Today was a long day at the office because I knew there was going to be a new blade waiting for me at home. When I arrived at home, I tore into the box that contained my brand new Spyderco Perrin Street Beat. This blade's niche for me is an all-purpose EDC fixed blade. I usually carry another Perrin design, the La Griffe but that one is solely for defensive purposes and opening metal 
CDs.
The Perrin's blade is 3.5" inches of VG-10 steel. The factory edge is superb; the false edge is unsharpened. The handle is made black micarta. I have to admit, I was very apprehensive paying $170 for a production knife. But let me tell you, I felt that I had got a bargain when I examined the fit and finish on the Spydie. This knife could easily have any semi-custom maker's name on it, it really is that good.
All that aside, I was very disappointed in the sheath...at first. It is made of very high quality kydex and comes with a Tek-Lok. I did not like how the knife fit in the sheath at all. It was very hard to pull out (which is normal for new kydex) and to my chagrin, it rattles around like crazy whilst fully sheathed. A few minutes of really working the blade in and out of the sheath broke in the kydex nicely...but it still rattles. The factory set up is for normal upright vertical carry. It is advertised as being ideal for carrying in a number of different positions including cross draw, small of the back, etc. After unscrewing the Tek-Lok to position it to SOB, I realized that there were no holes that fit in that position. So, I positioned the clip where I wanted, marked it with a Sharpie and then used a 7/32" drill bit to make a pair of holes. The Tek-Lok fit just fine after about 3 minutes of work.
Carrying it SOB is EXTREMELY comfortable. It disappeared under a light sweater. I'm actually amazed at how comfortable it is. While sitting at my desk chair, I can barely even feel that it is there. I drive a sports car with very, very hard and supportive leather seats, I could feel its presence, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. From where I positioned the Tek-Lok, it rides high and in just the right spot. Drawing it from this position is a piece of cake.
In conclusion, I'm sure that this Spydie will serve me well. You're basically getting a semi-custom quality piece at just under semi-custom prices. The only negative thing about the entire setup is that the blade rattles in the sheath...but admittedly, I couldn't hear it when I was walking around. The attached photos show the blade SOB, size comparision with a Wave tool, and also the fit and finish on the choil.
CDs. The Perrin's blade is 3.5" inches of VG-10 steel. The factory edge is superb; the false edge is unsharpened. The handle is made black micarta. I have to admit, I was very apprehensive paying $170 for a production knife. But let me tell you, I felt that I had got a bargain when I examined the fit and finish on the Spydie. This knife could easily have any semi-custom maker's name on it, it really is that good.
All that aside, I was very disappointed in the sheath...at first. It is made of very high quality kydex and comes with a Tek-Lok. I did not like how the knife fit in the sheath at all. It was very hard to pull out (which is normal for new kydex) and to my chagrin, it rattles around like crazy whilst fully sheathed. A few minutes of really working the blade in and out of the sheath broke in the kydex nicely...but it still rattles. The factory set up is for normal upright vertical carry. It is advertised as being ideal for carrying in a number of different positions including cross draw, small of the back, etc. After unscrewing the Tek-Lok to position it to SOB, I realized that there were no holes that fit in that position. So, I positioned the clip where I wanted, marked it with a Sharpie and then used a 7/32" drill bit to make a pair of holes. The Tek-Lok fit just fine after about 3 minutes of work.
Carrying it SOB is EXTREMELY comfortable. It disappeared under a light sweater. I'm actually amazed at how comfortable it is. While sitting at my desk chair, I can barely even feel that it is there. I drive a sports car with very, very hard and supportive leather seats, I could feel its presence, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. From where I positioned the Tek-Lok, it rides high and in just the right spot. Drawing it from this position is a piece of cake.
In conclusion, I'm sure that this Spydie will serve me well. You're basically getting a semi-custom quality piece at just under semi-custom prices. The only negative thing about the entire setup is that the blade rattles in the sheath...but admittedly, I couldn't hear it when I was walking around. The attached photos show the blade SOB, size comparision with a Wave tool, and also the fit and finish on the choil.
