Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Victorinox Classic SD (53003)

*The SD signifies that the end of the nail file is not a point but is a small flathead screwdriver tip.

This is one of the most common knives carried today. I picked this one up on a vacation to Chicago that wasn't going well as a way to cheer me up a little worked pretty well and found a home on my keychain for a year or so until the Wenger Swiss Clipper bumped it off and into the collection box.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The CRKT Lightfoot M1 (M1-03K)

Unlike the other CRKT knife in my collection I actually carried and used this one a lot. It was one of the knives I EDCed when I worked at the Yellowhammer Restaurant. I recall carrying it for 5-6 months and having no problems with it. It's one of those big beefy knives that just works well. The large shark fin flipper gives a very positive opening that swings the big wide blade open with a nice deep *clank*.

The CRKT E-Lock Starlight (7343)

I used to have a thing for CRKT knives. My first true EDC ever was a CRKT KISS Tanto I carried in High School. I flirted with a CRKT collection for a few years but eventually got rid of most of them in favor of the more lefty friendly and higher quality Spydercos.

This is one of those odd-duck knives that you find in your collection for no good reason. Maybe you bought it because it was cheap or it came to you in trade but whatever the reason it's never been used or carried and just hangs out in the box in your safe. The E-Lock is one of those knives. I like it, I think the design is good as is the implementation but I've just never got around to carrying it and it ain't worth it to me to try and sell the darn thing. Oh well, it does feel good in the hand and has a nice locking system.

You can check out some of Mr. Elishewitz's work here.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Mini-Griptilian (BM555GRN)

This is another one of my first-knives. I bought it almost five years ago from New Graham with the intention of giving it to my then-girlfriend. That explains the color.

I never got around to giving it to her and actually ended up carrying it for quite a while. I believe it was my EDC knife when I started working at my first real restaurant job. Overall I like the knife but it suffers from the same problems as it's big brother.

It was also one of the three subjects of my first knife review. Like ever. It's also the only one of those three that I still own today.


The Benchmade 530

The lightest and thinnest knife I've ever seen in it's class. I love the idea, but for some reason I never got around to carrying it for any appreciable amount of time.

Maybe I need a revist.

The Benchmade Griptilian (550BKOD)

This folder came to me before the whole "Boycott Benchmade" thing, before the Vex and whatever other else that happened and caused some ill-will between fans of the Spyder and Benchmade. I missed most of that episode and still haven't devoted any serious thought to the matter so for the time being I will table any discussion of it.

I carried the Grip for a while but never quite took a shine too it. The lack of a choil and the uncomfortable back spine jimping eventually caused it to be retired. It did end up being lost for several months after I lent it to my girlfriend to use on her vacation to a TreeHouse Hostel in Southern Georgia. We re-discovered it in a hotel room in Chicago when she was unpacking the sleeping bag she brought with to sleep in the van on the way home. I was quite overjoyed to say the least, it's a fairly rare model and one I carried long enough to become attached to. It was nice to have it back.

The Baliyo (YUS100)

Turns out I forgot one of the Spydercos in my current collection. Here's the Baliyo, Spyderco's answer to the 2008 industry trend of bringing out tough, expensive, aluminum pens ostensibly designed as some sort of impact weapons. (See Surefire, Benchmade, etc.)

...A garishly colored plastic pen whose sole function is entertainment during those idle hours of the day. It is awesome.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Kershaw RAM (KS1910/KS1910CKT)

I've always been a fan of Grant and Gavin Hawk's designs. My first exposure was in the form of the CRKT DOG, a knife I never *actually* owned but did consider buying several dozen times. I missed that design but when the Hawk-designed RAM rolled around I was intrigued again. After reading dozens of reviews and studying lots of pictures I added it to the top my purchase list. Of course, I've not been known to follow any such list so it took a while for me to actually buy it.

8 months later I got to handle one at a vendor table at the 2008 Blade Show and was blown away. I ran to the ATM but by the time I got back the knife was sold and I couldn't find another plain edge model in the entire show.Unperturbed I managed to snag one off the BladeForums classifieds for a very good price. The ease of use, lefty friendly lock and clip and just overall quality of the blade knocked Spyderco out of the EDC line-up for several months.

Here's the black version in hand. I haven't gotten around to using this one; seeing as it basically serves as a pre-need replacement right now but I have extensive use of the uncoated model in the last picture.

Here's a little plug for the G & G Hawk website; they've got some really neat stuff!

*ETA: Here's a link to some more pictures and a smallish review of the RAM.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Barong (C124)

The Barong is my last Spyderco for the time being, I'm going to start moving through the rest of my collection. Stay tuned for some more pictures!


This is the second of Ed Schempp's Foliage Green 2008 Ethnic knives.

It is quite a large folder with an impressive blade that caught quite a bit of flak over the largish unsharpened ricasso/choil area directly under the Spyderhole. I carried mine for a few months and occasionally rotate it into my EDC and have yet to notice any problem with this area.

Yablanowitz did a very nice review over at Bladeforums.com.

The SpyderCard (SC01PS) XX

What's up with that little XX up there?

It signifies that this knife is a factory second. There was some cosmetic blemish that caused this one to be rejected for regular sale, it was marked on the spine of the blade and sold without a warranty.

Paul Berretta (The Deacon from Spyderco Forums) has an excellent page about how to tell if you have a second.


This is the second of Eduard Bradichanski's Spyderco designs.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Dodo (C80GBL)

The Dodo, quite possibly the most interesting knife to come out of Golden, Colorado.

Why?

Because there hasn't been anything quite like it before or since it's much too short run. There are plenty of knives out there with shorty 2-inch blades, plenty with full-size handles, but the Dodo is the only one that combines both these features for a very appealing concept. Nothing else compares, believe me I've looked long and hard.

Anything close to it either has a handle that's too small or a blade that is too long.

The Dodo is...just right.