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In my case, it was the PM2. I had read all the hype and bought one in 2011. It was also my first compression lock knife. After a bit, I realized it hadn't "wowed" me. It felt it was "meh". I hadn't understood what all the hype was about. So I left it sitting on a desk, forlorn and unused, for about 6 years.

Then one day, out of the blue, I decided to pick it up and carry it to work. It was only then I started realizing how good a design it is, and really started liking it from then on. Not long after that, I got a second PM2 in S35VN.

Sometimes it just takes giving something a fair chance.

OOPS! Wrong forum! Can this be moved to General Discussion?

Jim

I do not know if you meant for all knives or just Spydercos, but I'll keep it to Spyderco just in case.

For me it's the Manix 2. Had it for some years without really using it. This summer, going to help a friend restoring his house, I picked it up only for the blade length, and to not break another precious model. It did the job wonderfully and using the CBBL with gloves is really really better than using a comp.lock knife.

I don't know if it's as good as the backlock (on knives you can close one handed by shaking the blade shut), but it changed my feeling about this knife. I really do like it now and take it for every "heavy work" I have to do. When you are carrying heavy stuff and doing big efforts, a knife that doesn't need any tought to use is very good.

For me it was the Stretch 2.

I avoided buying one because the blade shape looked odd to me, but positive comments from forum members led me to give it a try. I found that it is very good in actual use.

Thanks for sharing, guys!

It's always interesting when a knife that seems so-so and kinda gets overlooked at first sometimes turns into a favored model.

Jim

Biggest for me has to be the Military. I didn't like it, didn't understand it, didn't like how big it was overall and especially how giant the handle was, didn't like the liner lock and didn't like tip down only carry.

Then one day at work when I worked retail, a guy was busted for shoplifting and he put up a serious fight (like literally) and some time after that incident, the head security guy came to me and said "hey aren't you into knives? This guy dropped this knife during the fight and he's not getting it back" and it was a very wore out digicam/DLC Military. This was my first experience with a Military actually in my hands and I believe I ended up selling it, I don't even remember. Then some time later I came across a black G10 SE Military that was gently used and priced to sell at my local knife shop and I figured since they were discontinued and I was just getting into serrations, it might be worth hanging onto. I still have that knife and about 5 other Militaries I think. I've come full circle and actually prefer most of a features about this knife that I used to dislike and I'd say the Military has probably singlehandedly influenced more of my knife preferences over the years than any other model.

Definitely this Centofante Memory.


It doesn't just feature a "wrong handed" lock, it hides the Spyderhole almost completely from us southpaws. It not only has no 50/50 choil, it has no guard at all between the handle and the "all edge" blade. It not only uses a single, surface mounted, blob, for a scale, the blob is a gaudy silver GF. All in all, it's a knife I never would have considered buying, so I was both honored and perplexed when Sal gifted me one that had obviously seen some pocket time. And yet, despite all that, it's been my #1 "computer desk knife" for the last 8 years and has seen quite a bit of use opening mail and occasionally replaces the Stretch I normally carry on days I venture into beautiful downtown G'ville. It even convinced me to buy one "for backup".

Ramonade wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:15 am

....
For me it's the Manix 2.
...

Same here, though in my case the lightweight version.

Had a black one in BD1 for about a year. It´s not that I did not like it, but it did not "click" and connect with me either.

Since I want to keep my collection small, I sold it, cause I felt that the Stretch 1 did most things better and none worse (except that a bit higher weight) than the Manix 2 LW.

/ Gave the model another try in translucent blue and now BD1N quite some time later. And began to really like it.
The added "N" to the steel made it perform better concerning edge retention, but first and foremost I began to appreciate the cool looking design, the great carry (light weight, but wide handle makes it very stable in pocket, but its overall shape allows the hand to slide by easily), the very useful bladeshape and the two distinct, and very good grip options on a handle that seems to fit my hand like a (almost too, but just not) tight glove. And the CBBL is a close second to the backlock for me in my likability scale.

It does have a short cutting edge, but I carry it as a dedicated small EDC (with superior grip options) anyway

Then I got the REX45 Manix 2 LW, and it is just perfect in every regard (ultra smooth action, still strong closing bias, fit and finish, steel and so on - even love the burnt orange color)
Since I DO want my collection small I actually sold my translucent blue one, but just cause I know I can always get another one if I want (not so with the Stretch 1 (discontinued) though).

But I can´t imagine to be with at least one Manix 2 LW now, and with the REX 45 variant I probably have my personal best option already...

One thing I´d wish for of course: A full SE version...

Calypso 3. Generally I am not a fan of knives with choils. My boys got me a regular Caly 3 in VG10 for Father's Day. Being it was a gift, I carried it. After carrying it for a while I really warmed up to it.

Stretch & Endura

Delica, took me years to finally get one and now I carry one all the time. Always just assumed it would be too small. Not at all.

When I first held the Yojumbo I was about 50/50 on keeping it. The handle felt funny to my hands - it's an odd shape.

Three weeks later I had carried it every single day and it had quickly grown to being one of my favorite designs.

Guess my hands just needed a little time to warm up to the handle shape. Fits like a glove for me now.

When I first got my SE delica, I was looking at it and thinking I should have bought a bigger one
Then I started using it , and a serrated delica definitely punches above its weight class, I have used it every day since 1993 and it’s probably time to upgrade to a larger full serrated edge,
But dang it’s hard to pick out one when everything’s online now ,” I want to feel it in my hands “

The Para Military 2.

I was almost exclusively into backlocks when I started getting into Spyderco and didn't think the PM2 offered anything above & beyond what I was getting from my Natives, Delicas, & Enduras.

I found a blacked-out version some years later selling for relatively cheap at a local military surplus shop & figured I might as well see what the hype was all about. It took me a while to get used to the somewhat blocky handle, but once I got comfortable with it, it just clicked with me & I finally understood why it was so popular.

Fast-forward a few years later & I now have 3 PM2s in 3 different steels. The S110V model is my second most-used work knife behind my trusty Yojimbo 2.
The PM2 helped dispel my misconceptions about the compression lock and made me more open-minded about knife design.

I guess I'm the opposite...I've never had one that grew on me, I tend to know within the first few minutes if a knife will work for me or not...BUT I've definitely been surprised by some that I wanted to try, but wasn't sure if I would like them and then loved the immediately! (Native Chief, Shaman, Endela)

I HAVE had knives that I grew away from though...

The Chaparral LW I thought was awesome, eventually became the small knife that was too skinny and had a wire clip that quickly lost retention.

Salt 2 SE, found that I didn't like the color, the steel got too dull too quickly for my uses, SE doesn't provide any advantages for me.

Slyze Bowie, having multiple CRK's...it was easy to immediately see and feel that it couldn't hold those knives jock straps and the money spent would be a waste.

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:21 pm

Ramonade wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:15 am

....
For me it's the Manix 2.
...

Same here, though in my case the lightweight version.

...

Pardon me, I used your little trick to shorten the quote lol.
I forgot because i only see it as a LW knife but I meant Manix 2 LW too ! I have the BD1N version now, and had the BD1 before.
I sadly missed any sprint, but might get the Maxamet one day if I can't get my hands on the Rex45 ^^

Ramonade wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:30 pm

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:21 pm

Ramonade wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:15 am

....
For me it's the Manix 2.
...

Same here, though in my case the lightweight version.

...

Pardon me, I used your little trick to shorten the quote lol.
I forgot because i only see it as a LW knife but I meant Manix 2 LW too ! I have the BD1N version now, and had the BD1 before.
I sadly missed any sprint, but might get the Maxamet one day if I can't get my hands on the Rex45 ^^

Hope you don´t mind that I shortened the quote (by a lot!) - I tend to do this, so posts with perhaps several replies and quoting don´t get overly long.
I think by adding the dots people should see that this is not the whole post of course, but perhaps I should add a "snip" or whatever..

/ The BD1N Manix 2 LW is great anyway! I love that steel, perhaps the one it is the easiest to put a very keen edge on - at least among those steels I know and for a not-world-class- sharpener at all like me
Should the BD1N Manix 2 LW ever get discontinued, at the latest then I´ll get another one

The REX 45 Manix 2 LW did sell rather slow, so I guess it it is not too thought after (people don´t like the combo of not rustproof tool steel and pinned construction I guess) and you could get lucky and still find one for a decent price.

TkoK83Spy wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 16, 2021 3:05 pm

Slyze Bowie, having multiple CRK's...it was easy to immediately see and feel that it couldn't hold those knives jock straps and the money spent would be a waste.

I'm going a bit OT, but...

The only frame lock knives I would use or carry now would be my CRKs. I do own a few frame locks from other companies from a long time ago...one Camillus (US made), an old Benchmade Pinnacle, and a couple Kershaws; but IMO, CRK is THE frame lock maker.

At one point, the Pac Salt was my favorite Spyderco, and I still love it, but for the past few years, I've been mostly favoring some of the Golden models.

Jim

Lil Native.

At first I thought it was an unnecessary and ugly little knife. And even getting the BHQ exclusive, I initially wanted to trade it for something else. But after extensive handling, I realized why there's a following for these little bugs.

My knife I have grown into would have to be the Delica . I was gifted a Wharnie last year for Christmas last year and at first it sat in my collection gathering dust . One day I got out and thought better try and get it over with . I used it at work that day and wow , the knife performed very well , light . and nice balance . If you have one you like you know the result . Just got in a Delica S90V this morning and I am one happy camper .

Way back in 2003 when I got my very first Spyderco Dodo model I thought that knife was only going to be either a collector piece or just a novelty type blade. But one week I challenged myself to carry the Dodo for an entire week to see how I could fare just using the Dodo as my main EDC.

I was pleasantly surprised and even mildly shocked when I discovered how proficient the Dodo was for as short of a blade it had. I soon realized that Eric Glesser was a genius designer. The Dodo to this day is my favorite of all the short bladed Spyderco models.

I was also very surprised about the same time when I discovered how handy that fully serrated, Spyderco Hawkbill blades can be. The G-10 Harpy soon became my EDC companion folder.