I have the “bug” series plus the Clipitool with the Spyderedge and plain blades, those and the FRN handled Spyderco’s including the UKPK left me distinctly underwhelmed.
Recently I’ve bought three clones - two Militarys and a Paramilitary 2, they just feel so right in the hand with G-10 scales, and the full flat grind blades cut very well, having tried the fakes I am wanting genuine article.
If you want to try out the knives without paying full price then try one of the clones, mine were $17 to $23 and they make me think that one day I will own genuine ones.
One thing to be said for buying the genuine ones full price is that you will always be able to sell them on to recoup some of your outlay whereas the clones would be (or should be) a total loss.
Without the chance to try these clones then I would have said that the genuine ones were not worth bothering with now I’m sure they are.
If you can’t get past the idea of buying fakes then try a Chinese made Spyderco, the budget line, Ambitious, Persistence, Tenacious and Resilience and the Byrd line will all give you a chance to try the ergonomics and cutting ability, you might change your mind.
I would say avoid the fakes. One of the reasons these knives sell for so cheep is the steel in them. Not to start a war about all Chinese knives have crap steel, but lets be honest they have to cut costs somewhere, and generally workmanship and quality of steel that goes in to them are better than some of the Pakistani stainless steels but not buy much in many cases, some cases not as good.
If you really have the need to feel one in hand go to the local knife shop and see what it is like. Hell here on the edge of the planet Anchorage Alaska we have 3-4 places to buy higher end knives. There is no real reason to buy fakes.
That might be true in the good ’ol U.S.of A. but not, unfortunately in the U.K. the nearest knife shop to me is around 200 miles away, Hiennie Haynes , much cheaper to buy a clone to see if it “fits” than travel the distance to try the real thing. I could order one and send it back if I don’t like it but that means having the money to spare in the first place.
I realize that the steel might not be up to the standards of the genuine knife but again I have plenty of hard use Chinese knives, Enlan EL-01s to name one, EL-04MCT another. The clones that I have might well make me decide to buy a Military or Paramilitary 2, before I had the clones I just didn’t get the Spyderco “thing”, now I do. I still think that they are about twice the price that they should be but I could be tempted.
The knife laws are very different in the U.K. than what you are probably used to and these knives are perfectly legal to own but not to carry without good reason so they are strictly around the house light users, the steel becomes less important. 8Cr13MoV or even lower quality is fine, Spyderco use 8Cr13MoV for their budget series and 3Cr in the bug range. I’ve even bought a couple with 5Cr15Mo steel listed in the specs and that’s fine for the use they are getting. You might begin to see that a clone for $17 delivered makes sense in my situation. I bought these knowing them to be less than genuine and I have not been ripped off in any way. I feel that they are a good quality knife for the $17 - $22, equal to any Chinese knife of the same price.
The other thing is that I’m careful to buy impossible combinations of steel/G-10 colour, sprint run Military with brown G-10 scales, the blade etched CPM S30V - not CTS XHP. Paramilitary 2 with blue G-10 scales, again marked CPM S30V not M390.
They scream FAKE to anyone who knows anything about what they are buying. They will never be sold by me, I’d rather put an angle grinder across them rather than to sell them.
That looks like a good set to freehand sharpen.
Do you use your diamond stones wet or dry? I’ve always used my Lansky diamond hones dry, the same with all my diamond sharpening plates and paddles, then washed with a toothbrush and water after sharpening. Also the Diamond kit from Lansky comes with a bottle of honing oil. I use it with the stone hones but not the diamond. Am I missing something?
A day at home today so I’ve been carrying this around, builds the muscles up!
For years I’ve looked at all the sharpening systems and decided I wanted to sharpen free hand. I’m determined to keep practicing until my skills are honed razor sharp. It’s like a hobby in itself.
The diamond stones can be used wet or dry(don’t use oil on them!). I use the diamond stones wet. It helps float off the debris and makes for a smoother glide of the blade. Very minute pessure. You have to learn to let the diamonds do the work.
The ultra fine ceramic is used dry. It really polishes the edge.
I have some DMT DuoSharp stones, but decided that the perforated surface was too noisy and I couldn’t concentrate on “feeling” the edge as it slid across the stone.
Practice, practice, practice. That’s what I’m doing. I’m really determined to master this art.
I was in the joinery trade before I retired and had to sharpen all kinds of blades from hand plane and chisels to making spindle moulder blades to the correct profile from blanks and 24” planer thicknesser blades and you get a feel for the right angles once the muscle memory has set in.
It’s nice to be able to take time over sharpening rather than have your livelihood depend on getting a machine back up and running sweetly. The diamond and ceramic rods, hones and plates were just starting to emerge, at a staggeringly high price, when I was finishing work so I’ve had only limited exposure to them, they are great. I can agree about the plates with the holes in being noisy, I’ve got a cheap set of three and don’t use them much - mostly because of the noise.
Nice blades! I had a Spyderco until i managed to loose it… Then bought Sanrenmu 710, nice little thing, handy at home.
EDC, though… Carbon steel Opinel No8 and i just love it! :8)
I work as a carpenter in a facility where, well, less aggressive look is always better so that anyone gets that knive´s a tool, not a weapon. And even the tools are behind locks. Opinel sits secured in my pocket.
I don´t care that it doesn´t hold the edge that great, it´s more important that i can get it sharpened just about anywhere. The locking mechanism is nice also.
Had to do little mods, grinded it more to drop point for usability and drilled the hole for lanyard. And of course onion treatment to the steel…
At the end of a day i think i just like it´s simplicity most!
There are some really nice systems out there, but I really like the idea of being able to pick up a blade and bring it to razor sharpness by hand. It’s not something that will come without lots of practice though.
I may still pick up something like an Edge-Pro to re profile a knife though.
