My 1st Spyderco Knife

[Aloha]

I have a few knives in the $30 range with the highest priced one being my Emerson Mini Commander which has been one heck of a hard worker I might add.  I have a few different brands and wanted to give Spyderco a try but I didn't want to spend the $60-$100 since im not really all that experienced with the nuances of blade steels and makers.  I saw a Spyderco Native Serrated on auction and put a bid in as this was something different for me and the blade steel was S30V and while im not that knowledgeable on blade steel I know it has a great reputation.  i won it and from the pictures it looked legit and in decent shape but for what I paid I wasn't to worried. I liked the size and I was excited about the serrated blade with about 10 percent at the tip being PE.  ive seen the reviews and ive seen members here with the same knife so I knew it was a good buy.   

I received the knife yesterday and it was definitely in used condition with wear on the pocket clip and scales and it came with a rather dull blade.  the blade also had some tarnish/rust/staining but it looked to be minor, the blade tip was also very slightly bent.  along with these issues the knife was very dirty and after a good initial cleaning and quick sharpening then some oil the knife was ready for a day of work.

I touched up the blade again this morning just to be sure I had a safe knife on me and off I went.  I typically cut water bottles for various tasks, I might also cut small diameter hard plastic hose but today I mended a garden hose instead and it sliced thru it very nicely.  Zip ties are another item I  cut regularly and todays zip tie was no match.  the small rope i cut was to see how well it would perform and surprisingly it was no problem.  I was rather impressed with this little but capable knife even in its less than great blade condition.  I am gonna spend time really getting the blade together and was wondering has anyone polished this particular steel??  the blade has some discoloration and id like to clean it up if possible.  this will be a hard used knife so looks are not very important but it would be nice to get it up to snuff.

my initial impression is this is a great little knife and once I get the blade sharpened properly id like to see how well it will retain the edge with what I cut daily and weekly.  im glad I got it and at the price I paid i feel i got a great knife and it should serve me well for a while.   

[Aloha]

i forgot to mention i was surprised the blade pivot was pinned not put together by torx or other screwed type.  i guess its not a big deal as you can see the blade in near perfectly centered.   

[jerseydevil]

Oh man you're doomed.    Spydercos multiply as fast as SAKs in my experience....  Good first one though.    As for the pinned construction, some people hate it, doesn't bother me.  I have one Spydie with a pinned pivot, a Manix 2 Lightweight.  The blade opens and closes as smoothly as any other one I own.

[Aloha]

the pinned pivot doesn't bother me either it was "different", heck I figure what ever the previous owner did to this knife the blade is still smooth and centered so I cant complain.  I really wanted something different and this fit the bill.  after some time I want to give the one of the persistence/tenacious/ambitious Spydercos a go.  btw I got the Cryo after seeing your and I love that knife a lot. 

[Spatha]

   That looks like a lovely knife.  I'm really coming round to the idea of serrated edged blades.  They are much more effective at cutting through the kinds of material you have used it for.

How do you find the bi-directional textured grip on the scales?  The jimping on the spine looks quite aggressive.  Is it comfortable under your thumb?

[CanadianLMfan]

Oh man you're doomed.    Spydercos multiply as fast as SAKs in my experience....  Good first one though.    As for the pinned construction, some people hate it, doesn't bother me.  I have one Spydie with a pinned pivot, a Manix 2 Lightweight.  The blade opens and closes as smoothly as any other one I own.

Buy the Manix 2 Lightweight!!! (unlike me )

[jerseydevil]

the pinned pivot doesn't bother me either it was "different", heck I figure what ever the previous owner did to this knife the blade is still smooth and centered so I cant complain.  I really wanted something different and this fit the bill.  after some time I want to give the one of the persistence/tenacious/ambitious Spydercos a go.  btw I got the Cryo after seeing your and I love that knife a lot.

The Tenacious and its Spydie brethren are good knives for the money for sure.  I carry a Tenacious often at work.  Solid knife, and I don't have to worry about it too much, unlike bringing, say, a Gayle Bradley into the back room of a paint store (which I've done....  ).  As for the Cryo, I agree, it's a great little knife.  Kershaw is another brand I have deep affection for.  For many years, my EDC folder was a Scallion, and I still do love that little knife.  My usual work blade is a Needs Work.    I've only got four different Leeks at the moment though.  Gonna have to work on that.....

[Aloha]

  That looks like a lovely knife.  I'm really coming round to the idea of serrated edged blades.  They are much more effective at cutting through the kinds of material you have used it for.

How do you find the bi-directional textured grip on the scales?  The jimping on the spine looks quite aggressive.  Is it comfortable under your thumb?

the textured grip isn't as grippy as the byrd meadowlark that ive handled,  its rather smooth to me but offered secure grip even when my hands were wet.  the jimping is very aggressive and will defiantly wear on thumbs that accustomed to office work. its would be ruff on my thumb if I pressed on it all day but because of handle shape I can pull my thumb off the jimping if need be and rest it on the handle/lock bar.  the cutout on the handle is wide and very comfortable for my hand and you can choke up because the choil allows for a different grip.  I like the plain edge blade tip for detail work while the serrations are very aggressive and cut very well today even without being completely sharp.