Spyderco Questions

[charge]

I am thinking about getting my first spyderco knife but I have a few questions. I will be EDCing this and cut mostly boxes, rope, wood...etc

1. Are all Spydies made in the USA?
2. I have been looking at the Delica and Endura models, is the Wave feature worth having?
3. Is VG-10 steel pretty good?
4. I want to learn to sharpen my own knives. Should I get a plain edge, combo, or serrated.
5. which locking mechanism do you prefer
6. is the sharpmaker easy to use. I am pretty handy and learn fast, is this something I can do. does it do serrated blades?

I know there are alot of topics here but I appreciate your input and opinions on my first Spydie.

Thanks,
charge

[Solstice]

I'm pretty far from an expert, but I'll give a crack at some of these:

1: No. I don't know were all of them are made, but I had a Cricket and have seen others stamped Seki City, Japan. Still a good place for a knife to come from.
2: IMO, Yes! The Wave doesnt add much cost or weight, but if used correctly gives a huge advantage in functionality and speed of opening. You won't find this feature on a production knife so cheap- Emerson (who holds the patent) makes much more expensive (and arguably not much better) products. Otherwise, you have to go with a "ghetto" wave which is either something less reliable tacked onto a knife or involves grinding out and shaping the blade of an existing knife. Either way, the production Spyderco Wave's work better, are more reliable, and are under warranty.
3. Yes. High rust resistance, takes a wicked edge, easy to resharpen. Many folks prefer it even over S30V which is used in the top dollar products like the CRK Sebenza.
4. Plain. Easiest by far.
5. This is a point of contention. The lockback Spydie uses is tried and true, but is a bit awkward to operate with one hand and doesn't allow for the smoothest opening. That said, I wouldn't let it deter you from an Endura or Delica. Other options include a liner or frame lock- easy with one hand, though your thumb gets in the blade path. The liner lock is often considered less reliable, although this too is not a hard and fast opinion. The Axis lock (popularized by Benchmade and to a lesser extent SOG under the name "Arc Lock") is probably the most universally celebrated lock in a production knife.
6: Yes. Best bang for the buck quality sharpener IMO. Remember, Spyderco started out making sharpeners, and this product has been around for the long haul. Not great for totally changing edge geometry (especially with harder steels like ZDP) but excellent for touching up a blade before it gets too dull.

Hope this helps and good luck! I'd say go with either a Delica/Endura Wave or a Salt I/Pacific Salt (the H1 steel cant rust and still takes a great edge). Otherwise, the Byrd line is comprable and offers terrific knives at even lower prices.

Good luck,
Jon

[BladeDogg]

WoW that sure is a load of GOOD questions.

For your means (EDC cutting) I would get a half and half blade. I have been pretty lucky with sharpening with my sharpmaker on serrated but it is a little more challenging. If I could do it I am sure you can!

1. not all made in the USA
2. wave is good for one hand deployment.
3. VG-10 holds up pretty well for me and my EDC uses
4. answered above
5. to me the best lock on a knife is a fixed blade...hahaha. The next best is a framelock, then liner, then lockback. NOT to say that spyderco's lockbacks suck. I have not had one fail on me yet.
6. the sharpmaker rocks!

Your first Spyderco should be either the Delica or Endura. Time tested, true classic of a Spyderco. Once you buy one you will be tempted to buy them all. The Delica is good for work use (smaller blade and more sheep friendly). The Endura is a bit longer and more useful to me but then again I am used to carrying a Strider GB. The Endura is my ALL time FAVORITE knife ever. I am biased like that.

You are heading down a SLIPPERY slope of knives I can tell!

Enjoy and GOOD luck in picking your first Spyderco.

[TxTroubleMaker]

I am thinking about getting my first spyderco knife but I have a few questions. I will be EDCing this and cut mostly boxes, rope, wood...etc

1. Are all Spydies made in the USA?
2. I have been looking at the Delica and Endura models, is the Wave feature worth having?
3. Is VG-10 steel pretty good?
4. I want to learn to sharpen my own knives. Should I get a plain edge, combo, or serrated.
5. which locking mechanism do you prefer
6. is the sharpmaker easy to use. I am pretty handy and learn fast, is this something I can do. does it do serrated blades?

I know there are alot of topics here but I appreciate your input and opinions on my first Spydie.

Thanks,
charge

1. No, some are/have been manufactured in Japan, Twain, Italy, Switzerland and other countries I can't think of...

2. Both are great knives, just depends on weather or not you need/want a big knife or small-medium sized knife. The wave is great if you want a quick deploy type knife. I really didn't care for them which is why I sold mine. If you're really curious about it, buy one and try it out for yourself(the worst thing that happens is you don't like it and you sell it).

3. VG10 is an excellent steel, very easy to maintain and always gets scary sharp, some even think it's better than S30V. I don't think you'll be disappointed with it.

4. Edge type is very subjective, it really boils down to preference and application. If you're breaking down boxes, I'd go with an SE blade. If you're slicing fruit, PE would be the way to go. I could probably come up with better examples, but I've been on the road all day(sorry). The good news is that the shapmaker makes sharpening any edge type a breeze.

5. Lock types again are a matter of preference and application. I know this will probably open a big can of worms but I think the lock-back wins the strength test. Do a search on Spyderco Forums, the original Chinook is the big dog of lock strength. If I remember right, the breaking point was some huge amount of weight per square inch. Keep in mind that each lock style has its own strengths and weaknesses. IMHO, you can't go wrong with anything that Spyderco makes.

6. The SharpMaker is a great sharpener and is very easy to use. Plus it can sharpen serrated knives. However, if you want to re-profile a knife the gray stones are not abrasive enough. It can be done, it'll just take forever. Get a set of the diamond rods and the problem is solved.

I'm sure that others with more knowledge will chime in, but I hope that this at least helps out a little.

[guntotin_fool]

I stick with three points that i feel need addressing.

2 the wave, a good idea, but not one I feel is that hot for EDC in a working environment, also can be hard on the pants and whats behind the pants. In practice the two finger grip on the hole with the hand shake opening is so fast as to beat most guys trying to find the open button on their automatics. I carry with the tip down and as i reach for the knife, my two fingers automatically grab the hole and with a little jiggle of the hand the knife is out in a flash.



4 edge type, plain edge, always. wavy edges are not the place to start learning about sharpening angles and besides, they really do not work better in any thing EXCEPT some of the new miracle fibre ropes and fabrics. A sharp knife with a plain edge with take down boxes as fast as anything, although I usually use a box cutter or stanley knife just to keep the good knife from hitting staples, glass tape and the like. In my office there is a couple of box cutters by the shipping/receiving desk and a stanley knife on a lanyard just for that purpose.

5 lock type, I really prefer liner locks, I have used one edc for 9 years, never had it come loose when it was not wanted to. For me, a liner lock got its bad reputation with cheap chinese knives that used to show up, a good liner lock from a quality manufacturer will not let you down. Strength in the ultimate sense is to me a non issue, if you are stressing a folder to the point of worrying about the lock strength, then you need to be thinking about an EDC fixed blade. A sharp knife should not need that kind of force. I am a contractor, I use my knife daily in the shop and on the job, and I USE it, but I never ever feel I am cranking on it anywhere near it's breaking point. I have both a Mannix and a Military. I carry a smaller Buck Odyssey which was Bucks attempt to make a spydie knife. I carry the Buck in ATS 34 steel which works great for me. The Mili and the Mannix are great knives, really big brutes. which is why they sit in my grab bag and in my truck. One is a liner lock the other a lock back, I honestly do not think that you can break either one with out a vise and a cheater bar. I have seen one failed endura, which failed when the guy using it was trying to pry a cinch pin out of a lifting rig with it. that is normally a job for a claw hammer or a crowbar. Was it the knifes fault, absolutely not!, but it can happen if you stress the knife all out of proportion to it's designed use.

Also, I find the need to turn a lock back around in my hand to operate the lock as unnecessarily slow. I used to carry a 110 Buck(a 440C version) and an old tool steel Gerber III for years, both worked very well, but once i used a liner lock, it just fit my ergo's much better.

If you are just starting out in knives, consider one or two of the spyderco Byrd series, although made in china, they are surprisingly well made, they also can be had for about 12 to 16 bucks, which would allow you to buy a couple of different styles and find out which you like with out the dread of "oh crap I just spent 60 bucks and i hate it" which from experience really hurts.