Spyderco's First Traditional Knife

Hey Ace, how come you don't know what a half stop is??? Oh wait, I see it now, you're from Brooklyn.:D
 
The indents are an interesting alternative to nail nicks, but many traditionals with sheepsfoot or Wharncliffe blades can be pinched open without resorting to a nick.

A better approach might have been a more conventional sheepsfoot with an easy open notch in the handle, which would allowed dispensing with that unsightly bulge at the top.

IMHO Spyderco has merely reinvented the wheel here. Look at a GEC #15 Boy's Knife with a sheepsfoot blade for comparison. This is certainly a perfectly serviceable knife but it's not really any improvement over 100+ year old designs. Its notable improvements are the result of superior materials and manufacture, not design.
 
There is that choil...something the GEC doesn't have but many Spydercos do have.

And, if I'm not mistaken, it's not really a traditional slipjoint design. I think the Roadie is kinda like a normal slipjoint but has notches so the blade is almost, but not quite, locked into the open position. Another design feature Spyderco has used before.
 
The looks of it is a total turn off and when I think traditional this doesn't come to mind. Its always nice to see spyderco trying different things but I'll set this one out.
 


[video=youtube;IVvkjuEAwgU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVvkjuEAwgU[/video][/QUOTE]

Knife Crazied said:
The looks of it is a total turn off and when I think traditional this doesn't come to mind. Its always nice to see spyderco trying different things but I'll set this one out.
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Looks like something I would I might throw in the bottom of my tool box. But knowing Spyderco, I'm sure it's priced way beyond what I would want to pay, so No Thanks. About as traditional as a sheet rock knife.
 
NMpops said:
Looks like something I would I might throw in the bottom of my tool box. But knowing Spyderco, I'm sure it's priced way beyond what I would want to pay, so No Thanks. About as traditional as a sheet rock knife.
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Isn't a sheet rock knife pretty traditional?

Purpose built and designed, traditional materials, older steels.
 
SCWillson said:
The indents are an interesting alternative to nail nicks, but many traditionals with sheepsfoot or Wharncliffe blades can be pinched open without resorting to a nick.

A better approach might have been a more conventional sheepsfoot with an easy open notch in the handle, which would allowed dispensing with that unsightly bulge at the top.

IMHO Spyderco has merely reinvented the wheel here. Look at a GEC #15 Boy's Knife with a sheepsfoot blade for comparison. This is certainly a perfectly serviceable knife but it's not really any improvement over 100+ year old designs. Its notable improvements are the result of superior materials and manufacture, not design.
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Superior materials, manufacture, and design, are the hallmark of all Spyderco's, and the Roadie does not disappoint.
 
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I've been really wanting a pic with some stuff to show size. In hand would be good too.
 
Alnamvet68 said:
Superior materials and manufacture, not design, are the hallmark of all Spyderco's, and the Roadie does not disappoint.
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I suspect Sal would disagree. While certainly their materials and manufacture are top-notch, it is their design that has made them a stand-out brand. They are designed for functionality, not looks, and that is precisely what makes them superior to 95% of other knife manufacturers.

The Roadie is undoubtedly a perfectly serviceable knife, but IMO it fails to provide anything significantly better design-wise than century-old designs. That's OK, it won't stop me from buying new Spydercos in the future. They are still my favorite modern (non-traditional) knife manufacturer. I just won't be buying one of these.
 
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Seeing pictures that put the size of the knife in perspective makes the knife look way better. Odd. The close up pics without any size reference don't do any justice to the knife. Looking at it in hand makes it look pretty good, IMO, especially with the specific purpose for which the knife was built in mind.
 
:eek: That is much smaller than I thought it would be
Damn, I hoped it would be around UKPK size
 
SCWillson said:
I suspect Sal would disagree. While certainly their materials and manufacture are top-notch, it is their design that has made them a stand-out brand. They are designed for functionality, not looks, and that is precisely what makes them superior to 95% of other knife manufacturers.

The Roadie is undoubtedly a perfectly serviceable knife, but IMO it fails to provide anything significantly better design-wise than century-old designs. That's OK, it won't stop me from buying new Spydercos in the future. They are still my favorite modern (non-traditional) knife manufacturer. I just won't be buying one of these.
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I disagree as well...I don't know what I was thinking when I typed that.:confused:
 
The design is not for me personally, but I admire Spyderco for pushing the envelope and trying something new.

Bravo!
 
Alnamvet68 said:
It's been that way for me for every Spyderco I have...it was definitely not love at first bite; after a while, it would start to sink in the rationale for the designs, and that's when I was able to take an objective view. Unfortunately, I never could take to the PM2. I have two orange ones in the safe, but I have always felt they were just too big. I often think how neat it would be to have a Paramilitary in a 3.75" closed length (call it the PM Jr or the Midshipman); I am a big fan of folders that are at least 3.5" to 3.95" closed, but the Dragonfly at 3.1" feels just perfect with the choil. I'm sure the Roadie will not disappoint, even at 2.99".
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i love my pm2s but agree and assume that a smaller version would be their hottest selling knife.

the paramilitary is what i consider the perfect medium sized folder but many ppl do prefer smaller versions of their fav knives...

also, i believe premium offerings of their value folders would fly off the shelves as well.

particularly a tenacious with s30v.

i'm not the first to say it :)
 
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