I found a "used" Endura 4 FRN PE on eBay for a very low price. The pictures were accurate, and he made no bones about it being "experienced." I still think I got a reasonable deal since I got a VG-10 blade that is basically sound even though it desperately needed reprofiling. I'll have to work on that a bit more, but it is sharp enough for EDC needs at the moment.
I've been carrying it for a few days. :thanks: You are right; it is relatively thin and light for such an impressive blade. I am embarassed to say that I may have asked for more than fits my hip pocket well. The tip of the Endura pushes out the bottom of my pocket so it may wear through long before the rest of the pants wear out. I haven't asked anyone to look closely while I'm seated to see what it looks like.
I have a Boker Plus M-Type on order to see if 1/2" shorter feels better. Either way, I'm glad I have an Endura!
A previous owner tried to sharpen it by various means. There is evidence of inexpert use of a small stone (significant scratches on the sides). It also looks to me like someone tried one of those drag-it-through-a-carbide-V sharpeners. It took a while with a DMT Aligner to correct 90% of that. I got a little heavy-handed with it so my DMT "stones" lost a lot of their grit. New stones are on order. Learning is a good thing. :thumbsup: And I won't care so much if I make a mistake on this blade since I have a lot less invested in it than I would a newer Endura 4.
A previous owner also moved the clip around a bit. The clip screws were a bit damaged. One was not even fully tightened. I send e-mail to Spyderco, got a reply in 30 minutes flat and got 3 new screws (and a full catalog) in the mail a few days later. Spyderco service is amazing! :twothumbs
I find the FRN scales a bit too rough and "grippy" for easy pocket clip use. I sanded down the clip side of a Byrd Robin to make it easier on my pockets (to be legal while visiting California schools). I wonder how G-10 scales would be on the Endura. I do not see replacement scales for sale on Spyderco's web site or elsewhere on the Internet. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places. Any ideas?
Thanks again to all who recommended an Endura. If anyone is interested, I'll update as the blade is reground to fix the old sharpening scratches and the Boker Plus M-Type is tried for size.