Spyderco's Super IN HOUSE designs

Manix 2, Para 3, Tenacious... Some of my favorite spyderco knives, and some of my best period, designed by Sal and/or Eric. Although I have been wanting a small wharncliffe blade myself, being an electrician like Night Rider. I've used all my knives stripping cable, but a small (2 inch or less) wharncliffe would work a lot better than a big Manix blade!

Isn't there a dragonfly wharncliffe? I might have to look into that!

You know I'm a bit surprised at the super popular reception of the Para3. To me the blade is just a bit short for my purposes and I'm just pleased immensely with my Para2 models as well as my array of C-36 Military models.
But you know the old cliche "You Can't Knock Success">> and to my surprise it has taken off with a vigor that I never imagined. So yeah that's another one you could put in the success column. And the Manix models are also a home run over the center field wall as well.

Again I'm still amazed at how the Dodo took off in popularity with it's most most unique and in some respects and by all appearances a novelty design. But still has a design that turned out to be more practical and useful than I ever dreamed.
 
You know I'm a bit surprised at the super popular reception of the Para3. To me the blade is just a bit short for my purposes and I'm just pleased immensely with my Para2 models as well as my array of C-36 Military models.
But you know the old cliche "You Can't Knock Success">> and to my surprise it has taken off with a vigor that I never imagined. So yeah that's another one you could put in the success column. And the Manix models are also a home run over the center field wall as well.

Again I'm still amazed at how the Dodo took off in popularity with it's most most unique and in some respects and by all appearances a novelty design. But still has a design that turned out to be more practical and useful than I ever dreamed.

I haven't even touched a pm2 yet... But my para 3, to me, is the perfect size. Blade is plenty large enough for pretty much anything I need to do, I can get a four finger grip without the choil, and the action... How they get it to be so smooth, drop shut, and without bearings! No blade play! It's really a miracle, or just really good tolerances, and it's a steal at its price imo.

My Manix 2 as well (and my lightweight m2) are also drop shut smooth with no blade play. Incredible, solid knives.

One thing that got me was how people say a deep carry pocket clip is a requirement for the para 3...i don't find the stock clip a problem at all. Everyone is different I guess!

Haven't looked at a dodo... I'll have to look it up!
 
I haven't even touched a pm2 yet... But my para 3, to me, is the perfect size. Blade is plenty large enough for pretty much anything I need to do, I can get a four finger grip without the choil, and the action... How they get it to be so smooth, drop shut, and without bearings! No blade play! It's really a miracle, or just really good tolerances, and it's a steal at its price imo.

My Manix 2 as well (and my lightweight m2) are also drop shut smooth with no blade play. Incredible, solid knives.

One thing that got me was how people say a deep carry pocket clip is a requirement for the para 3...i don't find the stock clip a problem at all. Everyone is different I guess!

Haven't looked at a dodo... I'll have to look it up!

And Brother that's a great point you make. You're not the only one I've talked to that feels that way about the Para3 model. Here where I live in the Great State of Missouri we are blessed with a 4 inch blade length limit for folders so I get to take advantage of Spyderco's bigger blades for my every day EDC uses. And there have been more than a few times that my C-36 Military models have come in extremely handy. The same can be said when I've used one of my Para2 models to EDC.

And I will say that the Para3 is a nice looking, well made unit>> but in the same way as a "Ford vs Chevy" comparison I personally just find the C-36 Millie and Para2 to both work better for my chores. But you sure can't knock the success they are having with the Para3. OH and good luck finding a Dodo model with a decent price tag. I'm really disappointed that Spyderco doesn't bring them back for maybe like a year or so because there are a lot of latecomers to the party that would sure love a chance to own a Dodo

More than anything I'm hoping someday that they will also bring back the Spyderedged version of the Dodo. It is by far the best small blade, serrated knife I've ever had before.
 
And Brother that's a great point you make. You're not the only one I've talked to that feels that way about the Para3 model. Here where I live in the Great State of Missouri we are blessed with a 4 inch blade length limit for folders so I get to take advantage of Spyderco's bigger blades for my every day EDC uses. And there have been more than a few times that my C-36 Military models have come in extremely handy. The same can be said when I've used one of my Para2 models to EDC.

And I will say that the Para3 is a nice looking, well made unit>> but in the same way as a "Ford vs Chevy" comparison I personally just find the C-36 Millie and Para2 to both work better for my chores. But you sure can't knock the success they are having with the Para3. OH and good luck finding a Dodo model with a decent price tag. I'm really disappointed that Spyderco doesn't bring them back for maybe like a year or so because there are a lot of latecomers to the party that would sure love a chance to own a Dodo

More than anything I'm hoping someday that they will also bring back the Spyderedged version of the Dodo. It is by far the best small blade, serrated knife I've ever had before.

Man, I'm in Mississippi, also no limits on my knives! I've carried my resilience more than a few times. They come in handy that's for sure. I tend not to carry them at work though. I don't even think I'm supposed to have pocket knives at work honestly, but they are tools and I use them as such. I just use smaller ones to keep people from being too freaked out if they see one, although I do carry my Manix 2s on occasion... Haha!

And I looked up the dodo. What a funky design! Looks like a ton of fun to use! Won't be getting one though... The price thing!
 
Manix 2, Para 3, Tenacious... Some of my favorite spyderco knives, and some of my best period, designed by Sal and/or Eric. Although I have been wanting a small wharncliffe blade myself, being an electrician like Night Rider. I've used all my knives stripping cable, but a small (2 inch or less) wharncliffe would work a lot better than a big Manix blade!

Isn't there a dragonfly wharncliffe? I might have to look into that!
The Delica 4 Wharncliff comes in at 2.875'' and has become my favorite work knife to date and it completely disappears in my pocket Plus it has fantastic grip when my hands are wet or covered in wire pulling compound. It's a Must have if your a Delica fan IMO and Yes the Dragonfly come in a wharencliff style with a blade length of 2.28'' and $20 bucks cheaper.
 
Man, I'm in Mississippi, also no limits on my knives! I've carried my resilience more than a few times. They come in handy that's for sure. I tend not to carry them at work though. I don't even think I'm supposed to have pocket knives at work honestly, but they are tools and I use them as such. I just use smaller ones to keep people from being too freaked out if they see one, although I do carry my Manix 2s on occasion... Haha!

And I looked up the dodo. What a funky design! Looks like a ton of fun to use! Won't be getting one though... The price thing!

That's really cool you're from Mississippi because that's where all my mother's folks are from. I actually like it down there in the fall and winter ( not the summer though). All my cousins down there carry folders and fixed blades and they are all avid hunters and sportsmen. There are some really thick woods down there south of Jackson where all my relatives like>> close to Bay Spring, Laurel, Hattiesburg ect,.. Also it's interesting that you mention Eric Glessers great design of the MANIX models. A folder with a wide blade would work well down in that neck of the woods.

Also with the super humid environment that they have down there in the spring and summer all of the Spyderco Salt Series would work very well there. And I believe most of the Salt Series if not all in The SALT SERIES are In House Designs. Great Input so far guys and I love to hear which Spyderco In House designs you all like to use the most and what you like to use them for as well.
 
All my favorites are in house designs, except the Wegner (I wish that would come back in a back lock, in large and small). Sal and E Man know what they are doing.
 
All my favorites are in house designs, except the Wegner (I wish that would come back in a back lock, in large and small). Sal and E Man know what they are doing.
Another aspect of Spyderco's IN HOUSE designs are the historical significance of what models brought them to the big dance to begin with. Models like the POLICE, HARPY, ENDURA and DELICA for starters. And many of those models just won't die. Whereas Buck had their model 110 which helped to catapult them to a high status. To me it looks like Spyderco has at least a half a dozen models that you could say are their "model 110".

Oh I love several of the Spyderco collaborations and like I said earlier I literally idolize the C-60 Ayoob model and the JD Smith also. It was at least 3 collaborations that I literally cut my knife loving teeth on. But just look at the Calypso series for instance. They were all hits from what I can tell.
 
I, too, add my name to the list of people here whose favorite Spyderco knives are in-house designs.
 
I, too, add my name to the list of people here whose favorite Spyderco knives are in-house designs.

Cool!! Bill is there any particular models you like the best? Personally I have a great love of the TEMPERANCE fixed blade and Lil TEMPERANCE folders. Probably second in line would be all the models in the CALYPSO series. I'm taking it for granted that all of their Hawkbils must be IN HOUSE designs as well.
 
My wife has agreed to bury me with my favorite Military (S110V) and sell the rest....
Well Brother as a fellow Gold Member I do hope that event is decades away from now. And in the near future we'll see many more modified IN HOUSE designs and even newer/better designs on the horizon. On top of the huge selections of the current top notch designs that Spyderco has blessed us with. Not to mention the long parade of newer/better steels that Spyderco is richly blessing us with.
I also carry a C-36 Military as my main EDC and I used to think it to be a tad bit big for an EDC but once I did it for a while I really don't want anything else. I would go down to a Para 2 if I was in a location that had draconian knife and gun laws (GOD forbid!)>> but I've found the C-36 Military to be quite the tool the more I use it on a daily basis.
 
Cool!! Bill is there any particular models you like the best? Personally I have a great love of the TEMPERANCE fixed blade and Lil TEMPERANCE folders. Probably second in line would be all the models in the CALYPSO series. I'm taking it for granted that all of their Hawkbils must be IN HOUSE designs as well.
Hi JD,

I love the Temperance 2, the Delica, Stretch, PM2, Manix LW, and Matriarch.
 
I just received my new Respect Bowie... Wow! Such a beautiful design!

Sal is an artist at the peak of his talent with this blade!

This is one knife I will save for my grandson (If ever my children get around to giving me one... :()
 
I just received my new Respect Bowie... Wow! Such a beautiful design!

Sal is an artist at the peak of his talent with this blade!

This is one knife I will save for my grandson (If ever my children get around to giving me one... :()
Yeah I just responded to that thread on the RESPECT bowie. I had to sell my older Cold Steel TRAILMASTER bowie with Carbon V steel from about 2004 when I got it. I was going to replace it with another Cold Steel bowie. But after checking out this RESPECT bowie that problem is now solved and I'll be getting one of those instead. Needless to say I also like it better than the Cold Steel unit I just sold. It's a no-brainer for sure. Actually I'm looking forward to it.
 
For some weird reason, I like both the Military and the Para 3 MUCH more than the PM2. While the PM2 is a great knife, for some odd reason I've never really ' bonded' with mine.

Where I live, there doesn't seem to be any 3" limit on folding knife carry like in the cities of L.A. or San Francisco. I carry my Millie, but more often I end up carrying my Caribbean (approximately 3.5"), or 3" blades like the Para 3, D4, and/or Tasman Salt SE. Oftentimes the Millie is a bit more than I need for my normal EDc uses. Plus, the Caribbean has about an equal edge length as the Millie.

Jim
 
For some weird reason, I like both the Military and the Para 3 MUCH more than the PM2. While the PM2 is a great knife, for some odd reason I've never really ' bonded' with mine.

Where I live, there doesn't seem to be any 3" limit on folding knife carry like in the cities of L.A. or San Francisco. I carry my Millie, but more often I end up carrying my Caribbean (approximately 3.5"), or 3" blades like the Para 3, D4, and/or Tasman Salt SE. Oftentimes the Millie is a bit more than I need for my normal EDc uses. Plus, the Caribbean has about an equal edge length as the Millie.

Jim
Not every IN HOUSE Spyderco model is going to suit everyone's needs. But I've found that even what I perceive to be the worst IN HOUSE design model to be better than the best of many of their competitors. Jim I'm the same way with the Para3. The Para2 comes a lot closer to filling in for my M390 Military than anything else I own at this time>> Unless they would ever do another Sprint Run of the C-60 Ayoob with a newer/better blade steel.

But my love for Spyderco's great IN HOUSE designs goes deep. My favorite Spyderco fixed blade is still my two TEMPERANCE 1 models ( SE & PE). To me that fixed blade miracle design truly fulfills all my cutting needs for a fixed blade. Between those 2 and my older AUS-8 full SE Catcherman I can do just about all my kitchen/food chores with just those knives alone. I have a wide array of high end German and Japanese kitchen/culinary blades but yet I find myself using one of those IN HOUSE Spyderco classics instead most of the time.
 
Joe,
I like Spyderco's in-house designs much more than their custom collaborations. In fact, I think the only Spyderco custom collaboration I've actually owned was a Michael Walker lightweight many years ago. TBH, it was kind of a flimsy design.

I own more Spydercos (and Victorinox) products than any other company's, and except for the Michael Walker LWT, I believe all the rest are in-house designs. You're right, even if good, not all designs appeal to every person. But I love the purely functional considerations that go into all of Spyderco's in-house designs.

Jim
 
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Joe,
I like Spyderco's in-house designs much more than their custom collaborations. In fact, I think the only Spyderco custom collaboration I've actually owned was a Michael Walker lightweight many years ago. TBH, it was kind of a flimsy design.

I own more Spydercos (and Victorinox) products than any other company's, and except for the Michael Walker LWT, I believe all the rest are in-house designs. You're right, even if good, not all designs appeal to every person. But I love the purely functional considerations that go into all of Spyderco's in-house designs.

Jim
Jim it's interesting that you mention Spyderco & Victorinox>> because for many years now I've said that Spyderco is truly the best premium quality knife on the market and that Victorinox is truly the very best buy for your dollars spent. Oh for sure Spyderco is better overall but for the amount of money spent you can't beat Victorinox. Even Frost Mora isn'st as good of a deal as most Victorinox products are.

Now I do like a few of Spyderco's custom collaborations and some of them I like really well like the JD Smith, C-60 Ayoob and the C-57 Zowada models. But when you get into Spyderco's Calypso series it's just mind boggling how good all of those are. I just wish they still made some of those Calypso models in full SE like they used to. The old C-54 big Calypso model in full Spyderedge was one of the very best serrated blades I ever owned. I just find it kind of strange that Spyderco seems to be veering away from full Spyderedged units when that feature is really what made them the popular company that they are today.
 
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