Video of a Visit to the Spyderco SFO

A quick tour of my visit to the Spyderco Factory Outlet. I found this one in my archives from my visit to Spyderco last year. It features a quick tour of the factory outlet store, showing the display cases with what they have on offer, the World Trade Center Memorial ‘corner’ and the the display about the Native program for US troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The other side of this display case features the evolution of the Spyderco Native: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ENOAx…

For a better quality version click on the Youtube logo to view the video on Youtube. Select HD720 or higher for best quality. I tried different rendering settings etc… but I’m thinking that the low light inside the store (for cameras) and the fast moving camera are the main culprits for the macroblocking and flickering lights in the video.

Spyderco 2010 Production Prototype Videos

At the 2010 IWA Show in Nuremberg Germany, the Spydercrew was kind enough to help me make these videos of the new production prototype knives. The sound quality sometimes lacks, but I´m working with a regular consumer camcorder on a busy showfloor. The videos do help to get a better idea of the knife´s dimensions and how it works. Of course, the expert explanations are priceless.

Bob Lum Chinese Folders

Matriarch Sprint Run

UK Penknife FRN, Titanium, Carbon Fiber

Jens Anso Zulu

Fred Perrin Folder 3 1/8

Manix 2 FRN

Caly 3.5

Paramilitary 2

Sage 3 Blackie Collins

Ed Schempp Balance

Dialex junior Concept Model
 

Below are two more videos that don´t deal with production prototype models, but are nonetheless very new spydies.

Flat Grind Delicas & Enduras

Carbon Fiber Family

Spyderco Caly 3.5 & Flat Grind Delica & Endura Videos

Eric Glesser showcasing the new Caly 3.5 production prototype.

Michael Janich giving a brief tour of the new flat grind Delicas and Enduras

Spyderco Carbon Fiber Family Video

There’s only one prototype in this video and it doesn’t get much screentime, but my buddy Jurphaas gives a great presentation of all the recent and current Spyderco models with carbon fiber handles.  

Spyderco Amsterdam Meet 2010 Report – Prototype Pictures – Part 4

Eduard Bradichansky Shabaria Sprint Run
The Shabaria is back for a sprint run. This version has a burgundy micarta handle and it will only come in PE. It’s an interesting model, but I just couldn’t get a proper grip on it. That slender curvy blade is sexy though.

 

Paramilitary 2
After all the forum discussions, here’s the end product; the new and improved Paramilitary. The most important improvements (at least for me) are the 4-way clip, no more exposed corner and the improved ergonomics. The clip on the Para 2 is put as far back on each position as possible, to facilitate deep carry. This conventional clip still provides plenty of handle to grab for a fast draw. I like wire clips, but on some knives the deep-carry feature can be a hindrance when you want a ‘fast draw’. On the old Para a small corner of the blade tang was exposed when the knife was folded. It was the main reason for me to get rid of my Para. This problem is now solved; the knife now looks and feels way better. The ergos of the handle were also improved. I no longer need to use the choil for a full-handed grip. The handle on the Para 2 is a little longer than the first version. All of the edges were nicely beveled; it almost melts in my hand. The price for these improvements is perhaps that the Para 2 almost feels like an ‘intermediate Military’ vs. a ‘junior model’ of the Military. I’m definitely going to get one; I think it will make a perfect companion folder to the next prototype in this report.

 

Fred Perrin Folder 3-1/8”
This is the PPT folder that was prematurely seen (the custom version) on a few forums. To me, this is a folding Streetbeat or folding Streetbowie. I love that blade, no hump and with a slightly curvy blade. I love it! The clip seems left/right reversible. The lock is a hybrid between a Reeve integral lock and a liner lock. It’s not a small knife though. The handle is much chunkier than the blade specs would have you believe. This knife is a handful and the clip on this proto was still a bit too sharp. IIRC the production model will have skeletonized liners to make the knife a little lighter. To me, this knife has a high wow-factor and that blade looks very practical. I’m absolutely getting one, even if I have to take some sandpaper to that clip.

 

Jens Anso Zulu
The Zulu is the second collaboration model of Jens Anso, and this is different animal than the thin and lightweight Rocklobster. Like the Perrin Folder, it has a nice hand filling grip and a (slightly over) 3 inch blade. It’s certainly a unique blade shape. I like the lines of this folder.

 

Laci Szabo Folder
This is the last Spyderco production prototype I can show you (there are still some Byrds though). There were more models at the meet that we can discuss, but I can’t show them to you. We wouldn’t want to see cheap copies turning up, before Spyderco gets it right.

 The Szabo folder is truly a megafolder. I think the blade was 5 inch long and the handle is equally long. Apparently, Laci is a big man who likes big knives. Laci is an MBC guy, and this is an MBC design derived from the Szabofly. Many customers liked the blade on the Szabofly, but couldn’t get one because it would be illegal in their area. This knife is something of a ‘regular folding Szabofly’. The design fits Laci’s reverse grip edge out style of MBC. The compression lock is set-up to take the tremendous forces of trapping and blocking. This should be an MBC-crowd pleaser.

 

 To be continued…

Byrd Production Prototype 2006

This Byrd prototype was shown at the 2006 Amsterdam Meet.

Catbyrd

Byrd Prototype 2008

This production prototype was shown at the 2008 Amsterdam Meet.

Byrd Wings Slipit
 

Review: Salt I SE Yellow

When the Salts first came out, I didn’t think much of them. This is mainly because of the way I care for my knives basically precludes rust. My knives never rusted before, so why get a knife that won’t rust? A small time later I figured out my niche for this unique folder. As you may know by now, I like to select a spydie for every occasion and swimming is the right activity for this rust-slaying steel! When the ’05 catalog came out, I was immediately hooked by those yellow Salts. Not only am I a sucker for knives for every occasion, I am an even bigger sucker for brightly colored spydies! The choice was made, and as soon as the yellow Salts became available I snatched one up.

General
I deliberately picked a plain edge variation, since I figured it would also make a better travel knife. The brightly colored handle and blunt tip, just says hiker/camper/climber to everyone I showed it to. The FRN handle makes this also one of the more affordable spydies, so there shouldn’t be too many tears and curses, were I to lose this knife.

Cutting
Cutting-wise, I didn’t have any troubles with the ‘blunted’ tip design. I am used to working with wharncliffes and holding the Salt I as if it were a big Kiwi, allows you to do just a much fine point-work. When pointing the tip forward, you will notice that the tip aligns up nicely with your forearm, much like a Yojimbo. Just don’t think of the tip as being rounded and use it like it has a regular tip-design and you won’t even notice the difference.

Handling
This knife looks a lot like a Delica, but the handling is way better. Enlarging the thumb-hole and adding grooves behind the hole for the thumb, is just what the Delica needs in its forthcoming design-update. The H-1 steel holds up just as well as Spyderco’s AUS-6, at least that is how I perceive it. I can imagine the serrated variant to fare much better in the edge holding department.

Conclusion
This knife will replace my trusty Ti Salsa for travel. It is more affordable, lighter and it gives me the same 3 inches of blade I carry everyday, and it looks more like the knife of a holiday maker, as opposed to the downright ‘weird’ –but harmless- look of the Salsa. Something tells me a serrated yellow Salt is in my future for left-handed carry