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Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
It's just a beautiful ugly duckling
I love the Stovepipe for starters. Arrived in KCI's speedy shipping time frame. Hint of something special? Spyderco chose to include my Stovepipe inside a nylon pouch with a gold logo centered. The Stovepipe came wrapped in bubble clear wrap and appeared well oiled. This EDC deserves the special treatment. Decals and product info. The entire production wreaks of beautiful fabrication. The quality of the materials, fit and finish.The star shaped stainless steel pivots. I am relatively new to EDC collecting. I won't pretend I understand the intricacies of grind, arrangement of parts. However, I am no stranger to quality. And I just had to have this Spyderco. It's a tank of sorts. It reminds me of a Black Rhinoceros in profile. Aesthetics: I love the darker Titanium handle sheen offset by the blade's calmer shade of gray. In hand its substantial. Folded its lines, edges, cut-outs, bright stainless steel screws, solid Titanium backspace, black Spyderco logos throughout, even on the pocket clip. My Stovepipe is so unique in appearance. The artful deep scallops repeated on the cleaver blade and underside of the dark Titanium handles reflect the genius of David Rydbom's design details, lines and Spyderco's excellent execution just work marvelously together. Then, I thought I would have to "Heave Ho!" to open the substantial and sharp CPM 20CV blade. Not so. Elegantly Easy. Yet firm. A comforting solid click announces the blade is fully open. Solid with no play. I'll use the lingo by other reviewers: "No lock stick" either. One can move fingers forward to grasp closer to the blade top side where there is a raised nodule (no jimping) and underside just below the gorgeous oversized pivot that also which also prevents lockbar overtravel, (so I read). . Closing the blade with the frame lock with the Reeve Integral Lock is superb. Again, so "Easy" to close. The frame lock almost helps me close it. The blade can be effortlessly manipulated down with a finger. The release of the blade to close (if observing the action of the lock) is identifiable visually and felt kinetically. The sound when fully closing is a comforting weighty sound (not a click). The blade centers determinedly. I tried a half flip close, almost, but not yet. Did I mention I love this knife?