SHOT Day 2- Spyderco

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JShirley

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Spyderco make my favorite folding knives, and they have a significant presence here.

From left: SuperLeaf, Manix 2, Lum.

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The Spyderco made-in-PRC line has provided incredible value while still keeping Spyderco quality control. It has expanded with the Ambitious (left) and Resilience (right). The lightweight polymer version of the premium material but well-priced Manix 2 is in the middle.
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From bottom to top: Zulu, Chokwe, Gayle Bradley.

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Spyderco collaborations

Spyderco has done many collaborations with custom knife makers. Two of those are Gayle Bradley and Ed Schempp.

Gayle makes incredibly smooth, well-finished folders with super-sharp blades. Here he's showing that the Spyderco GB is hair-popping sharp. (And he grabbed a production one, not his own.)

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Gayle is a great guy, and it was a pleasure to talk to him.

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The Spyderco GB opens incredibly smoothly. When we handled one of Gayle's custom knives, we understood why Spyderco worked so hard to make their collaboration with him work so smoothly.

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My buddy Ed Schempp with the littlest and biggest: the tiny Balance and big but surprisingly lightweight Ed Schempp Rock (think that's what they're calling it~ in H1, it was the Rock Salt, but will now be made in VG-10). The Balance was designed to be both a good task knife, with very natural extension from the body, and a defensive tool for his female friends who couldn't carry a larger device.

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Well, the polymer one won't necessarily be much cheaper than the G10 version. The G10 version, though, is surprisingly inexpensive for a very large US-made folder in a premium steel, with steel liners and G10 scales! They can easily be found for less than $90 delivered.
 
On the Manix, was the lock now made of metal? The old ones I've seen are plastic.
 
All Manix locks are made of metal. Manix 2 ball locks are enclosed in a polymer carrier.

I spoke to Eric and Sal Glesser today, and I have been assured that the new polymer Manix 2s are very close to MBC rated (200 lbs/inch). In practical terms, this is more force than any user would be expected to ever place on a folding knife.
 
I'm pretty sure that the knife in the top picture with opaque Blue G-10 scales and an axis-type lock is the new Sage 3 not a Manix 2. I have one of the earlier carbon fiber Sages and its a superb knife, I'm probably going to have to add that new sage to the stable before too long.
 
Thanks for the informative reporting and great photos JShirley....second best to being there in person.

- regards
 
FYI, the first pic, bottom knife, is a SuperLeaf, not a Leafstorm.

SuperLeaf is the former SuperHawk frame with the leaf shaped blade.
 
Yes, absolutely right. Sorry, long (if fun) week. :p

The Leafstorm has a translucent green scale and frame lock. The SuperLeaf is larger, but surprisingly affordable. :)
 
Sal, Bradley, Schempp, and others always come across as such cool down to earth guys. What a great reward for their ingenuity and friendliness that they get to make a living doing what they love :).
 
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