Sal really listens to the community, and the Spyderco Forum is one of the nicest knife communities on the internet. I wish they could keep their costs down, but if it means they pay their employees a livable wage I'm all for it.
I agree, and the Spyderco Forum is a gold mine. There even is highly talented and experienced custom knife makers there that would help you with virtually anything related to making knives ! Big up to Chad Kelly !
I agree. I asked a question about best pivot lube and I probably had around 30 people give me some amazing advise and didn’t make me feel like a dumbass for asking a question.
I can't tell you how much I agree, over the past couple years I've been screaming about Spyderco heat treatment being so good, even on the exclusive steels that know one's doing, and they are always better. And it really shows when your testing the same steel from multiple companies like I did with Magnacut there's was the best by far that I've tested production wise. Which is extremely important to me
Yeah, it makes me cringe a bit when I see a lot of "Spyderco fans' crying because there's no MagnaCut in the production line-up as of yet. They take their time because they bring the best HT they can ! And I'm happy to wait for the best HT possible
@@ramonade_knives yeah and they did the Mule in Magnacut so far, and it was the best I've tested from production companies. And I'm sure it's only a matter of time we will see more
Some insight into how the dealer exclusives work (based on my convo with Indiana Knives) Dealers will actually put a huge down payment to order a specific kind of spyderco model in a specific kind of steel/color, and they are the ones who decide how many are made, because they decide how many to pay for. St Nick's pays far less than BladeHQ for exclusives because they order far far less individual knives, thus they sell out much faster. Spyderco wouldn't be able to afford to keep all these models in circulation forever, because the only reason they can afford to halt production on core models and make, for example, 2000 m4 pm2s, is because of that down payment from dealers. Ultimately, it's a sort of luxury service that Spyderco does dealer exclusives at all, but its up to the dealers how many are made and how many they want to sell, because these models CAN be reordered by the dealers. The only sprint runs Spyderco themselves fund are the CF/S90V models (which still requires a halt in production, thus the limitation) and the weird maker flash deals like the Bombshell. Hope that clears some things up about your point on their 'limited' runs. Their limitation is entirely in the hands of the dealer's willingness to buy more to sell.
I respect Spyderco and like how they do so many special runs and limited releases. It makes this hobby fun and exciting. It's cool having different variations and steels on your fav knives.
The biggest complaint you hear about Spyderco is the price hikes. I wonder if they use some of that money for R and D and retooling because they are an innovative company bringing out new models and steels continually.
Hi Erica! A little over a year ago (a bit before you started tested the Para 3), I left a comment praising you/your approach with this channel “even though there are some things I personally have differing opinions on” …it seems like our biggest “differing opinion” is no longer 😊 I’m just happy you have a knife company you can feel good about buying from! As far as Spyderco’s warranty goes, their stance now is disassembling your knife will not void your warranty, unless whatever problem you’re making a warranty claim for is a direct result of you having disassembled your knife (e.g. you did it improperly/damaged it/modified it). As for replacement Spyderco parts, technically / on paper, their policy is that they don’t/will not provide spare/replacement parts, but in my online research & personal experience, that’s more of a “covering their butts” policy, and they will make an honest effort to provide replacement parts if they are able to. I personally have had them send me a replacement pivot screw for free, even though I’m in Canada. The reason why (according to Sal Glesser on the Spyderco forums) they don’t commit to providing spare/replacement parts is because CQI - how Spyderco will fluidly make changes (presumably improvements) to their products without formal version or name changes, so 1) They won’t always know which spec/version of replacement part will be compatible with the knife you have 2) If they committed to such a policy, they would need to maintain an obscenely large inventory of each version of each part used (including ones no longer used in the most current version of a given knife) in every model of their knives across each of their factories. Some might make the argument that Spyderco brought the 2nd issue above upon themselves by making so many exclusive/sprints, but even for something like, say, the Spydie Chef which has not been subjected to a landslide of sprints/exclusives, Spyderco has updated the screws from the initial release to more corrosion resistant screws, with the updated screws being black rather than silver like on the earlier versions. So while us crazy knife enthusiasts would know about this change and be able to specify in a warranty claim, a more “casual” customer might, for example, end up receiving mismatched screws if they just asked Spyderco to provide them with a replacement screw. (there are many more similar examples) Spyderco (unlike Benchmade) does have a strict “no replacement blades will be provided (or even offered for sale) under any circumstances” policy, but I have seen at least 20+ people online have their snapped Maxamet and S110V knives replaced. I think Spyderco did replace their entire knife though, not just the blade, cuz they’re concerned about blade lockup consistency with blade swaps. You are SOL if a Sprint blade snaps on you though (in that scenario, they’ll credit you some amount towards a new knife). Just a heads up on Hogue: I haven’t had any personal experience with any Hogue, but Brian (Transparent Knives) says their Magnacut is run fairly soft. Not “you’re definitely getting scammed” levels of soft, but it’s soft enough that it would be a dealbreaker for people like Brian, no matter how much he likes the rest of the knife. Hogue advertises 60-62 HRC. My understanding is Magnacut starts being “great” at 64-ish HRC, and the “truly exceptional” ones (at least when it comes to edge retention) are like 66-68 HRC. I can see an argument being made for 60-62 HRC for a fixed blade, but on a lightweight, thin EDC folder (Deka)…much harder for me to get behind.
Ps. I haven't left a comment for many months cuz I realized mine are typically lengthy and you tend to get quite a lot of comments on your videos these days, so I haven't congratulated you on your REC position yet. Really happy for you & look forward to seeing all the other good things life has lined up for you!
@@kitegem You are absolutely correct. Simultaneously, as more makers, users, "testers", "reviewers", and "enthusiasts" have gotten their hands on a wider spread of Magnacut, there are people who have noticed "significant", "meaningful" improvements to edge retention at >64HRC (and a number of these people have since spoken to Larrin Thomas about it). Yes, Magnacut becomes less tough once you go >62.4HRC, but what people are noticing is that the toughness loss as you go >HRC is minimal compared to how much edge retention you gain, so many are finding higher HRC to be a more optimal trade off for most knives, especially folders that aren't super hard use. I understand that Larrin Thomas wants to maintain a good relationship with Crucible & large production maker / knife companies, though some in the community have criticized him for being a bit too "lenient" with giving his blessing for Magnacut that is run that soft. Among the group of people with that opinion, their consensus is that it would be too difficult/costly for larger scale companies to consistently put out >64 HRC knives (understandable / reasonable), so even though Larrin knows that Magnacut performs really well >64 HRC, he won't publicly state it because if he does, it will give many people (who aren't as nerdy & don't understandable how difficult/costly it is to consistently put out >64HRC Magnacut knives) think that all the 62-64 HRC Magnacut knives are "bad". When in reality, 64HRC, as I had said my initial comment, is actually "great"...it's just that >64 HRC, for most use cases (non fixed blades) is actually "even better" (cost aside). To be clear, my initial comment was directed at Erica specifically (hence me starting it with "Hi Erica"), and I know that she has experienced & appreciates heat treats of custom, one-off knives (again, something that would be unrealistic for large scale companies to do), so her "baseline" of "heat treat quality" is really high compared to most other people. Most people will be happy with 6.25HRC Magnacut, but since she has experienced such high end heat treats, I wanted to give her a heads up that the Tactile Knife might not be up to those very high standards. Kind of like how Rockstead shows that ZDP189 actually performs at godly levels at 67HRC, but their knives are >$700, and they make a very small number of them. It would be unrealistic for the "suggested spec" of ZDP189 to mandate/suggest 67HRC, and if that was the official spec, most other ZDP189 knives would look like they are "doing it wrong." When in reality, the other ZDP189 knives are fine, but Rockstead, at 67HRC was able to create something that is better, just very expensive & low volume.
Really admirable for saying you were wrong I respect that. I never was interested in Spyderco. But one day the great algorithms of UA-cam sended me an documentary about Spyderco with Sal and Eric. I was blown away by how humble and respectful and just likable they we're so I bought an Manix 2. After that I kept buying knives and knives ofcourse as we al are knife addicted 😂. But at the end a sold my collection and just carry a Manix 2 G10 in s110v and I love it to death. Now more fancy bullshit. And when it's done the next Spyderco will end up in my pocket. Thanks for your insights and always funny vids (dogs😂) cheers! Greetings from the Netherlands 🇱🇺
I have been a huge Spyderco fan for a long time and always will because of how they have changed the modern folding knife. When I was in Iraq in 1990/91 we all had crappy two handed opening Buck and Gerbers in sheaths on our belts in crappy steels. When I got back I came across a couple Spyderco's and was blown away. One hand opening and the pocket clip were all so far ahead of anybody else and vg-10 was an improvement too. And they have continued to set the bar higher than all the other companies by placing function over form. Alot of them look awkward until you get them in hand and start using them. And Sal is very particular about his heat treat on steel.
Picked up a para 3 S45vn dlc a few months ago....being primarily a benchmade person I was blown away with the quality and fit and finish on the para 3 and honestly felt like selling my benchmades.
I love Spyderco and I have no issue admitting I’m w fanboy haha. They do stuff that annoys me , sprint runs and exclusives don’t really annoy me that much, because they aren’t just marketing ploys but really part of the company listening to users who want different steels and materials. They do exclusives to help keep their retailers happy and because us fans just eat it up haha. I have a large-ish collection of knives that consists of a good handfull of Kershaw/zt, benchmades, random cool stuff and about a hundred different Spydercos because I am obsessed. Great knives.
There use to be a time I may have disagreed but 6 months ago I bought a delica just to try and now I own 4 spydercos, the Delica 4, carbon fiber M4 PM2, Spy27 Manix 2 LW and Shaman. They just function really well and though I still love my BM 940 and other lesser knives like my RAT 1 and Artisan cutlery Arion they feel 1 tier lower. Axis lock is still better then the bearing lock in ease of use and smoothness but the Manix is still carried often.
Erica, I’m with you on this journey! I hated Spyderco too. Then I held the Para 3 and was intrigued. I stewed on getting one and couldn’t get it out of my head. I went back to the store and held the PM2. Then they both were on my mind for days. I went back and said screw it. I’m getting one. I didn’t know which one. Ended up with the Para 3 (s45vn). I used it for two days and then understood it was good. Two days later I went back for the PM2 in same steel. I freaking get it now. Not a fan of ALL Spyderco’s though. I just picked up the Spyderco Bow River yesterday. Not sure about the steel quality yet (8Cr13MoV) but the price is great. I still love my BM 940 and Bug Outs. But I do get the Spyderco deal now. Quality is great. Benchmade QC is iffy. Cheers
I'm liking the crap out of Spyderco K390.... PM2 and Endura... Great edge, sticky sharp, holds the edge a long long time. Maxamet.. Got a Para3 that was "Chippy" picked up a second one that is great. Going to send both to Outpost76 for testing. If you sharpen high HRC is the way to go in my opinion. ZDP189, K390, Maxamet. SPY 27 is great if you use a strop. Thanks for the video. : )
I have one Spyderco knife…. Bought it, used it a little and found myself putting it away and grabbing others. It’s a Native 5 in S30V. Just took it about of my knife box and will give it another try because of your comments… Will let you know how it goes…
Totally agree, I didn't like spyderco, though they looked silly and didn't get the hype. After using them for several months they are now my favorite brand. They work great, built solid, ergonomic and the steel is really well done. I don't know if they increased the quality, or if I got lucky, but my tenacious is a great knife, even with lower grade steel it functions very well and feels solid. I mainly use the shaman or the pm2 now that I have them
I tend to agree and totally agree on hogue. Their Doug Ritter knife at knifeworks puts the Griptilian to shame and costs less. Looking forward to the Hogue Deka coming out in Magnacut.
I bought two of the SMKW blue carbon Magnacut Dekas about 2 months ago when they dropped them. Both of them are ran much softer then my Magnacut Mule teams. I sharpen professionally and have for many years and can tell a lot by how the steel feels on stones. I sharpened a couple custom magnacut knives that was Rockwell tested at 62 a while back and both my magnacut dekas are much softer then those bushcrafters. I know what magnacut at 62rc feels like and going by that I would put those Dekas at 60 to 60.5. If they don't raise the hardness I would steer clear.
My experience with spyderco knives is that Putting form and ergos first, their aesthetics tend to grow on you over time. You really will never know the true genius of one until you hold one in your hand, then you really start paying attention to them. Knives that look dumb or silly become desirable and ‘grail’ a few months later. it just feels like they are always doing something special. Great company
I'm glad to see you mention Hogue Knives! I've owned several of their knives & been consistently impressed with the overall quality. Their OTFs are also really great. I've sharpened several of the ones I've had & the heat trealts have benn consistently good, too. I gotta agree with you on Spyderco as well. I've also owned a bunch of their stuff from all their different factories & have been impressed with pretty much every single one. Glad to see you're on board now!
Super Steel Steve tested my Para 3 in S35vn on his YT channel and it was very impressive. I stopped carrying Spyderco for a while due to always being annoyed at sprint runs and new releases always being a PM2 or jade haha. Due to recent events and going back through my collection I've stuck Spyderco knives back in my pocket this week. I think you're absolutely right on a lot of the points you made!
I love Spyderco, they're my fav knife company. I only have 1 Chinese knife, the Tenacious, but my fav models to carry are the Seki City Japan models. They're pretty reasonably priced, and I don't cry if I lose it. I actually love the Delica and appreciate VG10 on an edc knife bc it's easy to maintain anywhere I am at. I don't have to have diamond sharpeners. The Rock Jumper and the Stretch 2 are the two edc knives I carry most. I just picked up the Rock Jumper in VG10, and I really love it so much, I'm gonna try and buy one in a premium steel along with my Stretch 2 in k390.
I’m about 18 months into the collecting and overall knowledge learning about knives. For 16 of the 18 months, i did not like Spyderco’s because of their look! The big hole and hump is/was ugly to me! I’ve met knife folks that have shown me their Spyderco’s and listened to their knowledge of them and i finally decided to buy one!! I have a Manix 2 XL on the way and I’m excited!!! I just found your channel, and I’m glad i did!! Thanks and cheers sista!!!
@@johncoffee5837 , it’s marvelous!! My buddies who have the Manix 2’s, are now wanting the XL! The XL fits perfectly in my hand! I’m very much enjoying the lock mechanism as well! I’m now patiently waiting for the NEW Military 2 to drop, so I can swoop one up!! Thank you for asking John!! Cheers bro!!!
I agree with you that Spyderco is a top notch all around knife maker. I have been a Spyderco fan since 1988, they had me then and they have me now. And, yes they are now much more understanding regarding the terms of their warranty. As a case in point, I recently purchased a Pakkawood Police 4 Hap40 Sus110 steel edition which I truly love. I decided to disassemble it just to check on the blade lubrication and in the process I accidently bent one of the bronze phosphor blade pivot washers. This was clearly my fault and no blame on Spyderco what so ever. I sent it back to them and they replaced both washers and got it back to me within a week in perfect working order with no problems. This is an example of how a top notch maker stands behind their product and supports their customers. Needless to say, I am much like you with respect to having made your Spydercos the largest part of your knife collection because they have truly earned that top spot as a result of their outstanding quality and performance.
I know Spyderco’s claims of being a performance based company can sound like a marketing scheme but when you really breakdown their knives (especially their USA made stuff), they really are exceptional and practice what they preach. I’m semi convinced that the people hating on spyderco either haven’t actually owned one or are people who don’t actually use or sharpen their knives. It’s been enjoyable watching you fall in love with spyderco through actually experiencing them and respect to you for admitting when you’re wrong!
Spyderco hasn’t put anything out lately that draws my attention. 5-6 years ago I was all about Spyderco, but my last Spyderco purchase was the para3 years ago.
Welcome to the cult… I mean Club. I got my first hit of spyderco at a young age (around 14) in the form of a endura 2 wedged in a boat dock. Spyderco for the most part focuses on making excellent user knives, they have been innovating from day 1. I feel you with the crazy pets, my cats won’t stop chasing each either at full speed at 3am.
Glad you discovered that. I love my PM2 to death. I carry it every single day. I also have a couple of Benchmades and Civivis that I love and carry for special occasions. Keep it up.
The only Spyderco I have is that exclusive pm3 and really like it as well. I also have their Byrd line meadowlark 2 and it’s my go to slicey beater around the house
Try any of the K390 spydercos. I got the Stretch 2 in K390 and it's crazy sharp and holds an edge extremely well. My favorite of all time is the Paramilitary 2.
Did you happen to note the edge is chipper? I managed to chip my k390 police lw edge as I was swapping it to the police 3 g10 scale. I think I lightly bump it against the backlock as I was wriggling the bronze back into position.
Happy to see this, as I also think Spyderco knives are the best. I have 10 times more Spyderco in my collection vs other brands. When I use them, they put a smile on my face. Granted, I mostly get them with high-end steels, not VG10 or other steels that I consider low-end steels. It's usually the ergonomics and materials that really do it for me, and Spyderco excels in those criteria for me.
I've been quite happy with their VG10, which I have on a couple Stretch 2's and Enduras. Holds an edge acceptably, and is easy to touch up even just on a strop. One concern I have now though is developing rust spots on a S30V Sliverax. Not cool.
Heat treat is on point , its like going to mcdonalds getting a bigmac knowing its going to taste like a bigmac Spyderco is consistant good working knives.
Sliverax is my favorite Spyderco ever! Fits my hand like a dream. Sharp as a razor. Light and the carbon fiber looks awesome. The Gayle Bradley 2 is my second favorite Spyderco knife. The Delica and Endura are great too. I carry my Tasman salt when I go fly fishing. The Ladybug is a nice little knife to carry that won’t scare the knife muglles when you use it. Oh shit, I’ve over-shared again! P.S. Microtech knives are expensive fidget toys. Nothing I’d carry for anything other than light cutting tasks.
I like some of what Hogue is doing right now. I'm hoping they ... And you mention Hogue right as I'm typing this. Lol. I'm hoping they keep heading in the right direction.
Spyderco drew me in because they have knives for most jurisdictions and at every price point. The Dragonfly and Lil Native are perfect EDC knives for cities like mine where EDC blades longer than 2.5 inches are illegal. (And there's a lot of choices with those models. I recently got the Emerson Opener Dragonfly for fun). If you can't afford the Dragonfly, you can drop down to the Byrd Robin (though I share your allergy to those). Benchmade completely ignores knife laws and people on budgets. I was interested in an upcoming Benchmade called the Weekender, but unfortunately it's gonna be over $200 for inexplicable reasons. So, Benchmade is exclusively a luxury brand, whereas Spyderco's a brand that wants to make a knife for everyone. That Spyderco does great heat treatments on a wide range of steels is impressive. And, far as I can tell, Sal and Eric are good people and they have no plans to sell the company off to a conglomerate like others are doing. I don't like all the limited editions and whatnot but pretty much every knife brand does that and I view it as hardcore collectors keeping companies afloat so they can make their regular knives for the rest of us. FYI: The Cat and the Chicago are made in Taiwan. I think those are their only budget knives not made in China. Hope that changes in the future!
I agree spydercos product line is the most wide ranging in the business from kitchen knives to folders they have a knife that will satisfy any customer and their needs no matter the budget. Truly impressive.
My collection is largely Chris Reeve - just my personal favorite. I don’t use my knives to actually cut 900 feet of cardboard a day because in my edc actual cutting is occasional - so the softer S35 is great for me, screaming hair popping sharp and I just love the aesthetics, feel and quality CRK has. I am not a fan of most Spyderco designs (I own the Pm2) and the spydie hole (for me),it’s excellent but truly painful to look at. I agree 100%, a great company with great products! I also don’t like the annoying sprint runs but overall a really great company. I sharpened my Large Inkosi in 2018, carrying every day and it’s as sharp as the day I made it a razor blade… Chris Reeve for me is an heirloom of beauty, Spyderco is a masterpiece for users - and I make no apologies for not being a user, I just don’t need to cut much!
Well stated, bro. I pretty much feel that way about my Koenig Arius. Love the feel, action, look of the Koenig. But, I take the PM2 when I know I'll have to cut anything serious. Not that the Arius wouldn't do it well, it's just that I baby her.
Yeah. Me too. I just bought a CruCarta PM2 about 3 weeks ago. Then a week later I got the Maxamet PM2. Next I plan on an M390 PM2 or if I can locate one a MagnaCut PM2. And I have to say the first time I I saw a Spyderco was in the mid 80s and my best friend who has been my friend since the mid 80s had one all the way back then. And I have been avoiding them since then. So I only have two, but I've only been buying them for about 3 weeks. And avoiding them for around 40 years. I used to think they all looked the same (yay a thumbhole!!) - and to some extent they do, but even if they do only have essentially a few designs for most of their range they are very good designs - if you want pure slicers. I guess that was part of my problem with them historically - I used to be what some people migth call a "hard use" knife user. Cutting down saplings, splitting wood, openinfg wooden crates that kind if thing. My piocket knife was really more of a can opener/pliers/marlin spike/screewdriver than a cutting tool and for a good number of years I stopped carrying a knife in my pokcet and just carried a multitool. But here I am now - $800+AUD in 3 2 weeks on Spydercos - I'm like a smoker who has quit and is spouting the benefits hard.
Strangely, not a fan of Spydie s35, but their m4, 20v, 52100, k390 and cruwear, Holy crap! I own way too many. Agree about BM, hit or miss lately. Grab yourself a Hogue Ritter to test. I own both the mini and full size, just amazing knives. I grab my crucarta or my orange mama hogue whenever I want to do hard work.
I'm such a Spyderco fan. I'm not up to speed on all the shady shenanigans other companies have been doing. I like where your head's at though. Spydie Clan rocks the world. And Hogue seems pretty solid, too. If I could get a Hogue Ritter with the Griptilian Spydie hole... I feel like that's the Hogue for me.
I have more than a few Spydercos, but now am interested in some limited/exclusives which I was never able to get a hold of ,that was 3years ago they have lost my interest so I haven't looked at any for 3 years and saved myself a crap load of money...
I actually really enjoy the exclusives. Sometimes I want more than S30V. I like that every dealership has their own thing. DLT and REC have the best exclusives.
Glad you've changed your feelings about sprint runs and exclusives. I'll start by saying I've only purchased a couple Stretch 2 sprint runs. People just like exclusivity. It's called being individual. We all make jokes about "cookie cutter homes", and other ways in which too many things are the same. Heck, take a look in the mirror! YOU are a "sprint run" with a total quantity of one. Pretty cool huh?! I think sprint runs and exclusives are part of what makes this EDC community cool. Let knife makers have fun, and create some hype. My biggest concern right now with the knives is the frickin' pricing. Glad I got started years ago and acquired enough to satisfy the itch. Oh yeah, I still look, but seldom do I buy now. The knives I like are just too expensive. Keep up the great content and passion!
I agree on the Bowie. I want one with the original blade treatment. I’ve been waiting for an email from knife Joy for months announcing more Slysz Bowies. I don’t buy one if they ever notify me they’re available even if I don’t care for the blade treatment.
I have that Spyderco In a para 3 an exclusive from Blade HQ, I wish it were the pm2 as the para 3 is a lil to small for my taste. As my all time favorite EDC is the Spyderco Amalgam,to me it's a light weight slim ergonomic beast and still a great slicer! Have a good one.
I have been thinking this for a long time. In the production world I don’t see ANYONE offering better performance for the money. Not only do you get all these different steels to try. They are actually heat treated and ground appropriately!! And the price is great considering everything you get.
I wish spyderco would just offer colors with the base steels. Have the exclusives with the upgraded steels but offer the colors on the production models
The sprint runs are fine by me. Yes it’s annoying they can be hard to get but at least they are doing it. I don’t know of any other company doing it to their level and that’s a shame considering it’s usually in cool colors and with exotic steels that can be hard to come by in the knife world.
So agree with you. Their heat treat is the best on production stuff period. Their willingness to try new steels, unmatched. Yes they're having supply chain issues like everyone else but who else offers everything from true stainless LC200n/H1/H2 to MagnaCut to K390?
I will admit, I have never really liked Spyderco. Had a couple of delicas, an endura, a few others. Could not stand them at all. The only reason I have been giving them a second chance, is because of your testing and reviews. I now have a PM3LW, ordered a Chief and a manix. I did get an efficient (for a “junk knife”….I actually kinda like it) And am waiting to add either a sage in lc200 or a pacific salt 2….or maybe a delica wharncliff. And I don’t regret it. I thank you for showing me that I had undervalued Spydie and that they are a good company
i love my spyderco knives, definitely my favorite knife company. You're right about their Chinese offerings as well, they're pretty average; but USA and Taichungs are bomb.
Yes, I love my Spydercos. Delica, Dragonfly and Endura. I even have some Byrd beaters like the Cara Cara, the Byrd equivalent of the Endura. Great video.
Spyderco has a lot going for them. Tons of unique steels, excellent timeless and classic designs, excellent locks, affordable prices, great quality control. Not to mention they have a massive product line which captures basically every aspect of the market all the way from tiny keychain knives and sharpening stones all the way up to a full fledged kitchen knife line and collaborations with custom makers. I will buy from other us brands in the future but it certainly won’t be from benchmade. Regardless, I’m a spyderco fan for life and will certainly buy more of their knives. Currently I’ve only stuck to their basic models but I think that will change in the not so distant future.
I really respect your reviews. You seem to be very down to earth. I feel the same way about spyderco. I also feel the same way about Benchmade !! They aren’t worth what they charge, for me and my personal use. Thank you for your reviews 👍🏾
Hogue Deka gen 2 with that modified wharncliffe. they did a few up grades the gen 2s have less screws that keep them together. gen 1 had like 6 they droped it to 3 and added a deep carry clip also witch idk i m big fan of deep carry. They listened to the people I have few gun grips from them I can't complain USA made. Go look on blade hq look at all there dekas there some gen 1 on there some gen 2 but they don't say that in the Description. I was like why dose one have deep carry clip and the other one dosent the gen 1 I dint like clip at all. I m give that one a try ordering it this week. Love to see u put one threw its paces hopefully soon.
QSP is another unsung hero when it comes to good heat treating. Their D2 and S35vn knives are great. I tested a bunch of my knives recently and the only two that held the edge after a couple of cuts were the QSP and Spyderco knives.
Like you, I also wasn't a Spyderco fan. I just thought they looked weird. Bought a Para 3 in S30V last year and it was like a veil was lifted from my eyes. Now I've got 3 PM2s, 3 Para 3s, a Shaman, 3 Manix 2s and a Military. I also have an Amalgam, a Mantra 3, a Hanan and a Tropen. I also have a few cheaper ones like an Endura, a Tenacious and a Resilience. Try out either a Manix 2 lightweight or a Para 3 lightweight. I've got both in CPM SPY27 steel.
I used to really dislike Spyderco, I just hated the way they looked. I thought they were just ugly. But then I bought one, and it changed my mind, I got a Para 3 lightweight and loved it.
When you need to really abuse a fixed blade knife to get the job done... baton through wood, pry, chop, limb, scrape, stab, etc.... what is your go to steel? Thanks
I put the Chinese Tenacious through some tough field tests on wild hogs and to say it is junk is not my findings as was totally amazed by the edge retention that Outdoor 55 proved out later in the test pitting the Chinese steel against the S30V and found absolutely no difference in edge retention
everything you said why you hated spyderco was true for me too. Especially the FRN versions and the prices. But then I got the Cruwear Micarta one. And I started thinking, hey, this might be worth it.
Due to rheumatoid arthritis, I have a dexterity problem with spidey flickin'. This makes it hard for me to enjoy Spyderco, but then along came the Smock. Simple, elegant, flipper. I love it.
Hey, don’t hate on the China blades. I’ve got several byrds and they are beasts. (Obviously not screwdrivers) but nothing holds an edge like a mini Byrd. I have several coworkers who bought in. But tenacious is a peach. Endura 3 is a sweet peach too. Today I bought a Sexi-city Aus6 stainless from a pawnshop for a dollar.
Can’t say I’m necessarily a “fan” of Spyderco, but when you look at other similar US made options, I tend to come back to Spyderco. I’ve been tempted to give the Deka shot tho
![Дон ДОН, Алаудинов и СБЕЖАВШИЕ из под Курска ахматовцы 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dEfCf5IK26Q/mqdefault.jpg)
Sal really listens to the community, and the Spyderco Forum is one of the nicest knife communities on the internet. I wish they could keep their costs down, but if it means they pay their employees a livable wage I'm all for it.
Same!!!
Yoooo I agree
I agree, and the Spyderco Forum is a gold mine. There even is highly talented and experienced custom knife makers there that would help you with virtually anything related to making knives ! Big up to Chad Kelly !
I agree. I asked a question about best pivot lube and I probably had around 30 people give me some amazing advise and didn’t make me feel like a dumbass for asking a question.
I dont mind the cost.
If I need my knife sharpened then I can send it to spyderco to have it sharpened for a 5$ postage.
I can't tell you how much I agree, over the past couple years I've been screaming about Spyderco heat treatment being so good, even on the exclusive steels that know one's doing, and they are always better. And it really shows when your testing the same steel from multiple companies like I did with Magnacut there's was the best by far that I've tested production wise. Which is extremely important to me
They are really killing it lately- so glad I pulled my head outta my ass on this one🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeah, it makes me cringe a bit when I see a lot of "Spyderco fans' crying because there's no MagnaCut in the production line-up as of yet. They take their time because they bring the best HT they can ! And I'm happy to wait for the best HT possible
@@ramonade_knives yeah and they did the Mule in Magnacut so far, and it was the best I've tested from production companies. And I'm sure it's only a matter of time we will see more
@@NeevesKnives For sure, the Native 5 Salt is gonna have this steel soon, it's gonna be their first "production" MagnaCut 👊
@@ramonade_knives hopefully they run it the same as the Mule
It kills me how people are so down on Spyderco because they don’t like the looks of them. Those folks are really missing out.
Some insight into how the dealer exclusives work (based on my convo with Indiana Knives)
Dealers will actually put a huge down payment to order a specific kind of spyderco model in a specific kind of steel/color, and they are the ones who decide how many are made, because they decide how many to pay for.
St Nick's pays far less than BladeHQ for exclusives because they order far far less individual knives, thus they sell out much faster.
Spyderco wouldn't be able to afford to keep all these models in circulation forever, because the only reason they can afford to halt production on core models and make, for example, 2000 m4 pm2s, is because of that down payment from dealers.
Ultimately, it's a sort of luxury service that Spyderco does dealer exclusives at all, but its up to the dealers how many are made and how many they want to sell, because these models CAN be reordered by the dealers.
The only sprint runs Spyderco themselves fund are the CF/S90V models (which still requires a halt in production, thus the limitation) and the weird maker flash deals like the Bombshell.
Hope that clears some things up about your point on their 'limited' runs. Their limitation is entirely in the hands of the dealer's willingness to buy more to sell.
I respect Spyderco and like how they do so many special runs and limited releases. It makes this hobby fun and exciting. It's cool having different variations and steels on your fav knives.
Spyderco have been my favorite knife company for years.
The biggest complaint you hear about Spyderco is the price hikes. I wonder if they use some of that money for R and D and retooling because they are an innovative company bringing out new models and steels continually.
Hi Erica! A little over a year ago (a bit before you started tested the Para 3), I left a comment praising you/your approach with this channel “even though there are some things I personally have differing opinions on” …it seems like our biggest “differing opinion” is no longer 😊 I’m just happy you have a knife company you can feel good about buying from!
As far as Spyderco’s warranty goes, their stance now is disassembling your knife will not void your warranty, unless whatever problem you’re making a warranty claim for is a direct result of you having disassembled your knife (e.g. you did it improperly/damaged it/modified it).
As for replacement Spyderco parts, technically / on paper, their policy is that they don’t/will not provide spare/replacement parts, but in my online research & personal experience, that’s more of a “covering their butts” policy, and they will make an honest effort to provide replacement parts if they are able to. I personally have had them send me a replacement pivot screw for free, even though I’m in Canada.
The reason why (according to Sal Glesser on the Spyderco forums) they don’t commit to providing spare/replacement parts is because CQI - how Spyderco will fluidly make changes (presumably improvements) to their products without formal version or name changes, so
1) They won’t always know which spec/version of replacement part will be compatible with the knife you have
2) If they committed to such a policy, they would need to maintain an obscenely large inventory of each version of each part used (including ones no longer used in the most current version of a given knife) in every model of their knives across each of their factories.
Some might make the argument that Spyderco brought the 2nd issue above upon themselves by making so many exclusive/sprints, but even for something like, say, the Spydie Chef which has not been subjected to a landslide of sprints/exclusives, Spyderco has updated the screws from the initial release to more corrosion resistant screws, with the updated screws being black rather than silver like on the earlier versions. So while us crazy knife enthusiasts would know about this change and be able to specify in a warranty claim, a more “casual” customer might, for example, end up receiving mismatched screws if they just asked Spyderco to provide them with a replacement screw. (there are many more similar examples)
Spyderco (unlike Benchmade) does have a strict “no replacement blades will be provided (or even offered for sale) under any circumstances” policy, but I have seen at least 20+ people online have their snapped Maxamet and S110V knives replaced. I think Spyderco did replace their entire knife though, not just the blade, cuz they’re concerned about blade lockup consistency with blade swaps. You are SOL if a Sprint blade snaps on you though (in that scenario, they’ll credit you some amount towards a new knife).
Just a heads up on Hogue: I haven’t had any personal experience with any Hogue, but Brian (Transparent Knives) says their Magnacut is run fairly soft. Not “you’re definitely getting scammed” levels of soft, but it’s soft enough that it would be a dealbreaker for people like Brian, no matter how much he likes the rest of the knife. Hogue advertises 60-62 HRC. My understanding is Magnacut starts being “great” at 64-ish HRC, and the “truly exceptional” ones (at least when it comes to edge retention) are like 66-68 HRC. I can see an argument being made for 60-62 HRC for a fixed blade, but on a lightweight, thin EDC folder (Deka)…much harder for me to get behind.
Ps. I haven't left a comment for many months cuz I realized mine are typically lengthy and you tend to get quite a lot of comments on your videos these days, so I haven't congratulated you on your REC position yet. Really happy for you & look forward to seeing all the other good things life has lined up for you!
You just provided SO MUCH useful information! Thank you!!!!! You rock!!!!!!
@@kitegem You are absolutely correct.
Simultaneously, as more makers, users, "testers", "reviewers", and "enthusiasts" have gotten their hands on a wider spread of Magnacut, there are people who have noticed "significant", "meaningful" improvements to edge retention at >64HRC (and a number of these people have since spoken to Larrin Thomas about it).
Yes, Magnacut becomes less tough once you go >62.4HRC, but what people are noticing is that the toughness loss as you go >HRC is minimal compared to how much edge retention you gain, so many are finding higher HRC to be a more optimal trade off for most knives, especially folders that aren't super hard use.
I understand that Larrin Thomas wants to maintain a good relationship with Crucible & large production maker / knife companies, though some in the community have criticized him for being a bit too "lenient" with giving his blessing for Magnacut that is run that soft.
Among the group of people with that opinion, their consensus is that it would be too difficult/costly for larger scale companies to consistently put out >64 HRC knives (understandable / reasonable), so even though Larrin knows that Magnacut performs really well >64 HRC, he won't publicly state it because if he does, it will give many people (who aren't as nerdy & don't understandable how difficult/costly it is to consistently put out >64HRC Magnacut knives) think that all the 62-64 HRC Magnacut knives are "bad". When in reality, 64HRC, as I had said my initial comment, is actually "great"...it's just that >64 HRC, for most use cases (non fixed blades) is actually "even better" (cost aside).
To be clear, my initial comment was directed at Erica specifically (hence me starting it with "Hi Erica"), and I know that she has experienced & appreciates heat treats of custom, one-off knives (again, something that would be unrealistic for large scale companies to do), so her "baseline" of "heat treat quality" is really high compared to most other people. Most people will be happy with 6.25HRC Magnacut, but since she has experienced such high end heat treats, I wanted to give her a heads up that the Tactile Knife might not be up to those very high standards.
Kind of like how Rockstead shows that ZDP189 actually performs at godly levels at 67HRC, but their knives are >$700, and they make a very small number of them. It would be unrealistic for the "suggested spec" of ZDP189 to mandate/suggest 67HRC, and if that was the official spec, most other ZDP189 knives would look like they are "doing it wrong." When in reality, the other ZDP189 knives are fine, but Rockstead, at 67HRC was able to create something that is better, just very expensive & low volume.
Really admirable for saying you were wrong I respect that. I never was interested in Spyderco. But one day the great algorithms of UA-cam sended me an documentary about Spyderco with Sal and Eric. I was blown away by how humble and respectful and just likable they we're so I bought an Manix 2. After that I kept buying knives and knives ofcourse as we al are knife addicted 😂. But at the end a sold my collection and just carry a Manix 2 G10 in s110v and I love it to death. Now more fancy bullshit. And when it's done the next Spyderco will end up in my pocket. Thanks for your insights and always funny vids (dogs😂) cheers! Greetings from the Netherlands 🇱🇺
I have been a huge Spyderco fan for a long time and always will because of how they have changed the modern folding knife. When I was in Iraq in 1990/91 we all had crappy two handed opening Buck and Gerbers in sheaths on our belts in crappy steels. When I got back I came across a couple Spyderco's and was blown away. One hand opening and the pocket clip were all so far ahead of anybody else and vg-10 was an improvement too. And they have continued to set the bar higher than all the other companies by placing function over form. Alot of them look awkward until you get them in hand and start using them. And Sal is very particular about his heat treat on steel.
So glad it’s Friday. So glad to see a video. So need a Spyderco, but what I want is out of stock. Thanks !!!
Happy Friday Dan!!! Have a good one man- all my love to ya!!!!
Picked up a para 3 S45vn dlc a few months ago....being primarily a benchmade person I was blown away with the quality and fit and finish on the para 3 and honestly felt like selling my benchmades.
I love Spyderco and I have no issue admitting I’m w fanboy haha. They do stuff that annoys me , sprint runs and exclusives don’t really annoy me that much, because they aren’t just marketing ploys but really part of the company listening to users who want different steels and materials. They do exclusives to help keep their retailers happy and because us fans just eat it up haha. I have a large-ish collection of knives that consists of a good handfull of Kershaw/zt, benchmades, random cool stuff and about a hundred different Spydercos because I am obsessed. Great knives.
There use to be a time I may have disagreed but 6 months ago I bought a delica just to try and now I own 4 spydercos, the Delica 4, carbon fiber M4 PM2, Spy27 Manix 2 LW and Shaman. They just function really well and though I still love my BM 940 and other lesser knives like my RAT 1 and Artisan cutlery Arion they feel 1 tier lower. Axis lock is still better then the bearing lock in ease of use and smoothness but the Manix is still carried often.
Im on board 100% been with this channel for a while and I’m glad you saw the Spyderco light. I’m so stuck on Spyderco right now I can’t get off it
My Chaparral is my absolute favorite EDC. Brilliantly designed and maybe the best slicer I’ve ever tried.
Erica, I’m with you on this journey! I hated Spyderco too. Then I held the Para 3 and was intrigued. I stewed on getting one and couldn’t get it out of my head. I went back to the store and held the PM2. Then they both were on my mind for days. I went back and said screw it. I’m getting one. I didn’t know which one. Ended up with the Para 3 (s45vn). I used it for two days and then understood it was good. Two days later I went back for the PM2 in same steel. I freaking get it now. Not a fan of ALL Spyderco’s though. I just picked up the Spyderco Bow River yesterday. Not sure about the steel quality yet (8Cr13MoV) but the price is great. I still love my BM 940 and Bug Outs. But I do get the Spyderco deal now. Quality is great. Benchmade QC is iffy. Cheers
just like the rest of their stuff , the 8cr13mov is good shit
I'm liking the crap out of Spyderco K390.... PM2 and Endura... Great edge, sticky sharp, holds the edge a long long time.
Maxamet.. Got a Para3 that was "Chippy" picked up a second one that is great. Going to send both to Outpost76 for testing. If you sharpen high HRC is the way to go in my opinion. ZDP189, K390, Maxamet. SPY 27 is great if you use a strop. Thanks for the video. : )
I have one Spyderco knife…. Bought it, used it a little and found myself putting it away and grabbing others. It’s a Native 5 in S30V. Just took it about of my knife box and will give it another try because of your comments… Will let you know how it goes…
Totally agree, I didn't like spyderco, though they looked silly and didn't get the hype. After using them for several months they are now my favorite brand. They work great, built solid, ergonomic and the steel is really well done. I don't know if they increased the quality, or if I got lucky, but my tenacious is a great knife, even with lower grade steel it functions very well and feels solid. I mainly use the shaman or the pm2 now that I have them
I tend to agree and totally agree on hogue. Their Doug Ritter knife at knifeworks puts the Griptilian to shame and costs less. Looking forward to the Hogue Deka coming out in Magnacut.
It doesn't actually cost less but it's a much better knife in much better materials. It's certainly better value than the standard Griptilians.
I bought two of the SMKW blue carbon Magnacut Dekas about 2 months ago when they dropped them. Both of them are ran much softer then my Magnacut Mule teams. I sharpen professionally and have for many years and can tell a lot by how the steel feels on stones. I sharpened a couple custom magnacut knives that was Rockwell tested at 62 a while back and both my magnacut dekas are much softer then those bushcrafters. I know what magnacut at 62rc feels like and going by that I would put those Dekas at 60 to 60.5. If they don't raise the hardness I would steer clear.
My experience with spyderco knives is that Putting form and ergos first, their aesthetics tend to grow on you over time. You really will never know the true genius of one until you hold one in your hand, then you really start paying attention to them. Knives that look dumb or silly become desirable and ‘grail’ a few months later. it just feels like they are always doing something special. Great company
I'm glad to see you mention Hogue Knives! I've owned several of their knives & been consistently impressed with the overall quality. Their OTFs are also really great. I've sharpened several of the ones I've had & the heat trealts have benn consistently good, too.
I gotta agree with you on Spyderco as well. I've also owned a bunch of their stuff from all their different factories & have been impressed with pretty much every single one.
Glad to see you're on board now!
Super Steel Steve tested my Para 3 in S35vn on his YT channel and it was very impressive. I stopped carrying Spyderco for a while due to always being annoyed at sprint runs and new releases always being a PM2 or jade haha. Due to recent events and going back through my collection I've stuck Spyderco knives back in my pocket this week. I think you're absolutely right on a lot of the points you made!
I wasn't too sure about Spyderco either. Thank you for the video. I just ordered a Caribbean.
I love Spyderco, they're my fav knife company. I only have 1 Chinese knife, the Tenacious, but my fav models to carry are the Seki City Japan models. They're pretty reasonably priced, and I don't cry if I lose it. I actually love the Delica and appreciate VG10 on an edc knife bc it's easy to maintain anywhere I am at. I don't have to have diamond sharpeners. The Rock Jumper and the Stretch 2 are the two edc knives I carry most. I just picked up the Rock Jumper in VG10, and I really love it so much, I'm gonna try and buy one in a premium steel along with my Stretch 2 in k390.
I’m about 18 months into the collecting and overall knowledge learning about knives. For 16 of the 18 months, i did not like Spyderco’s because of their look! The big hole and hump is/was ugly to me! I’ve met knife folks that have shown me their Spyderco’s and listened to their knowledge of them and i finally decided to buy one!! I have a Manix 2 XL on the way and I’m excited!!! I just found your channel, and I’m glad i did!! Thanks and cheers sista!!!
How you liking that new Manix of yours? How bout that locking mechanism? Once I got used to it I really started to appreciate it.
@@johncoffee5837 , it’s marvelous!! My buddies who have the Manix 2’s, are now wanting the XL! The XL fits perfectly in my hand! I’m very much enjoying the lock mechanism as well! I’m now patiently waiting for the NEW Military 2 to drop, so I can swoop one up!! Thank you for asking John!! Cheers bro!!!
I agree with you that Spyderco is a top notch all around knife maker. I have been a Spyderco fan since 1988, they had me then and they have me now. And, yes they are now much more understanding regarding the terms of their warranty. As a case in point, I recently purchased a Pakkawood Police 4 Hap40 Sus110 steel edition which I truly love. I decided to disassemble it just to check on the blade lubrication and in the process I accidently bent one of the bronze phosphor blade pivot washers. This was clearly my fault and no blame on Spyderco what so ever. I sent it back to them and they replaced both washers and got it back to me within a week in perfect working order with no problems. This is an example of how a top notch maker stands behind their product and supports their customers. Needless to say, I am much like you with respect to having made your Spydercos the largest part of your knife collection because they have truly earned that top spot as a result of their outstanding quality and performance.
I know Spyderco’s claims of being a performance based company can sound like a marketing scheme but when you really breakdown their knives (especially their USA made stuff), they really are exceptional and practice what they preach. I’m semi convinced that the people hating on spyderco either haven’t actually owned one or are people who don’t actually use or sharpen their knives. It’s been enjoyable watching you fall in love with spyderco through actually experiencing them and respect to you for admitting when you’re wrong!
Couldn't agree more. Function over form. Never liked them, until I started using them, now they are my favorite brand
Spyderco hasn’t put anything out lately that draws my attention. 5-6 years ago I was all about Spyderco, but my last Spyderco purchase was the para3 years ago.
Never imagined I’d be listening to and enjoying a women talk about knives. Great vids. Keep up the good work.
From blade steel variety to reliable construction, ergonomics and heat treatment, Spyderco really does offer some of the best knives for your money💯
I hope they will bring out a mini Manix. Ithink alot of people are waiting for that. Great vid 👍
I need one!!!!!
A smaller version of the Manix would be awesome. A smaller Shaman and Slysz Bowie would also be nice.
Sage 1 or 5 not ball lock but man the sage is a mini manix.
Welcome to the cult… I mean Club. I got my first hit of spyderco at a young age (around 14) in the form of a endura 2 wedged in a boat dock. Spyderco for the most part focuses on making excellent user knives, they have been innovating from day 1. I feel you with the crazy pets, my cats won’t stop chasing each either at full speed at 3am.
Lmaooooo spyderco....hmmm never heard of it!!!!hahaha
Glad you discovered that. I love my PM2 to death. I carry it every single day. I also have a couple of Benchmades and Civivis that I love and carry for special occasions. Keep it up.
I totally agree! Spyderco has become the best knives in my collection and I can easily do anything with them and they hold up!
The only Spyderco I have is that exclusive pm3 and really like it as well. I also have their Byrd line meadowlark 2 and it’s my go to slicey beater around the house
Spyderco does some of the best heat treat that I've seen. My PM2 holds up way better than anything else in my pocket.
Try any of the K390 spydercos. I got the Stretch 2 in K390 and it's crazy sharp and holds an edge extremely well. My favorite of all time is the Paramilitary 2.
yoooo I just got that one, the ergos are super nice. I love K390!
Did you happen to note the edge is chipper? I managed to chip my k390 police lw edge as I was swapping it to the police 3 g10 scale. I think I lightly bump it against the backlock as I was wriggling the bronze back into position.
@@kwong7058 I have not managed to chip it. 17 degrees per side though. Perhaps you do tougher stuff with it.
I have a Hogue k320 I'd love to send your way if you want to check/test it out.
Happy to see this, as I also think Spyderco knives are the best. I have 10 times more Spyderco in my collection vs other brands. When I use them, they put a smile on my face. Granted, I mostly get them with high-end steels, not VG10 or other steels that I consider low-end steels. It's usually the ergonomics and materials that really do it for me, and Spyderco excels in those criteria for me.
I've been quite happy with their VG10, which I have on a couple Stretch 2's and Enduras. Holds an edge acceptably, and is easy to touch up even just on a strop.
One concern I have now though is developing rust spots on a S30V Sliverax. Not cool.
Heat treat is on point , its like going to mcdonalds getting a bigmac knowing its going to taste like a bigmac Spyderco is consistant good working knives.
Sliverax is my favorite Spyderco ever! Fits my hand like a dream. Sharp as a razor. Light and the carbon fiber looks awesome. The Gayle Bradley 2 is my second favorite Spyderco knife. The Delica and Endura are great too. I carry my Tasman salt when I go fly fishing. The Ladybug is a nice little knife to carry that won’t scare the knife muglles when you use it. Oh shit, I’ve over-shared again!
P.S. Microtech knives are expensive fidget toys. Nothing I’d carry for anything other than light cutting tasks.
I LOVE IT!
@@ericasedc Truth!!!
I love my Sliverax too…. even more so after I did the flipper delete mod. I only wish Spyderco made a upgraded steel model at one point.
@@SpecterSeventy2 I’d love to get it in M4!
@@SpecterSeventy2 I’d like that too.
I like some of what Hogue is doing right now. I'm hoping they ... And you mention Hogue right as I'm typing this. Lol. I'm hoping they keep heading in the right direction.
Spyderco drew me in because they have knives for most jurisdictions and at every price point. The Dragonfly and Lil Native are perfect EDC knives for cities like mine where EDC blades longer than 2.5 inches are illegal. (And there's a lot of choices with those models. I recently got the Emerson Opener Dragonfly for fun). If you can't afford the Dragonfly, you can drop down to the Byrd Robin (though I share your allergy to those).
Benchmade completely ignores knife laws and people on budgets. I was interested in an upcoming Benchmade called the Weekender, but unfortunately it's gonna be over $200 for inexplicable reasons. So, Benchmade is exclusively a luxury brand, whereas Spyderco's a brand that wants to make a knife for everyone.
That Spyderco does great heat treatments on a wide range of steels is impressive. And, far as I can tell, Sal and Eric are good people and they have no plans to sell the company off to a conglomerate like others are doing.
I don't like all the limited editions and whatnot but pretty much every knife brand does that and I view it as hardcore collectors keeping companies afloat so they can make their regular knives for the rest of us.
FYI: The Cat and the Chicago are made in Taiwan. I think those are their only budget knives not made in China. Hope that changes in the future!
I agree spydercos product line is the most wide ranging in the business from kitchen knives to folders they have a knife that will satisfy any customer and their needs no matter the budget. Truly impressive.
My collection is largely Chris Reeve - just my personal favorite. I don’t use my knives to actually cut 900 feet of cardboard a day because in my edc actual cutting is occasional - so the softer S35 is great for me, screaming hair popping sharp and I just love the aesthetics, feel and quality CRK has. I am not a fan of most Spyderco designs (I own the Pm2) and the spydie hole (for me),it’s excellent but truly painful to look at. I agree 100%, a great company with great products! I also don’t like the annoying sprint runs but overall a really great company. I sharpened my Large Inkosi in 2018, carrying every day and it’s as sharp as the day I made it a razor blade… Chris Reeve for me is an heirloom of beauty, Spyderco is a masterpiece for users - and I make no apologies for not being a user, I just don’t need to cut much!
Well stated, bro. I pretty much feel that way about my Koenig Arius. Love the feel, action, look of the Koenig. But, I take the PM2 when I know I'll have to cut anything serious. Not that the Arius wouldn't do it well, it's just that I baby her.
In general I'm not a huge fan of the Spyderco designs, but there's a couple of them I like. Only have had a Manix 2 lightweight, and I do enjoy it.
Yeah. Me too. I just bought a CruCarta PM2 about 3 weeks ago. Then a week later I got the Maxamet PM2. Next I plan on an M390 PM2 or if I can locate one a MagnaCut PM2.
And I have to say the first time I I saw a Spyderco was in the mid 80s and my best friend who has been my friend since the mid 80s had one all the way back then. And I have been avoiding them since then. So I only have two, but I've only been buying them for about 3 weeks. And avoiding them for around 40 years.
I used to think they all looked the same (yay a thumbhole!!) - and to some extent they do, but even if they do only have essentially a few designs for most of their range they are very good designs - if you want pure slicers.
I guess that was part of my problem with them historically - I used to be what some people migth call a "hard use" knife user. Cutting down saplings, splitting wood, openinfg wooden crates that kind if thing. My piocket knife was really more of a can opener/pliers/marlin spike/screewdriver than a cutting tool and for a good number of years I stopped carrying a knife in my pokcet and just carried a multitool.
But here I am now - $800+AUD in 3 2 weeks on Spydercos - I'm like a smoker who has quit and is spouting the benefits hard.
😻
Agree wholeheartedly! Spyderco does knives right! 👍
Strangely, not a fan of Spydie s35, but their m4, 20v, 52100, k390 and cruwear, Holy crap! I own way too many. Agree about BM, hit or miss lately. Grab yourself a Hogue Ritter to test. I own both the mini and full size, just amazing knives. I grab my crucarta or my orange mama hogue whenever I want to do hard work.
I'm such a Spyderco fan. I'm not up to speed on all the shady shenanigans other companies have been doing. I like where your head's at though. Spydie Clan rocks the world. And Hogue seems pretty solid, too. If I could get a Hogue Ritter with the Griptilian Spydie hole... I feel like that's the Hogue for me.
I have more than a few Spydercos, but now am interested in some limited/exclusives which I was never able to get a hold of ,that was 3years ago they have lost my interest so I haven't looked at any for 3 years and saved myself a crap load of money...
I actually really enjoy the exclusives. Sometimes I want more than S30V. I like that every dealership has their own thing. DLT and REC have the best exclusives.
Glad you've changed your feelings about sprint runs and exclusives. I'll start by saying I've only purchased a couple Stretch 2 sprint runs.
People just like exclusivity. It's called being individual. We all make jokes about "cookie cutter homes", and other ways in which too many things are the same. Heck, take a look in the mirror! YOU are a "sprint run" with a total quantity of one. Pretty cool huh?!
I think sprint runs and exclusives are part of what makes this EDC community cool. Let knife makers have fun, and create some hype. My biggest concern right now with the knives is the frickin' pricing. Glad I got started years ago and acquired enough to satisfy the itch. Oh yeah, I still look, but seldom do I buy now. The knives I like are just too expensive.
Keep up the great content and passion!
I agree about the limited production runs. Make enough for everyone! I wish they would put the Slysz Bowie and K2 back into production.
I agree on the Bowie. I want one with the original blade treatment. I’ve been waiting for an email from knife Joy for months announcing more Slysz Bowies. I don’t buy one if they ever notify me they’re available even if I don’t care for the blade treatment.
I have that Spyderco In a para 3 an exclusive from Blade HQ, I wish it were the pm2 as the para 3 is a lil to small for my taste.
As my all time favorite EDC is the Spyderco Amalgam,to me it's a light weight slim ergonomic beast and still a great slicer!
Have a good one.
I have been thinking this for a long time. In the production world I don’t see ANYONE offering better performance for the money. Not only do you get all these different steels to try. They are actually heat treated and ground appropriately!! And the price is great considering everything you get.
I wish spyderco would just offer colors with the base steels. Have the exclusives with the upgraded steels but offer the colors on the production models
Excellent video. I really enjoy your channel. I'm definitely partial to Sypderco. The para 3 with the bluish/purple scales is one of my favorites.
I’m dedicated to their USA made folders. I have little care for other stuff in their lineup. Maybe the Taiwanese made also. Great knives though
Taiwan makes some good folders, look into them! They often resale pretty well
The sprint runs are fine by me. Yes it’s annoying they can be hard to get but at least they are doing it. I don’t know of any other company doing it to their level and that’s a shame considering it’s usually in cool colors and with exotic steels that can be hard to come by in the knife world.
Ya… your right on point with just about everything. I had a small 21 Sebenza that would develop a Burr on a single pass on a fine DMT.
"I was wrong.". Respect 💜.
I will quote one youtubian, Spyderco seems like they fell from ugly tree and hitting all the branches on the way down 😂🤣😂 love that joke 😜😋
So agree with you. Their heat treat is the best on production stuff period. Their willingness to try new steels, unmatched. Yes they're having supply chain issues like everyone else but who else offers everything from true stainless LC200n/H1/H2 to MagnaCut to K390?
I just wish I could find contoured micarta scales for my Manix 2. For now, I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with my PM2.
I admit I was wrong about Spyderco too. They make awesome knives!
I LOVE me some spyderco, 90% of my collection is spyderco.
Wow, that’s crazy!! I didn’t realize how good Spyderco was doing until you pointed out all of these great points!! I love my Spyderco knives😁
I will admit, I have never really liked Spyderco. Had a couple of delicas, an endura, a few others. Could not stand them at all. The only reason I have been giving them a second chance, is because of your testing and reviews. I now have a PM3LW, ordered a Chief and a manix. I did get an efficient (for a “junk knife”….I actually kinda like it)
And am waiting to add either a sage in lc200 or a pacific salt 2….or maybe a delica wharncliff. And I don’t regret it. I thank you for showing me that I had undervalued Spydie and that they are a good company
Love spyderco! All the unusual steels is so cool!
Blade HQ has Shamans in M4/dlc on 08/06/2022. It’s such a great knife, albeit hard to find.
i love my spyderco knives, definitely my favorite knife company. You're right about their Chinese offerings as well, they're pretty average; but USA and Taichungs are bomb.
Yes, I love my Spydercos. Delica, Dragonfly and Endura. I even have some Byrd beaters like the Cara Cara, the Byrd equivalent of the Endura. Great video.
Spyderco has a lot going for them. Tons of unique steels, excellent timeless and classic designs, excellent locks, affordable prices, great quality control. Not to mention they have a massive product line which captures basically every aspect of the market all the way from tiny keychain knives and sharpening stones all the way up to a full fledged kitchen knife line and collaborations with custom makers. I will buy from other us brands in the future but it certainly won’t be from benchmade. Regardless, I’m a spyderco fan for life and will certainly buy more of their knives. Currently I’ve only stuck to their basic models but I think that will change in the not so distant future.
Hogue makes absolutely fantastic american made edc knives
Interesting as always Erica ! No doubts ! 🤗
I really respect your reviews. You seem to be very down to earth. I feel the same way about spyderco. I also feel the same way about Benchmade !! They aren’t worth what they charge, for me and my personal use. Thank you for your reviews 👍🏾
Thank you for watching!!
Hogue Deka gen 2 with that modified wharncliffe. they did a few up grades the gen 2s have less screws that keep them together. gen 1 had like 6 they droped it to 3 and added a deep carry clip also witch idk i m big fan of deep carry. They listened to the people I have few gun grips from them I can't complain USA made. Go look on blade hq look at all there dekas there some gen 1 on there some gen 2 but they don't say that in the Description. I was like why dose one have deep carry clip and the other one dosent the gen 1 I dint like clip at all. I m give that one a try ordering it this week. Love to see u put one threw its paces hopefully soon.
SPYDERCO make awesome knives!
QSP is another unsung hero when it comes to good heat treating. Their D2 and S35vn knives are great. I tested a bunch of my knives recently and the only two that held the edge after a couple of cuts were the QSP and Spyderco knives.
Delica vs mini grip would be an interesting vid
Benchmade was featuring a new knife at Blade Show which has 154cm and was $200….yeah….
Not a Spyderco or a folder, but ESEE really nailed the s35vn heat treat for the Xancudo….
How many employees would you think they have? I didn’t know they were a massive company
The only thing I don't like from spyderco is that you can't get a new blade. Other than that Sal and Eric are good dudes.
Like you, I also wasn't a Spyderco fan. I just thought they looked weird. Bought a Para 3 in S30V last year and it was like a veil was lifted from my eyes. Now I've got 3 PM2s, 3 Para 3s, a Shaman, 3 Manix 2s and a Military. I also have an Amalgam, a Mantra 3, a Hanan and a Tropen. I also have a few cheaper ones like an Endura, a Tenacious and a Resilience. Try out either a Manix 2 lightweight or a Para 3 lightweight. I've got both in CPM SPY27 steel.
I used to really dislike Spyderco, I just hated the way they looked. I thought they were just ugly. But then I bought one, and it changed my mind, I got a Para 3 lightweight and loved it.
When you need to really abuse a fixed blade knife to get the job done... baton through wood, pry, chop, limb, scrape, stab, etc.... what is your go to steel? Thanks
I put the Chinese Tenacious through some tough field tests on wild hogs and to say it is junk is not my findings as was totally amazed by the edge retention that Outdoor 55 proved out later in the test pitting the Chinese steel against the S30V and found absolutely no difference in edge retention
Biggest complaint I keep hearing is lanyard holes and pocket clips. Pretty low on the list of complaints as far as I'm concerned.
gotta try a baby blue Dellie or Endura in their S30v .. also, their K390 is mint
everything you said why you hated spyderco was true for me too. Especially the FRN versions and the prices.
But then I got the Cruwear Micarta one. And I started thinking, hey, this might be worth it.
I have the same para 3, a nice knife just too small for my taste. I LOVE my Amalgam, Police, And the Resilience.
Due to rheumatoid arthritis, I have a dexterity problem with spidey flickin'. This makes it hard for me to enjoy Spyderco, but then along came the Smock. Simple, elegant, flipper. I love it.
Hey, don’t hate on the China blades. I’ve got several byrds and they are beasts. (Obviously not screwdrivers) but nothing holds an edge like a mini Byrd. I have several coworkers who bought in. But tenacious is a peach. Endura 3 is a sweet peach too. Today I bought a Sexi-city Aus6 stainless from a pawnshop for a dollar.
Can’t say I’m necessarily a “fan” of Spyderco, but when you look at other similar US made options, I tend to come back to Spyderco. I’ve been tempted to give the Deka shot tho
I was the same way for years!
I had a catalog from 2015. I couldn’t find one I cared enough about to try. Now I’m looking to buy my 3rd or even more.
I don't think Taiwan considers itself China, FYI.