I really wanted a Spyderco and the brown handled Tenacious with black blade looked awesome. It really fit my budget, however the steel doesn't seem to be great and is sometimes frowned upon. Be that as it may, when reading about it, it doesn't seem to fare any worse than my buck knives in 420hc or my Mora in 12c27. So what do you think?
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Spyderco Spyderco Tenacious and 8cr13mov steel quality?
- Thread starter Hjalmar69
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- Nov 7, 2015
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For the average knife user, I don't feel that differences between a good utilitarian steel and the new super steels warrants the price difference. That difference is sometimes a factor of 3x or more in price. If money is not a consideration, by all means go for the super steel versions....they will hold an edge longer. But if budget is an issue, none of the major knife makers, including Spyderco, are using steels that would be considered "poor quality". Their public image is all important, and they simply aren't going to put out junk with their logo on it.
jmh33
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I have told this story before..
Back about 5yrs ago I had the flat roof on my 30X30 garage replace with a peaked roof.. A friend and his crew did the job so I worked along.. I had just got a Tenacious so I decided I would use that instead of a utility knife.. So after a week of scoring shingles, aluminum, cutting shipping straps, plastic, cardboard and probably a few other things I forgot..The knife was still cutting fine.. Started with the factory edge and did not touch it all, all week..
So for those out there that think 8cr13Mov is low end steel.. I beg to differ.. First hand experience and no BS..
John
Back about 5yrs ago I had the flat roof on my 30X30 garage replace with a peaked roof.. A friend and his crew did the job so I worked along.. I had just got a Tenacious so I decided I would use that instead of a utility knife.. So after a week of scoring shingles, aluminum, cutting shipping straps, plastic, cardboard and probably a few other things I forgot..The knife was still cutting fine.. Started with the factory edge and did not touch it all, all week..
So for those out there that think 8cr13Mov is low end steel.. I beg to differ.. First hand experience and no BS..
John
RousingRabbles
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It likely won’t fair any worse than a Mora or Buck with edge retention. All three steels have decent edge retention, and are easy to sharpen to a fine edge. For the majority of daily tasks people use their knife for 8cr13mov should do just fine for days or weeks without needing to be touched up. If it’s right for your budget and you like it, then I’d say go for it. But if you’d rather have a “higher grade” steel for the money check out Kizer, civivi, or QSP. All three make exceptional knives for the price
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My main EDC is a Resilience lightweight with 8Cr13MoV. I have reground it thin to nearly a zero edge. It holds a fine edge for me, and when it starts to slow down, I just touch it to the ceramic rods and we're back at it. Low wear resistance steels are by no means bad, as long as a person has a basic understanding of stropping, honing and sharpening, and the willingness to do it a little more frequently than with higher wear resistance steels. And 8Cr takes a screaming sharp edge, especially once reground as I have done to mine. That being said, I was trying to hold out for the S35VN Resilience, more because of the color than the steel, since I am happy to strop and hone throughout my work.
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- Apr 15, 2002
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I carry a tenacious daily that I got at Christmas but it is by no means my first experience with 8CR. Spyderco’s treatment of this steel is first rate. I used a Byrd Rescue as a commercial tug boat crewman for about 2 years until I lost it and a Byrd Cara Cara Rescue for 6-7 years after that. You will need to touch it up more frequently but it is easy to resharpen with little effort and conventional sharpening equipment.
The fit and finish of the Tenacious better than most knives in this price range. It is a cost effective entry level spyderco and a popular choice among law enforcement professionals due to its low cost and nearly ubiquitous availability.
Mine opens smoothly and locks up solid with no blade play. It came hair shaving sharp and it still has its factory edge around a month later.
The steel is comparable to AUS-8 but I have found AUS-8 has the edge in corrosion resistance over 8CR. Performance wise they both take a very sharp edge with little effort and hold it for an acceptable amount of time.
And with the Tenacious you get Spyderco quality in an inexpensive, easy to replace and highly utilitarian package.
The fit and finish of the Tenacious better than most knives in this price range. It is a cost effective entry level spyderco and a popular choice among law enforcement professionals due to its low cost and nearly ubiquitous availability.
Mine opens smoothly and locks up solid with no blade play. It came hair shaving sharp and it still has its factory edge around a month later.
The steel is comparable to AUS-8 but I have found AUS-8 has the edge in corrosion resistance over 8CR. Performance wise they both take a very sharp edge with little effort and hold it for an acceptable amount of time.
And with the Tenacious you get Spyderco quality in an inexpensive, easy to replace and highly utilitarian package.
- Joined
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I did not mention in my last post that my Tenacious has a black blade. Of all the knives I have used with 8CR they all experienced rusting (I work on salt water) issues. The black coating on a Byrd Raven seemed to prevent it for a time vs the satin finished blades. My all steel Byrd Pelican rusted shut. My Byrd Rescues both experienced corrosion especially if I kept the edge rough.
Three early era Byrd folders exhibited what appeared to be fractures in the blade, including a Meadowlark Rescue that I never actually used. The crack on that particular knife extends from the edge to the opening hole and rendered the knife unsafe in my opinion.
They all experienced minor edge chipping but were easily repaired.
I am not sure if Byrd knives are manufactured in a different factory using a different heat treat than the Value Spyderco models which would account for the variability of toughness/brittleness I experienced in the Byrd knives but have yet to observe in the Tenacious.
I usually prefer non coated blades but i think the coating will increase the longevity of this knife especially to minimize corrosion.
I have had catastrophic failures due to rust (most memorably a Queen Mountain Man slip joint in D2, which had a pinpoint of rust on the back spring that led to it snapping.)
I find the edge holding of 8CR superior to H1 but the corrosion resistance inferior to another comparable steel- 420HC ( a Buck Bantam which I carried and used for 3-4 years)
As this knife was a gift, I carry it every day and will most likely do so for several years.
Depending on what you intend to use the knife for, 8CR is a very good entry level steel if you keep in mind its limitations vs cost and the Tenacious is still one of the best bang for buck knives on the market.
Three early era Byrd folders exhibited what appeared to be fractures in the blade, including a Meadowlark Rescue that I never actually used. The crack on that particular knife extends from the edge to the opening hole and rendered the knife unsafe in my opinion.
They all experienced minor edge chipping but were easily repaired.
I am not sure if Byrd knives are manufactured in a different factory using a different heat treat than the Value Spyderco models which would account for the variability of toughness/brittleness I experienced in the Byrd knives but have yet to observe in the Tenacious.
I usually prefer non coated blades but i think the coating will increase the longevity of this knife especially to minimize corrosion.
I have had catastrophic failures due to rust (most memorably a Queen Mountain Man slip joint in D2, which had a pinpoint of rust on the back spring that led to it snapping.)
I find the edge holding of 8CR superior to H1 but the corrosion resistance inferior to another comparable steel- 420HC ( a Buck Bantam which I carried and used for 3-4 years)
As this knife was a gift, I carry it every day and will most likely do so for several years.
Depending on what you intend to use the knife for, 8CR is a very good entry level steel if you keep in mind its limitations vs cost and the Tenacious is still one of the best bang for buck knives on the market.
Last edited:
Chronovore
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- Aug 29, 2019
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Spyderco's 8Cr13Mov is near the top of the class for 8Cr13Mov but that's not really saying much. The performance of this steel just isn't great relative to better budget steels such as 9Cr18Mov, 14C28N, or D2. People sometimes praise it for being quick or easy to sharpen to a good fine edge. While it can hold on to a ho-hum working edge for a while, it loses that impressive fine edge fairly quickly. I think that's a big part of the hate for this steel.
In the specific case of Spyderco, a big issue is price. You can get lots of knives in 8Cr13Mov for half as much or less. With so many companies offering better budget steels for less, that 8Cr13Mov sticks out like a sore thumb. Compare it to a Civivi or Sencut knife in 9Cr18Mov. It's much better steel with an exceptional heat treatment, in a quality knife with great action, for around $40.
In the specific case of Spyderco, a big issue is price. You can get lots of knives in 8Cr13Mov for half as much or less. With so many companies offering better budget steels for less, that 8Cr13Mov sticks out like a sore thumb. Compare it to a Civivi or Sencut knife in 9Cr18Mov. It's much better steel with an exceptional heat treatment, in a quality knife with great action, for around $40.