Owners Wanted? Whick Spyderco Do I Buy?

[WolfsburgMan]

I have been looking at several knives, they are:THE 3 ON TOP I HAVE LOOKED AT MOST Navigator / VG-10 Mouse / Cricket C29BK

D'Alton Toad C57

Co Pilot CO9

Dragonfly II C28

[Allen E. Treat]

To : Wolfburgman

I owned a Dragonfly at one time, but found
it hard with my long fingers to open it. I
now own a Cricket C29BK and have no problems.
I recommend the Cricket, but you might want
to pay a visit to your local Spyderco dealer
and get a "hands on" feel to see if you are
comfortable with the other choices you have
in mind. Works the same way with guns too.
Happy hunting !

A.E.T.

[vampyrewolf]

I have normal sized hands, and slightly long fingers... I was only able to look at a dragonfly and a cricket in the small knife range(already had a ladybug). I ended up getting a Cricket about 1 month ago, and haven't had any problems yet.

[Tightwad]

Consider the Calypso jr lwt. before you buy. Handle one if you can to see how well it
"becomes" part of your hand. It's just a bit bigger than what you're looking at with the
size upgrade making HUGE improvements in servicablity and utility. You get it all
with the Calypso...right size ...vg10 ...flat ground.. useful leaf shape blade...light
weight lockback tip down pocket carry. Of all the spydies I own this one ride with
me everywhere. Enjoy what every you decide to buy.

[Jeff/1911]

Tightwad - I can see that you are an "enthusiast" of the Calypso jr. lightweight. I really like the looks of these knives too, and will be looking closely at them before buying my next Spyderco.

Considering your familiarity with this design; is there a clear choice about serrated or plain edge with the Calypso jr. considering what you use yours for, and for what tasks you see this knife as being most useful for? Thanks for your help, Jeff/1911.

[Clay Kesting]

WolfsburgMan, I own an Almite Navigator and an aluminium Cricket. Of the two I would choose the Navigator for EDC. The ergonomics are excellent and the grip is secure enough for quite heavy tasks. The Cricket is a wonderful conversation piece, I even use mine to introduce a design exercise to my Year 7 classes, but it is not as versatile as the Navigator.

Jeff, I also carry the Calypso Jr on a regular basis. I prefer plain edge as the knife gets used for all the usual "gentleman's" tasks, opening mail, sharpening pencils (lots), peeling fruit etc. However I also use it in the workshop for jobs like trimming up woodwork joints. I love the flat blade grind, excellent ergonomics and VG10 steel.

Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

Thanks once again. I like plain edges too, for versatility. The reason I'm wondering about this is that I've really been enjoying the serrated edge on my Rookie, and got to thinking...

I think I probably would want a Calypso Jr. with a plain edge as I may very well have the Rookie with me as well, should a given task require serrations.

Is the difference in effectiveness really noticeable with flat ground blades vs. the hollow ground variety? Sounds like it must be.

Jeff/1911.

[sal]

Hey Wolfsburgman. Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

The Spyderco Factory Outlet Store (SFO) is in Golden about 5 miles from Lakewood. You could get your hands on each of the models and the staff is quite knowledgable.

sal

[Clay Kesting]

Jeff,

The difference between flat ground and hollow ground blades is only really noticeable on deep cuts, assuming that both blades have equally thin edges. I end up cutting a lot of food with my knives and really like the thin edge and flat grind of the Calypso. I think a plain-edge, flat ground Calypso Jr would make an ideal companion to your serrated, hollow ground Rookie. I have a similar combination except my other knife is a G10 Harpy.

Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

I use my carry knife a lot of for cutting food too. Awhile back I asked the forum about the best choice in Spyderco steel for this purpose (wrt stain resistance), and I believe it was Tique who replied with an excellent suggestion of a Calypso Jr. in VG-10. Co-incidence? So, I think this is a great idea; besides the Calypso is a beautiful knife.

I wondered about whether a serrated blade might not be better than a plain edge for the purpose of food cutting; such as fruit, etc. But obviously a sharp, plain edge would do very well and probably allow more precision for most of these tasks. Is this what you've found? Thanks for your counsel.

Jeff/1911.

[sam the man..]

Got Mouse, love the toad! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>
Small knives really! Go for the best-sellers Delica and Calypso ltwt. Excellent blade geometry! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> But if small is the buzzword, all the knives in your list won't go wrong... <img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Sam

have spydies will travel

[Clay Kesting]

That's exactly right Jeff. I keep my Calypso Jr (and Centofante Jr) very sharp (gotta love the Sharpmaker <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>) and have no trouble slicing tomatoes for my lunchtime salad roll. I've also prefer <b>sharp </b> plain edges in the kitchen as I find a serrated edge tends to pull off to one side. OTOH my wife loves the Spyderco serrated utility knife I bought her, which is great because it keeps her away from my Santoku <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>. I think the plain edge also peels my orange better than a serrated edge would.

Take care,
Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jazzman]

I have owned them all with the exception of the mouse at one time or another. Any one of these knives is a great EDC. I carry my serrated toad everyday as my money clip. The cricket is an awesome knife and the Dragonfly is a tough little bugger that has handled every task that I have thrown at mine. The only thing to be careful with is the fact that the cricket and toad have thin blades and they might bend or snap if too much pressure is exerted on them.
Good Luck,
Matt

[Jeff/1911]

Thanks Clay. I intend to buy a Sharpmaker soon too. I have a Lansky sharpener that has worked well to date for sharpening my fixed blade hunting knives but I find the clamping business a hassle.

Thanks again for your help. Jeff/1911.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay, Tightwad &amp; others - I have a bit of a quandary. My local Spyderco shop has one serrated Micarta Calypso jr. in stock. No plain edges...kind of what I'd decided upon.

Are the Micarta knives now discontinued? Are they really as nice to use as they look? If so, perhaps I'd better grab this one while I can and if I really like the Calypso jr. style that much I can always get a Zytel plain edge later. Your opinions? Jeff/1911.

[copilotboy]

These are exactly the same choices I had in mind during my search for my first spyderco about a week ago. I have rather large hands, and I needed a small knifen with a comfortable handle to accomodate them. The two i liked the most were the mouse knife and the copilot. The didn't like the blade shapes of any of the other knives as much as i liked these two. Obviously, I ended up buying the copilot (it came yesterday, and i absolutely love it!! it's a great knife!!), but if you have the money, by all means you should spring for the mouse knife. the VG10 just has a really good bite to it that makes the mouse knife a beauty. the price is all that kept me from buying that great knife. Either knife would make an excellent addition to your collection. Good Luck!

[Clay Kesting]

Jeff,

The Micarta Calypso Jrs have been discontinued for some time. They are a really classy looking gentleman's folder, however the steel is AUS8 rather than VG10. Every home should have one <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>. I have one that I use for &quot;dressy&quot; occasions and use my Ltwt model for work.

Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

I should have read your response here before posting to the &quot;Harpy variant&quot; thread. Anyway, I am interested in this Serrated Micarta Calypso Jr. the local shop has in stock...I'll go see it tomorrow. Thanks for the &quot;heads up&quot; about AUS-8 vs VG-10. Again, I didn't know this.

Jeff/1911.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

I didn't get a chance to go and look at that Micarta Calypso Jr. today as I had hoped. However, I'm wondering if it could be VG-10. While browsing today, I saw a picture of what looks like a Micarta Calypso Jr. w/ VG-10 on the blade. The full size Calypso shown next to it does for sure. Maybe there are/were some made this way...here's the url:

http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderc/x034.html

Jeff/1911.

[Clay Kesting]

Jeff,

Sorry to disappoint you <img src="sad.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>. The full size Micarta Calypsos were indeed VG10 but the Jrs (Micarta and stainless) were all AUS8. Not that there is anything wrong with that, AUS8 takes an incredibly sharp edge and has fairly good edge retention. Just not quite in the same class as VG10.

Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

I should have known that you knew what you were talking about. I’ve gathered that already. So, since I really like the looks of the Micarta handles, but am partial to the plain edged version &amp; given the AUS-8 steel issue (which I also like OK but want G-10) I think I will not buy the Micarta serrated model available locally.

I have polled one other local distributor of Spyderco products to see if his supplier may still have a PE Micarta in stock or available to him; because this version I would be interested in. I also enquired about the full sized Calypso…Wow, does that knife ever look nice. It looks to me like a folding butchers knife! I realize they may have been discontinued for awhile, but it’s worth asking about. I’ve decided that I will own one of these someday; somehow.

So if I can’t find a Micarta PE Calypso Jr. then I will simply buy the “new style” w/ FRN handle which look great too. I suppose the other alternative here, is for me to look for one to buy (Micarta Calypso Jr. PE) by auction from ebay or elsewhere…but I haven’t yet ever done this and am not comfortable with the idea. Besides, hailing from Canada I am concerned that if I buy a knife this way I may never receive it; possibly being seized by Canada Customs on one of their infamous “bad day’s”.

Listen to me ramble. Aside from my desires for a G-10 Police model and a Harpy of some variety, I still want to get both a nice Calypso Jr. and a Native. If it were you, what blade configuration would you choose for these? The Calypso seems to naturally gravitate towards a plain edge in my

[Clay Kesting]

Jeff,

I'm not a good person to talk to about edge configuration. All my knives are plain edge as I find that suits my uses better. The only exception is my G10 Harpy which is my &quot;on the water&quot; emergency knife.

It is also possible to sharpen a plain blade with a coarse stone so that it performs well on fibrous materials. Have you seen Joe Talmadges FAQ on Sharpening and Serrated blades? Here is the link http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqs.shtml.

BTW you may find one of the micarta Calypsos, large or small, in the For Sale Forum at Bladeforums.com. They come up from time to time.

Take care,
Clay

Don't worry that the world might end tomorrow, in Australia it's tomorrow already.

[Jeff/1911]

Clay,

My last post was cut off somehow, probably for the best as I was truly rambling late last night. I'll have a look at that sharpening faq, thanks. I will also watch the &quot;for sales&quot; at Bladeforums.

I was going to ask you what kinds of cutting you ended up doing with your Harpy...besides it's emergency role you mention. I really want to get one but am wondering what I will cut with it. Who cares, I guess. I really am set on becoming a small time collector of Spyderco knives.

By the way, sorry to badger you about edge styles; I know you already answered that question several posts ago. I'm going to post for others here to inquire about their opinions of a serrated Calypso Jr. to see how different people use them. I think a plain edge is best for me too, probably as it just seems to &quot;fit&quot; with the Calypso blade design. I am interested in the opinions and experience of owners, however.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.

[justin]

Gotta second the motion for Navigator. Owned the older Alimite version and the Grip is really good. The co-pilot is very similar and I haven't handled it so I cannot say for sure but the handle looks a little smaller. Also have a sharpmaker and use it for everything. A great system all around. Hope this helps. I want to get my hands on a cricket.

[EXLONGARM]

I own a POLICE, serated, and I love it. It's a little on the pricey side, but other than that it's a good knife. I've had for almost two years now and I've only had to sharpen it once, by an expert of course.

[Walt2]

Hey, Wolfsburgman, while you are taking a look at the number of Spydies available give the new version of the Viele (VG10 steel)a look. I recently purchased this new version and am well pleased with the plain edge. Personally I have been sharpening and using knives 50+ years and do not care for the serrated blades unless I intend to cut rope or something similar, however the serrated blades are surperior if you are in law enforcement or fire &amp; ems for the purpose of having to cut seat belts in an emergency. You can sharpen a plain edge with a coarser stone and get good results also but I have tried both methods on the seat belts and have had better luck with the serrated versions.Good Luck!!

Edited by - Walt2 on 4/27/2001 9:57:56 AM

[The Stare]

Etiquette questions please -- as a relative newbie to this forum, I'm not up to snuff on the etiquette of this forum.

There may be some duplication of a couple posts, but there are something like 16 posts in this thread that are partly or solely a conversation between 2 people on subjects not related to the opening post. Isn't that what is called &quot;stepping on&quot; someone else's post? Or is that okay here?

Stare

[vampyrewolf]

Stare, actually we find it helps as it gives a full view on the subject in question. You get both sides of every subject when you have a few people sharing experiences.