Spyderco Forums

Hello all,

Well they say you get bitten by the Spyderbug, so maybe I've been 'pecked' by the Byrd recently? :D I've been thoroughly enjoying my discovery of the Byrd line the last couple of months, so after my Cara Cara review I thought I'd take a look at the Meadowlark next. The Cara Cara drew me in as there is nothing truly equivalent to it in the regular Spyderco line up, but the Meadowlark not so - there are a fair few Spyderco lockbacks with a forward finger choil in around a 3'' blade length. It was purely how impressed I was with the value of the Cara Cara that pushed me towards the Meadowlark.



Specs from Spyderco:

length overall - 6.812" (173 mm)
blade length - 2.875" (73 mm)
blade thickness - .093" (2.5 mm)
cutting edge - 2.375" (61 mm)
length closed - 4.031" (102 mm)
blade steel - 8Cr13MoV
handle material - FRN
weight - 2.4 oz. (67 g)



Well, the easiest way to sum it up is it's just like a shorter Cara Cara 2. Same great ergos, same level of fit and finish, same great value for your buck. Just like my Cara Cara experience, the first one I ordered I sent back (a notch interrupted an otherwise smooth opening action) but the second one was excellent - perfectly centered, rock solid lockup with no play in any direction whatsoever (Update: I've noticed some vertical wiggle now, pressing down hard when chopping - nothing terrible, just that familiar lock-back vertical play) and a lovely buttery action.

Meadowlark blade centering:



After carrying FRN Byrd knives almost exclusively now for the last couple of months I can honestly say I really like their grip pattern. It's just as functional as other FRN handles I've used and the more time I spend with it, the more I start to think its actually pretty attractive. It makes me think of a Raven's feathers!



The ugly sprue marks were still present on the inside of the FRN scales like the Cara Cara, but the join lines where the scales meet the backspacer were much neater on the Meadowlark...



The finish inside the handle still looks rough and ready compared to a regular Spydie...

Inside of the Meadlowlark:



Inside of the Spyderco Native 5 LW:



Just as with the Cara Cara there are a few aesthetic blemishes, such as the blade not lining up with the lockbar when open:



Although as I mentioned in the Cara Cara review, this is not unknown on regular Spydercos, as seen here on my Calypso sprint:



To give an idea of how the Meadowlark compares in size and design, here it is between the FRN Cara Cara 2 and the FRN Robin 2...

Open:



Closed:



And here compared to a couple of regular Spydies, the Native 5 LW (top) and the Chaparral LW (bottom):



In the hand this feels like classic Spyderco and is up there with knives such as the Caly and Native in terms of sheer comfort and intuitiveness. Here is the Meadowlark in hand alongside the Native 5 LW in a couple of grips (I take a 'medium' in Mechanix gloves):



Much more akin to the Caly I'd say (although unfortunately I don't have one right now for a comparison!) - the Native is heftier in the hand and lacks the thumb ramp.

Handle thickness comes in a shade under the Native 5 LW, ever so slightly thinner than the Cara Cara:



The 8Cr13MoV blade is nicely ground with a super sharp factory edge, no visible slope to one side like my Cara Cara and nice clear blade markings.





The jimping is functional without being too aggressive, although I'd take it a little deeper and sharper if I had the choice.

Also, just like the Cara Cara the Meadowlark gets a thumbs up from me on tip depth when closed:



That tip nestles nice and deep with no chance of it getting caught on anything, and I should get plenty of sharpening sessions out of it before it's even close to becoming exposed.

Same pocket clip as the Cara Cara:



Sits in the pocket just like the regular Spyderco hourglass clip:



All in all the Meadowlark makes for a great mid-sized EDC. Unlike the Cara Cara which I now carry regularly (as I don't have a fitting Spyderco alternative), I grab my Native 5 over the Meadowlark whenever I want to carry a 3'' blade. In actual fact I prefer the design of the Meadowlark over the Native...but I just find the superior finish on the Spyderco more of a pleasure to carry and use. Therefore the Meadowlark has become my permanent glovebox knife...



...it's cheap yet perfectly functional and fills such a role extremely well. And if for some strange inconceivable reason I ever forgot my regular EDC, I'd be more than happy to pull the Meadowlark out of the glovebox and have it save the day.



Carrying the Meadowlark has certainly made me want a Caly 3 FRN Lightweight even more. Having carried the Native for so long it's nice to get behind a thumb ramp again and have something that feels a little more slender in the hand. Just as with the Cara Cara the Meadowlark is an excellent design in its own right and I'd love to see a Golden made Spyderco version, or even just see these Byrds in some different blade steels and FRN colours. If the Byrd line has taught me anything it's that I have an appetite for both regular and budget lines, now I know the quality and function is there. Well, that's my thoughts on the Meadowlark, I hope someone finds this useful.



Cheers for now,

Uke

Well written and pictured. Thanks a lot for your effort you have done for us too! :)

thanx Uke,

very nice.

sal

Awesome review! Thanks for putting in the time to write this up. You have me seriously thinking about grabbing a byrd model now

Really nice work.thank you for posting it!

I have 2 Meadowlarks and they are a fantastic value. I have the same as your reviewed knife and a SS model. The SS model is heavy and the pivot can’t be easily adjusted, but it is a very classy looking and well built knife.

I think the cara cara, meadowlark and robin are good practical users for those who like the endura, delica and dragonfly, especially if one is into choils. sometimes I prefer the byrd models, and the G10 versions are strikingly well made. the SS and FRN versions are similarly solid, I just find the G10 to feel nice but be at a nice in between weight.

Holland wrote:Awesome review! Thanks for putting in the time to write this up. You have me seriously thinking about grabbing a byrd model now

I'd say its definitely worth grabbing one. My only piece of advice would be if you get a less than perfect example first time just persist and get it replaced, as once you get a good example these are real gems.

defenestrate wrote:I think the cara cara, meadowlark and robin are good practical users for those who like the endura, delica and dragonfly, especially if one is into choils. sometimes I prefer the byrd models, and the G10 versions are strikingly well made. the SS and FRN versions are similarly solid, I just find the G10 to feel nice but be at a nice in between weight.

The choils are certainly what drew me to these three. One thing that did surprise me though was how different the Robin feels in the hand when compared to the Dragonfly - the Robin feels more 'full-size' to me. I'll have to stick a Robin review up at some point. I've not tried a G10 Byrd yet but 'strikingly well made' makes me think I should remedy that soon!

Uke wrote:The choils are certainly what drew me to these three. One thing that did surprise me though was how different the Robin feels in the hand when compared to the Dragonfly - the Robin feels more 'full-size' to me. I'll have to stick a Robin review up at some point. I've not tried a G10 Byrd yet but 'strikingly well made' makes me think I should remedy that soon!

The handle has a great feel to it, and I do particularly find the G10 version to seem more substantial in hand.

Great review. it's definitely worth grabbing one

New guy here. Can anyone tell me the factory sharpening angle on the Byrd Meadowlark? It looks to be close to 20 degree bevel. It's very sharp just like every Spyderco knife I've ever handled. Glad to be part of this forum. Thanks

Hi Roy,

Welcome to our forum.

Generall about 30 - 40 degrees inclusive.

sal

Now in color!! Thinkin a Gray is in the future!!! :cool: John

The colors are nice.

sal

That's good to hear Sal!!! :D John

Any ETA on these??? Thanks.. John