Found a great price on a Sage CF...

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

I so want to buy this knife!  I found it online for $91.  They also have a very good selection of Spydies in general...  They have an ZDP FRN Stretch as well... also very tempting, and about the same price as the Sage.

I've read nothing but rave reviews about the Sage 1 CF.  What do you guys think?

[Jmora]

buy it, that's smurfing cheap. I got one the other day, and this is the first high-end spyder I've had (until now: ladybug, endura frn ukpk). It is truly perfect, the scales, the blade, the polished pillar construction. (of course I had to go and drop mine on the floor as I was admiring it, its okay though). I wish I was allowed to carry it. I'll post some photos tomorrow, when the light is good.

[jzmtl]

You can't go wrong with it, here are some pics to nudge you over. 

[Jmora]

cool photos, I posted a couple of extras on the show us your spyder thread (I'm a very proud new spyder owner)
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,17238.345.html

BTW, is it dangerous to have tip up carry with a liner lock? there is not too much pressure holding the blade in place in comparison to a backlock.

[Sean]

Not dangerous at all in my opinion, because being tip up usually the blade is positioned right
up against your pocket seam so there really is no way for it to open up in your pocket
unbeknownst to you?  Once out, your usually ready to deploy, so it should be predictable and
smooth?

[Jmora]

I actually used to keep my ukpk on the other side of the pocket, so the blade could come out if it wanted to (but never did). The one time I tried it on hte other side, I ended up losing it as I went to answer the phone in my pocket. I suppose if there is nothing in the pocket that actually hooks into the spyderhole and opens it, you wouldn't expect it to open.

[asupernothing]

The sage for that price is hard to turn down. The onpy complaint I have about the sage series is.that they are stamped "made in Taiwan". If the stamp.was small and discrete, I wouldn't mind it, but its fairly.prominent.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

The sage for that price is hard to turn down. The onpy complaint I have about the sage series is.that they are stamped "made in Taiwan". If the stamp.was small and discrete, I wouldn't mind it, but its fairly.prominent.

I have to admit, so far that's the one thing holding me back.  (Aside from my wife finding out of course... but that's a different story.)  I can't help but feel that even for that price, I could be getting a USA - Golden model instead.  I'm looking for my first high quality Spyderco; I already have a Tenacious and a Byrd Robin 2.  I also really like the Native and the Manix 2 especially in the CF.  Those are both Golden made IIRC...

I really want a high end Spydie... but even with the great price, (I'll post the link here for you guys if you want to check it out), I'm having trouble pulling the trigger because of the whole 'made in Taiwan' thing... 

http://www.sailsmarine.com/ItemDetail.aspx?c=72301

[Jmora]

we are used to thinking that stuff made in Taiwan is sub par, but this is not. I don't have that many folders though, and I don't use them as hard as some other people on hte forum, so my opinion has to be seen as limited. That said, this is the first folder I have bought where I didn't feel a slight sense of disappointment in some QC issue (blade not quite symmetrically aligned, gap in liners, blade play, scratches etc).
here's a relevant debate, (with Sal also taking part):
http://spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39368

thanks for the link, some good prices in that store.

[jzmtl]

There's always the sandpaper if it bothers you that much.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

It's not an issue of quality.  As I said, I have a Tenacious, and I'm blown away by its quality given the price that it is.  I've given it some tough use, camping, caving, household chores, garden work, even cut some loose ABS of the under panels of my wife's old Jetta that had gotten broken from her running over parking lot stop-things... (what ever the heck they're called), and it's taken it all in stride.

The issue is I want to spend my money to support my country, and not just companies that are headquartered here, but ones that still make stuff here.  That's why I'm interested in a Native and a Manix 2, as well as an HDS Ra Clicky, or a Surefire... 

I believe in my country and want to support my fellow citizens; I want my dollars to go to the people who do the work and not just own the company.  I know I'm over simplifying things here, but my point remains the same.  That's why I don't shop at Mall-Wart, or Target, etc.  My wife and I, as much as we possibly can, shop at local businesses, and when I buy stuff online, I avoid Amazon and other big companies like that and look for places like I found in the link I included, that are small mom-n-pop kinds of places so I know where my economic voting is going, that's all.

I know I can't complain about the quality of the Sage... or any Spyderco for that manner.  While I've only got two of them now, I find I like them better than any other knife I've ever owned, period.  Their designs, their function, and yes their value too has really won me over.  I know there are other good knife companies out there, like Benchmade, Kershaw, etc., but none of them come close to that blending of form and function I've found in the Spyderco's.  If Apple made knives, they'd be exactly what Spyderco is making...  That's how I feel about them.  (Yeah, I know all of Apple's stuff is made in China... but that's how it is these days... computers and consumer electronics just aren't made here anymore, period, so I have to face that fact and just deal with it.  Knives are a different story though.)

Anyway, just my 2 cents.  Hope you guys understand where I'm coming from.  I really do like the Sage... it has all the features I like of the Native and the Manix in one knife.  I just wish it was a Golden, that's all.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Here's another thought; as I said before, even though the sage at Sails is a great price, I feel like I should be getting a Golden made knife for that much money.  Am I being unreasonable by feeling that way?

Also, what about a Cat?  They're also available in carbon fiber with S30V, but much more reasonably priced.  Anyone know if anyone still might have them?  They seem to have been discontinued, and out of stock everywhere I've seen so far.

[jekostas]

Here's another thought; as I said before, even though the sage at Sails is a great price, I feel like I should be getting a Golden made knife for that much money.  Am I being unreasonable by feeling that way?

Also, what about a Cat?  They're also available in carbon fiber with S30V, but much more reasonably priced.  Anyone know if anyone still might have them?  They seem to have been discontinued, and out of stock everywhere I've seen so far.

The Sage is a good knife, but if you want to buy a Golden Spydie, I'd say go for the Golden Spydie.  There are a few in the price range (or below) of the Sage - the Paramilitary, the Manix 2 and the Native come to mind.

As for the Cat in CF... there were constant quality control issues with the CF scales on the Cat, and it was discontinued very shortly after being released.  Even if you *could* get one, I wouldn't suggest it because you have a higher likelihood of winding up with a lemon.

Oh, and if you do get the Sage and decide to sand down the scales for the love of God be careful about it - Carbon Fibre dust is poisonous, and inhaling it will make you very, very sick.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Jekostas,

Thanks for the info.  I just spent some time reading up on different blade steels and heat treating, etc.  I think that I'm not going to get the Sage because while I have some good experience with sharpening knives, and can put a damn fine edge on most any knife (if I do say so myself), my skills in that area are rusty (pun intended ) and I'm thinking that anything like S30V or ZDP189 is going to be a bit out of my league for a starter high quality knife for me to maintain easily.

I've managed to put a convex edge on my Tenacious that has been quite durable...  it stands up well to heavy cardboard box cutting work, etc.  I watched several You Tube videos on the Tenacious before I bought it, and in retrospect, I find it odd that none of them showed any real signs of wear on their knives...  I've had my Tenacious for a good 4 mos. now, and there's no mistaking it's a working knife...

For now I think what I'm going to do is go back to my original plan of getting a VG10 Dragonfly 2 with FRN handles.  I really only need a small knife for light jobs for EDC use.  When I need to do something like cut up the cardboard from a couch (got one a few mos. ago... that's how I know my Tenacious stands up to extended cardboard cutting sessions), I've got other tools to rely on.  The FRN Robin 2 I have is only a few days old; I thought I could get by with it, but I can't...  I just want something better.  I've put it back in its box, and I'll buy a couple more for my brothers-in-law for Christmas.

So for now, I'll get another beater folder, most likely a Resilience, and a VG10 Dragonfly 2 for pocket EDC and be done with it.  I've put way too much time into this already, and I need to get closure.

That said, thanks very much for all the info you've given me here on MTO while I've gone through this process... your input has been very valuable and much appreciated.  You are a gentleman and a scholar, sir, and I give you my profuse thanks.