Spyderco in the snow

I can’t say we’ve had a ‘real’ winter over here this year. But a few years ago, we did get some snow. As a knifeknut, it’s always cool to see how a particular knife performs in winter conditions. Can I open it as smooth with gloves when it’s freezing cold? Here are my experiences so far. Note, in some of the photos I pose the knife in my bare hands – so I could both operate my phone and show of the knife properly.

Dragonfly

The Dragonfly is cute, but way too small and light to open and close with gloves. It is definitely a warm weather folder for me. The Dragonfly does make for a cute accessory in my kids’ snowman though.

Manix

The Manix was pretty decent. One advantage of winter is more and bigger clothing. This makes it easier and more comfortable to clip on a bigger folder. The Manix is certainly big enough to open in gloves. Operating the caged ball lock wasn’t as easy though. I had to rest the butt of the knife in my pal, so I could manipulate the ball lock. I managed, but it wasn’t smooth or fast.

Stretch

The Stretch was great, as it usually is 😊, the hump is actually pretty helpful to locate the opening hole with gloves on. And the handle was big enough for my gloved hands. The real bonus though, came at closing time. That mid-back lock it just about perfect for operating in gloved hands! Just slide your thumb over the button and push down. Easy as Sunday morning, according to the song.

Endela

The Endela was just as good to operate as the Stretch. Bonus points for the ‘ice blue’ handle, it just fits my aesthetic of a winter carry knife. I will admit that both the Stretch and Endela would’ve been even better if they were a little heavier. When wearing gloves, it would give better ‘feedback’ to your gloved hand. I guess I’ll be digging out my old Chinook and Manix models from the collection, for the next snowy day!

Check out SpydieWiki, for more information on the Dragonfly, Manix, Stretch and Endela. And check out my earlier article and video on the purple & DLC Manix 2, or my comparison between the Stretch 1 & 2.