New guy, looking to buy a new knife

[Evil D]

I've carried a Native for about 2 years and there's nothing at all wrong with it aside from some wear...but i love it so much i'm looking to buy another Spyderco. I've got my eye on the Spyderco Delica 4 Emerson Opener and i'm looking for a dealer in/around Cincinnati but the only one i have found (Bass Pro Shop) has stopped carrying them. What's a good reputable place online to order from and still get a low price?

Also i'm not sold on this knife but i'm really leaning towards it...i'd love to hear suggestions. It'll be for EDC so i can't/don't want to spend a fortune (really needs to be as far under $100 as possible).

[HotSoup]

My suggestion?
Spyderco Salt 1. if you want Delica size.

H-1 steel is just awesome! Sharpens up very easily, holds a decent edge and can NEVER RUST.

I'm really digging this H-1 these days. I think my next few purchases will be SALT models.

[yablanowitz]

Welcome aboard! You might take a look at New Graham Knives dot com. I've gotten great service from them and knivesplus.com.

[addylo]

Welcome aboard!

Here's a few good places to try:

http://www.cutleryshoppe.com/
http://www.knifecenter.com/
http://newgraham.com/store/
http://yourcornerstore.com/

[steve_vance]

I've carried a Native for about 2 years and there's nothing at all wrong with it aside from some wear...but i love it so much i'm looking to buy another Spyderco. I've got my eye on the Spyderco Delica 4 Emerson Opener and i'm looking for a dealer in/around Cincinnati but the only one i have found (Bass Pro Shop) has stopped carrying them. What's a good reputable place online to order from and still get a low price?

Also i'm not sold on this knife but i'm really leaning towards it...i'd love to hear suggestions. It'll be for EDC so i can't/don't want to spend a fortune (really needs to be as far under $100 as possible).

greetings! Although i own a few Spyderco knives (maybe 30), recently I did something I didn't think I would do: ordered several of the Byrd knives. To my surprise, I found the quality, fit and finish to be exceptional- everything I've come to expect from Spyderco. With regard to suggestion for an EDC: the Persistence is Delica-sized, the Tenacious slightly larger, but even though I own a ton of higher-end knives, I've found myself carrying them lately. To repeat, whatever preconceived notions you might have about the price-vs.-quality issue, I have found these knives to be satisfying in every way. Also had some reservations about "Chinese Steel", but in my investigations and personal usage, I came to the conclusion that the 8Cr13MoV steel is every bit as good as a number of "mid-to-upper-range" steels available now in terms of edge holding and toughness. I'd use it alongside of, and compare it favorably with, Sandvik 12C27, 154CM, 440C, and other commonly used steels. The great thing is that you could get both a Persitence and a Tenacious for a total of about 70 bucks- if you lose one you don't have to shoot yourself. As far as reliable and reasonably-priced dealers, try New Graham, Knifecenter.com, and even Amazon.com.

Good luck! :D

[The Deacon]

The dealers mentioned are all good. As for suggestions on a knife, mine would be the Stretch, it's a hair bigger than the Delica and Native when closed but has 1/2" more blade and , IMHO, the best ergonomics of any Spyderco knife. Personally, I think once the initial novelty wears off the wave gets "old" fast for most people.

[npueppke]

I'd go with a Delica, either waved or unwaved depending on preference. Stretch, Sage, and Manix 2 are also good EDC options, though the Manix 2 isn't much of a 'slicer'-it sucks at food prep, for instance. All are options worth considering, though.

[Evil D]

Yeah i really would like to handle whatever i buy before i put down cash...i really wish there were a dealer around here. I may hit up the flea markets and see what i find. I've never handled a wave knife so i'm not sure if it would matter to me or if it's gimmicky but it seemed like a better to have it than not have it type of deal.

For those who have them, how does it compare size wise to the Native? I've been reading the specs but aside from pulling out a ruler that doesn't tell me much. I have huge hands but i also don't wanna carry a huge knife that may draw too much attention if i pulled it out to use it for some mundane task. The laws here are really vague and generally it's said that as long as it's reasonable and you're not doing anything stupid you'll be fine, so i like to keep the blade length around 3-4 inches max (otherwise i'd be carrying a Civilian lol).

I've been reading a lot about metals (more than i ever have before) and i think i'm getting jaded really quick. What it comes down to for me more than anything is edge retention. It HAS to hold an edge because i use the **** out of whatever i carry and if it gets dull easy then i won't carry it and i hate sharpening my knives because if it doesn't shave by just dragging it along my arm then i'm not satisfied. My Native is actually a spyderedge knife which makes me reluctant to use it (HATE sharpening serrated edges) but what i did was flat grind the inch or so tip so it could be sharpened from both sides and i use that section for general cutting. This time around i'm looking to get a plain edge.

[Bluntrauma]

I guess there are 2 schools of thought about sharpening. Honestly, I suck at it. I have the sharpmaker and just flat out am no good at it. I would almost rather have something that sharpens easier (dulls quicker) because I just can't stand sitting around with a super hard steel swiping away over the rods.

I can tell you this though. I own over 50 Spyderco's and I honestly have never received one that came sharper out of the box than my Sage 1. I have cut myself about 5 times with it over the last few months. It is still almost as sharp as the day I bought it. It even changed my mind about liner locks. Great knife!!!

I have an Endura Wave and it's okay. Much prefer a blade with a full flat grind.

[chuck_roxas45]

No matter what steel you get, it will get dull eventually. So if you use your knife a lot it is important to know how to get your knife sharp, especially as you say you're not satisfied with less than shaving sharp. Even ZDP-189 needs to be touched up often because if it gets really dull you will have to spend a lot of time to get it sharp again.

If I use a knife a lot, one of the qualities I'd want is ease of sharpening. I enjoy sharpening as a form of relaxation(I put on the pink floyd) but when I have to do a lot to just get a small improvement it does get frustrating.

[The Deacon]

For those who have them, how does it compare size wise to the Native?

This photo should give you an idea of their relative size. I threw in a Stretch as well.

[dorfinator]

I would have to agree wholeheartedly with the Deacon. I have the Blue Stretch with ZDP-189. But I would strongly suggest your next knife be the black PE VG-10 Stretch.

Black Stretch

I would also purchase the Spyderco Sharpmaker to keep it and your Native in tip top shape.

BTW, I can attest to the versatility of the both the Stretch and Manix series as I just finished a week at Boy Scout camp with my two sons. My youngest is gluten and dairy intolerant so I was his personal chef all week. The Stretch was great in the camp kitchen as I used it the most in food prep.

I also took along my sharpmaker and had a lot of fun showing the scouts in my troop how to "really" sharpen their knives and it was a big hit.

What I'm really looking forward to is a foliage green FRN Stretch :D with the added ribbing to the top of the FRN handle just behind the blade just like the Endura has.

[dbcad]

Welcome Evil D. This forum is a pretty cool place to be.

What do you generally cut? Do you need the blade more tough (more touching up the edge), or more hard (less touching up)? That'll depend on whether your cutting sheet rock, wood, rope etc.

I was going to suggest a Delica 4 or Endura 4 in ZDP-189. Super hard stuff, but a pain to sharpen if you let it get too dull. I don't have any experience on how tough ZDP is either. The Stretch is an excellent choice too, so is the Manix 2. Any knife you get will need some maintenance.

For my general use purposes vg-10 steel is great. I have 20 folders now and the one I keep going back to is my standard vg-10 Delica 4. Spent 10 minutes today touching it up to a really sweet edge.

Good luck with your decision :)

Charlie

[Splice]

I would also agree with the Stretch. I got one a few weeks ago, and it's been absolutely perfect for every cutting task I've put it against. The grip on it is the best I've ever felt on a knife- it just cups into your hand. That little part by the clip that swoops out- it gives you amazing control and braces the knife nicely for holding it upside-down and doing downward stabbing motions.

VG-10 I also think is the perfect steel. It's not so hard that it's going to chip (it has a propensity towards rolling; not that it does often at all, but if it's going to do anything it'll likely be that), it has very good edge retention, and is VERY easy to sharpen in my opinion. Just four strokes on either side brought it from "very sharp" to "oh wow I hope I don't accidentally hurt myself with this" sharp.

Oh, and it's rust resistance is excellent. This right here is about 5-7 minutes of cutting lemons, and not a spot of discoloration.

[Evil D]

Im at the flea market looking....can someone tell me quick about blade markings? Are some of them stamped with TAIWAN or are these knockoffs? I heard they've shipped metal over for manufacturing....i'd research knockoffs more but im on a phone and its super slow so a quick reference would help a lot. The only marking ive seen was golden colorado usa earth..what are others i may find that are legit?

[CanisMajor]

Im at the flea market looking....can someone tell me quick about blade markings? Are some of them stamped with TAIWAN or are these knockoffs? I heard they've shipped metal over for manufacturing....i'd research knockoffs more but im on a phone and its super slow so a quick reference would help a lot. The only marking ive seen was golden colorado usa earth..what are others i may find that are legit?

Taiwan is legit. Seki-City Japan, USA, Italy, and I'm sure there are others I am forgetting.

Canis

[npueppke]

The Sage series are made in Taiwan, as well as a few other knives. The markings should be laser-etched and not stamped, should say S30V, Taiwan, and Spyderco.

[dbcad]

Some of the nicest folders I own were made in Taiwan. Spyderco has a very talented maker there.

Charlie

[tac]

Spyderco also manufactures two models in China (not Taiwan), the Tenacious and Persistence. Both outstanding knives for the money.

[Evil D]

The Sage series are made in Taiwan, as well as a few other knives. The markings should be laser-etched and not stamped, should say S30V, Taiwan, and Spyderco.

Are you certain on this? I bought a Delica, #C11PBK and everything is stamped into the blade except for the spider. Please tell me i didn't just get ripped off. Even the one pictured here on the site is stamped into the blade but it does say prototype pictured.