Centofante Opinions?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

What do you all think of the Centofante with VG-10 steel blade and FRN handles? Great overall EDC and use knife?

Would you recommend it for kayak fishing and general hunting and outdoors-use?

[bearfacedkiller]

I do not have the Centofante3 but I do have the Centofante4 and I love it. It is VG10 and we all know what to expect there, good stuff. It is very thin stock at 2mm and has a great blade to handle ratio with a ton of cutting edge for it's size. It is also very lightweight having a liner on only one side. The smoother frn and silver bug make it a very attractive knife. Having only one liner means that the clip is only mountable for right hand carry but it is both tip up and tip down capable. It has a smaller Spydie hole but I have no problems opening it. It is hollow ground and I prefer FFG but it has such thin stock that it slices very well. It is fully pinned construction and while I do prefer screw construction or at least an adjustable pivot I can live with pinned and mine is very smooth in the pivot. These are minor faults for me and I love my Centofante4 and really want a Centofante3 but just haven't got around to it.

I think it would excel at any EDC task that didn't require thicker stock.

[SpyderNut]

...I think it would excel at any EDC task that didn't require thicker stock.

Darby summed it up perfectly. My wife actually started to EDC a Centofante 3 since September (after accidently misplacing her Persistance :rolleyes: ). In a word, this knife is about the perfect mild-to moderate use EDC for the money. I have an older Vesuvius that is nearly identical except for the locking mechanism and color. (Also, the Cento 3 is made in Seki City vs. Golden, CO). I actually prefer the Cento 3 to the Delica. This is a hard one to pass up--especially for about $60 bucks.

[gaj999]

What do you all think of the Centofante with VG-10 steel blade and FRN handles? Great overall EDC and use knife?

Would you recommend it for kayak fishing and general hunting and outdoors-use?

One of my favorites. A classic that cuts like a laser beam and has a usefully thin tip ... which brings up a question: General hunting and outdoors use means a fixed blade to me ... but that's me. And I do know a guy who field dressed a moose with a SAK :eek: ... so tastes vary ... maybe you could expand a bit? And the fishing? Salt water? Get one of the Salts.

Gordon

[bearfacedkiller]

I broke down. I have been staring at the $46 dollar Centofante3 on Amazon for days now and just pulled the trigger. How can you pass at that price?

[sdedalus83]

I broke down. I have been staring at the $46 dollar Centofante3 on Amazon for days now and just pulled the trigger. How can you pass at that price?

It's a slick knife, especially for the money.

[timlara]

I love my Centofante3 as well (posted a thread about how much I liked the thin blade stock recently). I see it as more of an affordable "gentleman's" EDC than a hunting or outdoorsy knife personally, as the thin profile and mostly smooth FRN with the decorative bug inlay make it look very classy, however, I would think the nice thin blade might actually work pretty well for filleting small fish, I suppose. VG-10 actually has very good corrosion resistance in my experience as well. I have some VG-10 kitchen knives that frequently get left out wet on the counter instead of being dried and put away properly (by other family members of course!) and I have yet to find any signs of rust or pitting on them.

I really like the blade shape on the Centofante3 also. The tip pierces amazingly well and it just zips through whatever you're cutting with hardly any drag at all. The ergos are great as well, although I would say I still prefer the in-house designed Spydies with a choil (such as the Stretch) a little bit more than any of the collaborative pieces I've tried that do not have the trademark forward choil grip that is on most of Sal's designs.

[Evil D]

Excellent knives. I would recommend them for all but harder use work, they're definitely not knives you want to stress the pivot with.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Excellent knives. I would recommend them for all but harder use work, they're definitely not knives you want to stress the pivot with.

Could they handle cutting cardboard over an extended period of time, for recycling, or would you recommend one of the beefier models, like an Endura for that?

[demoncase]

The Centofante 1 and 2 are great little classic folders, if you can find one- FFG, good steels (mine was ATS-34 SE) slice wonderfully, though the handles are very straight for long jobs. The secondary lock is a bit superfluous unless your doing some real heavy cutting. Slim, light, and a superb EDC.

Centofante 3 and 4 are also very nice- but reminds me a lot of a 'sexed up' Delica in the fact it's a lockback in an FRN handle and VG10 blade. More ergonomic than the originals, but the handles lack grip with wet hands. Would be fine for your suggested usage.

Don't forget the Centofante Memory- which is more like the originals in shape, but very, very nice in build.....It's been tempting me for a while

My personal preference for chopping up cardboard boxes is a serrated edge- they seem to 'bite' better with less 'sawing' required- I'd look at an SE Delica myself.

[dbcad]

If you're using them different models fall into different roles. For the Cento3 that role is a fine slicer. For cardboard I would pick a zdp D'Fly with a 40° edge angle and coarse edge finish.

Workmanship on the Cento is great:D My Cento3 is pretty well used in it's prescribed role and hasn't shown any noticeable deterioration in the past few years :) Put and keep a wicked sharp edge on it and you're good

[gaj999]

Could they handle cutting cardboard over an extended period of time, for recycling, or would you recommend one of the beefier models, like an Endura for that?

The thinner the blade, the better for cardboard. Think about why box cutters aren't built like crowbars ...

Gordon

[Evil D]

Excellent knives. I would recommend them for all but harder use work, they're definitely not knives you want to stress the pivot with.

Could they handle cutting cardboard over an extended period of time, for recycling, or would you recommend one of the beefier models, like an Endura for that?

Yep they're great for that, so long as you don't go attacking the heavy 4 layer thick stuff you find in gaylords and stuff like that. For boxes they do just fine. That's primarily what I've used my Centofante 4 for.

[jackknifeh]

I broke down. I have been staring at the $46 dollar Centofante3 on Amazon for days now and just pulled the trigger. How can you pass at that price?

Dang, that is a great deal. That knife has bounced on and off my wish list for about 4 years. whattodowhattodo? :)

[On Edge]

I had both a Cento 3 and 4 once upon a time ...

Both great slicers, but the 4 with all that Wharncliffe real-estate ... it is a laser ... wish I'd have held on to that one ... toying with the idea of picking up another 3, since they're available ...

These are not "hard use" knives, but as a lightweight slicer, they'd be hard to beat ...

~ edge

[gaj999]

These are not "hard use" knives...

Well, no. No knife that has a pivot is really suitable for hard use ... Or is "hard use" different from hard use? If I were to speculate, I'd guess that it means ... hard enough to damage light weight folding knives but not quite hard enough to break the heavier weight ones ... in which case I agree. LOL

Poking fun aside, you make a good point. The Centofantes are knives for people who understand that a good knife can be easily ruined by incorrect usage and that if it can't be easily ruined that way, it isn't a good knife ... You can't combine a knife with a screwdriver, a prybar, and a shovel and end up with something that slices much better than an axe ...

Gordon

[On Edge]

" ... Well, no. No knife that has a pivot is really suitable for hard use ... Or is "hard use" different from hard use? If I were to speculate, I'd guess that it means ... hard enough to damage light weight folding knives but not quite hard enough to break the heavier weight ones ... in which case I agree. LOL

Point taken ... I should've been more specific ... "these are not hard use folders ..."

" ... Poking fun aside, you make a good point. The Centofantes are knives for people who understand that a good knife can be easily ruined by incorrect usage and that if it can't be easily ruined that way, it isn't a good knife ... You can't combine a knife with a screwdriver, a prybar, and a shovel and end up with something that slices much better than an axe ... "

.. it always amazes me to see folks putting an edge on a 3/8" slab of steel and wondering why it doesn't do a great job of slicing tomatoes ... :eek:


...

[jackknifeh]

I like the issue of folders being HARD USE knives or not. IMO they should never be considered hard use knives in the same category with fixed blades. I think we should say "hard use folder". That would simplify the issue I think. A Manix2 or a Bradley Folder IMO are hard use folders but should not be considered in the same league as a hard use fixed blade. So from now on when we talk about using folders for really hard work we will say "hard use folder". If we don't use that terminology it will be considered breaking a rule. :) And the knife cops will get us. :D

Seriously, hard use means different things to different people I suppose. It was different for me years ago but now in my retired, old age I don't think I ever do anything my GB can't handle. I bet if you were to consider my body like a knife it can do the work of a "ladybug folder". :)

Jack

[JD Spydo]

I don't mean to divert this thread but being we're on the subject of Centofante collaborations I can say enough about the older C-50 and C-25 models. Especially the C-50 in PE & SE both. That is one of my all time favorite Golden Colorado, USA Earth Spyders ever. If they are going to do Sprint Runs then they need to deeply consider the C-50 model for sure.

Both Centofante and Terzuola really have a cult following among Spyderco collectors and users and rightfully so.

[bearfacedkiller]

Oh yeah!!! Centofante 3 arrived today. Merry christmas to me. :)