Eek a Spyder!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm sure you can all guess what this one is going to be about- Spyderco's highly sought after SpydeRench!



Tomorrow I'll probably add a few shots of and with the ByrdRench, but for now, here's a few shots of the good ol USA made SpydeRench, not to be confused with the China made ByrdRench or the more common Taiwanese SpydeRench. 



The nice thing about the SpydeRench (and it's variations) is that it solved the age old problem- how to turn a screw and hold the nut at the same time when you are only carrying one tool.  Fortunately the SpydeRench splits at the plier pivot and becomes two independent tools- a one handed opening blade and a bit driver, while the other side holds the bits and sports an adjustable wrench.  As an added bonus, the bits are held in with a round diamond file!  Diamond files are a guy's best friend! 



The pliers are slip jointed, meaning they can open wider with a small adjustment, and all of the tools can still be used with both halves still attached.  The SpydeRench also locks open to give you reach that is unparallelled in the multitool world.

It's not all fun and games though- the pliers tend to come apart when you are trying to use them, and they have no wire cutter notch.  Plus, they are kind of big, so there's no chance of grabbing anything that is obscured in any way.  It's kind of limited in function, but it's one of the most unique tools on the market- barring of course it's own variants, and the only thing that comes close is the CRKT Guppie or the Cattleman Tool, aka SpyderGuppie!

Def

[Woz]

Did not know the Spyderguppie, guess I´ll have to search for one 

On the Spyderrench: This must be the most underrated tool of all times. Most people seem to consider it useless, but to be honest, I really like mine, and carry it quite often. The knife blade is superior to every other tool I know of (sure, it is a Spyderco), the pliers are well made, and the overall concept just works. It may not be the right tool for everyone, but it makes a great companion to a SAK.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree, plus when you encounter folks who know a little about multitools, they never seem ready for this one!

Def

[Mercury]

I would love to have one of these to actually carry, though I don't know how much I would end up liking it so I really can't justify the money.  They are incredible innovative though, I love the diamond file!  Every tool should have a diamond file.  That's the biggest reason I miss my pulse, the diamond file on it got a ton of use!

[Jmora]

does anyone know about what spyderco are doing on the MT front in the future? I have heard that there will be more multi-function knives in the future, as they are perceived as more user friendly to the general public.

[Styerman]

They are interesting , peeps tend to either love or hate them .

Chris

[Grant Lamontagne]

does anyone know about what spyderco are doing on the MT front in the future? I have heard that there will be more multi-function knives in the future, as they are perceived as more user friendly to the general public.

No idea, but I will be sure to stop by the Spyderco booth next week and get some answers for you.  They have tried to manufacture the SpydeRench on several occasions but claim some difficulty in maintaining production that seems to limit them to smaller runs.  Byrd on the other hand manages to crank out the ByrdRench on a regular basis for almost the same price (MSRP for the Byrd is about $80, while the Taiwanese SpydeRench is $100) so I can't really guess what the problem is.

It would be nice to see more tools from Spyderco in the future though.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Here are some follow up pictures featuring the ByrdRench.



I mentioned earlier how the whole tool could be stretched out for greater reach and/or leverage.  This is what it looks like when opened up.  Of course the plier pivot is in the center of this, so they were nice enough to put a small locking mechanism in the middle to keep it from folding on you.



It's a simple block on a spring- open the tool and it snaps into place, then press it in to close it up again when it's done.  I wouldn't count on it to remove stubborn lug nuts at the side of the road, but it would be about as sturdy as any non-dedicated tool could be.

Speaking of the pivot, I also mentioned it was slip jointed to allow you to grip different sized things.  Here's what I meant, with the Byrd on top in one slot and the Spyder below in the other, allowing the jaws to close completely.

 

And here's how they come apart.



The blades are slightly different too, although close enough that only us hardcore collector types would really care.  Bear in mind that the tip on my Spyder was broken when I got it (Item was in perfect condition on eBay  ) and has been slightly rounded on the end as a repair.



Lastly here's the other significant difference between the two- the Spyder has a nice 3 sided diamond file with a small flathead at one end and a small Phillips at the other.  The Byrd has a rounded rasp with one flat side.  You can also see that when the file or rasp is out that it becomes very easy to lose the bits.

Still, they are good tools provided you don't expect them to operate as a replacement for a standard multi- otherwise you'll miss more standard items like plier reach, wire cutters, bottle and can openers, wire strippers and so on.

Def

[scrappy]

Good points def
I carried mine but for the cost I put it away and carry the byrd occasionally.i wonder if anyone here has all the possible blade configurations.
From what I was told mine was hand assembled from parts left over after it was discontinued. Someone sold them on Ebay as an authorized seller who had access to the left over parts

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have tried to find a replacement blade for it, but no one seems to have them.  I have even spoken to Spyderco, who offered to replace it with a Taiwanese blade, which I may have done had this one been a user, but as a shelf queen I'd rather keep it as original as possible.

One of these days I'll get a Taiwanese version to add to the collection- these are really neat tools and it would be nice to at least have one of each.

Def

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Grant, thanks for the info!  I've been wanting one of these tools for a while, but haven't ever taken the plunge...  I'd be willing to settle for the Byrd, but it'll be a while before I can afford any more tools.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I seem to recall some place having them on sale for $40 some time ago- I think it was Travis that was telling me about it so you may want to contact him and see if he has any info on it.

Def

[Woz]

Inspired by this thread I carried the Spyderrench today. Man, that tool is just great - the fiddle factor is hard to beat

[Mr. Whippy]

I may give my Byrdrench a go tomorrow.  But man, those pliers just suck!

[David Bowen]

I still carry mine from time to time, great tool and its gotten me out of a jam on more than one occasion.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[Mercury]

Hello there david!  How's things?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Grant, thanks for the info!  I've been wanting one of these tools for a while, but haven't ever taken the plunge...  I'd be willing to settle for the Byrd, but it'll be a while before I can afford any more tools.

http://www.edcsource.com/Spyderco-Byrdrench,name,110697,auction_id,auction_details



Def