Talk me into a Chaparral LW

on_the_edge

on_the_edge

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I have never handled a Chaparral, but looking at the specs, it seems to be dimensionally close to some other knives I have, like the Caly 3 and Caly Jr. I don't mind FRN and do like thin, slicey blades, but am wondering if the Chaparral offers anything that I might be overlooking. Anybody have a Chaparral LW and a Caly Jr. that can compare the two a little bit--likes and dislikes of both?
 
I don’t have a Caly Jr for comparison, so I can’t quite answer your question, but the LW Chap is an awesome knife. Slimmer than a Dragonfly with slightly more hand-filling ergos, and the blade... an absolutely wicked slicer. I do prefer the slightly heavier CF version, as I generally like a decent heft to my knives, but the lightweight is a real winner. If you’re curious about it, I’d say go for it.
 
I know the FRN Chap is popular but I didn't like it. I thought the scales were too thin. Generally I like FRN. I've handled others versions of the Chap and they're great.
 
The only aspect I don’t care for is the screw positioning on the clip; it’s a little too far back for proper leverage. I got a new cherry picked one after sending one in for a clip repair. So I’ve had experience with two of them now.

If you can accept the wire clip setup on the is one, you will enjoy one of the nicest small locking folders out there.

Super thin CTS-XHP done by Spyderco. It’s a wicked little pocket buddy. Currently I only carry it when flying, im a big knife EDC kinda guy FWIW.
 
Love my chap. Dont have a caly but the chap is great for edc here in az wearing shorts year round. As others have said very good slicer. Only downfall is it is not fidget friendly. I can one hand open and close mine but its an effort to do so. On the other hand mine has rock solid lock up that belies its size and weight. It is a knife you truly dont notice you have on you and when I do wear jeans it fits perfect in the coin pocket.
 
The Chap LW is much thinner than the Caly Jr. The other thing you won’t see by by reading specs is the fit & finish. I have FRN Spyderco’s from Taiwan, US, and Japan, and Taiwan’s fit & finish is above the others. The FRN on the Chap LW (Taiwan factory) feels denser/better and everything else about it just feels superior. The Chap LW is my favorite Spyderco. ;)
 
To me the FRN on Chap feels the same as Seki line Endura, Delica, Stretch, etc. except it's thinner.
 
I only have the carbon fiber Chap. It's a fine knife, carries great (I removed the clip), and is some of the thinnest blade stock you can get from Spyderco. Yet I find it...uninspiring for some reason. Just kind of blah. Not sure why really, but mine rarely gets picked up anymore now that I think about it. Might have something to do with the light close bias. Not a lot of snap.
 
I have a brand new Raffir Noble Chap LW. It's a beautiful knife, but it's nearly impossible to close the knife once it's open.
The backlock is rather narrow, compared to other Spydie backlocks, and means that you get a sore thumb when trying to operate this knife. Spyderco says that it will NOT wear in and get easier to operate...I might have to return it for a refund.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I have a brand new Raffir Noble Chap LW. It's a beautiful knife, but it's nearly impossible to close the knife once it's open.
The backlock is rather narrow, compared to other Spydie backlocks, and means that you get a sore thumb when trying to operate this knife. Spyderco says that it will NOT wear in and get easier to operate...I might have to return it for a refund.
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I just got an FRN and it did break in and become easier. I left it halfway opened over night and worked it a few hundred times (with s pen), and it’s about perfect now. I love it. I do believe they recently made a change with FRN models to make the spring softer, and I wouldn’t have wanted mine stiffer out of the box. Really good knife, the only lock back that has really grown on me. I carry it when in a suit and when in gym shorts. You can workout with it and not even know it’s there.
 
I own both a Caly 3 and a Chaparral LW. The ergonomics on the Caly 3 are better for my L size hand, but I carry the Chaparral LW more. Super slicey thin blade of CTS-XHP steel that is light & thin enough you don't feel it in your pocket. Makes for a great work EDC. About the only criticism is that the lockbar requires more force to disengage.
 
Halfneck said:
I own both a Caly 3 and a Chaparral LW. The ergonomics on the Caly 3 are better for my L size hand, but I carry the Chaparral LW more. Super slicey thin blade of CTS-XHP steel that is light & thin enough you don't feel it in your pocket. Makes for a great work EDC. About the only criticism is that the lockbar requires more force to disengage.
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I was wondering if that flat bottomed lock-well effected disengagement.
 
5-by-5 said:
I was wondering if that flat bottomed lock-well effected disengagement.
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It is noticeable, and I expect for some people it's a deal breaker, but it doesn't bother me too much. The positive attributes outweigh the one negative factor for me.
 
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