Kapara

Someone1 said:
Agreed. Though I'm still pretty freaking close to buying one even though it does have S30V.
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I used to feel the same way generally about steel. Now I just want a blade that I can sharpen myself and that is sufficiently corrosion-resistant. I'm not knocking anyone who wants more than S30V, especially as prices rise. I get that. For myself, I don't want to miss out on a great knife because the steel isn't the highest of the high end, especially because I usually know nothing about how the steel was heat-treated when I buy a knife. I don't make very hard use of my blades, so I may not have the same demands on steel as some of you.

I didn't want a Sage 5 because it had only S30V. Now it's one of my favorite knives. For a while I didn't buy a Koenig Arius because I couldn't find one in CTS-204P, so I had to "settle" for CTS-XHP. Now that I have an Arius, I think that's crazy. I've seen a lot of nice custom knives with S35VN or RWL-34. Through a combination of regular use and my own carelessness, I've chipped a variety of premium steels usually considered much better than S30V. I have knives in ten different kinds of steel, and I think I can be satisfied with most modern powder steels. I'm not sure whether I'll get the Kapara, but personally I won't decide against it based on the steel, yet I understand if someone does.
 
When I had the Caribbean one thing I did not like was when you squeezed the handle the pivot stiffened making it hard to flick it closed with the compression lock. Does the Kapara suffer from the same thing?
 
JimMD said:
I used to feel the same way generally about steel. Now I just want a blade that I can sharpen myself and that is sufficiently corrosion-resistant. I'm not knocking anyone who wants more than S30V, especially as prices rise. I get that. For myself, I don't want to miss out on a great knife because the steel isn't the highest of the high end, especially because I usually know nothing about how the steel was heat-treated when I buy a knife. I don't make very hard use of my blades, so I may not have the same demands on steel as some of you.

I didn't want a Sage 5 because it had only S30V. Now it's one of my favorite knives. For a while I didn't buy a Koenig Arius because I couldn't find one in CTS-204P, so I had to "settle" for CTS-XHP. Now that I have an Arius, I think that's crazy. I've seen a lot of nice custom knives with S35VN or RWL-34. Through a combination of regular use and my own carelessness, I've chipped a variety of premium steels usually considered much better than S30V. I have knives in ten different kinds of steel, and I think I can be satisfied with most modern powder steels. I'm not sure whether I'll get the Kapara, but personally I won't decide against it based on the steel, yet I understand if someone does.
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The thing is, M390 and its analogs, while exceptional in edge retention and corrosion resistance, are not very tough, relatively speaking. Neither is S30V, but I believe it is tougher than the M390 family. I love M390 in folders, but the more I use my knives, the more I appreciate some added toughness. I hate sharpening out chips. Thus, I don't turn up my nose at S30V (or S35VN for that matter), and it will never deter me from buying a great design.
 
kniferbro said:
When I had the Caribbean one thing I did not like was when you squeezed the handle the pivot stiffened making it hard to flick it closed with the compression lock. Does the Kapara suffer from the same thing?
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I received my Kapara today and it didn't drop (or even flick) closed when I pressed the lock like my Golden comp locks do. I loosened the pivot screws just a tiny bit and now it's a free dropper. I've had the same experience with other Taichung models with comp locks.

On to your question. I didn't realize until I just tried it but if I squeeze hard enough I can create the situation you describe. I can do the same to a PM2 too though. Never felt the need to squeeze a knife that hard when closing it so I've never noticed it before. It won't be an issue for me because I find it awkward to pinch it that hard with my thumb and middle finger while using my index finger to work the lock.

It's a really nice knife!
 
Sharp Guy said:
I received my Kapara today and it didn't drop (or even flick) closed when I pressed the lock like my Golden comp locks do. I loosened the pivot screws just a tiny bit and now it's a free dropper. I've had the same experience with other Taichung models with comp locks.

On to your question. I didn't realize until I just tried it but if I squeeze hard enough I can create the situation you describe. I can do the same to a PM2 too though. Never felt the need to squeeze a knife that hard when closing it so I've never noticed it before. It won't be an issue for me because I find it awkward to pinch it that hard with my thumb and middle finger while using my index finger to work the lock.

It's a really nice knife!
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Yeah I didn't mean squeezing it that hard :p. But on my Caribbean it would be super smooth and free until I did the normal motion of closing a compression lock. It wouldn't be stiff, but would barely flick closed. If I used two hands, one to hold the butt of the handle and one to just pinch the compression lock (pointer on the lock, thumb on the edge of the scale right behind it), the knife would free drop. The pressure from my thumb in it's natural position would squeeze the pivot enough for it not to flick closed.
 
kniferbro said:
Yeah I didn't mean squeezing it that hard :p. But on my Caribbean it would be super smooth and free until I did the normal motion of closing a compression lock. It wouldn't be stiff, but would barely flick closed. If I used two hands, one to hold the butt of the handle and one to just pinch the compression lock (pointer on the lock, thumb on the edge of the scale right behind it), the knife would free drop. The pressure from my thumb in it's natural position would squeeze the pivot enough for it not to flick closed.
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I can't say for sure but I don't think you'll have a problem with the Kapara. The liners are fairly thick.
 
Got my Kapara today. Love the knife. Still hate compression locks. I can’t figure out why they are so popular. You are forced into a weak/tenuous grip position just to close the knife and it is the least friendly of all locks to left hand use. What am I missing here? Why not just stick with liner locks?
 
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Durham68 said:
....You are forced into a weak/tenuous grip position just to close the knife and it is the least friendly of all locks to left hand use. What am I missing here? Why not just stick with liner locks?
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Hold the knife basically how you'd hold it while using it. Push the lock bar with your thumb and let the blade fall so the forward part of the choil hits your finger. Always make sure your index finger is far enough forward so you don't get cut with the edge. You can do this with your right or left hand. This also works best if the blade can drop when the lock bar is depressed. So you may need to adjust the pivot a little.
 
^^^This. I’ts kind of a modified backlock technique. You just push your thumb sorta sideways into the lock, instead of straight down.

I’m a righty, but do this periodically when my index finger gets tired of doing it the “right” way.

 
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Those pics and videos are great, gosh she's a beauty. Come on sprint run, but please keep the CF!
 
Sharp Guy said:
Hold the knife basically how you'd hold it while using it. Push the lock bar with your thumb and let the blade fall so the forward part of the choil hits your finger. Always make sure your index finger is far enough forward so you don't get cut with the edge. You can do this with your right or left hand. This also works best if the blade can drop when the lock bar is depressed. So you may need to adjust the pivot a little.
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Thank you. Still not ideal, but I appreciate the alternative. The more I fiddle with it, the easier it gets but I still hate compression locks. My only other experience is with the Shaman and I don’t remember it being as difficult to disengage as this. Is the PM2 this difficult or is the Kapara the GB1 of compression locks?
 
The release of the lock on the Kapara Is very similar to the Sage 5 in that I have to keep my index finger directly opposed to side of my thumb while pressing the release tab left handed or my thumb directly opposed to my index finger while closing right handed. When closing left handed the choil will fall on your middle finger. I think the lighter build of the Sage 5 and Kapara make it a little less forgiving on finger placement. They seem to flex a little more. The more robust build of the PM2 make it much more forgiving.
 
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The super stiff lockbar on my Kapara is definitely tempering my excitement a little bit. It's basically the exact alternative to the PM2 I wanted, but the compression lock tension is super strong. The comparison between it and my P3 is dramatic, even though the liners are the same thickness. It's even pushing the Kapara blade off-center a bit.

Kind of curious why they were spec'd this way since it was designed as a knife to cut vegetables. Maximizing lock strength doesn't seem critical.
 
Sounds like some people need some tougher digits. The Taichung compression locks are not like the ones out of Golden. Use it and enjoy it, it’s a fantastic tool.
 
Got mine today. Fit and finish is excellent. The compression lock isn't as easy to press as it is on the PM2 oder Para 3, but it is ok. It's not too stiff, and it has zero lock stick. Maybe it gets easier after some use. Action is good. Spydieflick works perfect. Doesn't drop shut, but i think some use and pivot adjustment should do the trick.
The CF is also very nicely done. I like it more than the version Spyderco uses on the Sliverax.
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dropback said:
Got mine today. Fit and finish is excellent. The compression lock isn't as easy to press as it is on the PM2 oder Para 3, but it is ok. It's not too stiff, and it has zero lock stick. Maybe it gets easier after some use. Action is good. Spydieflick works perfect. Doesn't drop shut, but i think some use and pivot adjustment should do the trick.
The CF is also very nicely done. I like it more than the version Spyderco uses on the Sliverax.
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One YouTuber said he slightly loosened the pivot and produced a great drop-shut action with no blade play.
 
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Took a road trip to DLT today (Thanks @Jordan@DLT !!)to check this one out along with a number of others. Left with the Kapara. I'm pretty blown away by it at the moment and it is dangerously close to kicking the PM2 out of my collection. Taichung excellence.
 
Even the pivot design looks nice...looks like the Subvert pivot has a similar design.

Mr. Blonde's pic:
spyderco_amsterdammeet2018_natiamor_closed.jpg
 
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