My New Spyderco

[kwselke]

Old Joe Clark's Spyderco thread and others this week rekindled my love of Spyderco knives. The posts became enablers and I ordered my first new Spyderco in nine months.

My latest addition is the Chaparral FRN Lightweight. It is made in Taichung, Taiwan. It is a back lock thumb hole opener with FRN scales and stainless liner. The blade is 2 3/4" long and made of US made Carpenter (Car-Tech) CTS-XHP steel.

I am a huge Spyderco Delica fan. In my opinion the Chaparral is its biggest competitor. The Chaparral is a third of an ounce lighter, thinner, and its blade is only a tad shorter than the Delica. Both are amazing knives, but the Chaparral deserves serious consideration if you are thinking about buying a Delica.

My pictures include my Delica with VDP-189 steel and my new Chaparral with CTS-XHP steel. The Chaparral currently costs less than than the ZDP-189 Delica. The Delica in standard VG-10 steel is a few bucks less than the Chaparral Lightweight.

 

[Richard Simmons]

Congrats. I'm a fan myself.

Probably another 30 or so since I took this photo.

 

[whataboutbob]

Nice,but I don't see a native in that lot

 

[VictorLouis]

My latest addition is the Chaparral FRN Lightweight. .

The wire clip on that model, and several others, is what they should convert the entire line-up too...

 

[Mister X]

I am a huge Spyderco Delica fan. In my opinion the Chaparral is its biggest competitor. The Chaparral is a third of an ounce lighter, thinner, and its blade is only a tad shorter than the Delica. Both are amazing knives, but the Chaparral deserves serious consideration if you are thinking about buying a Delica.

A lot would depend on why you carry a blade. The Delica makes for a much better defensive weapon IMO, plus there is a training model available, as well as a shorted version(the Kahr Janich Delica) for those in restrictive areas. I travel a great deal and when I'm in Chicago and a few other locations with strict gun laws as well as knife blade length limit laws, a first Gen 2.5" Delica is my primary weapon.

 

[kwselke]

A lot would depend on why you carry a blade. The Delica makes for a much better defensive weapon IMO, plus there is a training model available, as well as a shorted version(the Kahr Janich Delica) for those in restrictive areas. I travel a great deal and when I'm in Chicago and a few other locations with strict gun laws as well as knife blade length limit laws, a first Gen 2.5" Delica is my primary weapon.

Both the Delica and Chaparral have sub-three inch blades. I'm not a knife fighter, but I believe that in a defensive role with such a short bladed knife slashing and running are key elements. A Delica is not a fighting knife, but if that is what you have that is what you will fight with. The slashes I can make with my Chaparral with Car-Tech super-steel are as good or better than the slashes I can make with my Delica with Hitachi super-steel; and the Chaparral is lighter and and costs less. They are both great knives, but the Chaparral might be a better buy for some folks. My two cents.

 

[Mister X]

Both the Delica and Chaparral have sub-three inch blades. I'm not a knife fighter, but I believe that in a defensive role with such a short bladed knife slashing and running are key elements. A Delica is not a fighting knife, but if that is what you have that is what you will fight with. The slashes I can make with my Chaparral with Car-Tech super-steel are as good or better than the slashes I can make with my Delica with Hitachi super-steel; and the Chaparral is lighter and and costs less. They are both great knives, but the Chaparral might be a better buy for some folks. My two cents.

Have you actually tested it out? It's not all(or hardly) about the type of steel the blade is made from.

I think the value of having a matching trainer should not be overlooked.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2rMCpAorSPM[/ame]

The issue is its suitability as a self-defense tool, not a "fighting" knife or even "knife fighting" and the delica is a very capable weapon in that context. Even the shortened version.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FgTV8KKNQ3w[/ame]

 

[JayFramer]

One rides in my pocket ever day for the past 4 years.

Taint no finer (Delica 4 in brown).

 

[GeoJelly]

Great thread!! Bought another Spyderco last month ... but never thought about buying a training knife. Guess what I'm going to buy next? I haven't seen any online but maybe A-zon?

 

[gnystrom]

A Delica in each car
A Salt in my range bag
Paramilitary in my pocket on walks.
Native given to my son-in-law
Dragonfly G10 clipped in my pocket at work
Delica sent to my out state sons home so I have one there without the airport hassle.
Yep! Love em'
My Favorite,

 

[kwselke]

In no way did I mean to downplay the Delica. I bought my first in 2009, it is the knife I carry most of the time. I use it as a comparison because people are familiar with them. I own eight of them.

I am quite practiced handling them and have on two occasions reached for them in preparation of impending dog attacks while walking. On both occasions I was able to control the dog verbally before blood was drawn on either side. After the second incident with an overly aggressive dog I switched to carrying an Endura while exercising. With a 3 3/4" blade it is far more capable in a dog fight.

The Chaparral is very competitive price wise to the Delica. Amazon still has my original Delica purchase on file. The knife cost me $52 and change delivered. Hitting the reorder button it now cost $75. Doing an upgrade on the blade steel from Takefu VG-10 to Hitachi ZDP-189 powder metallurgy steel increases the cost to about $105.

The Chaparral Lightweight model is a Sal Glesser designed, back lock, thumb opener, with nested stainless liners, and FRN scales the same as a Delica. It has a Carpenter CTS-XHP powder metallurgy blade. The fit and finish of the Taichung made knife equals or exceeds that of any of Spyderco's manufacturing facilities/contractors. At $88 some folks may find it a better option than a Delica.

By the way, The blade thinness and geometry of the Chaparral make it an amazing slicer. The term light saber is often used when describing this attribute. My HAP-40 Manbug and my new Chaparral are the only two of my knives that have that level of slicing ability. And I have some very sharp knives.

 

[goldenboy]

And no one with a blade with the Emerson wave feature. Ya'll missing out huge! Opens as it's pulled from the pocket. I have the Endura with the opener. Phenomenal tool it is.

 

[kwselke]

And no one with a blade with the Emerson wave feature. Ya'll missing out huge! Opens as it's pulled from the pocket. I have the Endura with the opener. Phenomenal tool it is.

Well... that was in another thread:

opening a knife

 

[Mister X]

I've always had mixed feelings regarding the Emerson opener. I want my deployment method to be versatile, to always be as similar as possible and work reliably regardless of the type of clothing, scenario and carry location and the Wave simply doesn't offer that to me.

 

[goldenboy]

Apologies! It's rare that I'm on here and missed the Emerson opener discussion. I can pull it from my pocket to open or not. Just takes practice and after awhile it's second nature like most things.

It opens a beer also. Pros and pros to some things.

 

[shouldazagged]

Can't afford to collect Spyderco knives, but I'm a fan. One of my favorites was the Rescue model, made for cutting seat belts and clothing of accident or illness victims. I kept in clipped to the sun visor in my car until someone broke in and stole it. It was a great design for the purpose.

I carry an Endura 4 regularly. Brown scales, flat ground plain edge, strong steel clip. Great cutting tool. It was a gift from a very generous member here.

I don't consider it a self defense weapon--that's why I carry a gun--but I'm sure it would be up to the job if all else failed.

 

[MightyMouse4466]

I'm hooked on the SpyderCo Stretch, I have had 3 total now, lost 2 to the uniform company at work by forgetting to get them out of my pants pocket. I've lost a regular one and a ZDP-189, they don't allow pocket knives at work now so I have been able to keep this one! I did bend all 3 pocket clips, and the pocket clips all broke after bending them back, so my current one has a custom Kershaw pocket clip that has held up better for over 2 years now! I also found the ZDP to be hard to sharpen, but I love SpyderCo.

 

[American1776]

Spyderco and Benchmade are my favorite knives.


Nice knife there.

 

[Muss Muggins]

The wire clip on that model, and several others, is what they should convert the entire line-up too...

First time I've seen that wire clip, and I was just thinking the exact opposite . . .

 

[kwselke]

First time I've seen that wire clip, and I was just thinking the exact opposite . . .

The "deep carry" wire clip makes less of the knife show above the pocket. That also means you have to sink your fingers deeper into your pocket to pull the knife out. I have no problem with either, I carried knives without pocket clips for decades and never knew what I was missing.