Native Chief

D

DocT

Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
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The Native Chief is the most exciting knife that Spyderco has announced this year. It has all of the right stuff. Too often, with Spyderco, the knives are a mixed bag of mostly good, but one thing that I wish were different. This knife does not appear to have anything about it that I would like to change. I am so happy that Sal did away with the original concept and decided on FFG. That long, pointy tip, comfortable looking handle, linerless G10, and (very important) a back lock, make this a winning knife, especially for those of us with big hands.

It is not exactly a back lock Military, but it has things about it that I also love on the Military and has a better lock. I also like that there is no thumb ramp. This is a nice, elegant, sleek design.

What say you all?
 
It looks like it would make an excellent fishing knife.
It’s become cliche to say this recently, but I’d love it in LC200N.
 
DocT said:
The Native Chief is the most exciting knife that Spyderco has announced this year. It has all of the right stuff. Too often, with Spyderco, the knives are a mixed bag of mostly good, but one thing that I wish were different. This knife does not appear to have anything about it that I would like to change. I am so happy that Sal did away with the original concept and decided on FFG. That long, pointy tip, comfortable looking handle, linerless G10, and (very important) a back lock, make this a winning knife, especially for those of us with big hands.

It is not exactly a back lock Military, but it has things about it that I also love on the Military and has a better lock. I also like that there is no thumb ramp. This is a nice, elegant, sleek design.

What say you all?
Click to expand...

Well you asked: it has a better lock than the Military only in words. The back-lock pivot sits in pure G10 with zero additional reinforcement.

I wouldn't mind liner-less so much if the main and lock pivot areas would be steel re-inforced in the scales, like - for example - in the Manix LW. But there is nothing, just pivot steel sitting in G10. As I understand, the Native Chief is basically a stretched Manix Back-lock, which I didn't buy because of that, and the Native has a longer blade to boot. Ask yourself why the production sample video above features a chief with a blade that is off center ?

I'll skip the Chief. Which is annoying, I really like the design, and am a fan of most larger Spydercos. But I like to use them, and don't want to have to recenter a blade after - say - sitting on the knife in my back-pocket, accidentally.

Roland.
 
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ferider said:
Ask yourself why the production sample video above features a chief with a blade that is off center ?
Click to expand...

Dunno, but linerless works for Cold Steel and their marketing emphasizes the strength and reliability (of the Tri-Ad lock). Haven't heard any complaints either.
So if linerless works for them it should also work with a standard back lock. The Manix 2 back lock was a beast.
Hell, there are linerless FRN knives and those are ok too.
 
It really depends on the implementation. For instance, for me, left good, right not so much:

Lightweight-X3.jpg
 
ferider said:
It really depends on the implementation. For instance, for me, left good, right not so much:

Lightweight-X3.jpg
Click to expand...

I don't understand why you consider the LW Good! as opposed to ??? for the OG Manix?

metal to bronze better than bronze to G10 around pivot, perhaps? If so, why?, please elaborate...
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
I don't understand why you consider the LW Good! as opposed to ??? for the OG Manix?

metal to bronze better than bronze to G10 around pivot, perhaps? If so, why?, please elaborate...
Click to expand...

The two steel washers in the LW Manix pic above are riveted to the back-spacer / lock. So basically the Pivot sits in miniature steel liners. Maybe I shouldn't have said "Good", but "Better" than on the RHS backlock Manix, where the Pivot sits in G10. Of course I prefer the steel liners of the non-LW Manix 2, or of the 80mm Manix - if you want a back-lock. But again, all that is personal.
 
I'd have to see/feel it 1st but I specifically collect long bladed Spydercos, so I'm more likely to buy than not to buy the Native Chief, if/when it is released.
 
ferider said:
The two steel washers in the LW Manix pic above are riveted to the back-spacer / lock. So basically the Pivot sits in miniature steel liners. Maybe I shouldn't have said "Good", but "Better" than on the RHS backlock Manix, where the Pivot sits in G10. Of course I prefer the steel liners of the non-LW Manix 2, or of the 80mm Manix - if you want a back-lock. But again, all that is personal.
Click to expand...

Truly not trying to be a smart a--, but I'm not clear on where you're claiming an advantage...

is the advantage in smoothness or strength or some other area?
 
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