Spyderco Forums

I acquired the Ulize when it was released in 2012. At the time I thought it stood easily among Spyderco's more elegant offerings, and today I still think it does. It's so pretty I've been reluctant to put it use, but perhaps its length may have something to do with that. I finally took my Ulize out of the box and have been playing with it at my desk for the past week. Pretty soon it's going to migrate into my pocket for some real world use. How about hearing from those who have been using their Ulize? What have you used it for and how's your experience with it?

I carried mine for a few weeks after winning it from the calendar contest. It's a very interesting design with amazing ergonomics. I haven't used it much as I don't really have a reliable way to sharpen recurves, but it's a great knife if you have a need for a fairly large/thin knife. It feels so good in your hand you really need to feel for yourself before it makes sense.

Evil D wrote:I carried mine for a few weeks after winning it from the calendar contest. It's a very interesting design with amazing ergonomics. I haven't used it much as I don't really have a reliable way to sharpen recurves, but it's a great knife if you have a need for a fairly large/thin knife. It feels so good in your hand you really need to feel for yourself before it makes sense.

Ive always wanted a Ulize. But for one reason or another its always took a backseat to other Spydie models.
But now hearing from you what great ergos she has Ill prolly have to get one this time....

MacLaren wrote:

Evil D wrote:I carried mine for a few weeks after winning it from the calendar contest. It's a very interesting design with amazing ergonomics. I haven't used it much as I don't really have a reliable way to sharpen recurves, but it's a great knife if you have a need for a fairly large/thin knife. It feels so good in your hand you really need to feel for yourself before it makes sense.

Ive always wanted a Ulize. But for one reason or another its always took a backseat to other Spydie models.
But now hearing from you what great ergos she has Ill prolly have to get one this time....

I was in the same camp...probably still am. I don't think it's a knife that I would buy, simply because I'm not a big recurve fan, but I am very happy to own it and have no interest in parting with it. I think it's a knife that more people would like if they handled it. I would definitely take one over a Police, and that's sort of the only real competition it has. If the recurve portion of the edge was more straight, I would like it much more. I'm a big fan of negative angle blades so it won me over in that area, and I really love the way the handle feels in your hand. It's "appropriately big" if that makes any sense at all.

Evil D wrote:

MacLaren wrote:

Evil D wrote:I carried mine for a few weeks after winning it from the calendar contest. It's a very interesting design with amazing ergonomics. I haven't used it much as I don't really have a reliable way to sharpen recurves, but it's a great knife if you have a need for a fairly large/thin knife. It feels so good in your hand you really need to feel for yourself before it makes sense.

Ive always wanted a Ulize. But for one reason or another its always took a backseat to other Spydie models.
But now hearing from you what great ergos she has Ill prolly have to get one this time....

I was in the same camp...probably still am. I don't think it's a knife that I would buy, simply because I'm not a big recurve fan, but I am very happy to own it and have no interest in parting with it. I think it's a knife that more people would like if they handled it. I would definitely take one over a Police, and that's sort of the only real competition it has. If the recurve portion of the edge was more straight, I would like it much more. I'm a big fan of negative angle blades so it won me over in that area, and I really love the way the handle feels in your hand. It's "appropriately big" if that makes any sense at all.

It makes sense. And your not making this any easier on my wallet haha
Its beautiful too imo.
Is she easy to open? Or a litttle stiff like the Police?

The Ulize's negative blade angle was a big attraction to me too. I was on a jungle trek SE Asia earlier this year and watched how much the trail guides (and farmers) favor their recurve Khukris. Those are powerful slashing/chopping machines, but they were full-sized hatchets of course. Anyway that got me wondering more about the utility of recurves on small pocket knives like the Ulize.

I also prefer the ergos (as well as the esthetics) of the Ulize over the Police, but the Police is no slouch and its another one of my favorites.

[/quote]

It makes sense. And your not making this any easier on my wallet haha
Its beautiful too imo.
Is she easy to open? Or a litttle stiff like the Police?[/quote]

I find it opens similarly to the Police. Both were stiff at the beginning, but positioning the clip for tip down carry and a little practice, I'm able to open both very easily and in all the usual Spyderco methods: thumb opening, thumb flick, ring finger into hammer grip, middle finger flick, and Spydie flick into razor grip.

MacLaren wrote:

Evil D wrote:

MacLaren wrote:

Evil D wrote:I carried mine for a few weeks after winning it from the calendar contest. It's a very interesting design with amazing ergonomics. I haven't used it much as I don't really have a reliable way to sharpen recurves, but it's a great knife if you have a need for a fairly large/thin knife. It feels so good in your hand you really need to feel for yourself before it makes sense.

Ive always wanted a Ulize. But for one reason or another its always took a backseat to other Spydie models.
But now hearing from you what great ergos she has Ill prolly have to get one this time....

I was in the same camp...probably still am. I don't think it's a knife that I would buy, simply because I'm not a big recurve fan, but I am very happy to own it and have no interest in parting with it. I think it's a knife that more people would like if they handled it. I would definitely take one over a Police, and that's sort of the only real competition it has. If the recurve portion of the edge was more straight, I would like it much more. I'm a big fan of negative angle blades so it won me over in that area, and I really love the way the handle feels in your hand. It's "appropriately big" if that makes any sense at all.

It makes sense. And your not making this any easier on my wallet haha
Its beautiful too imo.
Is she easy to open? Or a litttle stiff like the Police?

Yeah, pretty similar to a Police. Large blade, it takes a pretty strong spring action to create a close bias strong enough to keep the blade from coming open. I wouldn't say it's difficult or really even stiff...it's what you'd expect from a large bladed lock back.

Evil D wrote:

MacLaren wrote:

Evil D wrote:

MacLaren wrote: Ive always wanted a Ulize. But for one reason or another its always took a backseat to other Spydie models.
But now hearing from you what great ergos she has Ill prolly have to get one this time....

I was in the same camp...probably still am. I don't think it's a knife that I would buy, simply because I'm not a big recurve fan, but I am very happy to own it and have no interest in parting with it. I think it's a knife that more people would like if they handled it. I would definitely take one over a Police, and that's sort of the only real competition it has. If the recurve portion of the edge was more straight, I would like it much more. I'm a big fan of negative angle blades so it won me over in that area, and I really love the way the handle feels in your hand. It's "appropriately big" if that makes any sense at all.

It makes sense. And your not making this any easier on my wallet haha
Its beautiful too imo.
Is she easy to open? Or a litttle stiff like the Police?

Yeah, pretty similar to a Police. Large blade, it takes a pretty strong spring action to create a close bias strong enough to keep the blade from coming open. I wouldn't say it's difficult or really even stiff...it's what you'd expect from a large bladed lock back.

Yes. True. They are lockbacks. Thanx David.

Mine sees pocket time in the rotation. It's a nice design and i find it carries well for a larger folder. Very slender and the recurve helps with most cutting task. I'm very glad i received mine from the calendar contest. VG-10 is a good steel. I would definitely recommend this folder. Makes me want a police. Put it in your pocket and start using it. You'll appreciate the design more.

I'm with Mac, the Ulize immediately interested me when it was released, and I think I even started a thread asking about it. It has great lines, I like the negative angle, and I do love a Spyderco backlock. However, I know it's a tad large for consistent carry, and the recurve adds an unnecessary sharpening wrinkle, so I never pulled the trigger. Maybe one day I'll get around to it.

In Amsterdam, I handled a prototype of the "mini Ulize," which for some, might solve the size issue. I felt however that it looked a bit squat and lost its languid appearance, which really drained the appeal for me. We'll have to see if/when it comes out, though.

Bought one recently and sad to say it went 'catch n release'. The blade shape has so many things I like for an all-round knife that just happened to be a SD blade.

I can see and feel some of the 'Police' heritage, for the want of a better word but there was just something.....missing somehow?....I don't know.

I have a lovely sterile late 90s/early 00s G10 FFG Police and (for my hand) it sits just perfectly and is lively when manipulating it- it simply moves 'just so' without conscious input required.....The Ulize's balance was 'off' in comparison- too tail heavy- and the 'feel' in my hand was less 'even' than the Police....I did like the greater curve to the Police, for sure. But at the 'guard' end things seemed to stack my fingers up awkwardly.

It's hard to put these things into words- I know to a certainty that someone out there is going to pick up the Ulize and have that 'spark in the mind' that the Police did (and does) when I picked it up....

The only way to describe it is seeing the more recent remake of a beloved movie and- while it is certainly inspired by the original and a solid work in it's own right- there's just something that doesn't sink in as deep as the original.....

Ulize locks into your hand as good as any Spydie I have ever owned. I too let mine go mostly because how large it is folded and me wearing business casual 5 days per week. I still think a CE should be considered. A lot of "Ayoob" going on with the blade angle and I bet the SE being right in the recurve will be a hard cutter

I keep looking at this one but it's blade length is a bit over the 4 inches that is legal to carry in Minnesota.

To bad.

I'm going to research the law better but as I understand it 4 inches is the length limit in Minnesota.

demoncase wrote:Bought one recently and sad to say it went 'catch n release'. The blade shape has so many things I like for an all-round knife that just happened to be a SD blade.

I can see and feel some of the 'Police' heritage, for the want of a better word but there was just something.....missing somehow?....

that would be the 50/50 choil

The Ulize does feel truly magical when you hold it. I bought one after holding it even knowing that it will be seldom carried just because it felt so good. If I'm going somewhere I feel could be dangerous I can always clip it to the inside of one of my cowboy boots...I don't typically frequent places I suspect trouble though so I've only done so twice, but it carried absolutely innocuously perfectly. Definitely more of a collection piece for me, but I can definitely understand the purpose it was designed to fulfil.

I guess I'm the lone voice crying in the wilderness concerning not only concerning the Ulize but two other of Spyderco's great Recurve models to be considered>> I've been saying for about 2 to 3 years now how interesting it would be to test out one of Spyderco's recurves in Spyderedge :cool: With the wave in the blade keeping it in constant slicing and attack mode I just know in my gut that a premium Recurve model could be awesome with a serrated blade.

The Two Spyderco models I would like to see the most be made in Spyderedge are the ULIZE and the older/disco'd SPYKER model to me would be the prime candidates. Those are my two top choices for seeing if a REcurve model would be the beast I think it would be if given the chance. Now I've also considered Brother "Dialex's" ADVENTURA model in SE or maybe even CE for a Recurve blade that small might be the ticket.

When you consider how great of a cutter/ripper that the Harpy and Spyderhawk Hawkbill models both are in full Spyderedge then just think of what a recurve design would be like with teeth :cool: I'm wondering if the hierarchy at the Great Spyder Factory have even considered it or even experimented with a Recurve Spyderedged blade. I just know that a ULIZE in full Spyderedge would be a megabeast>> even if you had to alter or modify the serration pattern to accomodate it I think would be well worth a try. Because if Hawkbills cut so good in a constant mode of entry then just think of what a top notch recurve model would be capable of????? I dare Spyderco to let about 5 of us test drive such a beast :D :cool:

I was considering the Ulize when I picked up my G10 SE Police 3. I held it in hand and of the two models the Ulize looked sexier but the Police 3 just felt better all around. Both carry slim in the pocket although IIRC the Ulize is still more narrow......I think the choil on the Police 3 is what makes the difference. Also, I am glad that I got my Police in SE now that it is discontinued. Ulize is nice though......but with the news of a Ti prototype ZDP PE Police (hopefully FFG) I think that would push the Ulize even farther down the list for me. The Ulize is a very nice looking knife though!

JD Spydo wrote:
When you consider how great of a cutter/ripper that the Harpy and Spyderhawk Hawkbill models both are in full Spyderedge then just think of what a recurve design would be like with teeth :cool: I'm wondering if the hierarchy at the Great Spyder Factory have even considered it or even experimented with a Recurve Spyderedged blade. I just know that a ULIZE in full Spyderedge would be a megabeast>> even if you had to alter or modify the serration pattern to accomodate it I think would be well worth a try. Because if Hawkbills cut so good in a constant mode of entry then just think of what a top notch recurve model would be capable of????? I dare Spyderco to let about 5 of us test drive such a beast :D :cool:

Get one and send it to Tom Veff...