Spydie Drop

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AlphaBrass01

Joined
Jul 18, 2003
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hey everybody - i just bought a new endura and have heard a lot from people regarding the 'drop' method of opening a spyderco knife. how is this done? is it tough, or relatively simple. I'm just interested in learning to open it quickly - the knife is mainly for utility use, but i enjoy the looks it gets when it comes out fast. thanks.
 
Normally, you hold on to the handle and flick the blade open...the Spydie drop is the opposite...you hold on to the Spyderhole (blade tip-up) and flick the knife so that the handle flies downward. This works very well out of a neck sheath...you can yank the knife out of the sheath and flick it open in one continuous motion (I carry an Ayoob this way)...here's Mike Sastre of River City Sheaths modelling such a setup

MikeandSouthern.jpg


Just grab the hole and yank...voila!

RL
 
i believe its done by holding the hole with the thumb and the first finger and flicking the handle into the palm of your hand. if this is right, then it only works well the the heavy handled knives. which endura do you have?


Edited to add: ah, it looks like RL beat me to it. it seems i was right..:)
 
The Spydie drop is also a GOOD way to make your Spydie go flying across the room, or to have it smash onto the floor.:D.

Use your thumb, and the hole...It's alot safer, and just as fast (if not faster).
 
If you practice flicking open your knives, make sure you have a lanyard, basically it's a loop of rope that's tied around the hole in the handle, and you slip that rope in your hand.
I was practicing flicking when it slipped and slightly jabbed into my leg. Good thing it didn't go far.
 
why is it called the spydie drop ? I seen this method way way back like in late 80s . I first seen it done with a buck 110 :)or maybe it was a sharade I forget . One of the 2
 
Who knows. It can be done with most any knife. Probably just easier with a Spydie cause of the hole? Idk, I'm not a flicker. You said late "80's though. Spyderco has been around since 81 I beleive.
-Kevin
 
This has been done long before Spyderco, if I remember correctly I saw it in Ken Warner´s book in the 70´s.
 
It's called the Spyderdrop etc. because it works on light or heavy handled Spydercos. The hole makes it easier. A Spyderco doesn't need a heavy handle. The heavy handle helps you "drop flick" a Buck 110 open or other supposedly non-one hand opening knives.

With a FRN or any spyderco, you can flick it downwards with a loose thumb/finger grip, it gains enough speed so you squeeze thumg/finger and the rotation stops with enough centrifigal force to flick the handle down and open. This leaves the knife open, locked, with the handle in your palm. I think it works best with tip up configurations, such as the Starmate. It doesn't work very well or at all with some thumbstud knives. I've never tried it with a disk.
 
It's simple. You can drop-open any knife that has two basic properties:

1. Enough purchase on the blade (in the closed position) to grab it with your thumb and index finger.

2. Has enough weight in the handle to defeat whatever friction is generated by the pivot and/or locking system.


The "Spyderdrop" has been around pretty much since 1981. Those heavy stainless handles + the hole made for an ideal way to do this.

The hole (especially on a large model like the Military) makes an ideal and quite secure grip - much better than on a say a Buck 110.

I have to disagree with Dan (glockmann 99) - I have never had a problem losing a knife while drop-opening it.

BTW, it is pretty easy to open a lot of knives this way, I can easily drop-open my Mnandi.

You can find a number of threads on BF where there are debates about Automatics vs. "The Wave" vs. Spyderdrop as to which is the fastest method.

I have never tried a waved Emerson, so I can't comment there.

But I guarantee that the Spyderdrop (with practice) is faster deployment than any auto I have handled.
 
Autos really aren't that fast at speed of presentation unless one has a disability and can't/doesn't have use of all their digits or have problems with manual dexterity.

Never met an auto yet thats as fast as my manual "pop".

Brownie
 
Originally posted by Architect
...I have to disagree with Dann (glockman99) - I have never had a problem losing a knife while drop-opening it...
Click to expand...
There's always a first time for just about everything.:D.
 
Well...no need for redundancy, so I won't repeat the technique, although I would like to mention that the "Spydie Drop, New York Drop, Biker Drop..note the word DROP) is best suited to tip down carry knives, as opposed to tip up, like I tend to recall most Spydie Enduras and Delicas to be.

If yer interested in the speedier openings with that one there's a few other options open that may be worth investigating.

#1 dig out the dremel tool and cut yerself a wave style latch into the opening (ya' might wanna perform a search for specific methods) (most folks cut into the hole, although I tend to recall "Satin" made one without doing that by cutting a "V" right about parallel to the hole in order to preserve it)

Bad part is that it is permanent, easy to screw up making, and easy to screw up your clothes with. Oh yeah, and if aesthetics mean anything to you, it tends to make yer knife pretty ugly.

Another thought is to do what my wife did with her Delica and put about three or four small zip ties through the top of the opening hole. It has a very "wave like" effect, and is very darn quick. Best part is that it's non-permanent, and if it looks like hell you can clip them back off. I've been carrying my Axis AFCK and my large Ascent this way for about a year or so, and love it. I actually find it better than the wave in that I can draw straight up and open the knives, and don't need to make a rearward motion to make the hook catch.

Lastly is the "Brownie Pop" or the other slightly modified variations of it that most of us have been playing around with for years. I'm not even remotely close to giving up my Emersons and other "wave-able" knives, for it, but...it is reasonably quick...quicker than most _______drop openings, and much more secure for the sake of knife retention.

Bear in mind, it's all pretty much a matter of individual preference. have fun, eh?
 
glockman99 has the right idea. If it can happen it will eventually.

I've almost lost a few between the fingers myself but I've seen many lose the spyder drop from Sastre neck sheaths while attempting it and throw the knife a good distance.

Now if we could only develop a technique for dropping an Endura from a River City concealex neck sheath and throw it into the target on purpose right from the draw stroke.

I may have to start playing with that idea. I have a defanged Endura thats was given to me by Sastre years ago, maybe throw it into some large cardboard hung up with a blanket under it so the misses don't muck up the trainer.

uuuuuMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brownie
 
Key to not loosing your knife doing the "Drop" is to hold the blade by firmly pinching thumb and forefinger through the hole. Keyword firmly.
 
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