Byrd Cara Cara 2 vs. Buck 110 Eco

[ThundahBeagle]

I'll be checking now to see if Spyderco does a sharpening service like Buck does. The knife is so new and nice, I don't know that I want to foul it up any worse.

[ThundahBeagle]

It is still hair-popping sharp. It still cuts through the rope and the 25mm ( 1inch ) nylon web belting with ease and cleanly. Just shredding paper is no longer effortless.  It id now a challenge. Perhaps a strop session?

[ThePeacent]

you can try and stop it. 
Spyderco will sharpen it back, you have to pay the shipping though 

with a sharpmaker, though, SE blades are cake 

[ThundahBeagle]

you can try and stop it. 
Spyderco will sharpen it back, you have to pay the shipping though 

with a sharpmaker, though, SE blades are cake 

Thanks Peacent. I'm working it along the backside of one of my leather belts now.

As for the sharpmaker...that makes sense for an Atlantic or Pacific Salt. But I could purchase TWO more  Cara Cara 2's through Amazon AND send this one back to Spyderco for sharpening for the price of the sharpmaker. Plus, I might suck at sharpening and screw it up. It's different on an old PST II combo blade, I wouldn't care as much.

[eamo]

I know its very early days yet TB but I'd be curios how it holds up to rust, did you mention you live on the coast ?? Not suggesting you dunk it in the sea, but see how it fares over time.

[ThundahBeagle]

I know its very early days yet TB but I'd be curios how it holds up to rust, did you mention you live on the coast ?? Not suggesting you dunk it in the sea, but see how it fares over time.

I do indeed live on the coast, Eamo. And I like to fish and kayak, so I may just yet be taking it for a dunk in the sea!

We see harsh, wet, salty winters here as well, so I have THAT to look forward to

[eamo]

I know its very early days yet TB but I'd be curios how it holds up to rust, did you mention you live on the coast ?? Not suggesting you dunk it in the sea, but see how it fares over time.

I do indeed live on the coast, Eamo. And I like to fish and kayak, so I may just yet be taking it for a dunk in the sea!

We see harsh, wet, salty winters here as well, so I have THAT to look forward to

Cool, that'll be good to see how it bears up under those conditions. There's an all things paddling thread in the breakroom if you're interested in posting about your kayaking gear.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,77988.0.html

[ThundahBeagle]

I know its very early days yet TB but I'd be curios how it holds up to rust, did you mention you live on the coast ?? Not suggesting you dunk it in the sea, but see how it fares over time.

I do indeed live on the coast, Eamo. And I like to fish and kayak, so I may just yet be taking it for a dunk in the sea!

We see harsh, wet, salty winters here as well, so I have THAT to look forward to

Cool, that'll be good to see how it bears up under those conditions. There's an all things paddling thread in the breakroom if you're interested in posting about your kayaking gear.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,77988.0.html

That's nice. Im running some rather simple equipment and gear, really. A 10 foot Wilderness Systems Pamlico, or a 9.5 foot Islander Swifty. They are both about 10 years old and have been repaired with an old Frisbee and a heat gun. An Extra Sport life vest, and some Field & Stream branded paddles. I keep a rope with me, a knife, and whatever I need for lunch and water. I usually just cruise, sometimes blast to one side of a lake and back, sometimes I fish. Scout the ThunderBeagle has been known to accompany me, and I keep him clipped to a harness which is clipped to the seat. He likes to stand at the bow scouting for seabirds or watching for other dogs and animals along the shore, and will alternately jump in and then ask to be hoisted out of the drink.

So, not much to tell, eh.

[ThundahBeagle]

So after dulling the Byrd Rescue 2 on a metalized coffee pouch, I tried sharpening it, but I suck at that. Brought it to an Army Navy store that offers sharpening. They did well by it, but still not returned to its former glory. I monkeyed around with it again and negated everything they did at Army Navy...

Well I just can't stand it not being as amazingly sharp as it was out of the box so I ordered another. Two, really, but one is a gift for a friend, so don't tell him.

Anyway, I plan to carry the new one and practice my sharpening skills on the old one (or bring it back to Army Navy, OR finally but the SharpMaker) and use the old one for harsh weather and salt water testing. Of course, the act of sharpening it may cause tiny scratches that did not previously exist, and those scratches may harbor the first traces of rust...so I don't know if even that will be a fair test of rust proofness?

See what I did there? Harbor? Salt water testing? Right?

[Nix]

 

Puns aside, this is one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of serrations. Especially complex serrations. But then, I'm still a Buck 110 man, any way.

[eamo]

So after dulling the Byrd Rescue 2 on a metalized coffee pouch, I tried sharpening it, but I suck at that. Brought it to an Army Navy store that offers sharpening. They did well by it, but still not returned to its former glory. I monkeyed around with it again and negated everything they did at Army Navy...

Well I just can't stand it not being as amazingly sharp as it was out of the box so I ordered another. Two, really, but one is a gift for a friend, so don't tell him.

Anyway, I plan to carry the new one and practice my sharpening skills on the old one (or bring it back to Army Navy, OR finally but the SharpMaker) and use the old one for harsh weather and salt water testing. Of course, the act of sharpening it may cause tiny scratches that did not previously exist, and those scratches may harbor the first traces of rust...so I don't know if even that will be a fair test of rust proofness?

See what I did there? Harbor? Salt water testing? Right?

Any knife that's used in a work environment is going to get scratched / beat up a bit so I'd view those scratches as a fair test regards rust.

[ThundahBeagle]

Puns aside, this is one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of serrations. Especially complex serrations. But then, I'm still a Buck 110 man, any way.

That's true Nix, I am a big fan of my Buck 110's as well. They were the first knives I ever owned where I could shave my face with them right out of the box. This Byrd could do the same thing, even though it was serrated.

The first Spyderco I ever really bothered to handle was an Atlantic Salt. It made me wonder why I had dismissed them as "too tactical for my needs" back in the early '90's. Oh, what I'd been missing!

Keep in mind this Byrd still cuts rope and strapping screaming like a banshee. It just does not have the amazing edge it once had, and that was due to my own carelessness. Now i just really need to learn to sharpen serrations. And the 110's still don't come with any sort of hole or stud whereby they can be opened with one hand.

I routinely check my WalMart, as they have a peg and price for the "new" Buck 110LT, however, they never seem to have even one in stock. That one at least has FRN handles and a lanyard hole, and I could put an opener peg on it. Then it could compete properly with this Byrd.

[ThundahBeagle]

So after dulling the Byrd Rescue 2 on a metalized coffee pouch, I tried sharpening it, but I suck at that. Brought it to an Army Navy store that offers sharpening. They did well by it, but still not returned to its former glory. I monkeyed around with it again and negated everything they did at Army Navy...

Well I just can't stand it not being as amazingly sharp as it was out of the box so I ordered another. Two, really, but one is a gift for a friend, so don't tell him.

Anyway, I plan to carry the new one and practice my sharpening skills on the old one (or bring it back to Army Navy, OR finally but the SharpMaker) and use the old one for harsh weather and salt water testing. Of course, the act of sharpening it may cause tiny scratches that did not previously exist, and those scratches may harbor the first traces of rust...so I don't know if even that will be a fair test of rust proofness?

See what I did there? Harbor? Salt water testing? Right?

Any knife that's used in a work environment is going to get scratched / beat up a bit so I'd view those scratches as a fair test regards rust.

Very well, Eam. I just can't necessary test those qualities from an "as out of the box" standpoint, but I'm willing to do my worst with this one after the new one arrives tomorrow.

[ThundahBeagle]

Received my new order of Byrd Rescue 2 knives the other day. Put one in my pocket where my dull one had previously been. Gave the shrink wrapped package to my friend when he arrived and asked him to do the honors of opening it for me and testing it on some printer copy paper. It was amazing. He handed it back to me, and I told him to keep it. He grinned. I took the (other new) one out of my pocket, sliced the paper to several  mm wide strips and grinned. Then I showed him the beater original that I had ruined, where I'd left it in my bag.

So...once I get this beater sharpened respectably, either by practicing myself with my Smith, sending it to Spyderco, or getting a Sharpmaker...

Any special blade-testing requests?

[Spartan19]

Nice review Thundahbeagle! The byrd looks like it would give either one of the salts a run for their money

[Iron Man 2]

Nice pic! 

[Spartan19]

Thanks brother!