Caly 3.5 discontinued?

[yablanowitz]

As difficult as it is to accept, having a few dozen fans on the forums doesn't mean a model is selling thousands of units per year. We here are not the buying public overall. We here do not purchase and continue purchasing enough of any model to sustain it in the lineup.

[Liquid Cobra]

Happy me ! I allready purchased 3 of them.Now I have to buy me a CF ZDP189 one.Or two :D .But it's interesting since I remember Sal saying that he carries a Caly 3.5.But I have a questions for Caly 3.5 lovers: why do you favor Caly 3.5 instead of Para 2 ? Just curious....

All of the blade of the Para without the bulky handle. A more refined knife in every way to me. As I have said many times, almost an Endura blade in almost a Delica handle. Deep wire clip, jimped choil. I mean it has fought a mountain lion and won! My standard VG10 has been my business casual EDC for 3 years now. Zero blade play. Only complaint one might have is it doesn't flick open well which means nothing to me. Better blade shape than the Para too. I truly consider the 3.5 to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Looks like a gent, performs like a roughneck.

Man you summed up this knife perfectly.

[bh49]

Not exactly, Roman. IIRC, there was a gap of several years between the G-10 Caly 3 being dropped and the G-10 Caly 3.5 being added.

Paul,
Gap was about 6 month. I remember well these events.

Still, it does pay to remember that when Spyderco discontinues an SKU, it does not always mean the knife disappears completely, sometimes it's just a materials change that requires a new SKU. In the case of the Caly 3.5, it could be that they're just switching colors of peel-ply G-10, switching from peel ply to polished or corrugated G-10, or switching to a different scale material altogether, like Nishijin Glass or a Japanese version of Pakawood/Dymondwood. Heck, given the love here for Super Blue, it could even mean the VG-10 is being replaced by that, with something other than grey G-10 to differentiate it from the Sprints. Heck, there even an outside chance that the VG-10 Caly 3.5 and Stretch are swapping blade shapes. :eek: One or more of those things could also be the reason that several other models are on that list. Hopefully, the PDF versions of the 2015 catalog will be out in the next couple weeks and we'll know for sure what's really going away and what's just shape-shifting a bit.

Thank you for kind words, but I am afraid that she is gone. I carry one of them. I have one in my display case and most likely will buy one more, but I feel sorry for people, who will not have opportunity to buy this knife. I am well aware that Caly3.5 CF/ZDP189 is staying, but in my opinion these are two quite different knives.

[bh49]

As difficult as it is to accept, having a few dozen fans on the forums doesn't mean a model is selling thousands of units per year. We here are not the buying public overall. We here do not purchase and continue purchasing enough of any model to sustain it in the lineup.

Jack,
No doubts Spyderco has good reason to discontinue Caly. I am just upset that such reason exist. IMHO this knife is the great example of the art of "fine knifemaking". The knife just near perfect functionally and athletically.

[xceptnl]

I am still just scratching my head how the best knife I have ever owned is discontinued...

Probably will buy one more back-up.

I picked up the VG-10 standard SKU from NK for $99.99

[PanChango]

Sad to see it go. Good knife that takes up little picket space.

[SpydyLover123]

I just checked the spyderco website and neither the frn stretch or the g10/vg10 caly 3.5/3 showed up as discontinued.

[bh49]

I am still just scratching my head how the best knife I have ever owned is discontinued...

Probably will buy one more back-up.

I picked up the VG-10 standard SKU from NK for $99.99

CS also has them for a good price of $105 plus will ship free out of the love to nutnfancy.

[bh49]

I just checked the spyderco website and neither the frn stretch or the g10/vg10 caly 3.5/3 showed up as discontinued.

do not worry. They will. Kristi never makes mistakes, especially like these.

[The Deacon]

I just checked the spyderco website and neither the frn stretch or the g10/vg10 caly 3.5/3 showed up as discontinued.

The "store" portion of the Spyderco website, SFO, is in many respects just like any other store. They can occasionally have stock on hand of knives that have been discontinued, and they sometimes run out of knives that other dealers have in stock. Plus, being discontinued does not always indicate that Spyderco has none left in the warehouse, just that no more will be made when existing stocks run out.

[WMR]

First off.... I find it really hard to believe that Spyderco has discontinued the Caly 3.5.
Having carried it for years, my recent favorite being the Super blue, I don't worry, as I have back ups now that will outlast me. But the Deacon gives me great hope here. He says: "or switching to a different scale material altogether"! Wow, that would mean I would have to get a couple more...

Actually, after several years of the Caly 3.5 in my pocket, I now carry the Nilakka after modifying the original scales that hurt my hand. So I guess anyone can get tired of a really great knife and look for something new. The marketing people seem to change what is available in the market so that companies can move on profitably. But.... I still don't believe it is discontinued.

[sal]

The discontining of models is usually more involved than it might appear. Each model is carefully discussed in our product meetings and decisions made.

The forums, at least our forums, are usually visited by afi's. Folks that are more knowledgable than the average knife buyer. That is the group that we will try to serve. This usually a smaller market, especially when one considers the tens of thousands of pocket knives sold worldwide, eg: any big box store.

In the case of the Caly, the market, while strong in it's attraction to the design, is a smaller market. The designs that I create for me (Caly 3.5, Stretch, Lil' Temp, Shaman, etc) will often be a smaller market because there are some features that I like in a knife that many will not like or consider important, like finger choils.

When a model is disco'd, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a poor design, but more that the market is too small to sustain inventory. Prbably good subjects for sprints.

Sometimes it's a maker problem, quality, capacity or difficulty to make. The performance market is quite different from the custom market, or the markets that deal with costs. We also have to make room for new models, which come out frequently at Spyderco.

sal

[twinboysdad]

Thanks Sal, I am raising an alcoholic beverage to my beloved Caly 3.5. I ordered a backup from CS. I really hate how the hard use movement has affected knife sales. I wish some down range guys would speak out and say how great FFG knives are and put an end to the sharpened pry bar movement. Those things might be good for somethings, but EDC cutting ain't it.

[sal]

Hi TBD,

The "hard use" market is just another market. One of the many.

sal

[bh49]

Sal,
Thank you sir for insight information and your thought on this matter. I hope to see Caly3.5 sprints with stainless blades. I wouldn't change steel. VG10 is a great all around steel and takes beautiful edge. 3.5" blade is a perfect size. Just different color or finish of scales will do the trick.
Roman

[bearfacedkiller]

At least we still have the CF ZDP version, for now. :)

[elena86]

At least we still have the CF ZDP version, for now. :)

Well said.For now....I have to make my move on this one ASAP !

[twinboysdad]

Hi TBD,

The "hard use" market is just another market. One of the many.

sal

sal,

I hope you did not take my comments to mean Spyderco was pandering to the hard use market. I meant the knife buying public as a whole has gone so hard use crazy that dollars are being spent on nightmare grind tanto folding log splitters instead of keeping classic and viable designs like the 3.5 flying off the shelves. I think all Spydercos are hard use for what I reach for a knife for!

[sal]

Hi TBD,

I didn't take any negatives from your comments. It is another market that has it's following. Often knife people will go into a number of different "genre" of knives as they learn. We make a few "Hard Use" models to service those folks (eg: Tuff), but in general, our customers are seeking very high performance cutters (Hi-Pereformance Matter Separators) or very high quality custom collaborations, so we make more of them.

sal

[bh49]

At least we still have the CF ZDP version, for now. :)

Not the same knife. Fortunately Landon passed a tip. NK have them on sale and now one of them on it's way to me. I hope that Sal also stashed few for himself :) :) :)