It's fantastic both in the pocket and in the hand. Complaints about the clip were widely exaggerated as the CQI version relocated the clip as close to the end of the knife as it could reasonably go. Plus, there are gobs of Spyderfans who simply must swap the clip on every knife they buy. Most of the negative knifetuber "reviews" were of the pre-CQI version. With the original clip, it's perfect in a fifth pocket (regardless of CQI or not).
It cuts extremely well, curiously well given how sturdy the tip is. It's a very public friendly size and has a very public friendly blade shape.
A lot of folks may see it as a small knife with a big handle. Blade to handle ratio snobs were probably not impressed. The handle is big enough for most hands and the blade is big enough for most everyday kind of jobs. It just works.
The Brouwer would make a great sprint run or knife shop exclusive. I'd really like to see someone do one in Cruwear or S90V. The G-10 front side scale could allow for different colors for shops that like to have a color and steel pattern for their exclusives. A carbon fiber S90V sprint or a Crucarta version would be epic!
This post is inspired by my first couple of knives from the company who invented the lock used by the Brouwer. I do like them, but I honestly think I'd rather have an upgraded Brouwer instead.
However, if it never comes back, I'll continue to enjoy the four Brouwers I have accumulated and they'll still be fantastic. And yes, it's quite ridiculous that I ended up with four, but none of them are going anywhere.
--Christian
Knife nut & Spydie aficionado 