- Joined
- Jan 28, 2001
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Hey guys, I picked up my first Chinese made Spyderco and Byrd knives and thought I'd share some quick impressions.
First to arrive was a Spyderco Tenacious from the good folks at Bayou Lafourche Knifeworks. Right out of the box, all I could say was WOW! This knife has better fit and finish than some higher dollar American made knives I've seen. Were it not for the China stamp on the blade, one could easily assume this Spyderco was made in Seki, Japan. It's that good. The blade locks up securely with no play any direction and the 8Cr13Mov (god, I wish this steel had shorter name) blade came shaving sharp. Out of the box, the blade was off center when closed, but a couple of pivot adjustments centered it nicely into the handle. The G-10 scales are have a nice feel, although not quite as nice as the G-10 found on Golden, Colorado Spydies like the Military, etc. I love the flat ground blade as well as it's shape and the handle ergonomics are spot on. Combined with the 4-way clip, this knife has everything that it's direct competitor (the Benchmade Vex) lacks. I like the BM Vex and think it's a good value for the money, but I like the Spyderco Tenacious better. One word of warning. Be mindful to get your thumb out of the way when closing the Tenacious as there is no choil or ricasso exposed enough to prevent from accidentally cutting yourself as I did. This is one sharp bug!
Overall, I am really impressed with the Spyderco Tenacious and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable well crafted knife.
The second knife I got over the weekend was the Byrd Raven. After reading some comments on Byrds, I decided to buy a Raven at a local military outfitter in my area. It's a good looking folder and has a nice heft to it due to it's steel liners and aluminum scales. I think the feather pattern on the scales looks cool, but they are a bit slippery. I would have preferred FRN scales on this particular model, but the ergonomics are good. I would assume that the scales on the G-10 version allow for a nicer grip. The blade came sharp out of the box although it lacks the nicer polish of the Tenacious. Also, my sample has a slightly rounded tip. The comet hole is interesting to look at and allow for easy one hand opening but the edges around the hole are a little rough. I really like the clip and it's black oxide coating. I wish Spyderco would offer black oxide clips instead of the current ones which loose their finish rather quickly. It's no big deal since I like polished clips too, but if I had to have a blackened clip, I'd want it to be like the clips on the Raven and old Benchmade models. I did notice that the blade on my Raven is way off center when closed. Not a big issue considering it's a $25-$30 knife, but it leans really close toward the side of the right scale. In fact, when I first got the knife out of the box, the blade's tension was so loose that the blade actually rubbed against the liner. I've tried to center the blade in the handle somewhat by adjusting the pivot, but so far have had no success. It still leans really close to the liner and looks a bit daft, but certainly doesn't affect the knife's utility. Lockup was kind of sticky at first, but is now smooth and secure after a couple of drops of Rem-Oil. Despite it's minor rough spots here and there, I really like the Raven and will probably get another in G-10.
First to arrive was a Spyderco Tenacious from the good folks at Bayou Lafourche Knifeworks. Right out of the box, all I could say was WOW! This knife has better fit and finish than some higher dollar American made knives I've seen. Were it not for the China stamp on the blade, one could easily assume this Spyderco was made in Seki, Japan. It's that good. The blade locks up securely with no play any direction and the 8Cr13Mov (god, I wish this steel had shorter name) blade came shaving sharp. Out of the box, the blade was off center when closed, but a couple of pivot adjustments centered it nicely into the handle. The G-10 scales are have a nice feel, although not quite as nice as the G-10 found on Golden, Colorado Spydies like the Military, etc. I love the flat ground blade as well as it's shape and the handle ergonomics are spot on. Combined with the 4-way clip, this knife has everything that it's direct competitor (the Benchmade Vex) lacks. I like the BM Vex and think it's a good value for the money, but I like the Spyderco Tenacious better. One word of warning. Be mindful to get your thumb out of the way when closing the Tenacious as there is no choil or ricasso exposed enough to prevent from accidentally cutting yourself as I did. This is one sharp bug!
Overall, I am really impressed with the Spyderco Tenacious and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable well crafted knife.The second knife I got over the weekend was the Byrd Raven. After reading some comments on Byrds, I decided to buy a Raven at a local military outfitter in my area. It's a good looking folder and has a nice heft to it due to it's steel liners and aluminum scales. I think the feather pattern on the scales looks cool, but they are a bit slippery. I would have preferred FRN scales on this particular model, but the ergonomics are good. I would assume that the scales on the G-10 version allow for a nicer grip. The blade came sharp out of the box although it lacks the nicer polish of the Tenacious. Also, my sample has a slightly rounded tip. The comet hole is interesting to look at and allow for easy one hand opening but the edges around the hole are a little rough. I really like the clip and it's black oxide coating. I wish Spyderco would offer black oxide clips instead of the current ones which loose their finish rather quickly. It's no big deal since I like polished clips too, but if I had to have a blackened clip, I'd want it to be like the clips on the Raven and old Benchmade models. I did notice that the blade on my Raven is way off center when closed. Not a big issue considering it's a $25-$30 knife, but it leans really close toward the side of the right scale. In fact, when I first got the knife out of the box, the blade's tension was so loose that the blade actually rubbed against the liner. I've tried to center the blade in the handle somewhat by adjusting the pivot, but so far have had no success. It still leans really close to the liner and looks a bit daft, but certainly doesn't affect the knife's utility. Lockup was kind of sticky at first, but is now smooth and secure after a couple of drops of Rem-Oil. Despite it's minor rough spots here and there, I really like the Raven and will probably get another in G-10.
