Delica 4 Love

[tvenuto]

After a while in this hobby, you find that your collection has morphed and grown, but throughout there are some knives that you love to use consistently. For me, that knife is the Delica 4. I've had a Delica on me non-stop all summer, so for about a third of the year it has been and will be my go-to carry knife. I can fancy it up for the winter and the weekends, but during the week, and in the heat, it's the D4 all the way. Because of this, I decided that my collection needed a pragmatic face-lift, so I got rid of the "middle ground" knives that aren't either higher end EDCs or workhorse FRN knives. At this point, if it's not getting carried, I don't really enjoy owning it (with a few exceptions, of course ).

Normally drilling down to one favorite design would have the disadvantage of limiting your options, never good for a knife knut! Luckily, the D4 comes in plenty of colors and blade styles, so I can have my cake and eat it too! It's not often I get to show off among this crowd, but I figured it'd be fun to share the D4 versions I've managed to compile.



Clockwise from top:
-Tom Sachs Sprint White CE Saber
-Brown PE FFG (Convexed)
-Tan Waved PE Saber (handle from Kahr exclusive, blade swap)
-Teal (Spyderco calls "Gray") Waved SE Saber
-Denim blue Kahr Arms exclusive Saber shortened
-Blue Superblue/clad sprint PE FFG
-Orange PE FFG
-Red SE Saber (handle from trainer, blade swap)
-Grey PE FFG (my first Spydie)

The white Tom Sachs version is the jewel in this little Delica congregation. I got it NIB for less than MSRP off the bay not too long ago, so sometimes it just pays to be in the right place at the right time :D.

I know I'm missing a few colors, but sticking with the pragmatic theme I really only have interest in owning the ones I'll actually enjoy carrying. That's not to say there aren't a few more variations in my future, but given that these ride IWB I have a strong preference for the stainless blade steels.

Feel free to post some Delica love of your own.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Now you are just teasing me.

Love the red handle swap! Is it something you have to drill out pins to do?

[Johnnie1801]

Now you are just teasing me.

Love the red handle swap! Is it something you have to drill out pins to do?

Delica 4 has screw construction :)

[HarleyXJGuy]

Now you are just teasing me.

Love the red handle swap! Is it something you have to drill out pins to do?

Delica 4 has screw construction :)

That's what I thought, just was not sure about the trainer. Thanks.

[tvenuto]

Yea the SE/trainer swap was relatively easy. These FRN backlocks are hard to get back together since the spring tension puts pressure on stuff making it hard to align. Also the PB washers are paper thin and hard to center over the holes.

[spyderwolf]

Now,for a Delicaholic this pic is pure torture.I love the Delica,but sadly i own only 2.Hopefully this fall a Kahr Arms will join them.

[Doc Dan]

The D4 is my favorite knife, Spyderco or otherwise. I simply love that knife. I do carry other models, for different reasons, but the D4 is my general go-to knife. It is the general practitioner of knives. It will do a good job on just about anything a knife this size should do, but is not (thankfully) so specialized it is worthless for anything else. If I was limited to one folder, it would be a D4 of some sort.

[tvenuto]

Now,for a Delicaholic this pic is pure torture.I love the Delica,but sadly i own only 2.Hopefully this fall a Kahr Arms will join them.

For a while I only had the original Gray and the Orange (which mostly lived in my gun bag). Then the superblue Delica cam out, and I realized I had something of a collection going, and things just kind of flowed naturally from there...

Not that we needed all that for the trip, but once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.

[Chinook3]

Thanks for sharing, the white one caught my eye.

[pcguy23]

Nice collection,
I have three Delica's
One rides shotgun with me at work everyday

[twinboysdad]

So which is your favorite of the Delicas you own?

[tvenuto]

So which is your favorite of the Delicas you own?

If forced to choose only one I'd probably keep the Orange. For some reason I like the orange/red color family for knives, and I love the FFG VG10 blade. Awesome overall knife steel IMO, and I have no worries carrying it IWB with no AC in the MD humid summer. Runner up would probably be the red, because it's unique and I made it. I'm excited for the HAP 40 mainly to get another shade of Orange.

I'm most proud of the White Tom Sachs version, but it wouldn't be my favorite user. That's the dressy one of the bunch, and I don't want to get it dingy. Also the combo edge is my least favorite configuration, but it's what these came with so I'm going to keep it original.

[DougC-3]

[twinboysdad]

So which is your favorite of the Delicas you own?

If forced to choose only one I'd probably keep the Orange. For some reason I like the orange/red color family for knives, and I love the FFG VG10 blade. Awesome overall knife steel IMO, and I have no worries carrying it IWB with no AC in the MD humid summer. Runner up would probably be the red, because it's unique and I made it. I'm excited for the HAP 40 mainly to get another shade of Orange.

I'm most proud of the White Tom Sachs version, but it wouldn't be my favorite user. That's the dressy one of the bunch, and I don't want to get it dingy. Also the combo edge is my least favorite configuration, but it's what these came with so I'm going to keep it original.

I dig the NASA white myself. CE was my first D4 and it ain't the worst. Yes it is a bit too little of either but I did not hate it. Sold it (foliage green NOT the white) to a co worker who bugged me non stop about it

[DougC-3]

The foliage green saber ground CE Delica, third from the top, is sort of a classic to me, as a relative newcomer.

[DougC-3]

The brown Delica was the first one that caught my eye. I bought it at twinboysdad's favorite B&M (mine too ). My most carried Delica before I got the Damascus one. Here, brown compared to that of the Native:

[tvenuto]

I really like the earth tones in the FRN as well. The tan in particular looks great in person. If I ever see a full SE Foliage Green (now disco'd), I'll certainly jump on it. Nice pics, fellas!

[harronek]

I have 3 Delica's and they are the only knife that I have multiple versions of .
That says a lot about how highly I rate the Delica .

My blade swapped Titanium - ZDP 189 is as close to perfection that I have found so far .




Ken

[Doc Dan]

This is definitely my next Spyderco purchase. That is nice.

Looking at your other photos and the Nishijin R, since the DF came out in Nishijin, one would think we could get a Delica in Nishijin with ZDP-189 as well.

[bearfacedkiller]

I can tell how much I like a knife when I browse my photobucket by how many pics of it there are. It would be hard for me to like a knife more than my Super Blue Delica. I have a SB Stretch, Endura, Caly3 and Caly3.5 but the Delica is my favorite of the bunch. I carry it often and apparently adore it enough to take a ton of photos of it. :D Here are just a few.