Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
User avatar
npad69
Member
Posts: 505
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:07 pm
Location: Palawan, Philippines

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#181

Post by npad69 »

ThePeacent wrote:
Tdog wrote: Can we please keep this thread on track? Don't have the Polestar but may pick one up. Like my Tenacious as a "value" folder.
Horses lying motionless on the ground.
I love my Resilience and the value line in general
:D
couldnt agree with you more!
my resilience (2nd spydie) has seen the insides of a cow, been to countless campouts, left untended and unwashed in the sink, batoned to split a frozen chicken, and other punishment.. did managed to develop some pitting but is easily removed with steel wool. even if the blade centering isn't perfect, its still my 2nd smoothest opening folder (next only to my para2). such value indeed!
ThePeacent
Member
Posts: 2847
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 12:45 am
Location: Barcelona, Spain

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#182

Post by ThePeacent »

npad69 wrote:
ThePeacent wrote:
Tdog wrote: Can we please keep this thread on track? Don't have the Polestar but may pick one up. Like my Tenacious as a "value" folder.
Horses lying motionless on the ground.
I love my Resilience and the value line in general
:D
couldnt agree with you more!
my resilience (2nd spydie) has seen the insides of a cow, been to countless campouts, left untended and unwashed in the sink, batoned to split a frozen chicken, and other punishment.. did managed to develop some pitting but is easily removed with steel wool. even if the blade centering isn't perfect, its still my 2nd smoothest opening folder (next only to my para2). such value indeed!
to date, of my 12 Spydie folders the Resilience is the most inexpensive but the smoothest I have,
go figure

:rolleyes:
User avatar
MichaelScott
Member
Posts: 3008
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:42 am
Location: Southern Colorado

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#183

Post by MichaelScott »

I liked my Tenacious too. I like my Polestar a bit better which is not to put down the Tenacious but to say that I also feel the Polestar is a refinement of the Tenacious family. I will have a better feel after I’ve used it for a few months but at this point I think it will serve me as well as the PM2 I was considering at half the cost. No a bad deal at all. So, that makes the Polestar a value knife for me.
Overheard at the end of the ice age, “We’ve been having such unnatural weather.”

http://acehotel.blog

Team Innovation
JaseRicco
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#184

Post by JaseRicco »

Impressions of the Alcyone after a week...

The not so good...

Price - I’m not going to spend too much time on this aspect of the knife as price has been much debated in this discussion. However, my opinion on this has not wavered. I still feel that $67, which is what this knife cost me after taxes, is still just too much.

Action - The action on this knife is disappointing to say the least. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s not smooth, because it is, smooth enough anyway, but sooo stiff?!?! In order to make the knife “Spydie Flickable”, without having to put a whole lot of wrist behind it, I had to loosen the pivot. But loosening the pivot resulted in blade play and a knife center that’s not so center. Now the blade play is minimal, and the less than center blade is not rubbing at all, but that’s really not the point. I hate to be redundant, but after paying what I did for the knife, the action should be a lot better. Considering the very smooth action you get on the Persistence, and the butter smooth action you get on the Efficient, both of which cost $25 less, I’m really not sure where the fail on Alcyone action lies. Upon disassembly I see that it has bronze washers which is what you want to see. I have cleaned it, oiled it, and have been opening, closing and flicking this thing for almost a week now to no avail. I’m hoping that this knife does break in as I continue to use, which would allow me to tighten the pivot back up taking the blade play out and getting the blade back to center. Only time will tell...

The Good...

Blade Shape - I really like the blade shape. I love the gradual thumb ramp that leads into a nice blade drop off. I am fond of the Byrd knife designs, especially the Raven and Crow, but want to keep my collection to Spyderco’s. So the fact that the Polestar and Alcyone were specifically designed after these two knives allows me to purcahse a Crow type design without having to purcahse the actual Crow.

Scales - I absolutely love the grey color plaid type design of the G-10. Depending on the light and angle, the G-10 can look grey, blue or even jade. What else can I say, the color and pattern of the G-10 is what sold me on this knife to begin with.

Steel - I really do not have an opinion yet as far as different blade steels are concerned, but I was able to get this steel razor sharp.

LockUp - The liner lock on this knife is good. You get a real positive feedback both in feel and sound when the blade is locked in place.

Fit & Finsih - Overall the knife appears to be well made and put tougher nicely. The finish on this knife is nice. All the edges have been smoothed out as to not be too aggressive on the fingers, including the edge on the Spydie hole, which is positive upgrade from the Efficient and Persistence, which have Spydie holes that are a bit sharp and harsh on the fingers. The interior liners have been skeletonized as to save weight.

Ergonomics - As stated above, the thumb ramp shape is really nice. The jimping for the thumb feels good without being too aggressive. I like the finger guard that has been incorporated for keeping the finger from sliding up onto the blade without the use of a finger choil. The texture of the G-10 is super nice and feels great. All of these characteristics along with the shape of the handle come together to make this knife super comfortable in the hand.

Overall, out of the three Spyderco knives I own, there is just something about the Alcyone that has quickly become my favorite. It is, IMO, what I would consider to be a sexy knife...if knives can be sexy. I would like it even more at a $50 price point though, especially with the Action the way it is.

All in all, GREAT knife design Sal
Last edited by JaseRicco on Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:42 pm, edited 16 times in total.
Jase

Current:
Para 3 LWT & Delica 4 Damascus KnifeJoy Exclusive

On The Hunt For:
Delica 4 Sprints & Exclusives (Background here...viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85708)

Sold:
Delica 4 Wharncliffe, Delica 4 Wharncliffe S30V Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive, Lil Matriarch Bento Box Shop Exclusive
User avatar
MichaelScott
Member
Posts: 3008
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:42 am
Location: Southern Colorado

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#185

Post by MichaelScott »

So far my Polestar's action has been as smooth and easy as I could wish. Considering the advanced ergonomics and bales steel it is certainly worth $20 USD more..
Overheard at the end of the ice age, “We’ve been having such unnatural weather.”

http://acehotel.blog

Team Innovation
JaseRicco
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#186

Post by JaseRicco »

MichaelScott wrote:So far my Polestar's action has been as smooth and easy as I could wish. Considering the advanced ergonomics and bales steel it is certainly worth $20 USD more..
I’m happy that your Polestar’s action is smooth, guess I wasn’t as lucky. Maybe I should have purchased a Polestar instead of the Alcyone, but it was just too big for what I am looking to carry.
Jase

Current:
Para 3 LWT & Delica 4 Damascus KnifeJoy Exclusive

On The Hunt For:
Delica 4 Sprints & Exclusives (Background here...viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85708)

Sold:
Delica 4 Wharncliffe, Delica 4 Wharncliffe S30V Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive, Lil Matriarch Bento Box Shop Exclusive
User avatar
olywa
Member
Posts: 771
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:10 pm
Location: Wetter WA

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#187

Post by olywa »

+1 on the positive feedback for the Resilience. Sexiest blade profile of any of my Spydies, regardless of price. It's become my 'ready for most anything' knife. I generally carry it when I might need a big blade that will still bury well in a pocket. It's also surprisingly nimble for such a large folder.
User avatar
Surfingringo
Member
Posts: 5818
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:02 pm
Location: Costa Rica

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#188

Post by Surfingringo »

I’m in the airport now on my way to the States. I’ll have my Polestar in hand this evening!
JaseRicco
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#189

Post by JaseRicco »

Surfingringo wrote:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:50 am
I’m in the airport now on my way to the States. I’ll have my Polestar in hand this evening!
Very Nice. Good Luck!!
Jase

Current:
Para 3 LWT & Delica 4 Damascus KnifeJoy Exclusive

On The Hunt For:
Delica 4 Sprints & Exclusives (Background here...viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85708)

Sold:
Delica 4 Wharncliffe, Delica 4 Wharncliffe S30V Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive, Lil Matriarch Bento Box Shop Exclusive
User avatar
Joris Mo
Member
Posts: 1099
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:51 am
Location: Amsterdam, NL.

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#190

Post by Joris Mo »

Was something that I noticed when I got my Alcyone that it's not quite as sexy as the Polestar but definitely still a sexy design.
Guess I'm not the only weirdo who thinks of a good design as sexy.. :D
User avatar
MichaelScott
Member
Posts: 3008
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:42 am
Location: Southern Colorado

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#191

Post by MichaelScott »

Joris Mo wrote:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:47 pm
Was something that I noticed when I got my Alcyone that it's not quite as sexy as the Polestar but definitely still a sexy design.
Guess I'm not the only weirdo who thinks of a good design as sexy.. :D
Probably not. Just read more of the posts here…
Overheard at the end of the ice age, “We’ve been having such unnatural weather.”

http://acehotel.blog

Team Innovation
JaseRicco
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#192

Post by JaseRicco »

Joris Mo wrote:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:47 pm
Guess I'm not the only weirdo who thinks of a good design as sexy.. :D
Haha...definately not the only one
Jase

Current:
Para 3 LWT & Delica 4 Damascus KnifeJoy Exclusive

On The Hunt For:
Delica 4 Sprints & Exclusives (Background here...viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85708)

Sold:
Delica 4 Wharncliffe, Delica 4 Wharncliffe S30V Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive, Lil Matriarch Bento Box Shop Exclusive
User avatar
Surfingringo
Member
Posts: 5818
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:02 pm
Location: Costa Rica

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#193

Post by Surfingringo »

I’ve had my Polestar for a day now and am loving it. The ergos seem to be really comfortable and the lockup on mine is bank vault tight. Of course I immediately ground the “leafiness” out of the blade because that’s what I do with leaf shaped blades. :cool: I’m really enjoying everything else about the knife though.

Image
JaseRicco
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:41 am
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#194

Post by JaseRicco »

Surfingringo wrote:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:37 pm
I’ve had my Polestar for a day now and am loving it. The ergos seem to be really comfortable and the lockup on mine is bank vault tight. Of course I immediately ground the “leafiness” out of the blade because that’s what I do with leaf shaped blades. :cool: I’m really enjoying everything else about the knife though.
Nice!! Glad to hear you’re happy with the knife.
Jase

Current:
Para 3 LWT & Delica 4 Damascus KnifeJoy Exclusive

On The Hunt For:
Delica 4 Sprints & Exclusives (Background here...viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85708)

Sold:
Delica 4 Wharncliffe, Delica 4 Wharncliffe S30V Cutlery Shoppe Exclusive, Lil Matriarch Bento Box Shop Exclusive
User avatar
npad69
Member
Posts: 505
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:07 pm
Location: Palawan, Philippines

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#195

Post by npad69 »

thats some badass mod mr. gringo! very tempted too to buy one and mod it like that
User avatar
Surfingringo
Member
Posts: 5818
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:02 pm
Location: Costa Rica

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#196

Post by Surfingringo »

npad69 wrote:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:56 pm
thats some badass mod mr. gringo! very tempted too to buy one and mod it like that
It’s a very comfortable knife (both in hand and pocket) and though I haven’t had a chance to use it much yet it has every appearance of being quite capable.

I have two very minor gripes about mine. One, it arrived with somewhat stiff action. I loosened the pivot about 1/16 of a turn and it’s now perfectly smooth and there’s still a vault like lockup with zero side to side play. The second (and bigger) gripe is the factory edge on mine was quite obtuse. It was over 20 degrees per side and I had to reprofile to 15 dps straight out of the box. Neither of those things are remotely big deals and I had everything sorted in 20 minutes but I had to admit I felt some minor annoyance. Just thought I’d leave the feedback since I might not be the only one with that experience and those are both easy things to address. At any rate, it took me no more than 15 minutes to get both issues sorted and my knife is perfect now and riding in my front pocket as I type. :)
User avatar
T_MAC686
Member
Posts: 354
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 7:31 pm

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#197

Post by T_MAC686 »

Surfingringo wrote:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:37 pm
I’ve had my Polestar for a day now and am loving it. The ergos seem to be really comfortable and the lockup on mine is bank vault tight. Of course I immediately ground the “leafiness” out of the blade because that’s what I do with leaf shaped blades. :cool: I’m really enjoying everything else about the knife though.
Can we see some more shots and angles of this mod, Lance? It looks like you did a great job again!
User avatar
MichaelScott
Member
Posts: 3008
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:42 am
Location: Southern Colorado

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#198

Post by MichaelScott »

Mine came with the pivot very smooth. If it was at all tight, that was due to its being new and needing some break in. I applied a minuscule amount of oil through the clip holes onto the bushings and over the next few days it got even smoother. I like to keep my thumb in the Spider hole all the way through the opening sequence so I am ok with a bit of friction. I’m not a flicker it seems.

To my untrained eye the edge grinds seem about right and they are symmetrical. It is sharp.

My only quibble, and I think it is more about me than the knife, is when I had to cut the top couple of feet off the top of the Christmas tree due to tangled lights. I cut quick and deep notches in the pine and felt the edges of the scales digging in a bit in my hand. Now, I could have been more deliberate or, probably, should have slipped on a work glove. So, for hard cuts requiring some serious muscle, I’d like a more chamfered scale on this knife. Of course, if I were to be doing a lot of that kind of work, I should use a knife more suited to it, say a SE fixed blade with a meatier, more rounded handle.

It wasn’t a big deal but being the first time the knife had not felt so good in hand I thought to mention it.

Lance, I like your blade modification. If I had the means I would probably follow suit.
Overheard at the end of the ice age, “We’ve been having such unnatural weather.”

http://acehotel.blog

Team Innovation
User avatar
cabfrank
Member
Posts: 2857
Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 9:07 pm
Location: Northern California, USA, Earth

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#199

Post by cabfrank »

I want one of these, just like Lance's. It has been literally years since I've had a liner lock.
User avatar
Joris Mo
Member
Posts: 1099
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 6:51 am
Location: Amsterdam, NL.

Re: Spyderco’s Polestar & Alcyone should not be in the “VALUE LINEUP”

#200

Post by Joris Mo »

Love the look of that reground Polestar Lance!
I prefer this look but for functionality the leaf blades work great for me so I'll probably keep mine as is.
Post Reply