Spyderco Redefines Ugly as Beautiful

It is the hands that tell the tale. They go naturally to the knife and around the handle. The thumb falls naturally onto the large hole drilled into the top of the blade and a quick flick and snap of the wrist shoots the blade from the handle and it locks into place with a satisfying "clack!". Or, the thumb rotates smoothly around bringing the blade with it until it locks open. Watching a movie, or reading a book, often the hand seeks the knife and idly, almost subconsciously opens and closes it, opens and closes, grooving the movements into the brain and muscle memory.

When the knife is open, the handle shape and material seems to be made for secure holding and manipulation. The curves and dips fit the hand naturally and orient the blade for work.

The blade is a real anomaly for a pocket or folding knife. It's pretty much ugly if you don't understand why it is shaped and made the way it is. I never did, until I got one. I was always attracted first by blade shape in a knife. I like the Wharncliffe and the traditional drop point hunting blade shapes. Of course I've been interested in the tanto and Ken Onion's sweeping curved blade shapes too. But the Spyderco? With the hump and hole in the top, the almost leaf-shape and the flat grind? What's that all about?

Well, now I'm coming to know and appreciate what that is about.

The leaf shape with a slight but useful belly is a great cutting and slicing shape. The point is in line with the midline of the entire knife, so thrust cuts are right on, and sharpening isn't unnecessarily difficult. The flat grind is what you need for clean, sharp slicing which is where most EDC knife tasks will be anyway. And, that hump. It keeps the 13mm or so hole in the top of the blade accessible for opening the blade with one hand when necessary.

With the blade open and locked and the knife in your hand, it fits like it is supposed to – comfortable, secure and shaped for different cutting grips.

And, a feature I'm growing to appreciate is the quality of the VG-10 steel in the Spyderco blade. It came very sharp and remains paper-slicing sharp even after a few weeks of regular use. I don't like a high maintenance blade.

So, I'm satisfied with my new everyday carry knife, the Spyderco Delica4. I've been so happy with it, that I've ordered a smaller version, the Dragonfly 2 for those times I want a smaller carry knife but with the same features and advantages of the Delica. I know that I'm in the honeymoon period with the Delica now, so I'll check back in from time to time and report on how the marriage is going. With both the Delica and the Dragonfly.

Carrying A Non-Tactical Knife

As I wrote in an earlier post, I believe the word "tactical" that is so frequently applied to gear, especially self-defense gear, is grossly misused. So, this post is about a knife that does multiple duties, none of which are tactical, but which I hope will be outstanding in all respects.

Like many people, I think a knife is man's most basic and fundamental tool. It's a tool that can be carried in your pocket to do many things including, if needed, make other tools. Besides, I just like well made knives. That said, I should note that I can't afford expensive well made knives, although I like to look at them and research them on the internet.

I've had a number of small to medium knives that suites what is generally referred to as EDC knives, "every day carry". I'm not sure I like that term so much either, but it's pretty well embedded in the language so I'll go along with it. In keeping with my new philosophy to simplify and focus on the essentials and necessaries, I decided to look for an EDC knife that would be suitable for cutting onions, string, cardboard, sticks, fingernails and a bad person if absolutely necessary.

I attempted to avoid "unnecessary" features, like additional locks, odd blade shapes, assisted opening devices, tricky locks, ball bearings, and strange blade shapes. I've had knives with all of some of these features and they have all eventually ended up in a drawer or on eBay.

So what do I expect in a general all-purpose carry knife.

One that I can carry without it being a bother. It should be light enough to keep in my pocket all day without discomfort or distraction. It should be easy to retrieve and open, with one hand if necessary, to do normal knife tasks. The handle should be big enough to fit my hand comfortably yet not bigger than necessary and should be made to resist slipping even when wet. The handle should also be made so that the knife can be used hard and long without discomfort.

The blade should be long enough for most ordinary tasks from cutting string to slicing up food in the kitchen. It should be made of steel that is hard enough to hold an edge through a long work session, yet not so hard or shaped so weirdly that it is difficult to sharpen. For my purposes, the blade configuration should be for a slicer and piercer, not a hacker, chopper or pryer. It doesn't need to be especially coated to resist marks or not reflect the light. I don't plan to be cutting things in the dark. And the blade and handle should be shaped to accommodate different grips for different cutting tasks ranging from heavy force to light, precise slicing. Jimping and finger choil, where appropriate, should be present and well made.

Overall, the knife need not have accessories like assisted opening devices, ball bearing pivots, "safety locks" in addition to the normal locking mechanism.

How does one find candidates for this kind of knife? This is where the internet helps and hinders. It helps to be able to identify a wide variety of knives first from their images on the internet sites, to finding reviews or write-ups posted there. While photographs are pretty much self explanatory, knife reviews are quite another story.

There are sites and blogs that regularly devote their time to obtaining and reviewing knives. Online stores like Amazon and Knife Center, etc., will post customer 'reviews' for their products. I've read many of these regarding knives I have been interested in, but I have also come away with the knowledge that many are basically useless regarding real information, many are there because the writer has an issue or prejudice against or for certain brands, designs or companies. Many unfavorable reviews are based on the country of origin for a knife, not about the knife itself. Customers reviews can be both the most informative, and the worst and you must read carefully before accepting an individual's opinions as fact.

Some non-customer reviewers, knife fans who take the time to review knives of their choosing either on blogs like this one, or with videos posted on You Tube, often have their prejudices as well. Many times these are clustered around the country of origin - Chinese made knives are automatically considered somehow inferior to American made, and while Japanese made knives are better than Chinese made ones, American made is still considered better. This, obviously, is not the de facto case.

It's an opinionated review jungle out there.

I decided that I would look at the quantity of reviews over time for knives that fit in my categories, as above, looking for those knives that had been around for a number of years (longevity of design and the manufacturer carries some weight), and the percentage of good vrs bad reviews from both independent reviewers and customers over an extended period. If a knife had been on the market for less than a year, for example, and the reviews were 85% positive, but among those reviews were many 'no content' reviews, i.e., "This is an awesome blade. It's really sharp and my friends think it's way cool." or "I just got this knife yesterday and I really love it." and the overall review numbers were small, like less than twenty after a year for sale on a decent online store, I disregarded the high positive percentage.

I looked for stable designs, usually gradually improved over time, with hundreds of reviews. I also at the content posted by the reviewers - do they have much of substance to say about why they like or don't like a particular knife. These are the important ones.

Appreciating all of the work put in over the years by the owners of Spyderco knives, I looked through their inventory and found a number of models that fit my likes and criteria. All of these had strong reviews, and the designs had been around for years and were continually upgraded by Spyderco.

I made the mistake of buying one of their less expensive models, a 'byrd' Meadowlark 2. Chinese made, but that's not a problem for me. The price was very good, less than half of their standard model that is most similar to the Meadowlark, the Delica which has better steel and is made in Japan. I received the Meadowlark and immediately was sorry for my choice. While I like the overall design, the blade shape, the opening mechanism that is merely a hole, not studs, flippers or torsion bars, the quality of manufacture was substandard. And, the knife came in a package that had already been opened and the inside of the knife was dirty.

Note the open, dirty tape on the package.

The inside flaps were torn, and the poor re-sealing job is evident in this photo.

Spyderco knives come new with the clip mounted on the tip end of the handle over the lanyard hole. This one has been moved. Note the wear marks on the clip screw holes around the lanyard hole.

I think the knife was a returned item, but even so, the blade was stiff and hard to open. Adjusting the tension of the pivot screw had no effect, except to loosen the blade so it dragged on the liners. I immediately returned it.

However, I think the design meets my criteria for what I want in a carry knife, so I ordered the better model, the Delica, which has been around for about twenty years in it's original configuration. Now, Spyderco offers generation four of the Delica with good steel, reportedly outstanding handle material and the blade shape and design that interests me. And, the reviews are almost embarrassingly good.

I am hoping that this will be my last carry knife purchase, at least as far as design, function and company goes, I will have the opportunity to put it to the test beginning next week. I'll report here on what I find.

Spyder Delica 4
FFG handle. Flat ground blade.

CRKT Swindle - The Wimp Clip

Kershaw Swindle, the more expensive version

I lost my original Swindle while fly fishing. The lesson is to ensure your pants are suitable for the Swindle's clip. Generally, when wearing my Wranglers or similar pants, the holding power of the Swindle's pocket clip is fine. However, given that it is spring loaded and does not have the power of a flexed piece of metal as is usually found on other knives, it can come loose under the right (or wrong, in this case) circumstances.

The wimp clip.
Looks good, but has to be used with the right type of pocket.

I was wearing lightweight summer pants, synthetic material, thin but tough. And slick. The pockets' top seams, where they open at the top, are also very thin in comparison to Levis or Wrangler jeans. The Swindle clip tension is not very strong and security in the pocket also greatly depends on the top seam, which is thicker yet, holding the clip in place. Somewhere on the river during the day the knife worked loose from the pocket, the clip undoubtedly sliding easily over the thin pocket seam, and fell out. Adios, Swindle.

So, really liking the knife's design and blade shape, I bought another, the upgraded version with the harder steel blade and ribbed handle. I prefer the look of the plain handle but I decided to go with the better blade steel so that it would hold a sharper edge longer.

Not a good choice. I use this knife constantly on anything that needs it. Wood. Cardboard. Plastic. Onions. Meat. Potatoes. Small branches,... you name it. I'm also sharpening it every week or two. It takes a good edge, but it wears too quickly for what it is supposed to do. I think the "lower grade" steel would work as well and have to be sharpened about as much, and costs less too.

My other complaint about this knife is with the blade attachment screw. The blade rides on ball bearings - one of the innovative and strong selling points of the Swindle - and it certainly makes opening the blade extremely easy. (You have to be careful if you close it one-handed because that blade swings easily in either direction.) But, as with sharpening, I find I have to tighten it every couple of weeks because the main screw works loose.

I put a dab of a lock-tight material on it the other day, so it may stay in place now. Or not.

Given all this, I would have been better off to have bought a straight-across replacement for the less expensive Swindle. If I lose this one, or break it, I won't be getting another of the expensive versions.

Adios Swindle

I've had three issues with my CRKT Swindle, two minor, one major.

First, the two screws at the back of the handle were not the same length, and one protruded enough to be uncomfortable. A sharp little piece of metal standing proud of the handle. Not good. I suppose I could have removed that screw and filed it down a bit until it was flush, but I shouldn't have to do that with a knife like the Swindle.

Second, the flipper verges on being painful to operate. It is short and has a steep and steep radius where it meets the index finger when pulling it back to open the blade. I think the flipper should be a millimeter or two longer and have a more shallow corner, where the index finger meets it and applies most of the initial pressure to open the blade. I got used to this, but my finger still had a perpetual slightly tender spot from using the flipper.

The third, and major issue for me is the pocket clip. Many reviewers have waxed almost poetic about this clip. Its shape, how it blends into the swayback design, the fact that it is spring tensioned to open then grip the fabric of the pocket. It is well designed and integrated with the knife overall, and it doesn't sit on the side of the handle getting in the way of a comfortable grip, but it doesn't hold as securely as I was led to believe.

Clip the Swindle to the pocket in a pair of jeans with a nice seam sewn into the top edge of the pocket and it holds pretty well. But, clip it into the pocket of a pair of pants that has a thinner fabric, especially one with no large seam sewn into the lip of the pocket, and watch out. It may, or may not stay put. I know this because my Swindle is now gone.

As long as I was wearing my usual pair of Wranglers jeans, the knife clip showed a pretty tenacious hold as long as it was turned so that the knife was in line with the pocket. But, if the knife turns 90 degrees to the outside fabric of the pocket, the clip loses some grip. If you carry the Swindle in pants pockets that are not made of thick fabric, pants that are made for hot weather wear, especially of synthetic or a blended material, watch out. The clip does not hold as securely as it should. That is how I lost mine.

Wearing a pair of synthetic blend hiking pants for fly fishing, using hip boots that did not come up to the knife or pockets (so there was no interference), I started out the day with the Swindle, and ended with it missing from my pocket. Having not used it during the day, I can only assume the clip was not strong enough to hold it securely and it loosened and eventually fell out. I can only hope that someone appreciative of knives found it.

So, Swindles are lovely and extremely useful as EDC light-duty knives, but watch that clip.

PS: A brief post script since I posted the entry above. Wanting to get this feedback to Ken Onion and CRKT, I logged into the CRKT website and posted a review outlining the observations above. (Their site shows the Swindle as "coming soon." Funny, I got mine a few weeks back. I've been back a few times to see if it appears on their site. So far, nothing.

Then I went looking for contact info on Ken Onion's sites so I could send him a brief email and point him to this entry. No way to actually contact Ken that I can find. I registered for his forums so I could try there but don't have access yet. Something tells me this is too hard. A customer should be able to quickly contact the maker, and in this case the designer, of a purchased product with feedback.

Perhaps this will eventually work out. Either way, I'll report back here later.

The Swindle

I want to say a bit more about the Onion designed CRKT (Colombia River Knife and Tool) Swindle. I've been using it for about everything from kitchen cutting and slicing chores, opening boxes, cutting plants, etc. for a few days. Today I noticed that the blade has an interesting and useful characteristic that one normally associates with assisted-opening knives. Closed, the blade does not move inside the bolsters. Putting a small amount of pressure on the flipper is necessary to get it moving, then it springs open like an assisted opening knife. Then, when one closes the knife, it swings closed smoothly on its ball bearing pivot until it is almost completely enclosed within the bolsters at which point it springs tightly close over the last eighth of an inch of blade travel.

How is this done without springs or torsion bars?

A close look reveals that the liner lock piece of the bolster has on the end of it's inner edge a small protrusion. When the blade is fully closed, this protrusion fits neatly into a mating indent in the rear side of the blade, locking the blade into place. The indent and protrusion are small enough, and the liner lock flexible enough so that when a small but meaningful force is applied to the flipper, the protrusion is forced out of the indent by blade movement. Once clear, the finger force applied to the flipper is enough to carry the blade swiftly out on its ball bearing races to lock solidly open by the liner lock.

The reverse happens when the blade is closed. The liner lock is pushed outward, moving the blade along the liner lock protrusion, which keeps the liner lock away, until at the very end of travel the liner lock is released to press inward, putting the protrusion back in the indent, holding the closed blade in place.

Neat. Simple with no extra moving parts.

Difficult to get photos of, but if you get to see a Swindle, take a close look and you'll see easily how it works.

Onions

Well, Ken Onion knife designs to be specific.

There are times when it may come down to a knife that stands between you and a serious threat. Few of us are knife fighters but having a good knife is much better than having nothing. Not to mention that the knife is our most ancient and useful tool. Yeah, a stick or a rock can be a tool, but you don't have to set out to purposefully make a stick. The so-called aeschulian hand axe, the earliest tool associated with hominids was primarily a cutting tool chipped from stone.
There are literally thousands of knives to choose from these days. I like the ones that are made for a purpose, that work like they should, stay sharp, fit my hand and the tasks they are made for and made to last.

If this seems like a commercial for Ken Onion designs and the Zero Tolerance line of knives, well, I suppose it is.

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