Good all around knife for working around the house & yard

[FeistyKat]

Hi, all-

I'm trying to decide what Spyderco to get for working around the house & out in the yard.

Cutlery Shoppe has a very nice Endura in all Stainless for $116:
https://cutleryshoppe.com/spyderco-c10p ... el-handle/

I have to admit I am a huge fan of Spyderco all Stainless Steel knives. I love the extra weight & the heft.

The Endura is a big knife, which for this purpose I prefer over a smaller knife.

How is the blade on the Endura? Thick? Fragile. I can't decide if I like the shape of the blade, though.

Cutlery Shoppe has a Native Chief w/orange scales for $155, which is a steal, and I'm considering that knife also, but I'm a little worried about the thinness of the blade. It doesn't strike me as a sturdy workhorse like, say, the Shaman.

But those orange scales would make it easy to find when dropped.

I'm really leaning towards an Endura, it seems to have quite the pedigree.

What do you think, will I like it?

FeistyKat

[benben]

I know you said you love the extra weight and heft of stainless…..

I bought an original yellow handled serrated Pacific Salt in H1 as my Saturday work in the yard knife and couldn’t be happier with my choice, it’s literally perfect for that role!

[WilliamMunny]

Hi, all-

I'm trying to decide what Spyderco to get for working around the house & out in the yard.

Cutlery Shoppe has a very nice Endura in all Stainless for $116:
https://cutleryshoppe.com/spyderco-c10p ... el-handle/

I have to admit I am a huge fan of Spyderco all Stainless Steel knives. I love the extra weight & the heft.

The Endura is a big knife, which for this purpose I prefer over a smaller knife.

How is the blade on the Endura? Thick? Fragile. I can't decide if I like the shape of the blade, though.

Cutlery Shoppe has a Native Chief w/orange scales for $155, which is a steal, and I'm considering that knife also, but I'm a little worried about the thinness of the blade. It doesn't strike me as a sturdy workhorse like, say, the Shaman.

But those orange scales would make it easy to find when dropped.

I'm really leaning towards an Endura, it seems to have quite the pedigree.

What do you think, will I like it?

FeistyKat

Get the Endura if you like it, don’t over think it. It is a good big sturdy knife with a good steel that can take some abuse and is easy to sharpen.

If you over think it, like I have before, you will open Pandora’s box of possibilities. Like the St Nicks Manix XL in 4V… never ending possibilities. Red G-10, big easy to hold handle with gloves, tough steel, DLC to stop rust… only $185… never ending.

[mikey177]

I would also suggest looking at the Pacific Salt. I seldom reach for my stainless handle Delica when doing yard work because, although it indeed feels hefty, the smooth handle scales make it feel slippery when in use.

I reach for an FRN handled Salt model instead, as it is easier to disassemble if needed for thorough cleaning. The stainless handle models are mostly pinned and hard to take apart.

[prndltech]

Always a salt knife for me!

[rgc]

If I was planning on dirt and fertilizer and everything else in gardening proper I would go with a salt too. That said I have the Native Chief from Cutlery Shoppe and find it an amazing pocket knife. I get it is a thin blade but for all that is good and holy it is still steel not balsa wood. Granted I use it like a folding knife and if I need something stronger I grab one of several fixed blades lying around.

[DSH007]

The Endura is a great knife, but that SS is going to be about the worst possible version for house/yard work. Slick scales & pinned construction do not lend themselves well to a down & dirty working knife, imo. As others have already mentioned, I'd also recommend the Pacific Salt (I like SE for yardwork).. however, if you're set on an Endura, I'd definitely go with the FRN version.. that bi-directional texturing is really going to help out when your knife gets dirty..

[TkoK83Spy]

I actually like the Matriarch for yard work. This thing destroys everything in it's path. Also shares the same handle as the Endura.

Maybe not the best for other chores, but it's a dream in the yard.

[olywa]

I tend to use my yard knife pretty hard. Not sure if it's kosher to talk Byrd in this sub-forum, but I picked up a Byrd Rescue 2 SE in orange and it is a sturdy work knife. ****-for-stout and easy to find if dropped. Price is pretty palatable as well.

[JRinFL]

I'm going with the majority and also say a Salt knife is just about perfect for the yard. I literally do not care how dirty or nasty the job is, the Salts can just shrug it off. Also, they are easy to find on the ground if dropped or forgotten.

I have several for yard use and I rotate through them. Most used are the Native, Salt 1, and UKPK Salt.

[RustyIron]

I'm trying to decide what Spyderco to get for working around the house & out in the yard.

Cutlery Shoppe has a very nice Endura in all Stainless for $116:

Cutlery Shoppe has a Native Chief w/orange scales for $155,

Hey, Kat.
The Endura is a nicely sized knife, a nice balance between "usable" and "fitting in your pocket." I rarely use my Endura because the Police 4 is bigger, and bigger is better. But they're the same style of knife. I think you'd be happy with the Endura for general purpose work around the house. I prefer the Endura style over the Native Chief because I like the Spydie Hump on the spine.

The one thing you didn't mention was the style of the edge. Currently, I'm favoring a Police 4 with a serrated edge. I find that it's FAR superior for cutting through fibrous items, like sticks and stems on plants. It also seems to work better after the knife has dulled a little bit through use. The plain edge on the other hand, is better at delicate tasks, opening cardboard boxes, cutting vegetables, and cutting up rags in the shop.

You'll also want to consider how you intend to sharpen your new knife. But that's a topic for another time.

[Doc Dan]

I like the Endura a lot. I would get an FRN version as that stainless will get slippery (I know this from experience). The bidirectional texturing on the FRN scales will lock that knife into your hand. Now, the question is, which Endura. You can get it in orange, or other colors. However, you might consider a fully serrated Pacific Salt in Green and LC200N or Yellow with fully serrated H1. That way, you have no worries about rust.

[Hopsbreath]

That CS Chief is a great deal and beast of a knife. Keep in mind that it’s a knife and not a pry tool and you’ll be alright. The lock on the Chief feels more secure than the Seki back locks. Seki locks have a notorious amount of rock while the Golden Native series is minuscule. Had mine in my pocket yesterday, love that knife.

[steelcity16]

I like the recommendations for the Pacifiic Salt, but since you like heft I think you will feel the Pac Salt is too light and maybe a little too "flexy".

The combo edge Endura is a great workhorse and extra solid with the liners and saber ground blade. I'd go for that for an all-arounder.

Once the Cruwear G10 Straight Spine Stretch XL is released, that one would be your best bet for a large, hefty, solid, beater with a good nearly stainless super tough steel.

[wrdwrght]

If just one Spydie, I recommend a serrated Pacific Salt. If two, get a serrated Tasman Salt (if you can’t find a used serrated Spyderhawk Salt) and a plain-edge Delica, Endela, or Endura.

[kennethsime]

FeistyKat, it sounds like you know what you want.

The all-stainless Endura isn't my bag, but it may very well be your's. It's certainly a hefty knife, and will take a fair amount of not only use, but abuse.

VG-10 is a great steel for using around the house, as it takes a keen edge easily. You may have to touch it up once per week, or after a particularly heavy day of chores even, but it almost certainly won't rust and is really easy to work with.

I'd go FRN, and I prefer the Stretch (or maybe the Stretch 2 XL) to the Endura, but I'm not you.

[vivi]

guess I'm the only one that uses fixed blades here? stronger and much easier to clean. I don't see folders having a single advantage in this context.

[Coastal]

Maybe just my opinion, but because of what I use them for, yard knives must be serrated and have either a hawkbill or reverse-S blade. I use the Matriarch because I like the blade shape, but the Tasman Salt and Byrd Hawkbill are great also. As for household chores, the Endura is fine, but I'll take any other handle material over stainless steel. And again it's just my opinion, but I'll seldom buy a non-Salt knife if a Salt version is available. Thus I'd pick the Pacific Salt over the Endura.

I get what Vivi is saying about fixed blades, but I usually don't wear a belt, and I want to clip my knife to whatever I'm wearing, and I want it to be compact. In the kitchen, always fixed unless I'm just playing around with a new folder.

[Netherend]

guess I'm the only one that uses fixed blades here? stronger and much easier to clean. I don't see folders having a single advantage in this context.

I agree that fixed blades have an advantage In yard work but I do see advantages for some folders. I sometimes used a fixed blade when doing yard work but the pacific salt is far more convenient for most of the tasks in my garden. It’s true that a fixed blade is far easier to clean than a folder and they are typically stronger but ease of carry can matter when you are multitasking in the garden.

One other perk I find with the salts is their visibility . Lugging bags of mulch , fertilizer or soil and opening those bags, often means putting my knife down for a minute while i work. Sometimes I am out working in the garden and my toddler is out there with me trying to help. I appreciate the visibility of the salt line. The neon colors make the salt knives easy to find in the garden. The closest thing I have on that level in a fixed blade is my mule with blue g10 handle. Unfortunately most of my fixed blades have black handles and none are as stainless as my salt folders.

[Coastal]

guess I'm the only one that uses fixed blades here? stronger and much easier to clean. I don't see folders having a single advantage in this context.

This made me realize how much I would like a fixed-blade Matriarch Salt with a bright FRN handle, preferably baby blue, but yellow or orange would be great too. The ultimate yard knife.