Category Archives: Review

Folders

Thoughtful Southard part 2.

4 Comments

Spyderco Southard Nemo

Using the Southard is a pure pleasure.
Why ?
Because you got a thin edge and a thick spine.
The full belly has proven to be hard to mistrust. It’s a curved guillotine.
Cardboard sheaths are cut like with a lightsaber, tomatoes are slices thin, rabbit’s bones are cut with no chipping even wooden wine boxe from Burgandy are open with a twist of the handle.
The thick handle is really confortable for hard and long period of work. I cannot find any hot spot in this knife especially since… I have removed that awful clip.
It’s look like folded metal sheath. It’s pointy and will pierce my pocket instead, it’s shiny, sharp and will keep my knife on an high profile while clipped to my pocket.
The Southard is so nice without its clip.
Since I have Steve Rice from STR’s Backyard knifeworks who has gently sent to me one of his beautiful Lowrider’s clip he has especially invented for the Southard and a Southard part 3 is in preparation.

For now on, my C156 is clipless and this is a pure wonder. The Carpenter version of M390 has proven to be absolutly reliable as CTS 204P is really a great steel. No chipping so far. Stay razor sharp for a week long. Easy to strope on leather. Easy to maintain on ceramic.

But clip are an issue on a lot of flipper. Check the Massdrop Falcon for example.

You can see there is a lot of attention to detail. I love how the blade flush with the handle, especially near the pivot. I love the No Spin construction. The absence of any play in any direction. This folding knife looks more solid and beefy than my Sebenzas !
The flipper is acting as a guard. But its all rounded so choking up the blade is possible. The asymetrical handle’s slabs/liners are not a big deal as they are providing a very comfortable experience.

As you can notice the blade of the Southard got something special. It’s full belly but also it seems like the tip is able to catch the cutting material. Like the last centimeter toward the tip is a claw. When I cut with my Southard I can feel all the length of the edge being in use. This is really something unique in that edge design. The blade cuts with ease without any drift. Like the Spyderco Dodo.
Yes, the Dodo is one my favorite whittling knife. Not for fine work but to cut a rod from a tree. The continious curves in the Dodo edge make it a great matter separator. The Dodo was able to cut into hardwood with less energy than any of my knives. The belly and the geometry of the Southard are in the same league.
Now the thick spine is a pleasure for my thumb when I’m doing powerful pushcuts. I can choke up the blade beyond the flipper and work with all my weight. Thanks also to its thick square handle I do not need gloves like with the Lionspy or my Sage 2.
So my mileage with that flipping beauty so far is exceeding my expectations. It’s even hard for me to enjoy my Techno or my Tuff or my Persian: the Flipper is really addictive and beyond the gimmick there is a really thoughtful design in that Southard.
Easy to use. Confortable. Easy to clean.Easy to keep razor sharp.
The Southard is also an eyecandy.
Anyway, mine has been used daily, in the plate, the kitchen, the wood, the boat, the city, the car, the office, the field, the dirt, the rain, the sea… It cuts. Stay sharp. Is easy on my palm. Is nice in my eyes.

SPyderco Southard without clip
No clip, more clip.

Southard Techno Nemo
The Techno clip is really the best. The Techno is the only SPyderco folder which is absolutly flawless IMHO.

Southard Techno Nemo
Fred Perrin and Jerry van Cook ?

Southard Nemo
CTS 204P is easy on white ceramic and the edge is kept on the popping hair sharp level.

Spyderco Southard
Eye candy when closed too !

Folders, Uncategorized

Spyderco Air – Popping Sharp ! by JD

3 Comments

I had asked my Dutch friend JD to write a review of the Spyderco Air. He’s a big fan of small blades. From the classic slipoint to the most modern design, he’s always seeking for the best geometry in cutting. Through the years he has developped an wide encyclopedic knowledge in cutlery but also has proven to be the best free hand sharpener I have ever met, being able to enhance any edge to a very high level of pure performance. Here is his review of the Spyderco Air:

 
Spyderco Air by JD
 

I have had the Air in my possession for 4 months of which I have carried it for about two. When I first got it I liked the knife overall but thought it was too thick behind the edge and found blade finish a little rough. Since then I have thinned out the shoulder of the edge, so now the blade flows from the back to the edge in a slightly convex curve. The first halve centimeter from the edge is now just a little thicker than on an Opinel in the same area. I consider the blade grind on Opinels to be a benchmark of a thin, very well cutting, folder blade. I used an extra course DMT diamond stone for most of the shaping. It was then cleaned up with sandpaper. The edge was finished on an extra fine DMT stone. It how has a fine jet toothy edge that will easily cut phonebook paper, shave arm hair, as well as be grabby enough to bite into and cut plastic packaging material.
I tried sharpening it with the brown Spyderco ceramic hone. A hone that I have good experiences with sharpening other (Spyderco) knives. But found that for this knife it was not the right tool for the job. It polished more than it ground and so was right for the shaping part of sharpening. The M4 steel the blade is made of is quite wear resistant compared to, for instance, VG10, a steel Spyderco uses in many of its popular models. M4 is not stainless.
I use the Air to cut up an apple in the evening, to cut a piece of cheese or to get liverwurst from its plastic packaging. It also works well for opening up a kaiser roll and putting butter on it for lunch (butter with the back of the blade). It work great for the usual edc tasks of opening packages and cutting paper. With use, mostly thanks to the apples, it has developed a nice dark patina.

Spyderco Air by JD

The handle feels good in the hand. No sharp points and, thank goodness, no jimping! Only when you push hard on it does the open construction become a little uncomfortable.
The Air opens and closes smoothly. The linerlock on my example has moved a little past the middle of the locking ramp. Slightly further then when new.

The detent is strong enough to keep the knife savely closed in the pocket.
In the pocket you hardly notice it, it is so light and compact. I have not missed a pocket clip at all! I think on this knife a clip would compromise the ergonomics of the handle to much.
The more I carry this knife the more I enjoy it. Thinning behind the edge make all the difference! It has transformed the knife from okay to a great cutter.
JD

Folders, Uncategorized

Spyderco Pingo – Do NOT mess with the Danish Cookie

10 Comments

In those days of tactical fever.
In those days of fears.
In this last day after the End of the World.
This is the time to change all the rules.

For the first time , Spyderco is releasing a folding knife with a hole in a blade which is like a blue carrot’s salad for a sniper: useless.
A folder with a hole in the blade so tiny it will only catch germs….

WTF ?

The Pingo is a collaborative effort of Danish knifemakers Jens Anso and Jesper Voxnaes. This knife was specifically designed to conform to the knife laws of Denmark, which prohibit both lock-blade folding knives and all forms of one-hand-opening knives.

(I love copy and paste… from there.)

OK now I’m currently carrying a Spyderco Techno. I love this little dwarven titanium folder but the Pingo ???

The handle looks well thought. The blade is unusual and non threatening. Sober design.
Wait a minute, the Pingo looks like it could be a great EDC.

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Spyderco Pingo

Now after two weeks of being in my pocket 24/7 this little Pingo is an excellent surprise.
First thing first…. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE DANISH BUT: I open it with a flick.
This is good as I do not live in beautiful Danemark.
But beyond that detail, the knife got excellent ergos. Great ergos !
Its a full four fingers handle knife ready for hard work because it has a great belly and a great geometry.
And this knife is a cutting machine.
I was very surprised to see how that little knife was able to handle a lot of jobs with ease.
The belly is on the reason of its high perf. But also the razor thin full flat ground blade.

All in all for a great price you can go legal on a lot of ground with an incredible workhorse. Trust me the Pingo will surprise you.
Kuddos to Jens Anso and Jesper Voxnaes fo bringing it and Spyderco for always giving birth to the most exotic and pragmatic projects.

Folders, Uncategorized

Spyderco C22 in ZDP189 Italian Hunter Update by Valter Nencetti

7 Comments

Valter Nencetti

“Dear Nemo,

here is the review on the knife you have given to me to test. It has passed all the tests with flying colors during the hunting season. I thought it would chip but it has not happen. Of course I have not abuse it. I think your reprofiling of the edge is perfect. The maker (Spyderco) will be happy.

See you soon,
Valter.”

Valter Nencetti

Every year for more than two decades I have been welcomed by Walter, Francesca and all the Nencetti family in their beautiful mountains at the East of Florence in Tuscany. Walter is an avid hunter but also is a doctor in genetics working as a researcher at the University. A bear of a man, he is a true landlord knowledgeable in nature and the art of woodcraft even if he won’t use that word for something he consider as natural as breathing. He was even able to save and promote a breed of high performance hunting dogs “Segugio dell’Appennino”. (click on the name for an English article he wrote on it).
Here the link to my initial review.
Here the Michael Walker six years after.

Valter Nencetti Dogs

Those dogs are incredible: they are able to track alone in the valley as the hunter is waiting on the hill. It’s their constant barking which keep the hunter in touch with them. The way they bark gives him all the information needed as the dogs have found tracks, are now tracking and are bringing back the hare or the boar to be shot. The dogs need to be very smart to track an hare. This nocturnal big rabbit got a very special moving pattern to leave a minimum of tracks behind him. He systematically leaves dead end before to go back on his track and to go in another direction. The dogs need to be very clever to know when the heir has made a U Turn and especially to find the direction it has taken. Those dogs are high performance dogs, really.

Valter Nencetti

Valter goes hunting as soon as he got some times on his hands and he uses his hunting knives for skinning hares, deers and boars.
I have been able to offer him Spyderco knives since 2000. His favorite so far was a Paramillie of the first génération.The S30V full flat ground pointy blade has him main skinning knife.
So I have decided to gave him “Sky” my C22 in ZDP189 for good measure. (I have kept another one as a Safe’s Queen…).
As I had reviewed it before, this is the best pushcutter ever made by Spyderco with the wonderful Gayle Bradley.
So here is his review in Italian (translation are a click away with your fav translator on the Net)

Francesca e Valter in la Noce Di Francesca
(And if you want to know where Valter is living, here is also the link to his wife agriturismo:
http://www.lanocedifrancesca.com/)

Here is his review in Italian.

Spyderco C22 ZDP-189 Seki-City Japan

Agile, elegante, leggero ma al contempo robusto ed efficiente, Spyderco C22 ZDP-189 è un piccolo coltello a serramanico che riesce a sintetizzare in 54,4 g di peso un condensato di alta tecnologia a servizio della funzionalità.
Immediatamente riconoscibile l’appartenenza al marchio Spyderco, non solo per il foro nella lama ma anche per la linea inconfondibile, questo coltello si differenzia però dagli altri della serie per la maggiore leggerezza ottenuta con un’impugnatura ben bilanciata, realizzata con materiali leggeri ma di elevata resistenza e soprattutto con una lama sottile e durissima. E’ proprio quest’ultima che rappresenta una importante innovazione rispetto alle classiche, in genere adottate dalla casa costruttrice, ma anche da molte altre produttrici di coltelli. E’ noto infatti che la capacità di taglio, a parità di affilatura, è superiore nelle lame meno spesse, basta pensare al bisturi del chirurgo o anche al rasoio o lametta da barba, o anche a piccoli coltelli da cucina o per eseguire innesti in agricoltura.

Spyderco C22 si adegua perfettamente alle esigenze del cacciatore italiano che, al contrario di quello che si può immaginare, non ha bisogno di grossi e robusti coltelli per intendersi “tipo Rambo”, ma di un utensile funzionale che gli permetta anche di sbucciare una mela, oltre che spellare una lepre, un capriolo o un cinghiale. Riguardo a questi ultimi, una piccola lama affilata, come quella del coltello in questione, in mani sapienti è più che sufficiente per le normali esigenze. Occorre tener presente che il cacciatore deve muoversi rapidamente su terreni spesso impervi ed è limitato in questo dall’equipaggiamento (fucile, munizioni, scarponi e vestiario) che non può essere ulteriormente appesantito da un inutile “coltello da sopravvivenza” che comunque non risolve il problema dello spezzamento delle ossa (cinghiale, capriolo, cervo, daino) per le quali occorrono ben altri tipi di utensili.

In Italia, in genere, i grossi coltelli vengono utilizzati da cacciatori principianti, per lo più per incidere bastoni mentre sono alla posta per sparare al cinghiale; cittadini, più che campagnoli, che spesso non sanno neanche camminare nel bosco e che, il più delle volte, devono essere soccorsi, poichè si perdono nella foresta, magari nei medesimi luoghi di caccia frequentati da tempo.

Spyderco C22, durante un’intera stagione di caccia alla lepre e al capriolo, si è dimostrato un coltello particolarmente affidabile, imperdibile grazie alla sua Spyderco-clip di sicurezza, la sua lama si è mantenuta perfettamente affilata, utilizzando di tanto in tanto il cuoio per la rifinitura, non si è intaccata, nonostante la durezza dell’acciaio, forse anche per il particolare tipo di affilatura di cui era dotata e anche per la cura prestata al coltello. Un vero cacciatore, infatti non può pretendere che il suo coltello rimanga perfettamente affilato dopo un cattivo uso dello stesso e deve essere in grado di mantenerlo sempre tagliente, pronto all’uso.

Tutti i coltelli a serramanico Spyderco sono adatti alla caccia, poiché tutti sono di giuste dimensioni per il cacciatore Italiano. ZDP-189, del quale non avverti la presenza per la sua leggerezza e minimo ingombro, la mattina, quando ti metti i pantaloni per andare in ufficio al posto di quelli per la caccia, ti assicuri di riporlo gelosamente nella tasca poiché sai che ti potrà essere utile.

Valter Nencetti Carlo Boni
Carlo Boni and Valter Nencetti inspecting the knife.

SPyderco C22 Valter Nencetti

Spyderco C22 Valter Nencetti
With the Hare of the day.

Bisteca a la Fiorentina
Feeding the family with some Bisteca a la Fiorentina…

Spyderco Paramillie
Valter’s Paramillie 1 used mainly as skinning knife.

Paramillie

Paramilitary
A Paramillie 1st edition well used….

Valter Paramillie

The French version is here:
Agile, élégant, léger mais en même temps, robuste et efficace, Spyderco C22 est un petit couteau qui est capable de condenser en 54,4 g un concentré de haute technologie au service de la fonctionnalité.
Immédiatement reconnaissable de la marque Spyderco, non seulement pour le trou dans la lame, mais aussi pour la ligne unique, ce couteau se distingue des autres de la série, cependant, par plus de légèreté obtenue avec un manche bien équilibré, fabriqué avec des matériaux légers, mais d’une résistance élevée et surtout par une lame mince et très dure. C’est justemznt cette dernière qui une avancée majeure par rapport aux modèles classiques, généralement prisées par le fabricant, mais également par de nombreux autres fabricants de couteaux. Et à noter en fait que la capacité de couper, avec le même affûtage, est plus élevée avec les lames moins épaisses, Il suffit de penser au bistouri du chirurgien ou à la lame de rasoir ou la lame de barbier, ou même un petit couteau de cuisine ou pour effectuer des greffes dans l’agriculture .

Le Spyderco C22 s’adapte parfaitement aux exigences du chasseur italien qui, contrairement à ce que vous pouvez l’imaginer, n’a pas besoin de grands couteaux robustes destinés au “type Rambo», mais d’un outil fonctionnel qui lui permet également de peler une pomme, ainsi que de dépouiller un lapin, un chevreuil ou un sanglier. Sur ces derniers points, une petite lame pointue, comme celle du couteau en question, entre des mains expertes est plus que suffisant pour les besoins normaux. Veuillez noter que le chasseur doit se déplacer rapidement sur des terrains souvent inaccessibles et est donc limité en cela par l’équipement (fusil, munitions, bottes et vêtements) qui ne peuvent pas encore être appesantis par un «couteau de survie” inutile qui de toute façon ne résout pas le problème du désossement (sangliers, chevreuils, cerfs, daims) qui ont besoin de types très différents d’outils.

En Italie, en général, les grands couteaux sont utilisés par les chasseurs débutants, la plupart du temps pour couper des bâtons tandis qu’ils sont en poste pour tirer sur les sangliers; les citadins, au contraire des paysans , qui souvent ne savent même pas marcher dans les bois et, plus d’une fois, doivent être secourus, car ils sont perdus dans la forêt, peut-être dans les mêmes lieux fréquentés par temps de chasse.

Le Spyderco, au cours d’une saison entière de chasse au lièvre et au chevreuil, s’est révélé être un couteau particulièrement fiable, imanquablement grâce à son clip-Spyderco de sécurité, à sa lame qui est restée parfaitement afilée, en utilisant de temps en temps le cuir d’affutage, ne s’est pas abimée, en dépit de la dureté de l’acier, peut-être aussi grâce au type particulier de l’émouture dont il a été équipé de et également pour le soin apporté à la lame. Un vrai chasseur, en fait ne peut pas prétendre que son couteau reste parfaitement afuté, après un tel usage de maltraitance et doit être capable de le garder doit être en mesure de le garder toujours tranchant, prêt à l’emploi.

Tous les couteaux pliants de Spyderco sont adaptés pour la chasse, car ils sont tous juste là a bonne taille pour le chasseur italien. Le C22, qui ne signale pas sa présence par sa légèreté et sa petite taille, le matin, quand vous mettez votre pantalon pour aller travailler au bureau au lieu de ceux de la chasse, assurez-vous de le mettre dans votre poche jalousement parce que vous savez qu’il pourra vous être utile.

Folders, Review

Acereuil – Another great limited Douk Douk version

3 Comments

Douk Douk Acereuil

The Acereuil is the special édition by Armes Bastille (Acheron) of the Douk Douk Ecureuil from Cognet. The Ecureuil (Squirrel) is a all silver knife when the Acereil got a blade handle with the Acheron logo on it (The Acheron pet has been designed by the gifted Bastien Bastinelli from Bastinelli’s Creation.). Fred Perrin told me about l’Ecureuil some decade ago. It seems to be his favorite Douk version back in those days.
Now I also got his Vendetta Douk Douk I have reviewed last year wich was an elegant and pointy adaptation of the Douk.

Acereuil

As you can notice, the handle is typically Douk Douk but the blade is a more “classic” spear point blade. Beautiful blade actually. XC75 us easy to keep razor and its very thin edge will not chip on that good old carbon steel.

Douk Douk

All three knives are great EDC and for less than 20 euros it’s a bargain. Douk’s got strong springs and perfect grinds. Each of them can be used on a plate or in the wood. Carrying is also legal in my country. this is definitively a tool not a weapon. once you get used to clean the blade, the patina starts to develop slowly giving them a lot of character.
Legal EDC with a very strong attitude, its a friendly knife.

Douk DOuk
Tre amigos…

 

 

Folders

Spyderco Techno C158TI – Is it my fav’ EDC ever ?

7 Comments


Of all the knives I have ever owned this one is blending everything I love in a knife. IMHO this the perfect EDC.
This one was able to kick my beloved Native 5 out of my pocket. Why? Better clip for example. Better edge/handle ratio, too. (The Native 5 is a gem and much more southpawn friendly…)
Better than my beloved Michael Walker ? Again a better clip and stronger construction. (The C22 ZDP189 hollow ground blade is pure cutting performances and unbeatable yet…)
And as I have stated in various reviews, since the 90’s, I always wanted a Sebenza with FFG and a Spyderhole… Marlin Slysz should have heard my wish.

Spyderco Techno

The Techno is one of Spyderco favorite concepts : a “Little Big Knife”.
Really. A thick blade like a Lionspy. Strong Chris Reeve Integral lock. Titanium construction with strong blade steel… Thick is good in my book if it’s not killing the perfs. Nordic knives like Pekka Tuominen extraordinary Nilakka tend to be thick and sharp. This is not common as many “tactical” folders emphase the thickness and forget the sharpness. But Spyderco has always been really performance obsessed. So the Techno is thick. Thicker than the Tuff. The back of the blade is an invitation for your thumb to push. This is really pleasant to whittle with the Techno as the thumb is not soared.
Handling the Prototype, I thought then, the blade was not enough pointy to my taste. I was wrong. My Techno got enough penetration power to gently pierce plastics. Not as Pointy as my C36 Millie. But much more solid.

The Techno is performance oriented: the full flat ground (FFG) blade got a thin edge which is incredibly aggressive. As far as I know, Carpenter’s CTS-XHP is becoming one of my favorite cutlery steel. I was not able to really dull the Techno’s edge since I got it. I’ve got some minor factory edge rolling after using it on a plate and it has been cured in 10 secondes on white ceramic. Since I receive it the Techno have never let me down. It was razor sharp and stays razor sharp. What more do you ask from your EDC?

Ergonomy. Yes. No choil on this one but some kind of hidden choil which means plenty of room for a strong 4 fingers grip and a great Blade/handle ration. Everything is designed for high reliability and usefulness. Closed in your fist, the Techno disappears and is warm to the touch. Its weight is pleasant as it is oozing high quality from its titanium pores. No hot spot on the handle. Nothing to file or to sand. The Techno is blister free and much more ergonomic than my beloved Sebbies for example.
Pleasant to the eye also: the bead blasted handle and blade is giving your tool some hardchore background. This knife is for serious cutting business. Bushcrafters of the world, again, this is a folding tool to consider. There is even a lanyard hole to secure your Techno !

Anyway, the Techno is easy to carry: equipped with the deep wire clip, the knife once clipped look like a… some kind of lighter. The blue G10 spacer helps a lot in giving some friendly image to the Techno.

Sh*t, the Techno got A+++ on all the requirements to become my favorite EDC ever… Now time and mileage will tell… So far its concept corresponds to something I’ve really been looking for: some strong “toolish” character + some real cutting performances in a small “easy to EDC” package.
Thank you Marlin for bringing such a gem to the cutlery world. And “gem” in French is “J’aime”: I love it !!! 🙂

Folders

SPYDERCO SCHEMPP TUFF BY ED SCHEMPP ~ C151GTI – When The Going Gets Tough – The Tuff Keep Going

5 Comments

Spyderco Persian and Tuff Ed Schempp

The Persian is reviewed here.

Ed Schempp is a very clever designer. As I have noticed in my previous post, it took him almost a decade to get the Tuff to the End Line Users. The purpose of the design was to create the tougher knife possible, kinda über Strider Sebenza Blackwood mix… A folding pry bar.
But let’s not forget: Ed is a farmer. A knife user. And his previous design included the wonderful Persian. Since I got the chance to receive as a gift one of the first batch Persian made (thanks JD!) I was also able to compare the two designs.

Persian and Tuff Ed Schempp

Ed seems to love heavy knife. The one you know you (still) got in your pocket. But also Ed got a very precise idea about ergonomy. Both knives got that angle once open giving you a great cutting power without to twist your wrist. You can push cut vertically, locking your wrist and your arm, and just using the strenght and weight of your shoulder. The Persian and the Tuff share that particularity.

SPyderco Tuff

But the Tuff is almost like a Folding Kukri. A folding mini chopping knife. The pivot is oversized as is the stop pin. The lock bar is the hardest I have ever tried. Everything is tough.
But now that I have installed the clip for tip down carry, my Tuff can be open very fast (Spyder drop) and close easily.
Despite the fact that I have oiled the pivot, my Tuff is squicking/singing like a fiddle and I now considering that sound as a part of its character.

SPyderco Tuff

The “prairie dogs hole” on the G10 and titanium are not the most sexy way to remove weight but it gives some kind of steampunk look to the knife.
Once close it’s all oval, all rounded and not thick compared to other über folder like the Lionspy. I was really surprised how it disappears once clipped to the front or back pocket and is forgotten.
The clip is a little on the stiff side but no big deal. Anyway now that I carry it like my Millies, I enjoy deploying it just by holding the blade by the fuller. Hiiiii CLACK !!!
The lock got that Reeve Integral Lock with improvements with some hardened steel insert which ensure superior strength and increase wear resistance (as on the Millie Tie, and the Rockstead Higo) and a security to prevent over bending (good luck with that anyway). It’s hard to unlock but not as hard as other lock like some Triadlock folders.

SPyderco Tuff

Ha the Fuller! I love the idea. It’s almost like Conan’s Atlantean sword ! 🙂 I would love to see the fullers adapted on the Spyderco Salt for example.
The blade is gorgeous as the light play with the fuller and the flat grind. I was not able to have a patina yet. CPM 3V is not a stainless steel and will picture my Tuff again as soon as a patina will start to develop.
It’s an heavy blade. Like with M2, CPM M4, I always got the feeling that density of non stainless tool steels is higher than stainless. I remember having noticed something like 20% between M2 and ATS34, but I could be wrong. Anyway the CPM 3V feels heavy and the knife is really well balanced.

SPyderco Tuff

Now I was able to get it to razor by stropping it on leather with ease. This is not as difficult as S90V or ZDP89. CPM 3V seems very leather friendly.
The heavy thick blade of my Tuff is shaving hair with a gentle caress. But it was also able to pass my bottle butt test despite its thickness. A beautiful Opinel with its thin and mirror polished blade was able to do it like through butter, but the Tuff was able to cut through showing its good geometry.
On flesh the Tuff is cutting with ease and this time thanks to the ergonomy and the “Schempp Angle”. I was surprised how it was borrowed to kitchen duty. Those Prairie Holes make it sheeple friendly after all and the heavy blade can cut only with its weight.

SPyderco Tuff

Now the next step will be in the woods. Time to see how tough the tuff is. I have noticed that the stainless steel liner is skeletonized. The ease of cleaning will be test also as the handle is not fully open.
The Tuff feels very solid and screaming to be use hard but for the moment it has shown me its softer side: I can open it and close it easily (changing the clip position helped a lot), it’s easy on the trouser, and it’s precise and really sharp. The big choil is a big plus when you need to choke up the blade for precise works. Oh, I have found some hot spot which won’t resist to my diamond files. the back of the blade is sharp enough for striking an iron rod, but as I love to push my cuts with my thumb, I have round it for a more confortable use.
The tuff is screaming hard use but also is whispering cleverness. There is a reason why Ed Schemp took his time on that design and this one is going to be a knife which will grow on you. Just look at the belly, the point and the way the knife goes into action and you will start to see what Ed wanted to produce.
Again Taichung plant has made a flawless work and the Tuff is a beautiful piece of steel. Let see how it performs in the woods.

This is what Jerry Hossom has to say about CPM3V in 2007:

“In my opinion, CPM-3V is the best knife steel ever.

It has the finest grain structure of any high alloy steel used in knives today, about 1 micron. That translates into extraordinary toughness and arguably as fine an edge as can be had. When you sharpen it, you don’t have to cut through carbides, so it sharpens a lot easier than you might expect, certainly easier than S30V or even D2 IMO. I had a 3V knife at Rc61 destruction tested by bending it to 90 degrees, back and forth, four times before it finally snapped, and that blade was hollow ground which resists bending because of the geometry. 3% vanadium, coupled with extreme toughness to resist microchipping allows it to hold an edge a very long time.

The ONLY downside to 3V is its corrosion resistance which is pretty good but the nature of how it corrodes is annoying as hell if it happens. You do not get a smooth patina or a surface bloom of light rust. What you see IF it corrodes are some small orange spots on the blade, under which will be deep pits. This is likely due to minor oxide contamination in the steel, so I passivate all my 3V blades by etching them in 50% FeCl for about 10 minutes, before the final brushed finish is applied. This has ALMOST eliminated the problem, but I still recommend keeping a light coat of oil on the blade and have never had rust once a blade is etched and oiled. I use Birchwood Casey’s Synthetic Gun Oil, which is a great protectant for any metal. 3V is about the same as D2 in this area, but benefits by taking a much finer finish than D2 so corrosion has fewer toeholds than with D2.

I put a fine finish on all my blades, but with 3V I always go to ~800 grit. All of my 3V blades, except swords, are hardened to Rc61.

Tough? In one test of one of my swords, the tester cut laterally through a shank of beef, including over 9″ of meat and over 3″ of bone without splintering the outcut on the bone and the only evidence of the cut on the blade was a very small (~1/8”) flat spot on the edge, which had been sharpened to shaving sharpness. You couldn’t see the flat spot from the side, only by looking down on the edge where you could see the reflection. That was a single-handed sword and just an amazing cut considering that beef leg bone is a VERY hard bone.

It’s a great steel, and it’s unfortunate that more people aren’t familiar with it. It took a bit of a bad rap when it first came out because it is very sensitive to a well-controlled heat treating schedule, as is S30V for that matter, and some makers who tested it early on before that was well understood just didn’t get what the steel had to offer. That’s why I sold my heat treating oven and send all my steel to Paul Bos for heat treating.

I just read through this and guess this is as close to hype as I get, but the steel is a great steel and this is my experience with it. Just as an interesting side note, when I first started using this steel I told Crucible I was convinced that microchipping was a major component of knives going dull and that this steel would “wear” better than its component numbers might suggest because it was so tough. At the time CPM-10V was Crucible’s super wear resistant steel. About 18 months later at the Eugene knife show, the top metallurgist at Crucible told me that they we finding that 3V was “outwearing” 10V in stamping dies. When they studied the reasons they discovered the 10V was microchipping and the hard, sharp edges were crumbling long before any abrasive wear could develop.

People in the woodworking industry have known about the toughness issue for a long time and many of the best woodworking tools are made with A2, which is a very tough steel. 3V is about 7 times tougher than A2, and I recently consulted with some people in that world who made some chisels and turning tools with 3V and found they cut better and longer than anything they had ever seen. AND BTW, they are also now putting convex edges on their chisels…

Try it, you’ll like it.”

Folders

Spyderco Techno & Tuff glimpse: “Thick twice, cut once!”

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I love thin blades and showing to a friend how an Opinel could push cut in hard material when high tech “tactical” folders won’t succeed, is a fact of common sens… but my still I love THICK HEAVY blades. Those which are so brutal and so manly ! And turning the Chris Reeve quote from “Think…” to “Thick…” is quite natural when both knives got a Reeve’s Integral Lock.

OK, two rapid shares:

Spyderco Techno

The Spyderco Techno.
I was not prepared to that knife as I was taken by surprise.
After weighting and holding a gorgeous prototype imported directly from Marcin Slysz in Poland at the last Spyderco Minimeet in Amsterdam, my heart skept a beat: that little Tank was incredibly beautiful and design as a über-worker. I loved it.
The beatblasted handle and beatblasted blade are an appeal to abuses and hard work. Worst the 4.5mm thick blade looks more as a wedge than a cutting instrument.

SPyderco Techno

But beyond look lays performances. The grind is high and thin. The result is an incredible cutting machine.
I was really surprise how deep and easy the Techno cut.
Better, the new steel is a breeze to get razor sharp and it has stay at that level since I got it.

*”From Mike Stewart of BRK&T:

On Friday I shipped 30 of the XHP Woodlands that we made to see how this steel works with our Heat Treat and Geometry.

I’m pretty sure that you will be able to get one – if you act quickly – from either Dale or Derrick.

Let me tell you about what we learned.

Three of us tested the crap out of mine on Thursday and Friday.

I cut a bunch of wood and leather.

Skittles did the same for about an hour.

jimmy then also did the same and then batoned down two small trees out back for good measure.

Re-read above.

Note that no place did we say we re-touched the edge.

We didn’t – I still have not and it still aggressively shaves hair and cleanly slices paper – just like it did when it was first finished.

I’m not sure what is going on with this stuff but I have never seen a more aggressive cutting stainless steel.

Here is what Carpenter Says:

Carpenter Technology Corporation has developed an alloy known as CTS-XHP, an air hardening, high carbon, high chromium, corrosion resistant alloy which can be described as either a high hardness Type 440C stainless steel or a corrosion resistant D2 tool steel. This steel is made using powder metallurgy and possesses corrosion resistance equivalent to Type 440C stainless but can attain a maximum hardness of 64 HRC which is approaching that of D2 tool steel. This alloy offers superior edge retention and surface finish, an ability to be machined to a fine edge, and consistent heat-treatability from lot to lot making it ideal material for knife blades.

I don’t agree with them.

This Stuff is nothing like 440C and nothing like D-2.

It grinds easily and polished easily.

It appears tougher than D-2.

440C goes dead flat dull in cutting a fraction of the wood and leather we did so this is more like A-2.

If somebody asked me to put a tag on this stuff – it would be Stainless A-2.”

Been using the Techno in a plate, or for carboard processing: the razor sharp blade was not affected.
CTS XHP steel is really an excellent steel and this is my first experience with it. (Almost bought a C36 Military Sprint Run with brown G10 handle and that new CTS XHP steel, considered as a stainless version of D2…)

SPyderco Techno

Compared to D2, the CTS is powder metallurgy steel. I just know that the Techno edge is incredibly sharp and stays that way. Incredibly friendly.
(Unfriendly steel/edges are the one who betrays you when you need it sharp and doesn’t want to get sharp afetr thrity minutes on stone…)
My concern about having a knife not enough pointy were false. My techno got enought penetration power to be use on soft or hard material.
The rounded edges make it a very ergonomic and sweet tool to use. It feels solid ans it cuts like a charm, everything I throw at it: cardboard, meat, plastic, wood…
Spyderco techno

To sum up the Techno is small, sharp, smooth, easy to carry, hefty and toolish… What a great EDC knife Marcin Slysz has designed !

Now Ed Schemp’s TUFF.

SPyderco Tuff

This knife is tuff. Tuff to open. Tuff to close. Thick (but thinner by 0,5mm compared to the techno). Heavy (compared to my Millie)
As first glance it’s not friendly.
But once open in the hands: great balance, nice folding Kukri feeling, great choil. I love the fuller since I handle the prototype in 2005.
It’s a great improvement to grabbing the blade and “spyderdrop” the Tuff. I love the “craters” in the titanium and the G10.

Ok immediatly I have changer the clip to tip down carry. Like that, I can grab it by the blade and I can open it “spyderdrop” style. Not as fast as my Millie but it is now reliable to put in use. (
Once closed the knife got a rounded shape and is not “that” thick. I was surprised how it can be forgotten once clipped to my denim pocket.
A very good point.

I ask Ed Schemp as the Paris Blade Show (SICAC) if it was possible to smooth it a little, but as the locking bar is short and strong, I need to get use to that tuff opening and closing. No big deal. This is a tuff knife ! 🙂
The blade in CMP 3V is really easy to go beyond factory sharp. CPM 3V loves leather stropping. Despite it’s saber flat grind, mine can get hair popping sharp.
Now I need to use it in the woods to see what the design is all about.
I want this knife to be a folding kukri. Tuff enough for light chopping. The gun handle ask for a beating.
Like with my Lionspy, I want to be able to cut a walking staff with ease and no after thinking.
The tuff ask for going in the wild like a good old Land Rover is asking to take the long way home.

SPyderco Tuff

So more to come soon about this two thick brothers.

(FYI there is also got two slimmer sisters in the review pipe: the Gayle Bradley Air and the extraordinary South Fork… Different strokes !)

Folders, Uncategorized

Le Pointu Minimal Luxe part II – Friendly, fun and reliable.

3 Comments

Last year I have posted a glimpse about le Pointu and since it has been used almost daily.
This knife is completly invisible to sheeples. The gently rounded blade and non threatning look are perfect for that. Also the “open” design makes it more a curiosity than a weapon. Good.
Now how does it perform ?

I simply love the knife.
I was not a real fan of D2 Tool Steel (not my favorite steel to polish to a razor sharp as it prefers a coarse edge…) but here I recognized the heat treatment bring a very stone ceramic and leather stropping friendly knife. Not being stainless, the blade has develop a gentle patina with the vinegar of salad. This is something i always enjoy. You never know what pattern will be developped on the blade.
My Pointu has been used as my main plate/steak knife during the year. Something to notice is that you NEED to clean the blade before to pocket it after lunch:
with the “open construction”the blade is in contact with fabric of your pocket once clipped. 🙂

The chisel geometry, once you have integrate it, is a joy to use. Like a single engine propellor plane, you need to use the rudder to cut straight in line. This adjustement is made instinctively. I was really surprised how depp it cut in wood. It is a joy to use for whittling especially as a draw knife. The chisel hollow grind is not “that” hollow. It’s almost saber flat ground.

On the ceramic the D2 develop a nice burr, easy to eliminate on the chisel side by putting the blade almost flat on the stone.
It’s very easy to get it back to razor. D2 as expected stay sharp a real long time and my Pointu keeps a working edge forever.
The rounded blade is enough pointy for my task and I have found the 2,5 mm thick back of the blade very useful for scrapping and removing fat from meat for example. I have found a lot of use for that “non tactical” design. My Pointu has never let me down and was able to go threw every whore I put it in. Despite being flat it’s really confortable to handle and also really easy to clean. This is a great outdoor’s companion.

I also enjoy the “spyder drop” possible on this knife. It’s easy to catch the blade between two finger and flick it open.
I have use also Le Pointu hard. No blade play in any direction. The lock did not move forward after a year of use. Very very very reliable.
I would not had expected that “open”/single liner construction to be “that” solid.

So really I’m surprised and pleased on how great that flat gentleman folder is, especially in the woods and in the kitchen. Great steel, great ergos, clever design… Le Pointu is still growing and me.
Kuddos Xavier Conil and Laurent Monnier your knife is fantastic.

Folders, Uncategorized

Spyderco Lionspy – Updating the beast

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Spyderco Lionspy

Since I got that wonderful Spyderco Lionspy I did not baby it at all ans test as EDC and hard working knife as I wanted to see if a massive a stout folder would be useful and handy as a fixed blade even if it should not be as strong.

So let’s review some points which I was concerned with:

The very small short butt clip:
yes it is short. But it is very discreet. And it’s a pleasure to pocket that knife: it disappears.
I found it is easy to retrieve once you have adjust your technic: gently pulling the clip first to free the knife from the pocket.

The stopping pin:
while in the woods, I used it as a light chopping tool.And it was great.
I was concerned about the stopping pin as one side is plug in titanium but the other one in G10. Zero problem so far and I have used that knife very hard. So eventually no issues. So far so good.

The rotoblock:
this is a breeze to use. A pinch of the thumb and the safety is on or off. The knife feels very solid and lock failure is not a real concern.
I love this system.

The heavy stout thick blade:
I was able to trim and cut branches for making walking canes very very easily. It was a fast and easy processed job. A dozen of light impacts and a two to three inches diameter wood rod is chopped of the tree. I don’t know if that knife was design for that purpose but it works great. Like a micro pocket axe.

No pointy blade:
if kept very sharp the Lion Spy got a good penetration power. But I’m happy to keep another knife with a more pointy blade on me.

Elmax ?
surpringly easy to keep sharp. My Lionspy this last month has been mainly kept sharp with strops of leather and half a dozen white ceramic strokes.
Very nice steel. Been used on bones, plastic, wood, meat. No chipping edge, no rolling edge… so far. My first experience with Elmax is absolutely positive.

The hot spots:
the blade’s spine is ‘squarish’. And when ‘thumb-push cutting’ without gloves it is quickly not pleasant. I was able to round the corners on the spine with diamond rods, sand paper, caution and patience. Elmax is hard. I do not have any plans to start a fire with it anyway so no more square spine. Now it is much more confortable to use for push cuts. Especially with such a nice convex grind. The wood fibers are sectionned nicely, gently with control.

Handle… now there is one hot spot in the ergo I cannot improved without rethinking the whole knife. It is about the open construction handle’s liners/slabs…. They are profiled like airplane wings, like propelor blades !!! Beautiful but not confortable when used perpendiculary with the palm of the hand. After sometime, you can find another way to hold the handle but compared to a lockback (or the plain handle of fixed blade) this is an ergonomic issue. But there is a reason.
The Spyderco Gayle Bradley got a square handle and is much more confortable as the space between the liners is almost filled. But the gap between the slabs in the Lionspy construction is proportionnal to the thickness of its blade (4.5mm). There is a real gap in this open construction.
Once you find you own way to hold and use the Lionspy, things are going much easier. But gloves can be mandatory for long use of the Lionspy.

Eventually I was surprised by the ease to put that stout knife in service and how fast the cutting job was done when I was in walking rod processing mode. Reliable and clever, it is my favorite light chopping folding knife.

Spyderco LionSpy