FRN Take Over...

[JRinFL]

Seki FRN is my favorite stuff. I carry my Endelas and Enduras 99% of the time and have sold off much of my rest of my collection because I never used them. They may not be as seggsy as the Cru-carta or G10 models, but for real world carry and use they can't be beat. The only upcoming exclusive I am super excited for is tomorrow's Dragonfly! :)

So, don't Cru-carta them all?

[archangel]

Seki FRN is my favorite stuff. I carry my Endelas and Enduras 99% of the time and have sold off much of my rest of my collection because I never used them. They may not be as seggsy as the Cru-carta or G10 models, but for real world carry and use they can't be beat. The only upcoming exclusive I am super excited for is tomorrow's Dragonfly! :)

So, don't Cru-carta them all?

:D

[z1r]

Ninety percent of the time I carry a knife it is in an Office setting, so , a lighter less bulky knife is welcome.

I recently purchased a REX45 M2, love it but it is heavy at 4.3 oz, whereas the FRR M2 weighs only 2.9 oz. The FRN M2 gets carried about 90% of the time versus the G10 version.



When I worked outside an Office setting, and jeans were the norm, this Old Timer was one of my preferred EDC's and it weighs in at 5.9 oz.

[curlyhairedboy]

I enjoy the grip, and I also enjoy the choice!

[vivi]

As far as scale materials, I prefer G10 and micarta to FRN. I like all three though. I find FRN has a slightly more abrasive feel compared to Spydercos typical G10, and its tougher to clean the handle as debris builds up in the crevices. On the other hand it generally has better contouring, and the low price point is nice.

I like lightweight knives. I do not miss having liners when I carry my Chief or Pacific Salt or Siren. In fact that's one of the reasons I carry my Chief more than my Manix XL and Police - no liners / lighter weight.

One of the reasons I rarely carry my Manix XL and Szabo folder is due to the weight. 5oz+ is a lot more noticeable in my pocket than 3-4oz.

I think ones attitude towards lightweight knives depends a lot on your lifestyle and attire.

I think Rick mentioned he carried a Manix and PM2 in athletic shorts pockets and it wasn't so bad. Might not be if you're hanging out around the house.

If you're hiking up a mountain in 105F weather it might get a bit annoying having it bounce off your thigh every other step.

If you're going for a trail run it might fall out of your pocket, and IWB would work better, and the lighter the better in this scenario.

If you're cycling you're going to notice it a lot more than walking the dog around the block.

I'm no ultralight purist. I've been known to bring a beer or two on hikes, and those weigh a lot more than liquor But for EDC I find 4oz to 4.5oz is about as much as I want to carry. Especially in the summer when I basically live in running shorts outside of work.

Icarry a lot of things in my pockets too. But if you trim the ounces from them all, its easy to come in under a pound while being prepared. Chief, Leatherman Squirt, Fenix E03R and a slim Casio watch comes in at about half a pound and is enough gear for my day to day needs. Got a Recon Tanto, Fenix PD36R and Leatherman Rebar in my EDC bag for things those tools can't handle.

If I'm wearing thick carhartts with a belt it doesn't make a difference to me if my knife is 3oz or 6oz. But in the summer I don't wear belts outside of work unless I'm carrying a gun IWB that day.

Attire makes a big difference. What's comfortable sitting in a house in jeans isn't necessarily going to feel good in running shorts on a mountain jog.

[TkoK83Spy]

I think Rick mentioned he carried a Manix and PM2 in athletic shorts pockets and it wasn't so bad. Might not be if you're hanging out around the house.

If you're hiking up a mountain in 105F weather it might get a bit annoying having it bounce off your thigh every other step.

If you're going for a trail run it might fall out of your pocket, and IWB would work better, and the lighter the better in this scenario.

Very good points there. The most I've done with athletic shorts and those knives in pocket is skateboard around the neighborhood while my wife and daughter roller blade, or play some cornhole with the neighbors, or some lawn work.

As you know as a skater, If we're just putzing through he neighborhood for a stroll on the board I do put it in my pocket of my left leg since I skate regular stance. As you said, a knife bouncing off my leg with every push in the right pocket is definitely very annoying.

[FourStringFiend]

I enjoy FRN but prefer G10. They both have a purpose and if I can get models I like in both I do. Weight doesn’t play a factor too often but when it does matter I have the option. (Like Vivi said attire is usually a deciding factor)

For me FRN can snag when your pockets start to fray, speeding up the wear. And all my G10 knives get a light sanding under the entire clip area. So they are less of a pocket shredder.

If they run the Seki lineup in G10 again with an upgraded steel I’d be all over it.

[steelcity16]

Seki FRN is my favorite stuff. I carry my Endelas and Enduras 99% of the time and have sold off much of my rest of my collection because I never used them. They may not be as seggsy as the Cru-carta or G10 models, but for real world carry and use they can't be beat. The only upcoming exclusive I am super excited for is tomorrow's Dragonfly! :)

So, don't Cru-carta them all?

:D

Nah, still do it, i'll buy them, they just might be drawer queens... I'm pretty excited for the Manix XL Micarta. And if a Cru-carta Endela came out it would be interesting to see how much carry time it gets vs. my FRN models.

[bearfacedkiller]

I think Rick mentioned he carried a Manix and PM2 in athletic shorts pockets and it wasn't so bad. Might not be if you're hanging out around the house.

If you're hiking up a mountain in 105F weather it might get a bit annoying having it bounce off your thigh every other step.

If you're going for a trail run it might fall out of your pocket, and IWB would work better, and the lighter the better in this scenario.

Very good points there. The most I've done with athletic shorts and those knives in pocket is skateboard around the neighborhood while my wife and daughter roller blade, or play some cornhole with the neighbors, or some lawn work.

As you know as a skater, If we're just putzing through he neighborhood for a stroll on the board I do put it in my pocket of my left leg since I skate regular stance. As you said, a knife bouncing off my leg with every push in the right pocket is definitely very annoying.

I have ran hundreds of miles with all types of knives IWB. Everything from a Delica up to a Military. I never could tell much difference. My near 7oz Ti Military is probably the only knife I ever knew was there due to weight.

I have run with a knife IWB so much that I have a permanent mark on my side from the knife rubbing. A couple times on longer runs (10+ miles) certain knives rubbed me raw but that was nothing to do with weight. I just learned to move it over an inch or so after a few miles if I felt it.

[vivi]

I think Rick mentioned he carried a Manix and PM2 in athletic shorts pockets and it wasn't so bad. Might not be if you're hanging out around the house.

If you're hiking up a mountain in 105F weather it might get a bit annoying having it bounce off your thigh every other step.

If you're going for a trail run it might fall out of your pocket, and IWB would work better, and the lighter the better in this scenario.

Very good points there. The most I've done with athletic shorts and those knives in pocket is skateboard around the neighborhood while my wife and daughter roller blade, or play some cornhole with the neighbors, or some lawn work.

As you know as a skater, If we're just putzing through he neighborhood for a stroll on the board I do put it in my pocket of my left leg since I skate regular stance. As you said, a knife bouncing off my leg with every push in the right pocket is definitely very annoying.

Now that you mention it, I think carrying a tasman salt se while skating is when I got the idea to try IWB.

[RustyIron]

I have two "normal size" Spydercos that get carried every day. They're FRN, and there is nothing to complain about with them. I have the same knives in G10 with liners, but I don't carry them because there's no reason to. They offer nothing that the FRN (or FRCP) don't have to offer.

I also have a couple small Spydercos for when I can't carry something bigger. These are FRN, and for the intended application, a more complex and expensive knife isn't needed.

[austrian_spyder_fan]

G10 looks better and of higher quality.
FRN is lighter and has more grip?
CF is also ok if it is not to slippery.
I love wood :p
Micarta, i don't have a lot of experience.
I don't like any metal handles even though they are nice looking.

Let's be honest, I'm a collector and a paper pusher :D
So i like smaller and good looking knifes.
I hope the choice of materials will be more not less.
And I don't think g10 will die. :spyder:

ASF

[Sharp Guy]

I don't there's really a FRN take over going on. There just happens to be a lot of new LW models right now

I have knives with almost all the different handle materials and like them all. The only ones I don't care for much are the stainless steel ones. I even have a couple of those

I'd like to add that I worry that at some point, Spyderco will cease to produce G10 versions of their hotsellers, especially of new designs, in order to only produce FRN knives. This would be the point where I'd need to turn my back on this otherwise great great company. I hope it will never come to that.

I don't think you have much to worry about. The FRN molds are expensive to make. So they usually produce models with G10 or other materials to see how they sell before going with the process of producing the FRN models

[ladybug93]

i think the frn is ugly, but it's extremely functional in that it provides wonderful grip. i love the feel of the texturing of the frn enough that i bought a squarehead lightweight just to have a little frn worry stone to play with. i've also suggested spyderco produce an frn coin with the texturing on both sides.

still, i'm not sure i prefer frn over full liners and g10. some of the reasons i like spyderco so much is that their frn doesn't look or feel as cheap as frn from other companies and they provide so many choices. hopefully, they don't completely turn from liners and g10.

[Notsurewhy]

G10 is fine three quarters of the year, but in summertime I rarely carry anything that isn't frn.

If I'm in jeans I don't really care about weight. In slacks it's not a huge factor. In shorts, lightweight is key. I can't stand iwb carry, so a big heavy knife banging around in the pocket of lightweight shorts is a no go. It's not about the weight "weighing me down" it's the annoyance of a dense knife repeatedly smacking me in the thigh on a hike or a jog or whatever.

I don't think they will ever get rid of g10 entirely except maybe in seki models. For whatever reason g10 seems to cost a much bigger premium on the Japanese knives.

[spoonrobot]

I prefer FRN, 9/10 of the most recent Spydercos I’ve bought have been FRN.

[JRinFL]

FRN can be molded to mimic several other materials. I have seen it mimic G10 rather convincingly. However, hand feel will be different as the finger tips are very sensitive to patterns and textures.

[Wandering_About]

Prefer the G10 overall. It looks nicer and feels nicer to me. For general EDC, I just prefer the G10 handled USA made Spydies. I've been on a many years long kick for the Paramilitary 2 or Para 3 as main EDC blades, with other things getting thrown in the mix for fun. If I had to choose only one, Paramilitary 2 all the way.

I do like carrying a lightweight version from time to time. On my bike I always go for a lightweight these days, just because it is light and thin and I rarely have much use for a knife while biking, it's just there in case. For backpacking, I go back and forth depending on the situation, but I do generally tend toward folders getting down toward the 2oz range which means an FRN lightweight. But even then there are times I may throw in something more beefy. I mean, a Para 3 is about a whopping 3.5 ounces, and although I do like lightening the pack/load as much as possible, I do still prefer the G10 Spydies and will sometimes take one in preference to saving an ounce or two anyway.

[Evil D]

The weight is borderline irrelevant to me up to a point, and sometimes barely enough to justify the LW name. The main advantage of FRN is grip texture and potentially lower cost, and subjectively better looks than a boring flat slab of G10. I like the bidirectional texture a lot, I think it adds style and character to knives and wish they'd do something similar on G10. I like G10 because I can modify it and make it look factory made, which is a lot harder with FRN so I feel like knives with G10 have a lot more potential for me personally than FRN, and a FRN knife really needs to be just right in the ergos since I can only tweak it so much.

[metaphoricalsimile]

I love Seiki's FRN and hate Golden's FRN. Someone bead blast the molds at Golden please?