Time for a Delica...

[Jeff/1911]

You see I've got all these other beautiful, fancy stainless and G-10 handled creations with various steels and many are custom collaborations...and I love them dearly.



But, the one that started me on this road of no return when it first caught my attention a couple of years ago at my local camping store, was the Delica in FRN.



I recall thinking back then that I couldn't justify spending almost as much on a Delica as I could have the Endura for, and since I would only be purchasing the "ONE KNIFE"...I should take time to make a good decision. I mean the Endura was bigger, but I really liked the Delica. I couldn't decide.



So, more than a dozen Spydies later, I still don't own that Delica. I sure like em' though. Fact is, I don't always use my others as much as I should, deeming some things and tasks "uncutworthy" or something silly like that and I have thought for awhile how I need a good, solid, not-too-fancy knife to cut most stuff with. Enter the Delica, probably in plain edge. I'd love to find a Blue one, but it'll likely end up being the black version due to local supply.



Well anyway, it's on my Christmas list and the kids know where the store is from last year, when they bought me a Ladybug for my Birthday. I'll let you know what happens.



Cheers, Jeff/1911.

[Hoosierdaddy]

Jeff/1911,

Well because of all the talk about pink knives, I ordered a pink Delica. All they had was serrated edge. But this shop has blue Delicas in P/E, he said he couldn't sell them because it wasn't discontinued. You might give him a try. johnfjensen.com His price is 38.00 on the pink ones.

[scolby]

Jeff/1911, if you are willing to buy off of Ebay, JA Electronics is selling the Blue-handled ATS-55 steel Delica's by the boatful. I have bought two knives from them, and they are professional and quick.

"Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur

[4 s ter]

Jeff

A combo-edged FRN Delica was my first Spyderco. I know you will be happy with the feel and utility of this "classic"

David

[Jeff/1911]

Thanks guys,

I'll wait and see if I get one for Christmas, and if not I'll definitely order a blue one up! Perhaps I will anyway.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.

[Jeff/1911]

4 s ter,

Did you find that the combo served you pretty well? I've been wondering about this variation...seems like it would make a good "all arounder". Was there enough plain edge there to do what you needed to do? Was/is it difficult to sharpen the plain edged portion?

Thanks, Jeff/1911.

[earthworm]

I second 4 s ter's post:I've bought 4 50/50 Delicas(gifted 1;2&quot;grew legs&quot<img src="wink.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle> &amp; am quite pleased.EXCELLENT all-around knife:light weight,narrow profile(narrower if you remove the clip),&amp; that combo edge is NOT a gimmick-after a week I wondered how I got along without it.

[4 s ter]

Jeff

I normally favor a plain edge (carrying a plain-edged Native right now) but I did find the the combo edge Delica was a good all-around compromise for an every day carry.

There is enough plain edge to do most cutting tasks, but the serrations were an advantage when cutting items such as cable ties or hose.

Haven't had any problems sharpening the plain-edged portion of the blade.

Hope this helps!

David

[Jeff/1911]

earthworm, 4ster...

Thank you both for your response. I wondered about the usefulness of the combo edge on a blade the size of the Delica, as mentioned. I imagine that the plain edge portion is ground on one side only like the serrations, correct?

On knives with a &quot;fully serrated&quot; blade and only a wee' bit of a plain edge tip such as on my Military and Police models I have had some difficulty in the past achieving a good edge on the plain edged tip portion, due to the relatively short stroke length allowable across the rods of my Sharpmaker. This was the reason for my previous question regarding ease of sharpening of this knife, with it's combo edge.

Jeff/1911.

[James Y]

Jeff:
If the combo edge Delica is anything like the combo Endura, the plain portion should be double ground just like a regular plain edge, but unlike, say, the Ladybug (where even the plain half is single-side grind).
Enjoy!
Jim

[Jeff/1911]

James,

Thanks. I didn't think that they would be double side ground on the plain edge portion of these knives, but if so I would much prefer that design. I guess I'd better go take a closer look at these models at the local store.

Jeff/1911.

[4 s ter]

Jeff

The blade is hollow-ground with a double-edged bevel on the plain-edged portion. In other words, it is not ground on only one side as the Ladybug is.

The plain-edged portion of the blade is about 1 1/2 inches long while the serrated portion is just under 1 1/4 inches long.

You might have some problems sharpening if using the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I don't have one, but I have heard that you have to be careful to stop before reaching the tip to avoid &quot;rounding&quot; it off. With a plain blade length of 1 1/2 inch and quite a fine point on the Delica blade, this could be difficult. I normally use only natural Arkansas stones so keeping a fine point on the tip hasn't been a problem for me.

David

[Jeff/1911]

David,

Thanks for your specific and detailed reply. I have had exactly the problem you mention (rounding off tips) on several of my Spydies when using the Sharpmaker and still haven’t really figured out what I’m doing wrong to cause it.

I got to see and handle all three different FRN Delica versions at my local sports store today. I do quite like the 50/50 model, but I’m still trying to decide whether to choose something other than the plain edge, which was my original choice. But, that’s not all...

They have some of the VG-10 Delica’s in stock now! Yippee! I didn’t think we’d get em’ up here for awhile yet. I also thought that they were going to be flat ground in VG-10, yet the two I saw today (pe and 50/50) looked the same as others in ATS-55 w/ only the VG-10 on the blade to show a difference. This is great because I really like the hollow ground style of the past Delica’s and was afraid that this was to be lost w/ the change to VG-10. I certainly appreciate a flat ground blade for many purposes, but for this all-arounder I want a hollow ground profile.

So, I've just gotta’ decide between plain edge and 50/50 now; they have both in VG-10.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.

[James Y]

Jeff:
I noticed something strange yesterday. I was browsing at a local mall knife shop and saw some ATS-55 Delicas/Enduras with the flat saber grind just like on the VG-10 Enduras/Delicas I saw at the gun show on Saturday. So it is possible there were a few VG-10 samples that were still made with the hollow grind; I haven't seen any, but if that's so, snatch 'em up, because hollow-ground VG-10 Delicas and Enduras may become scarce.

As for rounding off the tips, when I sharpen on the Sharpmaker, I take care not to pull the blade tip all the way through when using the corners of the rods. And when I'm using the flat surface I only sharpen bringing the tip about halfway across the rod, again, avoiding pulling it all the way through and off the rod's surface. It's easy to do but hard to explain in writing for me...so far I haven't rounded any sharp tips with this method.
Jim

[Jeff/1911]

James,

Thanks for the &quot;tip&quot; about sharpening. You may have responded with this advice to me awhile back when I posted here specifically about this problem...yours comments sound familiar. In any case, I don't think I remembered your description of this technique, at least not enough to employ it as such. I sure will give it a try now though. What I have been doing in the interim is simply not sharpening quite all the way to the tip at all, for fear of losing the sharp tips that remain. Obviously, this is not a good long-term solution so I will try what you suggest.

Regarding the hollow ground Delica's I saw...I wondered if the might be &quot;oddballs&quot;. If so, I'm going to see what I can afford to get, or go buy. Sounds like they're &quot;different&quot; alright. These were definitely purely hollow ground; and in VG-10.

Jeff.

[James Y]

Jeff:
Glad to be of help...I'm not certain if it was me or not who wrote the advice...I got the idea from another person who posted the advice(was it Joe Talmadge?). I guess I should clarify...when I use the corners of the rods I try not to sharpen all the way to the tip, and only sharpen the tip when using the flat section, as described above.

Let us know how it turns out and how much you like your new acquisitions! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>
Jim

[aero_student]

It was my first spydie. Darn sharp. Igave it to my best friend because he needed a knife and didn't have the money for what I would consider a safe knife at the time. It was a great knife.

[Jeff/1911]

James, I'll let you know how I do at sharpening my tips.

Marauder, What blade style was the knife you gave away?

Jeff.

[Alan2112]

The last Spyderco knife that I purchased is the new blue FRN Delica w/plain edge. I'm crazy about it! RKBA!

[mundele]

Okay, will the Blue FRN delica be offered in VG-10???

--Matt

[Jeff/1911]

Matt,

According to the website &quot;products&quot; page, it already is available.

Jeff/1911.

[Jeff/1911]

I went and bought the plain edge, VG-10 hollow ground Delica today that I had spotted the other day. I decided to get this instead of the 50/50 VG-10 model they also had in stock, as I anticipate that my kids may be planning to buy the serrated Delica for me that I may possibly have mentioned in passing (as well as detailing it on a Christmas list in BOLD TEXT and putting the knife on hold in the store). Subtlety, what's that?

So, I have decided that one fully serrated and one plain edge is better for me than a 50/50 design. I may decide later that I should have gone 50/50, hard to say.

Jeff/1911.

[Damillster]

All this Delica talk has gotten me excited!

My first Spydie was a Delica. I got it in ’93. It was a black FRN with a combo G2 blade. I carried it for many years and loved it. Recently, I lost a pair of pants (don’t ask) and the knife was in the back pocket.

I had been searching for a replacement that had the FRN clip, rather than the metal one because I have a leather couch and leather seats in my car and don’t want the clip to make scratches. I finally found some of the older ones for sale (with the help of a few people in this forum!), but they all came with AUS-8 blades. I was under the impression that the AUS-8 is not as good as the G2. So I kept searching.

Good news! I found this stuff called ‘Plasti-Dip’. It is sold in hardware stores and is used to coat metal tool handles. It is kind of a plastic/rubber coating. I think I’m going to get a new Delica and just remove the clip and give it a bath. Problem solved.

This means I can get the new VG-10 blade! Unfortunately, my local dealer doesn’t have them in, yet. Anyone know where I can get one online for a reasonable price?

I want those pants back! <img src="sad.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

[Jeff/1911]

The reason I am hoping to receive a Delica as a Christmas gift...as posted on the BF-Spydieforum.

&quot;I'm also hoping for a serrated Delica from my kids for Christmas. Mainly, I want them to have the satisfaction and reward of seeing my face when I open the gift of a Spyderco knife, once again. There is no other look like that, at least not for me.&quot;

I wonder how many of you have had similar thoughts. This is either really thoughful of me, or else my mental &quot;new-knife-acquisition-justification-and-reason-creation-system&quot; has managed to take a leap in it's evolutionary process. Yikes!

Jeff/1911.

[Hoosierdaddy]

Damillster,

I was browsing this thread and saw you were talking about Plasti-dip, it may not do what you want it to. I coated the handles of a small pair of pliers and it did not turn out the way I expected. (followed directions to the letter) A thin coat may not do the trick, a thick coat may peel off easily.
Just thought I would pass that along.

[aero_student]

I gave him a pe frn delica that i bought back in june. It wasn't a big deal because I had just bought my military,

[Damillster]

Hoosierdaddy:

Thanks for the info. I hope I have a better experience than you did...or else it's back to searching for an FRN clip Delica.

BTW, I dropped by my local dealer, today, and the manager said he probably wouldn't have the VG-10 Delicas until February. <img src="sad.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Now, I've got fingers crossed on both hands.

[Jeff/1911]

I see a little box under the tree...I do indeed wonder what it could be.

Jeff/1911.

Edited by - Jeff/1911 on 12/24/2001 3:06:57 AM

[Jeff/1911]

My new Christmas Delica is beautiful. As I speculated, it was there under the tree on Christmas morn. My kids chose to give me the fully serrated ATS-55 model that they saw at the store and I love it. The Delica truly is an excellent design, I see now why they are so popular.

I enjoyed responding to the many folks Christmas day who asked &quot;Hey Jeff, can I borrow your knife for a minute...?&quot;; as they opened gifts at a family gathering.

Co-incidentally, I received my &quot;Roo' bag&quot; - Kangaroo scrotum &quot;lucky pouch&quot; in the mail from Clay on Christmas eve too! It is a really nice looking thing. It looks very much like leather made from calfskin to me, and is quite supple. I'll send a picture once I return to work next week, and have access to a digital camera.

Thanks Clay! You are most kind indeed.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.


Edited by - Jeff/1911 on 12/27/2001 1:38:30 AM

[Jeff/1911]

I sneaked back to the camping store yesterday where my Delica was purchased from, and exchanged the fully serrated ATS-55 model for a (rare?) 50/50 VG-10 hollow ground version they had. What a beauty! The blade is indeed double bevel ground along the plain edge portion, and ridiculously sharp.

I'm really enjoying this knife, as well as the plain edge VG-10 hollow ground model I bought myself before Christmas. I'm pretty sure these will be fairly rare, as the change to VG-10 was supposed to go along with a change to flat ground blades as well.

Jeff/1911.

Edited by - Jeff/1911 on 12/28/2001 12:02:17 PM

[4 s ter]

Obviously another happy Delica owner!!!! <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

David

[Jeff/1911]

4 s ter,

I really am enjoying the Delica. It is a great design I think. I didn't know if I would like the 50/50 style blade, as I prefer the plain edge or fully serrated styles for appearance but I have been finding the 50/50 quite useful as an all around choice.

Jeff/1911.

[James Y]

Jeff:
Glad to hear you're enjoying the Delica. The old, AUS-8 plain edge Delica was my first-ever Spyderco and got me pretty much hooked on Spydies back in 1997. I now have 5 Delicas total...!

Sometimes a 50/50 edge is a good compromise...I normally prefer a fully plain or fully serrated, but have several combo edges in my knife collection. Rather than letting other opinions sway how I feel about them, I find sometimes 50/50 is ideal if you can only carry one knife and have rough and fine cutting to do.
Jim

[Jeff/1911]

Jim,

You're right about not letting others sway my opinions...I had thought for awhile that I &quot;shouldn't&quot; like a 50/50 but I do. Like you, I prefer a fully pe'd or toothy blade for any certain specific task, but for all around use the 50/50 works well. Tonight at a party I was using my 50/50 Delica to cut up limes for my wife's Corona beer.

She said &quot;Do you hve your knife with you?&quot; And then quickly: &quot;Of course you do.&quot; As I pulled it out and began to cut. As it turned out in this case, I have been using this Delica quite a bit over the last few days and the plain edge section had lost a bit of it's edge so I was initiating the cuts tonight with the toothy part and it worked great! I was glad I had that blade style with me.

I also think I understand about your five Delica's. I am so impressed with the overall style of this knife that I can see myself collecting a few different versions.

Long live the Delica. I now see what all the fuss is about with this knife model.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.