Spyderco Swayback (10 min to 10 weeks)

Yep, got mine today as well! Real slick, action is super smooth. Whole knife just oozes quality.
 
I owe this thread a 2 week update.

By the end of day #1 I had been fiddling with it for hours. I was frustrated and my finger was sore. I put the knife away and didn’t touch it for two days. My thumb needed a rest! I even drafted a sales post.

I eased back into the knife and developed some technique over a few days. Now It’s a keeper and I really like the knife.

Maybe I just have fat fingers or maybe my knife has a particularly poppy detent, but I’m glad I didn’t give up.

It’s going to share EDC duties through the summer with my ZT 0900 (unbeatable fidget factor).

I still think it would be a better knife with a bit more access cutout, but the quality is impeccable, it cuts like crazy, and it’s unique to my collection.

 
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I'm half tempted to pick one up and further half tempted to DIY a little access to the thumb hole. I guess that only makes me one quarter tempted. Looks like a fantastic knife, but it's bumping into a price range that small things that would bug me are multiplied out of proportion.
 
I’ve found that the first few minutes of opening it wasn’t as easy as the PM2 I’m used to but after carrying it a day I was able to open it with ease. It’s just development of different motor functions... more an outward angle than straight forward like some other Spydercos. The swayback is one of the best “cutting” knives Spyderco has IMHO.
 
I have found that opening it is much easier if you brace your fingers against the pocket clip, which is resting on the frame so there is no pressure on the lockbar. That keeps finger pressure on the lockbar from interfering with opening and closing.
 
UPDATE

With one or two brief exceptions, the Swayback has been my EDC for ~10 straight weeks. I’ve grown quite fond of it.



I added a MXG Gear pocket clip which I feel suits the knife perfectly. I very much like how the Swayback slides in & out of pocket without the encumbrance of grippy Scale texture.

I disassembled the knife for cleaning when the internals became packed with table salt (boring story). On reassembly, everything centered fine but getting the pivot tension set perfectly was a bit tedious (I get OCD about that so it’s not unusual). The pivot is keyed but not the barrel spacers.



I’m well accustomed to opening the knife now. It’s a brainstem reflex; not necessarily “easy,” but no big deal. The way it pops out is kind of a gratifying process.

I still love the blade & its performance. I still love the knife’s styling & build quality. Most importantly, I still think it’s cool every time it comes out of my pocket.



It hasn’t displaced my first or second favorite Spyderco (Southard & Hungarian), but it falls safely into third place, slightly ahead of the Spydiechef & Kapara. High praise IMO.



The Swayback is no stranger to Exchange sales. Heck, I contemplated selling mine! It’s not the perfect knife*. But after 9-weeks I consider it a MUST BUY if:
1. Your a Spyderco fan (fanboyism not required).
2. You often find the idiosyncrasies/nuances of non-evergreen models endearing.
3. You’re willing to, if necessary, develop the knack for deploying it.


One final gratuitous comparison pic.



I kinda have to admit that in hand, the Swayback makes the Umnumzaan feel a bit blocky and cumbersome for my EDC purposes. The Lg CF Inkosi? Well...it just might be perfect knife I alluded to up above*.
 
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