I strongly disagree about BD1 being "slightly better" than 8Cr13MoV. I've done my own testing with cardboard cutting, and 8Cr made it only 40 cuts before it wouldn't cleanly slice notebook paper, and BD1 made 210 cuts in the same cardboard before it wouldn't slice.
You mentioned 'plunge grind' in this vid and I was wondering if you could do a short vid describing the terminology of blade designs. Plunge grind, ricasso, swedge, bevel, clip/spear/drop point etc. I reckon I know most of the terms but I'm not really that sure......thanks in advance and, as always, top review. Thanks for posting.
Not a bad idea. A lot of people do have trouble catching up on all of the terminology knife folk tend to use. The plunge grind is the transitional area where the blade is reduced from the full stock thickness of the steel blank to the area that is thinned by the grinding process. Kind of hard to explain but I hope this helps
I picked up a delica and a polestar around the same time and found that my polestar had better fit and finish then the delica, have not taken it apart to see what the insides are like, but the delicas blade was off center, and the fact that they didn't smooth out the spyder hole kind of bugs me.
They can't do the peel ply g10 in the Chinese factories so for this model they use regular g10 that they overlay with a "net" and they then epoxy over it to get the texture in the scales.
As much as I like more additions to their budget lineup, I feel knives like these also serve to justify the insane price hikes in Spyderco's on the European markets. Why charge anything less than 100 Euro for a Delica when a "value" Chinese made CTS-BD1 model like this can run for 95 Euro, or a Byrd Raven 2 for 75 Euro?
If this knife is priced the same as a Delica it's going to be retailing at £100/ $125 here in the UK ... and up against Ganzo 'homages'; made in the same country, with neglible differences in materials and production quality, selling for $10-20. Yup, it's arrivederci from me Spyderco.
I wouldn't go as far as ditching Spyderco as a brand. They have some pretty compelling stuff, still. But I feel you Brits...Hennie did a nasty price increase just a few weeks ago.
Their designs still appeal to me, but I am curious for this increase in prices over the last few years. I remember about 4 years ago you could get a Delica for 65 euro, now it is 100-110. Yet there is no change in design, materials used or fit and finish. Not to mention the US market has not suffered from price increases as bad as the EU.
I bought my first spyderco this month. Delica and PM2, nothing mind blowing for $100-150. I had to file out the spydy hole on the Delica because the drill did a shotty job, edge was sharp and you could see cut lines from the drill bit. Not what you would expect on a $100 piece. I dont think i would buy another spyderco. Not too mention they are faked more than any other knife which will kill market values.
It is the upper end of thier budget line. Not lower, due to BD1 being closer to vg10 in both edge retention and rust resistance, than it is to 8cr13mov.
i am little late seeing this review, but still happy i ordered one at 64$--now about 13 $ cheaper than another delica. i really like the shape of this blade and the liner lock which allows g10 on both sides. good slicing is paramount and like the chapparal i'm expecting to like this one too. it's kind of between the delica and endura in size and that is a good thing!
Wearing a designer pair of jeans :) My roommate just bought one of these as the next milestone in his never ending search for his perfect EDC. I say his EDC because of course it's different for everyone. I agree with everything you said in this review but I do kind of like that flannel coating on the G10. Anyway, love your stuff and thank you for doing what you do, sir
My polestars spidy hole isn’t chamfered but rounded and it doesn’t have a sharpening choil like the one you reviewed and also has internal milling where the liner is, maybe it’s just me but whenever I see internal milling it always brings a smile to my face. Definitely not my favorite but I certainly do like it especially since I got it for free. With all the differences maybe it’s a revised model?
Its on my list.i already have the raven 2.i like the blade shape and not having the choil.to me it's that would be a perfect edc size to me.a lot of us can't afford the more expensive knives .to me the toughness of the steel is more important than the edge and it's easier to sharpen and I really like it has American made steel
the polestars i prefer are usually in gentleman's clubs not a liner lock fan these days and the only one i accept it on is my zt0350....possibly the spydie military. for the 60 bucks it costs its a contender but id personally rather get a delica or spend a little more and get the lightweight manix. nice to see the action and better steel stepping it up on this china build. anyways agree 100% on the conclusions. not one i want, but a good option for others?
Have an Alcyone and want the Polestar. F&F is impressive for the price and being Chinese. It’s not a Delica replacement but I think it justifies the premium over the very “meh” tenacious.
I think I read somewhere that the surface is not a laminate, but is shaped by a peel ply, which is used to press the texture in the G10 and peeled off.
My initial thought was that the pocket clip was a smart design being around the lanyard hole as it takes up less real estate. Does it not carry well as a result?
Just came here to lament the fact that this is now nearly a $100 knife, which in my mind, is insane. Especially considering you can get a Manix 2 or Para 3 Lightweight in the same steel for around the same price. These are going the way of the Delica and pricing themselves into brackets of much better options for similar money.
I think it IS in line with their other budget knives. This one has better ergos, better design, better G10, and, most significantly, better and imported steel. So it's going to be a little bit more expensive. And on BladeHQ it's only a $13 premium for all that.
Hi Nick, love your reviews. Streamlined and on point as always 👍 Can you do the Spyderco Efficient soon? Im looking for a budget Spydey and the Efficient seems to be an improvement on the budget line. Would love to hear your views on it. Hope you can tackle it soon. Keep up the fine work as always 👌
Well done buddy!! You nailed it on this review. As you mentioned, this knife is kind of odd. It really doesn't really fit anywhere, well....unless you're a stripper. My copy also had a mushy detent...so, as you alluded to, I don't think that it's an isolated issue. I'd recommend the Raven 2 over this knife any day!
Speaking of oddly-placed new Spydercos, the Lil' Temperance 3 is a compression lock G10 and S30V sub-3" new offering... for $190?! Just get a Sage or a Para3! Gotta wonder why it costs so much. Maybe the price hike for shipping S30V to Japan?
+Jae Stelzer Japanese Spyderco (outside the FRN models like the Delica) are almost never good value. Interesting design, but I've sworn them off. Overpriced and under-made relative to Taichung.
Man the info on CTS-BD1 is so inconsistent... I've seen people saying that the edge retention is better than VG-10, and then I'll watch another review where they say it's as bad as AUS-6! I think I'm just going to avoid it for now...
Rodrigo Teresa it's similar to VG10, not better. I think VG10 is a better steel but BD1 is close. It's easy to sharpen too so when it gets dull 5 minutes on the stone and it's sharp again. Why pay for super steel when you don't need it?
Nick Shabazz Thanks Nick! Quick question: Just disassembled and reassembled my Endura 4, and now it has verticale blade play where it didn't before... Any troubleshooting advice?
Informative video, and a good looking knife. Very nice quality design and materials. I definitely agree with you, Spyderco certainly dropped the ball on the price point of the Alcyone. From what I am seeing this knife costs $60 on Amazon, and considering the fact that you can pick up one of Spyderco’s most beloved knives, the Delica 4, for $69...what’s the deal with the price?? Who wouldn’t have an extra $9 to spend on a knife that is made in Japan vs. China, and has VG10 steel vs. 8cr13?? There are plenty of other Spyderco knives from their “Non Value” line in the $65-$70 price range as well...you have the Endura, dragonfly and Centofante, all good looking knives, all made in Japan and all with VG10 steel. So this knife at this price point does not belong in the “Value” line. I strongly feel that any knife in their Value line should be sub $50.
Its bd1 not 8cr. Bd1 is pretty similar to vg10 and it also has g10 instead of frn. Honestly even if they were the same price id take an alcyone over a delica its a bigger more substantial knife, i prefer the feel of g10, and i like liner locks over back locks. Who cares if its japan vs china when it has american steel anyways
Cool thoughts. I love that clip over the newer ones. Lol. I wanted this knife until i saw your review. Glad you made your points. One less bath i need to take. Lol
This knife is about $20 to $25 too expensive to be considered at all by me. Even at a much lower price, it would be nowhere the top of the list. I have bought new Spyderco Endura 4s, Kershaw Blur S30V and Ontario RAT 2 D2 knives for less and they are very superior to the Spyderco Polestar. The Polestar is a marginal effort priced far above its value.
zero 4U, I have multiple rat 1 in Aus8 and d2, I prefer the polestar by far for my budget blade edc.along with usually a manix 2 or one of my Benchmades, I am a 2-3 blade edc guy, 2 folders and a fixed blade usually.
zero 4U , the d2 used on the rat is not the greatest (soft for d2) but better then their aus8. I like d2 when I'm not gonna be in wet conditions. I do like 154cm very much.
Marc I ok I will have to pay more attention. when I sharpen the rat in D2 on brous and rat, I did not notice any difference and was impressed with the heat treat and edge retention on both.
I strongly disagree about BD1 being "slightly better" than 8Cr13MoV. I've done my own testing with cardboard cutting, and 8Cr made it only 40 cuts before it wouldn't cleanly slice notebook paper, and BD1 made 210 cuts in the same cardboard before it wouldn't slice.
Yeah I agree. Nick also also gone on the record of saying 14c28n isn’t a good steel... his steel snob ways blind Him lol
You mentioned 'plunge grind' in this vid and I was wondering if you could do a short vid describing the terminology of blade designs. Plunge grind, ricasso, swedge, bevel, clip/spear/drop point etc. I reckon I know most of the terms but I'm not really that sure......thanks in advance and, as always, top review. Thanks for posting.
Not a bad idea. A lot of people do have trouble catching up on all of the terminology knife folk tend to use. The plunge grind is the transitional area where the blade is reduced from the full stock thickness of the steel blank to the area that is thinned by the grinding process. Kind of hard to explain but I hope this helps
BD 1 is pretty similar to VG10. It's decent steel, more than adequate for EDC.
"Tenacious wearing designer jeans" Ha! Love it! Thanks for the review Nick; I was considering this one.
I picked up a delica and a polestar around the same time and found that my polestar had better fit and finish then the delica, have not taken it apart to see what the insides are like, but the delicas blade was off center, and the fact that they didn't smooth out the spyder hole kind of bugs me.
@Ken H Check out Kizer, and Reate knives, they make products better then Japanese Spyderco's.
They can't do the peel ply g10 in the Chinese factories so for this model they use regular g10 that they overlay with a "net" and they then epoxy over it to get the texture in the scales.
SkyKnifer heey skyknifer fun to see you on youtube -edcaddict096
I really like the clean look of this knife - it has a visual balance.
I also like to throw my dollars at good looking stars on the pole...
I got a Raven 2 and I absolutely love it, I'm not sure but I would wager nick would like it just a bit more than the polestar.
As much as I like more additions to their budget lineup, I feel knives like these also serve to justify the insane price hikes in Spyderco's on the European markets. Why charge anything less than 100 Euro for a Delica when a "value" Chinese made CTS-BD1 model like this can run for 95 Euro, or a Byrd Raven 2 for 75 Euro?
Been saying it for a long time now. Screw Spyderco!
If this knife is priced the same as a Delica it's going to be retailing at £100/ $125 here in the UK ... and up against Ganzo 'homages'; made in the same country, with neglible differences in materials and production quality, selling for $10-20. Yup, it's arrivederci from me Spyderco.
I wouldn't go as far as ditching Spyderco as a brand. They have some pretty compelling stuff, still. But I feel you Brits...Hennie did a nasty price increase just a few weeks ago.
Their designs still appeal to me, but I am curious for this increase in prices over the last few years. I remember about 4 years ago you could get a Delica for 65 euro, now it is 100-110. Yet there is no change in design, materials used or fit and finish. Not to mention the US market has not suffered from price increases as bad as the EU.
I bought my first spyderco this month. Delica and PM2, nothing mind blowing for $100-150. I had to file out the spydy hole on the Delica because the drill did a shotty job, edge was sharp and you could see cut lines from the drill bit. Not what you would expect on a $100 piece. I dont think i would buy another spyderco. Not too mention they are faked more than any other knife which will kill market values.
It is the upper end of thier budget line. Not lower, due to BD1 being closer to vg10 in both edge retention and rust resistance, than it is to 8cr13mov.
They use BD1N on their American made stuff now. It’s basically the default on all the lightweights for the American line.
Similar blade size to the para 2 and smaller in the pocket looks like advantage in this design
i am little late seeing this review, but still happy i ordered one at 64$--now about 13 $ cheaper than another delica. i really like the shape of this blade and the liner lock which allows g10 on both sides. good slicing is paramount and like the chapparal i'm expecting to like this one too. it's kind of between the delica and endura in size and that is a good thing!
Wearing a designer pair of jeans :) My roommate just bought one of these as the next milestone in his never ending search for his perfect EDC. I say his EDC because of course it's different for everyone. I agree with everything you said in this review but I do kind of like that flannel coating on the G10. Anyway, love your stuff and thank you for doing what you do, sir
My polestars spidy hole isn’t chamfered but rounded and it doesn’t have a sharpening choil like the one you reviewed and also has internal milling where the liner is, maybe it’s just me but whenever I see internal milling it always brings a smile to my face. Definitely not my favorite but I certainly do like it especially since I got it for free. With all the differences maybe it’s a revised model?
Pete I doubt it unless blade hq gives away and sales fakes
Its on my list.i already have the raven 2.i like the blade shape and not having the choil.to me it's that would be a perfect edc size to me.a lot of us can't afford the more expensive knives .to me the toughness of the steel is more important than the edge and it's easier to sharpen and I really like it has American made steel
The clip is a standard Spyderco Spoon. As for value BD1-N steel is a better value than most steels.
thanks for the review. I really like how you make a lot of size comparisons in your reviews.
Great reveiw , Nick !
Very informartive , laconic and subjective in a good way.
One of the best on YT so far...
Thaks.
the polestars i prefer are usually in gentleman's clubs
not a liner lock fan these days and the only one i accept it on is my zt0350....possibly the spydie military.
for the 60 bucks it costs its a contender but id personally rather get a delica or spend a little more and get the lightweight manix. nice to see the action and better steel stepping it up on this china build.
anyways agree 100% on the conclusions. not one i want, but a good option for others?
Have an Alcyone and want the Polestar. F&F is impressive for the price and being Chinese. It’s not a Delica replacement but I think it justifies the premium over the very “meh” tenacious.
I think I read somewhere that the surface is not a laminate, but is shaped by a peel ply, which is used to press the texture in the G10 and peeled off.
So then the Raven 2 at $35 is an easy recommendation right?
I'll keep my tenacious thank you.great comprehensive review as always.atb paddy
Very good knife of perfect BD1 steel,but I didn't remember is it powder steel the BD1?
If I wanted to get a edc that I can take on my kayak in salt/brackish water under $75 that will hold up with some maintenance what would you recommend
I bought one based solely on the looks. It's a beautiful Spyderco.
Hey nick what are your thoughts on the roadie? I saw on instagram you carried it a while back and was wondering if you had a review coming soon?
My initial thought was that the pocket clip was a smart design being around the lanyard hole as it takes up less real estate. Does it not carry well as a result?
+J Simons It's fine, if shallow. but I'd rather they pick a clip.
Just came here to lament the fact that this is now nearly a $100 knife, which in my mind, is insane. Especially considering you can get a Manix 2 or Para 3 Lightweight in the same steel for around the same price.
These are going the way of the Delica and pricing themselves into brackets of much better options for similar money.
Great review as always Nick! Shame about the price, if this was in line with their other budget knife prices I'd probably pick one up.
I think it IS in line with their other budget knives. This one has better ergos, better design, better G10, and, most significantly, better and imported steel. So it's going to be a little bit more expensive. And on BladeHQ it's only a $13 premium for all that.
+Patrick LaFollette That's not so bad, for $13 more this is definitely nicer than the tenacious. The price has changed since I filmed!
+Tom Flower It's not so bad, but it's not a must do either.
Hi Nick, love your reviews. Streamlined and on point as always 👍
Can you do the Spyderco Efficient soon? Im looking for a budget Spydey and the Efficient seems to be an improvement on the budget line.
Would love to hear your views on it. Hope you can tackle it soon.
Keep up the fine work as always 👌
looks like a more round tenacious to me
I love my tenacious
Great review, as always.
Well done buddy!! You nailed it on this review. As you mentioned, this knife is kind of odd. It really doesn't really fit anywhere, well....unless you're a stripper. My copy also had a mushy detent...so, as you alluded to, I don't think that it's an isolated issue. I'd recommend the Raven 2 over this knife any day!
Hey Nick, great review. Like the knife, but am confused.
Speaking of oddly-placed new Spydercos, the Lil' Temperance 3 is a compression lock G10 and S30V sub-3" new offering... for $190?! Just get a Sage or a Para3! Gotta wonder why it costs so much. Maybe the price hike for shipping S30V to Japan?
+Jae Stelzer Japanese Spyderco (outside the FRN models like the Delica) are almost never good value. Interesting design, but I've sworn them off. Overpriced and under-made relative to Taichung.
Looks really nice.
Can someone please explain what exactely he means by the detent??
The force keeping the blade closed
Man the info on CTS-BD1 is so inconsistent... I've seen people saying that the edge retention is better than VG-10, and then I'll watch another review where they say it's as bad as AUS-6! I think I'm just going to avoid it for now...
+Rodrigo Teresa I think it's in that class that's fine. Not great. Not bad. But fine.
Rodrigo Teresa it's similar to VG10, not better. I think VG10 is a better steel but BD1 is close. It's easy to sharpen too so when it gets dull 5 minutes on the stone and it's sharp again. Why pay for super steel when you don't need it?
Nick Shabazz Thanks Nick! Quick question: Just disassembled and reassembled my Endura 4, and now it has verticale blade play where it didn't before... Any troubleshooting advice?
Skinny Moose Thanks man
Informative video, and a good looking knife. Very nice quality design and materials. I definitely agree with you, Spyderco certainly dropped the ball on the price point of the Alcyone. From what I am seeing this knife costs $60 on Amazon, and considering the fact that you can pick up one of Spyderco’s most beloved knives, the Delica 4, for $69...what’s the deal with the price?? Who wouldn’t have an extra $9 to spend on a knife that is made in Japan vs. China, and has VG10 steel vs. 8cr13?? There are plenty of other Spyderco knives from their “Non Value” line in the $65-$70 price range as well...you have the Endura, dragonfly and Centofante, all good looking knives, all made in Japan and all with VG10 steel. So this knife at this price point does not belong in the “Value” line. I strongly feel that any knife in their Value line should be sub $50.
Its bd1 not 8cr. Bd1 is pretty similar to vg10 and it also has g10 instead of frn. Honestly even if they were the same price id take an alcyone over a delica its a bigger more substantial knife, i prefer the feel of g10, and i like liner locks over back locks. Who cares if its japan vs china when it has american steel anyways
Cool thoughts. I love that clip over the newer ones. Lol. I wanted this knife until i saw your review. Glad you made your points. One less bath i need to take. Lol
looks like a space filler in any mans SPYDERCO collection, not to so much use but to have and display in a MANCAVE
fancy pair of jeans? LOL...You slay me
High end tenacious????
30$ is the perfect price for this knife
WAIT TILE WALMART MART PICS THIS UP . IT WOULDN'T SELL ALL THAT GREAT SO THEY MARK IT DOWN AND THEN BUY IT A 40.00 .....
NICK YOU HIT ON THE HEAD . ITS A $60.00 KNIFE .ON SOMETHING TO ME SEEM A BETTER COPY OF THE TENDENTIOUS
This knife is about $20 to $25 too expensive to be considered at all by me. Even at a much lower price, it would be nowhere the top of the list. I have bought new Spyderco Endura 4s, Kershaw Blur S30V and Ontario RAT 2 D2 knives for less and they are very superior to the Spyderco Polestar. The Polestar is a marginal effort priced far above its value.
Idk about this one
es una copia con peor diseno de mango y grip, del byrd raven 2
Nickification squad
God, pick a better name lol. The name "polestar" seems kind of reminiscent to an "exotic dancer" a.k.a. stripper.
You have a dirty mind :)
Polestar looks weird. Tenacious has a great shape but lousy steel.
Puntastic
you do such an unnecessarily massive wrist flick to open your knives lol...just an observation
Leon show business?
pole-arising review... of an unfortunate product for the price point imho. could be should be but damn just not...
Pole Junk! Rat 1 kills it!
zero 4U, I have multiple rat 1 in Aus8 and d2, I prefer the polestar by far for my budget blade edc.along with usually a manix 2 or one of my Benchmades, I am a 2-3 blade edc guy, 2 folders and a fixed blade usually.
Marc I ok. you prefer bd1 or 154 cm over D2?
zero 4U , the d2 used on the rat is not the greatest (soft for d2) but better then their aus8. I like d2 when I'm not gonna be in wet conditions. I do like 154cm very much.
Marc I ok I will have to pay more attention. when I sharpen the rat in D2 on brous and rat, I did not notice any difference and was impressed with the heat treat and edge retention on both.
Sounds horrid!