Tag Archives: Sal Glesser

Folders, Review

Delica K390 with Lynch Titanium Scales – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing !

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I got the chance to get that customized Delica through Henri Ramsey, a Spydiefriend from the Facebook French Spyderco Fan Club.

The K390 Delica has always been a monster of pocket knife (click on the name to go to my old review of the Delica with buffed sprint alloy). The thin blade mixed with the super tool steel allow (K390) alloy has proven to be amazing for hardchore.
From their Seki Japan plant, Spyderco is producing many different K390 model, folders and fixed blades. The Stretch 2 being highly regarded as one of their best design.

The Blue Pingo has been made in Golden though.

So here you got an incredibly tough, strong and wear resistant blade on scales produced by Lynch. A typical Sal Glesser design: performance first !

But Lynchnw has taken that game to another league with their scale:

“A few years ago Casey put out a very limited run of the LynchNW MOD 1 Delica 4 and some scale sets. This is our newest Delica MOD 2 Titanium Scale Kit, modifying your choice of Delica 4 Knife with a set of Custom Titanium scales, featuring a forward finger choil, blade profiled scale holes, smooth bellied profile, a custom titanium back-spacer, enlarged lanyard hole, and a custom designed deep carry titanium clip. ” To quote Lynchnw.com site.”

What bring these new scales apart of adding titanium for the pure neo industrial look of it ?
It bring many things:

A finger choil. A real one.


A longer handle and your pinkie will thank you for that.


A slim package which is soft on your pocket trousers.


Seven holes which are showing the edge of your knife when it’s closed.

See how cute is it ?

So here we got a very friendly city pocket knife which is not screaming “I’m a sword from Hell !!” like my new beloved Hellboy Chief or this AFCK in M2.


It looks like a lady and gentleman knife.
But beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.

This one share the same core engine as a Police 4: K390 at 65HRC in a thin geometry ! It is a Metropolice knife.





Review

Deadpool’s choice: the C244GRDBK Spyderco Native Chief in CPM 4V.

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This is my second Native Chief and this is a Factory Second bought in a Mystery Box of 2023:
“This limited-edition Exclusive version of the Native Chief™ was specially manufactured for St. Nick’s Knife Factory (stnicksknives.com) and is only offered through their sales channels.…
…Our Red & Black Holiday Sale starts December 1st at 9:00AM MST! This online-only event will feature deep discounts on select factory-second knives, two different Mystery Boxes containing seconds of special high-value models, Sprint Runs, and Exclusives.“
Red and Black ? This one was made to go in that Box ! 🙂


Which means it has some cosmetic flaw I was not able to spot.
The action is rock solid. I mean it is much more solid than my previous Chief the Mighty Rex45 Orange Sprint Run: the Joker.

I have heard that CPM Magnacut could be a stainless CPM 4V.
What I have heard through the years is how CPM 4V was tough and strong. The tougher used in Spyderco was CPM 3V used in the Tuff by Ed Schempp.
4V is used in cutting competition with CPM M4. It is tougher than A2 or D2 and tougher than M4.
What is avantage in a folder like the Chief ?
Simply look at the blade shape:

The Chief’s blade is more pointy than the PM2.
To quote Spyderco:
“This advanced alloy was specifically developed for demanding industrial applications requiring high degrees of both toughness and wear resistance. The PlainEdge™ blade is full-flat ground for a superior balance of strength, edge geometry, and point utility and features a stealthy black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating that also helps protect it from corrosion.”

Yes this is a good thing because with 5% of chromium, CPM 4V can rust.
DLC is really clearing one issue for this folder.
Actually there si some reminiscence of the Benchmade AFCK in M2HSS.
It was 25 years ago that this co-designed with Chris Caracci and Sal Glesser folder propose a rusting tool steel on a modern “tactical” folder.
And it also was protected under a black coating to prevent rust.

So ease in mind is a good point in a workhorse.
In the signature theme of St. Nick’s Exclusives, the linerless handle of this knife is constructed with vibrant red peel-ply-textured G-10 scales. To complement the blade’s low-profile DLC coating, the four-position pocket clip, lock bar, and all other handle hardware also have durable black coatings.


So what do we got with this Hellboy’s blade of choice ?
A long folder with no hump on its blade. Very slick !
A tough blade on a pointy design that you can use hard !
A very strong lock as Backlock are one of the stronger locks around.
Quoting Sal in my previous Chief review:
“Actually Eric and Tom went over this model with the engineers for quite a while before making the decision to make it liner-less. We’ve done a lot of experimenting lately and you can see a lot in the many different designs and options. It surprises me that some would think to make decisions on values without any experience. if we screwed it up, we’ll fix it, but we don’t screw up often considering the many envelopes we’re willing to push.”

Now that Spyderco is promoting a lightweight FRN version of the Chief in CPM Magnacut, this is good occasion to step back in time and enjoy this incredibly slick and tough piece of equipment of some years ago.

Now for my own adjustement, I have sand the G10 to a point my trouser will less suffer.


The edge is already deshouldered with diamond and now I will tune the edge to my suits as CPM 4V is not only tough it is also strong.

Also I have changed the classic clip for a deep carry cheap chinese clone.
And hope we go !

Edit: I’m back on the OEM black matte clip which gives me less knife into the pocket. Deep carry is not mandatory on this one.
The Chief needs to be proud to be red !

Review

The Amphibian Milestone in CPM Magnacut : the Paramillie 2 Salt has landed !

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The Amphibian Milestone in CPM Magnacut iq PARA MILITARY® 2 SALT® BLACK G-10 CPM MAGNACUT® BLACK BLADE – C81GMCBK2 which is much too long to fit in a title.

This is not my first Paramillie 2, I usually wear the 52100 carbon fiber version but I have used many many version in S90V, CPM Cruwear and S30V. The 52100 is actually the exact opposite of this new version.
Announced at the 2023 Amsterdam Minimeet, a Paramillie impervious to the element. Better: a nautical version ready to stand tall in frond of the salty waves of the ocean’s breakers.
Then the wait began.

And here it is, in all its glory !
Delivered with Larrin Thomas dreamlike alloy: the CPM Magnacut !
A steel which hits a lot of sweet spots. Like some sort of totally rustfree CPM M4: strong, resilient and able to withstand thin edges without chipping.
So why adding a DLC on that alloy ? Overkill can be fun, can’t it be ?

Here are 3 versions. The 52100, the CPM Cruwear and CPM Magnacut from right to left. Three excellences in their own way all designed by Sal and Eric Glesser.
CPM Magnacut is a story of love.
Quoting his metallurgist of designer:
“The carbide structure of MagnaCut is much finer than the common powder metallurgy stainless steels such as CPM-154, M390, Elmax, S35VN, etc. The only stainless PM steel I have imaged which is competitive in terms of carbide/nitride size is Vanax. MagnaCut is even somewhat finer than CPM-4V and Vanadis 4 Extra, the non-stainless steels that MagnaCut was modeled after. This is an excellent result and should lead to excellent properties.”

Quoting Spyderco:
“This tour-de-force expression of the Para Military 2 showcases a full-flat-ground blade crafted from CPM MagnaCut—a state-of-the-art particle metallurgy steel that offers an exceptional balance of edge retention, toughness, and superior corrosion resistance. Cloaked in a non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, the PlainEdge blade is housed in a handle featuring peel-ply-textured black G-10 scales machined with the signature Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern of Spyderco’s US-made Salt Series knives. To complement its blade steel and finish, the knife’s nested stainless steel liners, four-position pocket clip, and all other hardware are also made from ultra- corrosion-resistant materials and black coated.”

That new Salty Paramillie is destined to be an amphibian workhorse, an hippocampus !!
All hardware is black coated but the stop pin which is silver and made of “fearlessly corrosion-resistant marine-grade materials“.
The handle (as efficient it is to be non slippery) is destined to be a pocket shredder as it is carved to be used with wet oily hands. Your trousers will suffer !!
Unless, like myself you are a compulsive user of sandpaper. And even then, it will be hard on pocket’s lips.

The Diamond Like Coating is not only protecting a blade which doesn’t need any protection, it gives a strong Mall Ninja vibe also.
Usually coating brings some king of lubrification to the matter separation. I’m not impressed so far, even on sausages.
The geometry is perfect on my PM Salty. Thin as a razor though.

One thing I had to change was the clip. It was replaced by a Flytanium Universal Titanium Clip which is short and deep carry.
Also I have moved the clip for a Tip Up carry which suit the Paramillie better in my book.

Of course de-shouldering the edge is the first step to convex that I do on new knives. Especially I have read that Magnacut loves leather stropping.

And this is true ! The edge turned quick into a über razor state.

It zipped through meat like a lightsaber into banta meat.

So now the game is on. The Salty Magnacut Paramillie is ready to kick all other knives from my pockets and be used on the long run.
Let see what this cutlery apogee era knife has to propose on the long run !

Review

Spyderco Dragonfly Wharncliffe K390 SC28FP2WK390 – Roar like a Dragon, fly like a bee.

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Behind the code “SC28FP2WK390” is hidden one of the gem designed inhouse by Sal Glesser. The Dragonflies are legion.
(All those green texts are actually links)

Quoting Spyderco: “The Dragonfly 2 is one of the most size-efficient folding knives ever created, especially when expressed with a straight-edged Wharncliffe-style blade. When that blade is crafted from tough, wear-resistant K390 tool steel, the result is a compact, powerhouse cutting tool that will take and hold an exceptional edge.

Like the standard Dragonfly 2, this knife also features a user-friendly back lock, and a reversible deep-pocket wire clip, but its linerless FRN handle is molded in the signature blue color of Spyderco’s K390 family of knives.”


The Dragonflies are very small locking knives which has been made in many many ways: stainless steel handle, Salt rustproof serie and many Sprint Run is now offered in Wharncliffe blade shape with one of the best super tool steel available K390. Such a strong steel on a small thin tool is a must try.
Wharncliffe blades offers such a great performance. I have reviewed it many times.
Backlocks or Lockbacks are known to be the strongest lock available and by design you are chocking the blade by the hum and the choil and you are applying your cutting force directly to it and not to the handle, preserving the mechanism for harder chores.

The handle despite being reduced is for 4 fingers grasp. This is a tour-de-force in term of design.


My Pingo’s blade is thicker and as a splint joint it has proven to be a really great companion. The Dragonfly is destined to propose a more aggressive solution in term of matter separator in a smaller package.

The Wharncliffe design is king in the plate as only the point get in contact and the edge is preserve from hard contact with ceramic. So this little knife can be used as a very small steak knife.

Actually my friend Jur told me: “The older you will get the smaller knives you will prefer. He was right.”

All in all the Dragonfly in K390 is a very nice combinaison. A very compact thin tool equipped with a strong blade ? This is a great Lady or Gentleman companion.

Fixed Blade, Review

Spyderco Proficient FB36CFP — The Nasa Lamborghini Bushcrafter – Part 1

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Article written by Nemo Sandman – Edited the 12th of December 2022.
All rights (pictures and text) reserved.

Have you ever asked yourself why they are so many Spyderco Sprint Run released (out of the blue most of the time) with gorgeous carbon fibers handle and impressive CPM S90V blades ?
Because Sal Glesser loves both materials. 

CF is for him a reminiscence of love of motorsports and S90V is a stainless steel which has proven to be in another league in terms of high performance and reliability.

So, long story shorts:
Full Flat Grind +Carbon Fibers+ S90V = Sal Glesser’s favorite combo !

And to quote my friend Spydercollector:

“When the Bushcraft fixed blade was first announced, Sal also planned to do a so-called NASA version; a version of the Bushcraft knife with all high-tech materials. I believe NASA is a protected name, but Endeavour still evokes the high-tech approach most people associate with the famous space agency. The Endeavour features a full flat grind S90V blade and full sculpted carbon fiber handles. It was a beautiful knife with a grip that had me looking around for stuff to cut.”

https://spydercollector.wordpress.com/tag/chris-claycomb-endeavour-prototype/

Here is the Proficient: it is designed by wilderness expert Chris Claycomb of Bushcraft UK, the Proficient functions perfectly with traditional bushcraft skills and cutting methods. Carefully contoured and polished to eliminate hot spots and ensure maximum comfort during prolonged use.

https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/FB36CF/Proficient-trade-/943

Bushcraft knives have specific parameters such as having blades between 4-6 inches. Spyderco’s is typical of the genre with a 4-inch blade (no handguard) that’s fully-tanged. 

Bushcrafters don’t seek the characteristics of stainless over the performance of high-carbon edge retention and this is why traditional Bushcraft knives are produced using tool steel. O-1’s high carbon content offers long-term cutting retention but sharpens easily when laying on a new edge. The knife carries on a belt or strap encased in a leather sheath. Blueprinted for wilderness chores, it slices, chops, whittles and processes game in traditional Bushcraft style.



To quote Spyderco:
“The Spyderco Proficient takes the concept of the traditional “do-all” bushcraft knife and elevates it to new levels of performance with state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing methods. Designed by wilderness expert Chris Claycomb of Bushcraft UK, the Proficient functions perfectly with traditional bushcraft skills and cutting methods while offering superior durability, edge retention, cutting performance, and corrosion resistance
Instead of traditional carbon steel and an axe-like “Scandi” (Scandinavian) grind, the Proficient’s blade is crafted from vanadium-rich CPM®S90V particle-metallurgy stainless steel and boasts a full-flat grind for low-friction cutting performance.“

This concept of stainless steel with black polished handle is, ten years later, now endorsed by the excellent Casström No. 10 Swedish Forest Knife Black Micarta, 14C28N Flat Grind for example.

I had tried and discovered CPMS90V when it was called CPM420V thanks to Darrel Ralph (RIP) and his beautiful Apogee folder. Its blade was so wear resistant, without diamonds, only a back stand could turn it from dull to sharp. It was a bear to sharp.
It still is but now we got as End Line User access to industrial diamonds.


I have written a lot about S90V. This alloy has proven it can be tough enough as a stainless steel to be used in any all terrain tools; especially since it is available on Manly folders which got the reputation of using a very fine thin geometry on their blades.
Modern Bushcrafters (like the Benchmade Puukko) are focused on toughness with the use of the very tough CPM 3V.

What brings CPMS90V ?
1- It is stainless ! Even if you (and I) love the patina on a great carbon steel blade, to hold a reliable stainless steel blade is very easing the mind when working near water, rain, sea.
2- It is really hard to get dull even when used on tricky material like brown cardboard (full of silice).

Also the full flat grind is a must in a matter separator specialized in wood works. As much as I love Scandi Grind found on Woodlore clones (first designed by Ray Mears).
I have found that especially in the wonderful Spyderco Sprig full flat ground knives can be really efficient on hard wood.
(BTW when the writing appears in green: it is a link !! and I have tested them here.)

The Sprig was really an impressive tool in term of pure geometry. Designed as a hunting fishing knife, it was a wood eater, a real beaver of a knife, cutting deep and with ease.
Guess what? It the same profile on the Proficient especially after some convexing which should be arriving sooner than later and will be in a second article.
So far that contour handle is a charm to use and I will be using it for the second article. The old O1 Bushcrafter got enough heft for light chopping, the Proficient is made for powerful push cuts. This is going to be another experience.
The Proficient is not a big knife, actually once in its sheath, it can disappear in the front pocket of my Denim. No need to have dangling at my belt.

So what do we got ? Imagine the plateforme of the Bushcrafter (link) a solid companion, a reliable 4×4 and you just turn it into some Urus from Lamborghini: stellar alloy and lighter tougher handle.
What not to love ?
The Proficient is Sal Glesser’s gambit, taking a risk because the Bushcraft community loves carbon steel and wooden/natural handle.
Also that jewel got a price. And people in bushcraft are not wall street sharks. They use Opinel, Mora and at great max some 100 euros fixed blades. (Unless they want to afford an original Woodlore….)
So the stealth wealth of that Nasa Bushcrafter was not for everyone.
Like a Lambo actually. But real performance got a price.

Article written by Nemo Sandman – Edited the 12th of December 2022.
All rights (pictures and text) reserved.

Review

The mighty Benchmade Adamas BM275FE-2 CPM – Cruwear for Flat Earth ? First glance at that Heavy Metal Hardcore Folder.

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Here it is the Benchmade Adamas second generation with its CPM Cruwear heavy duty blade.
It has been almost 20 years since I have reviewed one of Benchmade hardchore (made for the Military) folder. The last one was the AFCK Axis in D2 and I even think it was not upload even if it was my EDC for two years. I loved the AFCKs because, well, Sal Glesser was involved in its design with Chris Caracci and Les de Asis and Bob Terzuola and I simply appreciate Sal Glesser’s way to invent and design “matter separators”.

But here it is “Tabula Rasa” as far as I am concern ! Go figure: no hole in the blade, but holes in the handle, a gifted designer which I’m going to discover named Shane Sibert who has also designed the Bushcrafter for Benchmade… and Clive Owen’s knife in Sin City.
His signature seems to be fuller on his blade.
“I started making knives in 1994 with the idea of creating blade ware that is simple, practical and efficient. I have been a full-time knifemaker since 2004. Keeping with the theme of practicality, I avoid large metal guards, bolsters and heavy pommels to keep the knives balanced and agile in the hand. Materials have been carefully selected to ensure optimal edge retention and low maintenance. Although the knives incorporate slim handle slabs to decrease unwanted bulk and weight, the handles contour the hand for a synergistic fit. I strive to hold myself to high quality and design standards and produce a knife that will invoke pride of ownership and at the same time perform the task that it was designed for with exceptional ease.”
(quoted from Arizona Customs Knives)

You can notice slabs and hole on the handle.
Actually for such a big knife the Adamas is not that big.
The first version was release in 2011 (you can see it here on Arizona Customs Knives) and was made of D2 the new version came ten years later and with its blade upgrade to CPM Cruwear.
This steel is known to be tough ! Less than CPM3V but with a better edge retention. The Cpm Cruwear Shaman was a big hit !
Here Benchmade has heat treated the CPM Cruwear to 63-65 HRC !
This is something I need to test as it is much harder than Spyderco HRC (61-62HRC) on their CPM Cruwear blades. (Sal tested his own blade at 61.1 HRC).

Cruwear Manix 2 – (63.2 – 63.7) HRC
Cruwear Military – 62.9 HRC
Cruwear Mule (re-release) – (62.1 -62.8) HRC
Cruwear Paramilitary 2 – (62 – 62.8) HRC
Cruwear Para 3 – 61.7 HRC
Cruwear Military – 61.1 HRC

At first touch, the Adamas oozes quality and delicate attention to details. The Olive Drab G10 slabs are wonderfully tappered on both ends and the jimping is done perfectly in my book, not as aggressive as G10 Manix for example. It is palm friendly even when closed. Well done. The holes in the handle help my thumb to index the tool.. There is no hot spots. The handle is totally open and easy to clean and check for debris. It is created as a workhorse which can get dirty but still reliable.
Of course this is an expensive knife with a MRSP at $280.00 but you can see where your money has gone. It is manufactured with love.
The blade is perfectly centered on mine and there is zero blade play in any direction.
I love the Axis Lock concept since its very first Henry&Williams BM710 release.
I have never had any issue with its Omega Spring. It is easy to use with one finger when the SPyderco Cage Ball Bearing needs two finger to work. The Axis Lock makes any knife as fast as automatics. I have never had any play on mine and I have been using them since their very very first release.
I won’t do batonning with the lock engaged like some youtubers seems to do until lock failure. For record, you can do batoning with an opinel…
But engaged lock (any lock) does not like to schoked and a beating can damage an disengaged any lock even a butterfly. Knowing how to use tools in the right situation should be mandatory before doing really stupid things on video and if anyone want to use a folder for batonning some wood (stupid millennial fashion as far as I am concern) just do it with no lock engaged or learn how to bring a better tool…

But once deployed, with just a gentle flick of the wrist — axis lock with heavy blade are just extraordinary easy to deplay— the blade is shown in all its power. I understand why some youtubers would like to shove it in concrete or in bricks…. I’m not certain they will be able to peel an apple in public with it but for that kind of task a Mini Adamas has been released with the same blade thickness…. Oooh well I’m not certain the thick Mini Adamas is made for fruits either. F<or that there is another tool too: the Kapara…
The Adamas offering a 0.14″ | 3.556mm thick blade, it is designed hardcore for hard chores for folders. How will it behave, that will be in our next article but that blade surely offers a lot of lateral strength.
For now it is just a very first glance.
All specs of the Adamas can be found on Benchmade here.
You can also notice on that picture its deep carry clip which can be a nice touch for such a big heavy folder. More on that later.
The action is smooth at the pivot but needs a little breaking at the lock release; nothing some nano oil can not fix.

This is a very beautiful folder which is very well balanced, its sweet point being just under the index finger when hold in hammer grip.
It is alive in my hands.
The axis lock makes it ambidextrous and you can notice on that picture the 3 points for adapting that clip or another three screw clip (not deep carry) if needed on both sides of the handle.

The blade handle ratio is almost to 1 with the Adamas compared to the Military C36 which is known for its long handle.
Of course the Adamas came very sharp out of the box, but not as sharp as I want. The blade is protected with cerakote coating Flat Earth colored which got excellent reputation in terms of tough protecting the CPM Cruwear from rusting. Cruwear can get a patina but it is not easy.
Here Benchmade and Shane Sibert have chosen to propose a stealthy look for the soldiers which need no blade reflection under the sun too.

It is also sold with a very nice sheath offering many carry options for soldiers and hunters alike.
The deep carry clip is perfect in term of retention and ease to retrieve the big and heavy knife.
Oh it is 183 grams (5,45 oz) which is really heavy. The liners are stainless steel not titanium. This is Heavy Metal !

As you can notice the Adamas is much thicker than the C35 Military and much heavier too. Sal Glesser wanted his military to be as light as possible as a soldier got already many heavy things to carry.
Benchmade has taken another direction. The Adamas is beefierand thicker. Actually it can also been more confortable for long usage. We will see…

Another beefy released was the Shaman which almost has the same handle length. The Adamas provides a lot of edge.

Here is my good old AFCK Axis. It was used with a lot of love as you can notice. Zero issue with the lock BTW.

Now it is time to give some work to that Adamas designed to “deliver unrivaled performance throughout hard-use applications”. The next step will involve certainly some sharpening and reprofiling…
More to come soon…. But for now on, it is a knife which makes me grin when I open and close it. Kuddos to Benchmade and Shane Sibert for bringing this second gen of the mighty Adamas.

Review

NATIVE CHIEF™ REX 45 SPRINT RUN™ – C244GBORE – The Joker !

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“It’s been a long road
Getting from there to here
It’s been a long time
But my time is finally near…”

Yes, it has been 22 years (since 1999) that we have been waiting for the Native Chief to be produced.

Sal Glesser said:

In 2008: “We only made one prototype. The model never went into production.”

In 2017: “The Native “Chief” has been on hold for some 15 – 20 years. I imagine we can get it to queue if there is demand. I’ll watch the thread. The Shaman is designed to be 3.5″ blade length which is legal in more places that the Chief’s 4.0″ blade.”

In 2018 “Working on the refinements for the 3rd prototype. We work on roughly 20-30 designs at any given time…. We’ll use a Golden back lock.”
Then…
“I’ve been carrying a “Chief prototype. A 20 year old “sal” design with modern “Eric” mods.” had written Sal Glesser in March 2019.

As shown on Eric Glesser video “Native Chief Breakdown”, the prototype looks a lot like the finale version.

Here is also a video from Wouter (Spydercollector) presenting the production sample:

Also, knowing the Vanilla version released in 2019, all made in their new facility in Golden Colorado Earth, was in S30V, waiting for a Sprint Run was mandatory in my case.
I got my eye on the Rex45 Chief before even to be able to get the Tree Rex Shaman. Rex45 seems to me a great steel for such a “toothpick”. Last year I had the chance to get a Tree Rex and my experience with that alloy made the wait of the Chief even longer.
You can read my thoughts about CPM REX45 here:

https://nemoknivesreview.com/2020/02/07/the-tree-rex-also-known-as-the-shaman-in-cpm-rex-45-and-dymondwood/

To quote Spyderco’s site:
“Crucible® CPM® REX® 45 is a super-high-speed particle metallurgy tool steel enriched with large volumes of cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium. Its high cobalt content increases the steel’s attainable hardness and enhances the positive properties of the steel’s other alloys. The addition of vanadium promotes the formation of vanadium carbides, which provide high wear resistance, fine grain size and increased toughness.“

CPM Rex45 is just great: no chipping, pleasant to keep ultra sharp with only some leather + compound stropping: a great super steel. Just be careful with its dust with 10% of toxic cobalt, better be safe than sorry.

OK, my Chief was expected for the first of April, hence the name “Joker”. The slim shade and the burnt orange color scales also inspired me… (Certainly not the Joachim’s or Jared’s crappy interpretations, much more Ledger and Bolland.)

Back to the knife: stretching in length the Native is a beautiful result. Since the Native model people were asking for a longer version and a shorter version, they have been heard.

Right out of the box, the Chief felt very angular: sharp edges on the scales, gritty G10, and a lot of hot spot on the choil/ricasso and the blade spine.
My Mandy City felt the exact opposite and it cost me a third of the Chief Price. So I was a little disappointed. It was not love at the first sight. Luckily , I know my Spyderco for a looooong loooong time and get my sandpaper ready.

I have send it under the tap to avoid any G10 dust which are really toxic for the lungs. Now the handle is suiting my taste.

The last experience I got with thick all-G10 construction knife in the Spyderco Family was the great Manix 2 Lockback (sold for 99 euros !) which was a great hard working folder.


The G10 slabs are much more thick than with the steel liners construction.
Quoting Sal:
“Actually Eric and Tom went over this model with the engineers for quite a while before making the decision to make it liner-less. We’ve done a lot of experimenting lately and you can see a lot in the many different designs and options. It surprises me that some would think to make decisions on values without any experience. if we screwed it up, we’ll fix it, but we don’t screw up often considering the many envelopes we’re willing to push.”

Compared to the Police:

You can compared thick G10 and thinG10+Liners.

As with the steel liner’s knives, there is zero flex and zero play, horizontal or vertical. It is like a vault. (My old Benchmade AFCK BM800HSS got titanium liners and flexes a lot.)
G10 is a really solid material. They even makes stealthy fixed knives with G10 blades… A steel liner could also bend and warp, not a thick G10 slab IMHO. Also the Cold Steel Recon folders are steel linerless and Cold Steel’s Recons are known for their sturdiness. I got an XL Recon and the lack of liner is really not an issue.
The blade, helped by two bronze phosphorous washers, chutes free when unlock which is very reliable and easy to learn to put back the knife in the pocket. It is done smoothly and fast.
It is a very secure way to close your knife.

Let’s not forget: a one hand opening knife needs to be a one hand closing knife. The best example is using a knife at the top of a ladder: you want to be able to get the knife back in the pocket easily and safely.

I’m not a huge fan of the hour glass clips founded on the Native 5 and the Delica/Endura/Paramillie/Para3. It has been immediately replaced mine with a Blade4sell small titanium clip.
Let’s do a family photo:

On the Shaman (“made to be a fairly heavy duty folder. Simple, but stout.” according to Sal), the Chief, the Native and the Lil’ Native my favorite clip is that last one.

The Native family is the no “hump” clan of the Spyderco Catalog.
The Chief is co signed by Eric and Sal.

Back to the Orange Chief, I was not really pleased also by its edge geometry. I felt it thick behind the edge. Even if the knife was razor sharp out of the box, it could not pass my plastic bottle test which consist in cutting the butt of a soda bottle by the center which is thicker.
The thin Manly City was able to do it right out of the box, as were able my Swayback, my PPT or even my Delica too for example… The champions being the Michael Walker and the Nilakka.
It is a matter of “deshouldering”, convexing the edge as always.

Diamonds are super steel best friends.

And now it is able to pass the test. 🙂
But let’s do it again for good measure.

Once thinned with diamonds, I usually strop it for a nice shining results. So far I need more elbow grease but it slowly get better and better.

Also the choil was very sharp to my taste. A little diamond filing and it was much more finger friendly.

So far, the Chief is a slim knife but destined to be very polyvalent. When the Shaman is very outdoors oriented, the Chief finds its place also in the kitchen.
It takes time to built a natural patina on Rex45 but it will come later after some fruits and hot meats.

The orange scales make it very table’s friendly too, despite its very pointy shape which could make sheeples nervous.

In a plate nothing force you to keep the edge perpendicular to the surface. I have found REX45 being hard to dull on plates anyway. It is a very easy going steel.

Another easy going steel is K390 found in the Police Model. You can see it is a tad longer than the Chief with also a thinner stock blade.

The Chief is elegant and certainly one of the most beautiful design in the Spyderco scuderia. Their backlock is so solid, the handle will break before it. Sal Glesser knows that making a longer version of the Native was not as simple as a sketch on a drawing board. You can watch the video at the end of this article about that.

The double signature, Eric and Sal.
Advice, Folders, Photos, Review

THE TREE REX Part 2 – Beveling THE SPINE.

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The Tree Rex is certainly my favorite hard work folder from Spyderco. Sal Glesser has made a real beauty able to deliver a lot of power.
The handle is especially thicker and rounder than any other folders proposed by the Golden Company. The pseudo wooden slabs which can be rinsed in water with zero issues. (I have erased the smell with some alcohol solution) and the mighty blade made of a very lovely steel: REX45 got that “touch” of Speed Star aka M2HSS I have loved on Benchmade AFCKs and Nimravi. The steel is easy on leather and bites steady when whittling with control. The best wood chisels are made from M2HSS.

But they are some hot spots on the spine and on the choil. I use my thumb to pushcut in wood and a square spine is painful after a while.
Knowing the Rex45 is a 8% Cobalt steel, I have decided to send it in the wind and with some water to prevent dust. The very hard steel (66,5 HRC) was eventually rounded to my taste.

    Rounding the spine to a be less aggressive was done using 600 grint sand paper. Eventually I have used the sand paper to do some convexing.
    Soon a Jade stone will be tested for mirror finish on the edge.

    Folders, Review

    The TREE REX also known as the Shaman in CPM-REX 45 and Dymondwood.

    1 Comment

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    This is the C229RWDP Spyderco Shaman in CPM-REX 45 Satin Plain Blade, Rosewood Dymondwood Handles and it is a KnifeCenter Exclusive.
    Like the previous Crucarta, Micarta Cruwear Shaman, this is a very rare animal and a king in his family. Of course they are discontinued too. You can notice my Crucarta has now convexed edge where the Tree-Rex is still wearing her factory edge.
    There is also another difference you can notice: the pivot screw !

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    The handle of the Shaman is appealing for beautiful textured handle. Micarta is such a pleasure but faux wood like this Dymondwood is also a pure pleasure under the thumb.
    I have been able to see a broken pakkawood endura handle so what is Dymondwood ?
    “”Dymondwood” is the tradename for a product that was produced by Rutland Plywood. Essentially, it is a lamination of very thin veneers, usually birch, impregnated with a resin. The designation Walnut, Cocobolo, etc refers to the color of stain used, not the species of wood. It is a very stable product. Unfortunately, the Rutland factory was destroyed by fire about a year ago. As a result, the future supply of Dymondwood is in doubt.” dixit Bertl on the Bladeforums. This one is rosewood Dymonwood and it looks like real wood to me in rich brown colors and not as orange as the pictures. So it is an excellent surprised. This is the pleasant feel you can get from a rifle, it is warm and pleasant to the eye. “Generally the terms Rosewood, Cocobola, Heritage Walnut, Cherrywood etc are dye colors, not wood species.” said another forumite on the same page.

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    The factory edge is even and really really sharp. Just some pass on leather and I got a clean razor which cut the hairs without scrubbing the skin. It is amazing.
    So I have decided to round the edge of the spine but keep the edge as it is for a change.

    CPM REX 45 is a new steel to me. According to crucible: “CPM REX 45 is an 8% cobalt super high speed steel which has excellent hot hardness along with good wear resistance and toughness, making it suitable for difficult machining applications.” A data sheet.
    “It has red hardness comparable to that of M42 but offers abrasion resistance even better than that of M3. With its excellent red hardness, good wear resistance and good toughness, CPM Rex 45 is suitable for high cutting speed applications.”

    Carbon 1.30%
    Chromium 4.05%
    Vanadium 3.05%
    Tungsten 6.25%
    Molybdenum 5.00%
    Cobalt 8.00%
    Sulfur 0.06 (0.22%)

    As far as I understand a sprint run with orange G-10 and the same blade will be available soon and lot of REX45 knives are coming.

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    On the Spyderco Forums you can find a great test of that steel by Deadboxhero comparing REX45 and CPM M4.
    Eventually he found M4 works great with coarse edge and REX45 with polish edge. That what I was looking for as polishing edges is my guilty pleasure.
    “So far, I’d say people will enjoy the properties of Rex 45, while M4 prefers a more toothy finish Rex 45 will prefer the opposite which is unique amongst Crucible steels let alone US steels. It’s interesting to a US steel closer to the properties of a japanese steel which have more of a bias toward Polished edges.” wrote  Deadboxhero.

    REX45 seems to be the same as HAP40 found in the Endura review, but HAP40 was 63HRC when REX45 heat treated by Spyderco is pushing the envelop to an incredible 66-67 HRC as hard as this Japanese ZDP189 Rockstead Higo… For the record the Maxamet blades are at 70HRC and brittle as ceramic in my record.
    Also the 4% chrome makes it a staining steel and I expect to find a patina after to use.

    My friend Max Wedges has given me that advice about cobalt:
    “Careful with the knives you use with food (specially acid food). The problem is that COBALT is a Cancer agent. For any steels that are sharpened often & go close to food, I avoid ALL Cobalt steels (Tungsten Carbides are less of an issue). If you sharpen you always get some “swarf” residue on the blade… better clean it properly before use: use a cotton swipe with alcohol & a drop of tea tree oil, after carefully washing & drying the blade (& avoid the grinding dust like the Pest it is). M4, M2 Steels have no Cobalt. CPM S110V, N-690, VG-10 do, so I use the older S90V, S35VN, RWL-34/CPM154, 440-C or AEB-L for food knives. Were I a knife maker, I would totally refuse the use of any steels containing Co. Moly is related to Tungsten: these are much less harmful, and are bound into Carbides… but Cobalt forms no carbides & gets airborne easier. Be wise?”

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    That’s very interesting ! It is something to discuss.
    How a steel could harm your health is a subject which I have not seen yet on forums.
    Steel is not neutral. If you cut a green salad with carbon steel, the leaf will get brownish. The same cuts with a stainless steel and the salad will stay green for hours. Steels are not neutral with the medium they cut. Is a Powder Tech steel using 8% of Cobalt be poisonous ?

    “However, if you sharpen a knife, you are grinding the steel with an abrasive. Even a slightly abrasive chef’s “steel” (a rod used to sharpen and condition chef’s knives before using) will leave a residue of the blade steel and the abrasive (silicon carbide, ceramic, aluminum oxide, other steels, etc.) behind. This residue is called swarf. How many chefs have you seen whip a knife blade on a rod, then go right to cutting your brisket? How many wipe the swarf onto a grimy rag that hangs over their shoulder or around their belt before cutting your salmon? How many actually go to a sink and wash the knife with soap and water before returning to the block or cutting board?”
    From The Special Case of Cobalt by Jay Fisher provided by Max Wedges.

    “    Guys who purport to be experts—posting particularly on knife forums—claim that concern about cobalt is all amped-up hype. It’s easy to find endless discussions, particularly about VG-10, and the concern about exposure to cobalt. The uneducated flock to these forums; they are not experts, they do not read scientific studies, they do not believe the CDC, the American Cancer Society, or any of the numerous organizations that warn against cobalt exposure. “Show me the reports,” they say, yet they are unable to find the very references that the rest of us can easily locate. The reports are numerous; the professionals don’t just make this stuff up, but you have to read.

    They claim that you would have to grind up and eat knife after knife in order to be exposed to enough cobalt to cause cancer. They know this because they are toxicologists (ahem), and know that metal exposure recommendations are a conspiracy by nut jobs (uh-huh). I guess all the nut jobs work for the CDC and the American Cancer Society… right?

    They sometimes go on to compare cobalt to chromium, vanadium, and other alloy elements, saying that they are just as dangerous. This is typical ignorance on forums. All of these elements have been extensively studied, and cobalt has been found to cause cancers, while the others have not. This is the reason I state over and over, “Don’t get your information on a forum of any kind!”

    Experts, professionals, and scientists don’t post there; open forums are mainly occupied by the uneducated and unknowledgeable anonymous masses, hobbyists, and part-time knifemakers and enthusiasts who know very little about knives overall. If you believe them, then you’ll believe that the best steels are hammered together in an open fire, just like it was done in 1875. You’ll believe that the entire modern metals and machining industry does not know anything, that some oaf with a hammer can make an improved axle, planer blade, or turbine part. After all, you saw it on the History channel…

    Sorry to be so blunt, but if you are reading this, you deserve to know the truth. Or maybe the thousands of professionals at the CDC, IARC, NCS, NIOSH, and in the research community are all wearing tin foil hats… sigh. Welcome to the internet, where the idiots get the same voice as the intelligent, damn the truth!”

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    So guess what ? In my great wisdom (ahem) I have asked the question on the Spyderco forum 😀
    Knowing Japanese Chef knives are often HAP40 and VG10. Even my Ikea Chef Knife is VG10… Let see what they think about Cobalt in steels:
    https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=85929

    Even Pekka helped there:

    Me: Do you think Cobalt dust could be dangerous ?
    Pekka: Every dust is ! I do not believe that anybody get cancer if they sharp knife sometimes of month… if they do not collect all dust for they sandwich :) There is lot of f.ex. nickel in steels and chromium etc. all are very bad for health.

    Me: How do you protect yourself?
    Pekka: I do not breathe ;) serious I use mask with motor. But no gloves, I do not like gloves, I lost my feeling, as you know I do everything with freehand method, no jig etc.

    So eventually we can eat with our knives but not eat our knives… ;)
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    And also Sal Glesser which was one of the rarest bringing zero assumption or opinion but facts.
    Most of the other comments were just mostly about bragging on other way to die like:
    “Compared to driving in city traffic, I would say the danger from cobalt or anything in your knife is truly negligible.”
    “I would assume it’s perfectly safe when bound together with iron.”
    “The oxygen your breathing right now is also causing oxidative stress and damaging your cells and DNA with free radicals. Yet, we keep breathing.”
    “Life has a 100% chance of death, get over it.”
    “There is cobalt in your food and organs. It’s essential to live. Got B12?”

     

    Yes, being deficient in vitamin B-12 causes physical and psychological symptoms, including nerve problems, fatigue, and difficulty thinking…
    And yes we got so many chemicals in our bodies but it’s a matter to have them in the right proportion in the right place.
    Oh well…
    Fortunately Sal Glesser saved the day:

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    “Fun subject. Figures it would be Nemo to bring this up from the depths. :p

    I remember Nemo and I discussing Eric Taberly’s death in the sea, because he spent so much time at sea. So in the end, what gets you is what you do the most? That concept brings up some interesting thoughts? :eek:

    We have to put warning labels on our products because they might be sold in California and there is sever punishment for not warning the people about the danger of the chemicals in our products.

    In Manufacturing, most grinders and mills are used wet. Masks re a good idea if dry grinding. I breathed in a tiny amount of G-10 dust once and it did make me sick.

    sal”

    I guess we were the only few there to see that thread as a “fun” subject as there is the new cartesian way to answer questions of the Internet:

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    Someone even has written:
    “As Sal said, what gets you is what you do the most. Now that is actually worth thinking about.”
    Hummm, I guess many forums specialists will eventually die from masturbation as their armchairs are mostly harmless to their health… No reason to be afraid from any poisons, then.
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    And Sal final word on that subject:
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    OK, so back to this wonder of a knife: I have changed the position of the clip to a tip down carry because I have found that the Spyderdrop openings are really easy and fun on the shaman. The steel backspacer give momentum and the compression lock is a breeze to operate.

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    This knife got zero lateral play too. It can really be open as fast as the good old Millie. For the record 25 years ago Sal’s was beating in speed every owner of automatic knives while opening his own Military. Spyderdrops are really an advantage in putting your tool in action very fast. Also the fact the clip is not a deep carry clip makes the spyderdrop a breeze to execute. Actually it is fun with the Shaman !

     

    As illustrated: the clip is not deep carry but, oh well it is a big knife which rides small in the pocket.

     

    Trying the edge on some hard chestnut wood and the cuts are deep and steady. It will be a pleasure to use ! It also bring the same smoothness I have had enjoyed on M2 High Speed Steel found on Benchmade knives back in 90’s. Once cut the wood chip feels smooth under the thumb.

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    A funny thing has happen to my parcel when flying from the Knifecenter to Paris: it has gone West instead of East and has landed in Hawaï, Honolulu ! Thank to Kristin at the Knifecenter it has been rescued and after one week of storage in Hawaï has been able to fly from the other side of the planet and land to mailbox in 48 hours.
    For the record, Hawai as the place where Jurassic Park has been filmed. It was logical for my Tree Rex to go there first. 😉

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    Folders, Review

    Crucarta’s Family — The Spyderco Shaman reveals its power.

    2 Comments

    Since its arrival my Crucarta has been used hard, fallen twice on rocks and pavement and been immerged in dirty water.
    Well this Shaman is made for that.
    In fact I have notice how well it could inserted between my CPM M4 Millie and my CPM 3V Tuff.  Theyu both could be his parents.
    Knowing the Tuff is Ed Schempp design for a “Built As A Tank” folder and the Millie “Built As A Tool” Sal’s Glesser design, the Shaman got the best of both world:
    A tank knife built as a tool: a solid folder which is really sharp.


    This is not the easiest design to achieve. The result is a very powerful folder: solid in term of lateral strength and razor sharp for deep push cutting.
    So yes, the Shaman is outstanding bring the slicing power of a Millie with the toughness of a Tuff.
    CPM Cruwear is the right choice as it is really standing between CPM M4 and CPM 3V.
    It is tougher than CPM M4 and less tough than CPM 3V and in term of pur edge retention it is also in between both.

    Being clumsy and getting clumsier, my Shaman has fallen on tiles and rocks twice.
    No damage after a very close inspection. Nothing on Micarta or on the blade. The recess steel spacer is immaculate too. The blade is not Stonewashed on the Crucarta sprint run, it it gets some scratches from use but nothing really bad so far.
    It has been used on wood, dirty roots, plastic and kitchen duty.

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    For those who know how tricky a coke bottle butt push cutting can be… The Shaman  is “that” powerful.

    I had notice some hot spots to my delicate hands.
    The were easy to erase on the micarta handle.

    A gentle filing is eliminating them and the rounded handle does marvel in terms of confort.


    I have used the same diamond file, and it was a longer task, to file the teeth of the blade’s spine as I use my thumb for my push cuts. Also you can notice there is a flat place for the hand before the lock as I mentioned it in my previous review about the Para3 Lightweight which lack of that “flat bed”. It changes every thing in terms of confort when cutting in repetition hard thing without gloves.

    Eventually IMHO the real son of the Shaman is designed by Sal’s own son: Eric.
    TheLil’Native is really playing in the same league in term of strong workhorse folder but at a lesser scale. Like its father it conserves a thick spine for a very strong tip.
    The Native and the Chief on one side with their thinner blade and lockbacks and the Shaman and the Lil’Native and the other.

    Like father, like son. Les chiens ne font pas des chats as we say in French.