK by a large margin.

I like both. My nod slightly goes to the Delica because it really locks into my hand and it has a lock for the blade. It also has a slightly longer cutting edge and no choil. The UKPK is so convenient for everyday tasks, easy to pull out, open, close, put away. It is also comfortable to hold, but the cutting edge is shorter and there is a choil to catch on things being cut. I love and have both, and will likely buy more, but the Delica, for me, wins this one just slightly.

How about... neither?

I don't care for either one of those. A Caly 3, maybe.

Big fan of the Delica. Have carried it for over a decade so I am Delica biased. Tried the UKPK. Carried it for almost a year. I like both. I still prefer the Delica in use but think the UKPK carries better. If you are a novice sharpener, I've found the BD1N a little bit easier to sharpen than VG10. I was back to the Delica for the last month in HAP40. HAP 40 has held an edge noticably longer than VG10 or BD1N. The HAP disappeared for a day so I pocketed the Sage Lightweight and have been using it for the last two weeks. It carries well and is comfortable in use, maybe moreso than the Delica. I think all of these are a solid choice. I'm back to preferring a lock so my choice goes to the Delica or the Sage. I'd like to see the Delica 4 evolve to the Delica 5 which would be a deep carry wire clip version. I think it is the only way the D4 can get better.

My .02,

CG

What got me interested in the UKPK was Bearfacedkiller's pics of his Caly3. When I read up on it, I discovery that the UKPK was very similar and going for a lot less than the discontinued Caly. For me, virtually all of Spyderco is new stuff. My two Spyderco buddies both live 8 hours drive from me, so I spend a ton of time here and online researching the different knives. I haven't even gotten into the different steels yet! I'm also a novice to the specialty steel sharpening game. I have a decent sized collection of SAKs, in addition to some Case knives (the Case plant is about an hour and a half drive from my home), so I'm well versed in slip joints. You all are great! I read Sal's response on the Caly lightweight, but with everything going on it might be awhile. I'll probably just get both!