Tag Archives: Spyderco

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Spyderco Military CPM CRU-WEAR ~ C36GGY – Fifty Shades of Grey

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Spyderco Military CPM Cru Wear

A smooth G10 handle after some sanding.

Back in 1996 I was handling my first Military. It was a CPM440V (S60V) blade with a black G10. Here the link to our old review Fred Perrin and I back in the Geocities’times.
Since, well, the constant refinement have made it ever more reliable.

Anyway, when I heard a Sprint run will be made with a CPM Cru-Wear blade, I knew this was going to be a excellent update.
What is CPM Cru-Wear ? My old fellow forumite Cliff Stamp was able to give the link:
http://www.nsm-ny.com/files/CPM%20CRUWEAR.pdf
It’s the powder version of the ingot Cru-Wear an American cold work tool steel. A Mule MT12 has been made with the ingot version of Cruwear and their users were wishing out loud for a folder with that steel. Ingot Cru-Wear is tough and with a toothy edge which is really wear resistant.
Quoting Spyderco Mule Sheath: “Upstate New York’s Crucible Steel manufacturers Cru-Wear which is very similar to Vascowear, a steel used by Gerber Legendary Blades in many of their past production knives.
Cru-Wear is a high-performance “V” tool steel that is difficult to process making it challenging for knife manufacturers to work with. It follows the same high-alloy, metallurgical tool-steel recipe used to produce D2, but with greater levels of vanadium, tungsten and molybdenum. It is air-hardened and worked in a cold state. Cru-Wear exhibits exceptional toughness, impact resistance and hardness for exceptional edge retention and is the first tool steel offering in Spyderco’s Mule Team Series.”

Cutting aluminium is easy and do not damage the edge.

Here is also a link to a great discussion on Bladeforums: MT12-Cru-Wear-real-world-feedback/a>
Now “CPM” Cru-Wear should be even better.

OK now, why I’m so excited? CPM Cru-Wear is destined to be tough. Not as tough as CPM 3V but more wear resistant. It supposes to be tougher than CPM M4 but less wear resistant.
The fantastic blade of the C36 can only get better with a tougher steel especially the needle point. Though, I have never had any issue with it, knowing the steel is tougher is always a plus.
Also I got a excellent user experience with CPM3V from Bark River Knives & Tools and Spyderco (Ed Schempp’s Tuff!). So having a new steel in that range is a must for a great folder as the Millie.

Spyderco Military CPM Cru-Wear

Gandalf the Grey is socially accepted

I have sanded the beautiful grey G10 handle to suit me taste and spare my pants. Now they are smooth and… sexy. I like G10. But I love smooth G10. Being long, tall and grey, I have christened it: Gandalf. I have tuned the pivot for smoother operation. The knife is light is the pocket and is open in spyderdrop with authority. No play whatsoever. The blade is centered. Holding and using a Millie is pure Spyderco experience and performance.

Anyway. I do use my knives in the plate. I eat with them. Cook with them. Plates are very bad with the edge, unless you manage to never cut with the blade at 90°, which is not really easy. They were no bending or chipping of the edge after some clumsy “accidents” in the kitchen.
There is no stain. Cutting acidic ingredients or even been in contact with hot vinegar did not change the finish of the blade. No pitting, nothing. It’s like a stainless steel so far.

I was not able to dull that CPM Cru-Wear edge, like, for example, my Persistence or my Delica. I was always able to shave my arms’hairs. Brown cardboard cut and disposed on every day basis were not able to dull Gandalf yet.

Stropping CPM Cru’ on leather is pure joy. Like CPM3V actually. I got some kind of mirror finish and a very agressive cutter. One of my favorite tests are tomatoes and bamboo. Both are no matches. The tricky tomatoes skins are cleanly cut and the hard bamboo do not roll or chip my edge (like I had experienced with ZDP189 at HRC66)
Also a Grey knife is not menacing like a tactically black camo counterpart: Gandalf is displayed in restaurant with stealth and elegance. Eating a good steack with a Millie is pure joy. They should have name it the “Meal-itary”.
The four inches blade give great polyvalence with its pointy needly point and its strong heel. You can push cuts in oak wood and later do some eye surgery. Anyway, Millies are Millies great knives which get even better in those sprint runs involving CPM M4, CTS XHP, M390, CPM D2, BG42…
But it shines even brighter with a tougher steel like CPM Cru-Wear.

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SPYDERCO NILAKKA ~ C164GBN – Pekka’s Folding Puukko is a North Star !

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Pekka Tuominen Nilakka

I have had the chance to meet Pekka Tuominen two years ago at the SICAC (Paris Knifeshow) but six month before I was handling a prototype of his Folding Puukko at the Amsterdam Minimeet.
The design was very ZEN. For me it was like a Japanese hidden blade in a bambu handle. I was also impressed by the smoothness, the thickness and the profile of the blade.

For me, it was an object for collector. A tour de force, including the famous hidden stop pin.
Also the final choice of choosing S30V for a zero ground blade was really disturbing. I was hoping CPM3V or CPMM4 or even O1. But my experience with S30V has never been extraordinary.
Frankly S30V is not a steel which gave me good results even with the knives of the people who introduced that steel in the first place… I prefer VG10 for exemple which is not a powder steel but at least a reliable edge on thin grinds.

Anyway a folding Puukko in S30V was like a bushcraft knife in S30V. Why not. But I was not very excited by that choice…
Then I heard and read on Cliff Stamps forum how the burned edge was rolling. I was not surprised as S30V would have not been my steel of choice. Now perhaps the thickness of the stock available was the reason it was chosen ?
It was a shame as everything in Pekka design was oozing quality and his quest for excellence. It is also a very very clever mechanism. He is a perfectionnist. I remeber how he was inspecting the prototype of his Spyderco (not folding) Puukko’s sheath. He wanted everything to be perfect. And he knows his business about Puukkos.

I had experience with thin stainless grind blade rolling on very pricey folders too. My Rockstead was an example and since I have been able to hone a secondary bevel and the de-stress the edge for excellent results.
Then I got the honor to receive a gift from Pekka: his Nilakka, second generation.
I immediately tested on hard bambu and the edge did not suffered.
There is a micro bevel which now strengthen the edge. So there is no reason not to use it hard.
Again, the folder is smooth like Normandy butter. The heel of the blade is very thick when the blade point is thin like a needle. You find yourself contemplating, trying to understand how the tappered design works. The large gap between the liners on the back of the handle is not an issue when you know how to switch your grip (like I did on my Lionspy) to avoid hurting your palm during cuts on hard materials.
What I love in the Nilakka is how original, practical and radical the design is. Closed it is wonderful to handle and manipulate. It’s an absolutely non threatening design. The gentle curve of the handle give a very natural look to the package. Open, it’s real Puukko. There is no hint, no axis, showing this is a folder. (The axis screw is hidden under the G10 slabs!)
It is a pleasure to take on hike and use in the forest. The open design makes it easy to clean by blowing air and rinsing it. The choice of a stainless steel blade gives confidence to mechanism maintenance. There is no reason not to EDC and use that knife in the wild like it was designed. It is not a safe queen curiosity anymore. (A first generation after some work on the edge would have been the same anyway.)

Looking at Pekka official site and it’s easy to find other eye candy !
His blog: http://www.puukkopekka.com/ is a feast for the eyes !!!
Living in Finnish countryside, Pekka is a colossus with a great sens of humour. You can feel in every details of his Art that he has blown passion, intelligence and a special pinch of that natural cleverness from farmers and pragmatism of soldiers. His knives need to be reliable and beautiful. Also he needs to have fun while making them. From the design, to the forge, to the heat treatment, to the choice of materials, to the different type of sheath, Pekka does everything !

So eventually the Nilakka in its second incarnation is a very unique and practical EDC. It is also a great conversation starter because this folding Puukko is a great ambassador to modern and traditional cutlery. Mine is going to be used on a EDC basis and I will complete that review later.

Folders, Photos

SPYDERCO SCHEMPP TUFF BY ED SCHEMPP – C151GTI – My Folding Kukri

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When The Going Get Tough…The Tuff gets going !

I have witnessed the evolution of that knife since the first prototype in 2005. The beautiful fuller was already its signature and I felt, this was a great complement to the hole for opening purpose.
For descriptions and length and weight, please use the link above.

This folder is not my first “heavy duty folding tool”, but certainly one of the most solid. The Gayle Bradley is an hard used cutter.
My Lionspy is another great contender as I have used it as a light chopper many times. But the heft of the Tuff is making that Ed Schempp designed knife a great woodman folding companion, in my own humble opinion. It’s unique.
Why ?
Because I enjoy being able to process wood with some light equipment: my Cold Steel Voyager, my Lionspy and now my Tuff are able to work quick as light chopping tools. Of course it won’t replace a hatchet, a machette, a campknife. But they are a folding “attempt” to create reliable hard used knives. The new fashion in folding cutlery. Tactical means nothing. Hard used knife means everything.

SPyderco Tuff and Lionspy by Nemo

My tuff has been named “Varicelle” or “Smallpox” in French. Why ? Because of its handle. All those “bubbles” give it some kind of steampunk look.
Once closed, you recognized the attention for details of Ed Schempp. Varicelle looks like a perfect oval. It’s a beautiful object even if the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just look at that mega huge screw pivot, that massive stop pin, that unique fuller on that thick blade, everything in this knife screams toughness.

Once open, you feel that you are holding a tool not a weapon. Even if the balance is perfect with a sweet spot under your index. This knife has been created to be a reliable companion toward the hardest situation a folder can withstand in a…. farm ! And what is useful in a farm can be useful everywhere. But, thinking about it: the most famous martial artists weapons were initiated by farm tools.
Ed told me he has cut into aluminium tanks without any damage to the blade. I don’t know wahta he was cutting but I trust him to put his blades in pace to test them. (E.G. My Persian is such a great knife BTW)

CPMS3V is a really tough steel. It’s another crucible powder steel. I love the behavior of that steel and its forgiveness toward my clumsiness.
I cherish a great BRKT Bravo and I love how its convexed edge is easy to maintain while being a true laser. Oh I love that powder manufactured steel.
It’s not stainless, but it’s a fine grain tool steel which can stand a lot of abuses.
Having the chance to carry “that” steel on a folding knife is absolutely rare. Another Spyderco premiere.
I had the purpose of convexing my Tuff as I knew how easy that tough alloy was with leather stropping.
So Varicelle has been slowly convexed. Using elbow’s oil mainly.

Eventually the blade on the Tuff is longer than the edge. Again the mighty choil is another Ed Schemp signature like on my Navaja.
You can hold your knife by the blade only, helped by the fuller and the choil, the hardest jobs can be soft on the lock and pivot.
The edge is making that knife very legal. It’s not threatening. Again you got a tool in your hand not a serial killer nightmare.
Yes, but it looks like a kukri and it perform like a folding kukri. And Kukris are famous to be the sacred weapon of Burkhas…
But again Kukris are great tools tunred into weapons. The Tuff’s designer was focus on some kind of G-Shock folder. Not a self defense device. Not a sentry removal tool. The Tuff is just a gentleman farmer’s knife designed by one.

By the way, I don’t have any problem to open it fast. I have changed the clip position to tip down carry. Now I can spyderdrop it, holding the blade by the hole and the fuller. It’s as easy and smooth as with my Millie. The heavy handle helps a lot. The lock bar can be harder than other knives. I won’t mind.
The closing is even easier than on my Lionspy. The meat of my thumb catches the lock release with ease. So I can open it fast and close it fast which is a must in safety for hard used tools in difficult environment. My tuff is reliable. Easy to put in play and easy to remove from sight.
This is all I ask from my folders.

So what do you got ? A CPMS3V folder with RIL Lock in a compact package offering great ergos while open.
Now will come the time of testing.
Stay tune for part 2.


Before convexing.


In between convexing.

Spyderco Tuff by Nemo
Fully convexed.

Folders

Spyderco Stretch C90CF – Part III – EDC of high performance

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Spyderco C90CF ZDP189

So after the initial impressions and the convexed edge enhancement how the C90CF is performing on a daily basis ?

The first thing wich stands out in this folder is how flat and confortable it is to pocket. This is the kind of knives you totally forget once clipped.
The second thing is how easy it is to put in action. The oversize hole and the relatively heavy butt handle and the smooth action make it a great spyder drop opener if your carry it (like myself) with the clip mounted near the pivot. The grap the hole between the thumb end the index and in a fluid motion the knife is open in your hand, ready for any chore.

Spyderco C90CF ZDP189

Now the thin blade is a laser. Again the thin cuts through all materials submitted to it with ease and, good news, the little vertical play of the backlock seems to have disappeared with the breaking in and the constant use. Now the knife feels rock solid. Also the thin edge on the thin blade doesn’t need a lot of force to cut deep.
The ZDP 189 edge seems to lose its hair popping sharp sharpness fast but the working edge seems to last forever. Another good news, leather bely and compound is enough to bring back the hair popping edge in a matter of seconds. So far I was not able to ruin the edge: no chipping, no bending, no excessive dulling. My edge is polished and convexed and it cuts, cuts, cuts:

Spyderco C90CF ZDP189

Some very hard cardboard tube is no match for the Stretch thin blade.
Also I got no discoloration or pitting on a ZDP189 blade which has been used a lot in the kitchen. It has been cleaned by rinsing under water and wipe just after.

All in all the Stretch is an incredible high performer. It’s relatively long blade makes it really useful for a wide specter of chore and his polyvalence will be hard to match. This is really great folder to EDC.

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Spyderco Bushcraft UK – Part 3: Solid Companion

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Since I had received my Bushcrafter for 2010 Xmas, the knife has been always in use.
I really enjoy small fixed blades and this particular one has turned to be another little big knife.
In the 90’s I have been reviewing with Fred (Perrin) another little big blade: the Fallkniven F1 in its first solid VG10 incarnation. This is the kind of small tool with some heft in your hand, giving a sense of security and reliability. The Fallkniven F1 is now a legend in travelling knives. Well, the BushcraftUK feels that way in my hand but better than this it is also offering some uncanny cutting performance: the zero scandi grind cuts like a laser and it is very very addictive.
But fragile. I was able to micro chip its factory edge just by being me: clumsy… Bones, stones, sand… are not thin edge friendly. But the good thing is that I was able to gently convex my edge to keep it luch more stable. Removing a chip on a zero ground edge means time consuming before to see some result, unless you don’t want to “respect” the zero grind. Also sharpening the edge on ceramic can be frustrating as you scratch the mirror polishing badly. Good thing, with some elbow grease it’s back to mirror again. O1 is not stainless. But I did not let a patina to develop but on the handle where the hand leave natural moisture and the steel is now grey.
As I was not planning to use the back of the blade to produce sparks, I have gently rounded the edges and this heresy to the Bushcraft Gods gives me a lot of thumb’s confort when I’m pushcutting into hard materials.
Really the BushcraftUK is the king of my woods.
Why ?
Because it’s compact enough to be pocketed in my coat. So I got it on me. I never had it attached to my belt. I love the leather sheath I never got any issue with it. Mine is still like new as I have been using the brown sheath from my second for a while. Perharps I will try to find a kydex sheath for it as I do transport the knife in my bag more than on myself. Now for the knives works in the wood, the size of the Bushcraft suits me. I’m able to use it for light chopping and batonning without any care. Hence the chipping…. But again, the Bushcrafter has never let me down. Better it’s my favorite in his category.
Since I had ever seen Ray Mears on television back in the 90’s I felt I was not the only one to enjoy little fixed blade for their reliability in the wood. One of my first “bushcraft” was a Glock knife back in the 80’s. Broke the handle. Glue a compass in it…
Things I did not with the Bushcraftuk is: throwing it, cutting concrete intentionally and open oysters… but I have removed nails from wood, batonned through hard plastic, use it in the rain, in the snow, on the sea shore… With a little care I was not able to have rust pits on O1.
The weight and the high sharpness do wonder in the woods. Every chores are quick jobs. And this is exactly what that blade is for: energy’s economy and confort in use.
Back home I usually check the edge and do some leather stropping to have it back to mirror polish. No oil have been used to protect the blade. I use it everyday outside or in the kitchen so I keep it sharp and clean.
I got many kitchen knives. The Bushcraft will not replace them but the scandi grind is great on hard cheese, bread and meat. I rinse it after and dry it immediately. No more no less.

Even if I enjoy the flatness of my Stretch or the squareness of my Southard, on that hard used small fixed blade the rounded ergonomic handle is simply my favorite since I have had made a bokote handle on my Cold Steel Trailmaster. The black G10 after two years of constant use looks and feels like new. G10 is an incredible tough material. But the Bushcrafter is my first “blister proof” knife. Even my beloved H.E.S.T. required the use of gloves but not the Bushcrafter. I have removed the lanyard as I was not able to find something which suited me yet. Especially when I used the knife in the mud, blood… Again lanyard are great on pictures but I don’t like them in use. I don’t like to feel moisture trapped in it.

What would I change ? Sorry Sal but I do not like the hole in the blade. For one reason: I need to clean it and oil it or it’s unhygienic and a rust magnet. I would had prefer some kind of circle, even as big as a folder hole than that. I understand it’s a signature but…I would had preferred something easier to clean.

For two years the BushcraftUK has proven to be unique in my collection. Incredibly confortable in the hand and sharp and tough and strong in the field. It’s all business. The amazing South Fork has not yet been able to kick it out of my bag. I plan to use it with the Stretch and my good old Tramontana Machette as combo. I’m not a lumberjack after all, am I ?

Nemo Bushcraft

bushcrafter Nemo

Bushcrafter

Bushcrafter

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Spyderco C90CF – Sal Glesser’s gentleman bushcraft folder

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Nemo Stretch C90CF

For twice these last months, I was considering myself being able to announce my best “EDC ever”. After the Sage 2 Sebenza inheritance, the “hard to get razor” rare Spyderco Paramillie in S90V, the megasharp little Michael Walker, the solid and forgiving Gayle Bradley, the wonderfully engineered Native, the minimalist friendly Pointu, the chopping solid Lionspy, the Techno which is a pure flawless stout companion and lately the Spyderco Southard which is such a great flipping friend served by a crapped clip. I love all of them and I considered myself spoiled. My case is closed.

Now what would be Sal Glesser favorite EDC ?
I knew the Stretch was a special project developped by Sal “in house” for his own needs and I was able to notice how the Stretch was continuing to continued into a Spyderco classic, providing one of the best high tech steel into a lightweight package: the discontinuated C90 and C90BL and the new Green Arrow: C90PGRE.
“The C90 Stretch started as a pet-project lockback knife design. Spyderco’s owner and chief designer made it for his personal use, incorporating features he wanted. He wanted high performance blade steel with edge retention super-powers for outdoor cutting: things like wood, rope and anything encountered in the wild. It had to work equally well indoors on cardboard, mail and fingernails. He sized it so it wouldn’t scare non’knife people and made it look slick on the off chance he’d someday have to wear a suit.”
Isn’t it exiting ? The Spyderpapa has invented a knife for his own needs and no one else. Remember, the famous C36 Military has been design for his son Eric for example… But this very C90 has been designed for no one else but Sal. “The Stretch has been a 25 year work-in-progress and we’d like to continue to make it better. The ZDP FRN version finds a lot of my pocket time.”

So I got now the great opportunity to pocket a Stretch. This one is the one with the handle in peel-ply carbon fiber, with a four-way clip, left/right-hand and tip-up/tip-down and a full flat ground blade of solid ZDP-189.
Quoting my friend Wouter: “Stretch II is IMO a perfect knife for the connoisseur. Its looks might be plain, the blade might seem too thin, but for the knowledgeable knife enthusiast it’s a very impressive folder.”

Ah, ZDP 189 ! I like it on my Rockstead Higo but I love it on my C22CF. On both knife I have been able to cure its chipping with ease and to convex gently their edge. Here we got a 3mm thick blade on a very thin handle: pocket easy. Despite his hourglass clip the Stretch could be the father of my Chaparral. A gentleman folder with an outdoors purpose. The Stretch is incredibly thin and oozing quality. No blade play. Smooth opening. Extraflat design. The Stretch got a James Bond’s appeal.
Mine, after twenty strops on my leather belt is now sharp as my Bushcrafter. So time to test it and to fall in love again.

But quoting Spoonrobot: “Writing about a specific hobby always brings some inherent problems, there are only so many ways to praise a folding knife. I recently made the mistake of declaring a knife “the sharpest out of the box I’ve ever seen.” Only to have the next two knives prove to be even sharper. This makes it quite hard to be taken seriously, so in light of this I’ve decided to make slightly less grandiose claims when describing my newest slicey thing.”

Part II: improving the Stretch’s edge.

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Spyderco Southard C156GBN – Flipping Beauty.

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Southard

“One of the most advanced Spyderco folders ever produced.”
dixit Spyderco on their site

Come on…

OK let’s give a look.

Oh no, I’m in love again. I really thought the Wonderful Techno would be the Ultimate EDC, even beating the amazing Michael Walker and the great Gayle Bradley and the Legendary Military and the perfect Native 5 and…. but the Gods of the Hole in The Blade got their own way.

Why ? Tell me why ?
Why the Southard is not two inch longer and would loss its portability? At an hair under 8 inches (202mm) open and 114 mm closed (great blade/handle ratio BTW) this knife is not unforgettable once clipped: you forget it even when not clipped. Worst than that, I’m able to carry the Southard in my watch pocket.
Arrrgh. Brad Southard, if you hear me, I hate you for this amazing design.
And thank you. Thank you for giving us that pointy shiny clip with high visibility. Thank you ! At least you have left something to improve. Lucky us.
This clip is a joke actually.

The knife could be also a Spyderjoke. Go figure:
This the first Spyderco to be not advertised for its ease of opening with its hole. “Don’t use the hole ! It got a flipper ! ”

OK as far as I’m concern the only Spydercos with useless holes are their fixed blades but the SPOT, SWICK… inspired by Fred Perrin’s Lagriffe.

So “Don’t use the hole as primary opening device… use the Flipper”.
In France Flipper is a dolphin. For Spyderco it’s a pedal. Some Dolphin are also pedal but only during le Tour de France and this is another story.

OK let’s talk about its blade. Have you notice its belly ? From the tip to the flipper, the edge does a beautiful arc. It means, cutting power.
The blade is 4mm thick but its edge is thin. This means a lot of cutting power. I was able to cut through hard plastic with the same ease as my Gayle Bradley. this is impressive.
The flipper, once the knife is open offers a guard to your finger erasing any fears of lock failure.

The lock ? A Reeve Integral Lock with some refinement like a system to prevent over bending the lockbar. Very clever.

Lets’ talk about smoothness. With its wide ball bearing pivot the action on the flipper is smooth and only the friction of the lock bar seems to brake the movement. It’s not as smooth as the Gayle Bradley but it’s at least as smooth as the Lionspy and much smoother than the Tuff, both R.I.L. folders.
Taiching is again showing how they hare great in manufacturing. The blade is dead centered and everything is perfect but the clip.

There is one detail I love: no stop pin. The stop pin is hidden near the axis. With its open handle the Southard is a breeze to clean.
The absence of hump of the hole makes it a beauty. With its very uncommon blade mixing drop point and sheepfoot… with the back of the blade offering a thumb space to rest. All angle are smooth but the G10 gives a great grip.
The Southard is a pure hardecore folder. You feel you could thrust it with full force. The flipper/guard will prevent any slippering and lock failure.
This is a knife wich express itself in your hand. Perfectly balanced. It’s fast and easy to put in use. Really this is something to experiment by yourself. This is not a big knife but with its 1/1 handle ratio it’s all business.
The steel is one of the latest powder metallurgy Über Alloy made by Carpenter the CTS 204P. The kind of monster steel with almost 2 percent of carbon. For now the knife is so sharp, I was able to cut cardboard with the ease hollow ground blade desserve. I was laos able to stumble on a stable.
And…. zero damage to the edge. As far as I’m concern I’m quite impressed by the new generation of Powder Steel.

Now the handle is a little on the squarish side. It’s thick as there is a brown G10 liner over a liner of titanium. This asymetry could be a show stopper for some but actually I like the way the handle fills the palm of my hand. The knife is anchored. I will see in the next review if there is any hot spots… I already spot one: the clip !

The Persian carpet, even the most beautiful got all a little imperfection. For one reason, only God can create perfection not humans.
This is the meaning of that clip.
This piece of shining metal has already tried to pierce my denims pocket… and it hurts my palm. This is the only imperfection of the Southard who’s desserved better. BTW a dremel should be able to round that pointy tip on that prehistoric clip…

But this is true. My Techno, for example, is absolutly flawless. Nothing to sand on the handle. Everything is perfect.
And the Southard got a Perfect Flaw. But you forgive everything to such a Flipping Beauty.

The C156GBN is the kind of folder who can make you sold all your other knives. It’s ‘that’ great.

Southard
Peekaboo in the pocket watch… no clip used.

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Spyderco Air – Popping Sharp ! by JD

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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

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Spyderco Pingo – Do NOT mess with the Danish Cookie

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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.