Spyderco Forums

I'm not saying that those clunky old knives with the metal liners are BAD, but come on, this is the 21st Century. The more I compare those old-school knives and our modern plastic-handled knives, the more I prefer the latter. The F-35 Lightning is made of plastic. My full-race mountain bike is plastic. Sal's McLaren Elva is plastic. Excess metal is so 1990's.

The superiority of Spyderco's bi-directional pattern over the sandpapery G10 aside, FRN and FRCP are incredibly strong, and I'd venture to say more resilient than metal. The lightweight plastic is... lighter weight. I'm holding two Manixes right now. The blade drops down equally well with the fully lined and the LW. Now I'm holding two Native 5's. The operation of both is identical, but the LW is a little quieter when clicking open. I was ready to pull the trigger on a fully lined pakkawood Dragonfly, but at the last minute, came to my senses. The one-piece FRN handled Dragonfly the embodiment of sheer elegance, and the lined pakkawood seems to be a downgrade.

More and more, the 21st Century plastic knives are the ones that find their way into my pocket.

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They feel cheap, like toys and even look it! I'm obviously the complete opposite of you :p

Linered G10 > linerless plastic

Get the popcorn out!

This is all highly subjective. I like FRN/FRCP knives as much as I like the G10, CF, & Titanium knives I have. I don't think Spyderco's FRN knives feel cheap or like toys. They're extremely functional IMO. To each their own I guess

i like both, depending on the knife and expected usage.

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:33 pm

i like both, depending on the knife and expected usage.

Stop making sense with your new age logic and reasoning :eek:

Evil D wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:41 pm

ladybug93 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:33 pm

i like both, depending on the knife and expected usage.

Stop making sense with your new age logic and reasoning :eek:

^^Yep, it depends a lot on the model for me, and the use. I greatly prefer the g10 native over the lightweight, but I prefer the lightweight para3 over the g10 model. I love the solid feel and weight of linered g10 on the Manix 2, but when I'm wearing really lightweight clothing, nothing beats carrying frn.

I don't have any strong feelings either for or against plastic knife handles. My takeaway from this post is that Sal owns a McLaren Elva :D

G10 is as much a thermoplastic as it is a glass.

Personally, I like steel knives the best.

mikey177 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:12 pm

....My takeaway from this post is that Sal owns a McLaren Elva :D

Ha! I took note of that too! My first thought was Go Sal! :)

Para 3 LW Spy27 is my first frn handle knife. I'm still in love with the Gerber Gator grip for a hunting knife and it excels with mitts in the proper cold. I have knives with some G10 scales, some aluminum scales, a cord wrap that sucks, some wood scales and this one frn that feels cheep. I get it, in 40 years it will probably feel just like it does today, cheep. Wood will crack, orange G10 will look dirtier and cord wraps will suck for ever.

I have been warming up to the texture of the Para 3 LW Spy27 over time and feel like I have good grip. The knife really wants you to use the jimping and choil. I have tried to stay off and away but the knife really performs best for me if I am choked up. This makes a great deal of sense to me, the expensive steel wants my hands off the cheep plastic. I have not tried cutting anything that requires mitts yet.

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:18 pm

They feel cheap, like toys and even look it! I'm obviously the complete opposite of you :p

Linered G10 > linerless plastic

All day, every day.

FRN for the win. The Seki stuff is my favorite. Endura in DLT's DLC Cru-ple combo is my grail.

I prefer the FRN and FRCP lightweights. I must, I have a bunch of them. I think they are strong and have less things to rust. However, I do like to have a few knives that are 'purdy' and so have steel liners to put nice scales on. I also like linerless G10 as it is bear strong.

Sometimes a steel liner is also needed to make the scales stiffer or to reinforce a pivot or attachment point, but not always. I like Spyderco unlinered FRN and FRCP knives and they do not need anything, but when comparing to another company's Bugout knives that flex and bend, or an old unlinered Voyager that also flexes and bends, both needing liners, Spyderco is so far above these it is out of sight.

While I slightly prefer g10 to frn/frcp, I don’t like liners on any knives that don’t require them for the lock. The extra weight doesn’t really bother me, but liners don’t really add any benefits while creating space for hidden but pervasive rust to creep into the pivot. I’ll take linerless g10 all the way. I’m really looking forwards to the s90v and rex 45 native chiefs for that reason.

Mattysc42 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 08, 2020 12:13 am

While I slightly prefer g10 to frn/frcp, I don’t like liners on any knives that don’t require them for the lock. The extra weight doesn’t really bother me, but liners don’t really add any benefits while creating space for hidden but pervasive rust to creep into the pivot. I’ll take linerless g10 all the way. I’m really looking forwards to the s90v and rex 45 native chiefs for that reason.

I'm with you on this. I really like my standard Native 5 LW, and my Native 5 Salt is the knife I carry the most. However, despite all the folks on here saying that their LW Native 5's have action just as good as their G10 Native 5's, I've not found that to be the case. The liner-less G10 Native 5's I've owned and handled have consistently had better actions than the LW Native 5's. I really like all Ti frame locks for simplicity and corrosion resistance - I still want a Sage 5 / Sage 2 hybrid as an all Ti handle knife with an integral comp lock like the first A.T.R. In my experience the thread inserts that are set into liner-less G10 or molded into FRN are also much sturdier for holding clip screws than liners are. I can't wait for the Endela to get the Salt treatment so I can get that Goldilocks sized knife without liners, and with the clip screw thread inserts.

All good, just different.

I use and carry both and enjoy and value both.

FRN / FRCP (regardless if linered or not) are my favorite handle materials especially from a practical point of view and I clearly prefer them over G10:
- Lighter;
- I´d assume (don´t know for sure though!) even more resilient to cracking or chipping (but rather getting a dent instead);
- Come contoured out of the mold in many cases (differently to G10, except the Shaman);
- Grippier in hand (with the bidirectional texturing)
- While still being less of a pocket shredder at least in my experience (that last point might be due not to the FRN itself, but to the fact that the clip lands on the smooth Spyderco-logo on the handle. When one pulls the knife out of the pocket, obviously the handle area that is pressed against the garment by the clip on the outside rubs against the pocket the most when the knife is moved out of the pocket. So the smooth FRN spot in this area most likely is less harmfull to the garment than the more or less coarse G10)

That being said: I love nice wood scales (had a Zirikote wood Millie..) and Micarta (have a Micarta scale Endura and most likely would love TeroTuf too. but strictly practically speaking I guess nothing can beat FRN for me.

Though, for me especially noticable on the Manix: While the LW certainly is the better choice for me personally, feels solid and well built, and can still handle everything I throw at it: I could handle G10 Manixes a few times and have to admit: They just feel like another level of quality and class, no doubt.