Old Spyders: GIN-1 Blade Steel models

[JD Spydo]

I was very satisfied with the responses and enthusiasm shown on the recent "Old School Spyders" thread. It let me know that I wasn't the only one here on the forum that deeply appreciates the great Spyderco models of years gone by. But now I want to narrow it down a bit >> because the very first generation of Spyderco models and a few that I started out with were the GIN-1 blade steel models. I've heard that G-2 was virtually the same blade steel as GIN-1.

In the past two years I"ve heard many mixed feelings and differing opinions of Spyderco's beginning blade steel. So on this thread I would to chat about older Spyders with GIN-1 blade steel. Personally I liked GIN-1 in Spyderedges and still own a couple of them but rarely use them. So let's talk about or even show off your GIN-1 Spyders. The POLICE, MARINER and RENEGADE were my first three models I owned with GIN-1. Many of you new guys and gals might not even be aware of the GIN-1 models so this should be interesting.

[DerRock]

In my collection there are two knives, which contains steel G-2. It RL01 Ramco Laguiole 1994 or 1995 and C16S Wayne Goddard black micarta. Gin-1 is not, though it is the same thing.

[The Deacon]

G2 was a name Spyderco came up with to use on blades made of GIN-1 when their Japanese maker was afraid to offend another customer who had been led to believe they had an exclusive on that steel. G2 is not just "virtually the same as GIN-1, it is GIN-1.

[JD Spydo]

G2 was a name Spyderco came up with to use on blades made of GIN-1 when their Japanese maker was afraid to offend another customer who had been led to believe they had an exclusive on that steel. G2 is not just "virtually the same as GIN-1, it is GIN-1.

Thanks for the clearification on that DEAC because I was 99% sure that was the case but it had been so long since I even owned a model with G-2 inscribed on it. It was an old green handled Endura which I believe was the only Spyder I ever owned that had G-2 stamped on it.

I'm just wondering at that time what Spyderco's main long term goal was>> were they trying to be a "stainless only" knife company or were they on a quest to get the best materials available to make the best commercially produced cutlery... I now believe it was the later>> but on the other hand maybe Spyderco had other long term motives for their overall marketing goals.

I think it's fair to say that when Spyderco ramped up to new blade steels like ATS-34, AUS-8 and 440V at that point their game plan was taking off very well.

But let's not forget that the GIN-1 era did indeed put Spyderco on the right path>> and it sure looks like that was the case in retrospect.

[euphorbioid]

The highest C-number in my collection that is made of Gin-1 is a couple of C-62 navigators dated to 2000-01. Is that when ATS-55, AUS-8 and others began to be used. It seems like the c-numbers are more or less historically oriented but I am unsure about that.

[GoldenSpydie]

The highest C-number in my collection that is made of Gin-1 is a couple of C-62 navigators dated to 2000-01. Is that when ATS-55, AUS-8 and others began to be used. It seems like the c-numbers are more or less historically oriented but I am unsure about that.

I have two C94 UK Penknives in Gin-1 (blue FRN, drop point and orange FRN, rescue), which, according to Spydiewiki, were made after 2010. The Gin-1 Rescue UKPK is shown here in the bottom of this picture:



Here's a few more of my Gin-1 Spydies. I have plenty more, but these are my favorites.
This is my only Police, an aluminum handled model in Gin-1. I love the feel and shape of the Police.



Assorted Japanese-exclusive Workers





Endura 1 black/black/se



C24 Blackhawks--made in Golden, predecessor to the Native

[palonej]

Bunch of beauties right there G Spydie!!
Loooove those Workers especially!!
Joe

[JD Spydo]

The highest C-number in my collection that is made of Gin-1 is a couple of C-62 navigators dated to 2000-01. Is that when ATS-55, AUS-8 and others began to be used. It seems like the c-numbers are more or less historically oriented but I am unsure about that.

They actually used AUS-8 even before they used ATS-55 from what I remember. My first ATS-55 blade was a POLICE SE model followed shortly thereafter by my first Stainless RESCUE model also in ATS-55 and I got both of them around mid 99.

It seems like the last GIN-1 model in it's original era was either the Renegade or C-01 Worker model. I do believe that they might have used VG-10 even before they used ATS-55 because the Moran fixed blade model was their first knife with VG-10 and I believe it was introduced in 97 or thereabout. It's kind of funny in a way because VG-10 ultimately replaced ATS-55 which I thought was a good steel in Spyderedge just as I also thought GIN-1 was a good SE blade steel.

[DerRock]

It's my

RL01P Ramco Laguiole


C16S Wayne Goddard (that the top)

[remnar]

Here are all of my Gin-1/G-2 blades. Sorry for the low quality pic. :)

[JD Spydo]

Here are all of my Gin-1/G-2 blades. Sorry for the low quality pic. :)

I almost forgot that the Provenator model was made in GIN-1 :o I had it's little brother the SPUR model and I can't remember what blade steel it had>> I do believe it was stamped with G-2 to the best of my memory.

Great pictures guys>> That C-01 Worker model I believe would be great in one of the new supersteels.

[hudsonhawk]

Posted these in the old school thread but figured I'd post them again. My three oldest Spydies. The SS Police is Gin-1. The black-coated police is G2 and the Worker is not marked with blade steel but I believe it to be G1 or G2.

[JD Spydo]

Posted these in the old school thread but figured I'd post them again. My three oldest Spydies. The SS Police is Gin-1. The black-coated police is G2 and the Worker is not marked with blade steel but I believe it to be G1 or G2.

Those are really great "Hudsonhawk" because it just shows how timeless the original POLICE model is and why it's been a super success story for Spyderco. I almost forgot that they had a Black Bladed POLICE model from the GIN-1 Era.

In a way I"m sort of suprised that the C-01 Worker model didn't become a permanent fixture in Spyderco's main line up because that knife is such a great all around USER/EDC folder. The GIN-1 ERA really helped to launch Spyderco's success in the early going. I do hope we see more Sprint Runs from that Era up to the ATS-55 Era as well. Great pics!!

[JAfromMN]

I got this gin 1 c61 Pegasus as a gift years ago from a friend I lost contact with. I won't lose/sell/trade his gift.

Its a cool little blade I enjoy using.

It pairs up awesome with a Swiss army knife.



He thought it was a copilot when he gave it to me.

It took a bit of looking to figure out what it was: )

I use now and then. it cuts great and takes a OK edge. Gin 1 was good then and it still is. I think a lot of us have gotten a little buggy with all the different choices of steels now.

[JD Spydo]

I got this gin 1 c61 Pegasus as a gift years ago from a friend I lost contact with. I won't lose/sell/trade his gift.

Its a cool little blade I enjoy using.

It pairs up awesome with a Swiss army knife.

He thought it was a copilot when he gave it to me.

It took a bit of looking to figure out what it was: )

I use now and then. it cuts great and takes a OK edge. Gin 1 was good then and it still is. I think a lot of us have gotten a little buggy with all the different choices of steels now.

That "Pegasus" is what I like to refer to as one of Spyderco's "obscure" folders>> it's one of the models that was well designed but for whatever reason never took off at the box office. You could add the SPUR, PROGRIP, SPOT and Vagabond models to that list as well. I guess Spyderco has so many great models that a few of them for whatever reason never get off the ground on the sales charts.

That model closely resembles the Navigator and the Salsa to some degree. In other words a great blade that just got overlooked. I always liked a lot of those short bladed models you could get in Spyderedge>> the Dodo being my all time favorite in that category.

[Berry]

Here are two other Gin-1/G-2 knives.

[The Mastiff]

I have a soft spot for Gin 1 Spyderco knives still. My first Spyderco was a G2 Endura. In sharpening it I really noticed the difference between 440A and 440C steels and it really got me started on the whole "stainless steels can actually make nice knives" thing. I really began trying toi understand what made steels that didn't look all that different on a chart perform so differently. IMO, Gin 1 had almost the ease of 440A sharpening, but had almost the wear resistance as the terrible sharpening 440C I ran across from the 70's on. I had essentially stopped using any stainless knives until I found the Gin 1 Spyderco knives so essentially Gin/Silver paper steel was a notable waypoint on my journey.

joe

[hudsonhawk]

Posted these in the old school thread but figured I'd post them again. My three oldest Spydies. The SS Police is Gin-1. The black-coated police is G2 and the Worker is not marked with blade steel but I believe it to be G1 or G2.

Those are really great "Hudsonhawk" because it just shows how timeless the original POLICE model is and why it's been a super success story for Spyderco. I almost forgot that they had a Black Bladed POLICE model from the GIN-1 Era.

In a way I"m sort of suprised that the C-01 Worker model didn't become a permanent fixture in Spyderco's main line up because that knife is such a great all around USER/EDC folder. The GIN-1 ERA really helped to launch Spyderco's success in the early going. I do hope we see more Sprint Runs from that Era up to the ATS-55 Era as well. Great pics!!

I agree with you. I'm honestly shocked that the worker sprint seemed to stay on the shelves so long. It might be just my perception but it didn't seem to sell so well.

I love my police knives and they are evergreen classics to be sure. I'm still trying to pin down where that black-coated one truly came from. Information is scarce for knives that old. Initially I thought it was from the Ironstone catalog batch, but the more research I do, I think it was one of the early ones that one of the larger distributors did. Either way it is beautiful. I'd love to see Sal and CO do a sprint in black DLC for the good old C07.

[JD Spydo]

Well "Hudsonhawk" I agree with you concerning a SPRINT run of a black bladed POLICE model but with the newer/better ion fused coatings that have been hiting the market in the past 4 to 5 years or so I would love to see one with a Boron Nitride black coating.

Concerning the perceived slow sales of the Sprint Run C-01 Worker model I don't know exactly how many of those they made. Another model that sold slow that was in a later era was when they did the nuclear green USN Sprint Run Catcherman in H-1 about 3 to 4 years ago. I couldn't hardly believe that they were still on the shelves almost 6 months after their release. I truly think they should have done at least half of those in Full Spyderedge and I also believe they should have done with the Sprint Run Worker model as well IMO.

Some of the early going GIN-1 Spyderedged blades were real cutting beasts and they really set the stage for Spyderco's capture of the serrated edge market>> which I think is still big if they did it with the right models IMO.

[zhyla]

I became aware of Spyderco around 1997 when a coworker that owned a Delica started talking them up. I picked up a Rescue FRN that year and a GIN-1 Native the next at the local county fair (pre-9/11 Spyderco always had a booth with free sharpening).

At the time I was vaguely aware of relatively few other models: Dragonfly, Merlin, Harpy, Police. I didn't see a plain-edged Spyderco until mid 2000's. SpyderEdge was why you bought a Spyderco back then.

Until the recent sprint I knew nothing about the Worker. It strikes me as pointier than need be.

I remember eyeing all the Spyderco knives at the fair and buying stuff on the cheaper end of things. All those fancy stainless handled models were amazing but expensive. I can see why many of them didn't last. Knives are are sort of like jewlelry now. I can see a Pegasus, Copilot, Navigator, etc getting a lot of attention now.