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My first USA made Spyderco. I'm not disappointed. Great centered blade, great steel, well sharpened from the factory. Solid lock, making me think about Cold Steel lock, but the Spyderco is smoother. It's light compared to the size. It's stealth in the pocket, not as big as my (heavy) Tenacious "lightweight" that i dare not carry at work. I wasn't convinced about having a finger choil, but it can be usefull. And i can hold the knife without using the finger choil. So, great ergonomy.
Really great lightweight knife. Ergonomics are excellent, and the lockback is strong and secure. With the mid back lock, and the finger choil, this knife actually has a good fidget factor for a lockback. SPY27 steel seems to have good edge retention. This came wicked sharp, so I haven't had to touch it up, because it seems to hold it's edge well. If you want Spyderco quality, and aren't a big fan of the PM2/Para3 blade shape, give this a try.
Perfect four finger but very compact and lightweight Spyderco
I'm a female and often EDC folders are too big for my hand. This knife is the perfect size for my medium sized female hand, is compact in my hand (the handle is slightly shorter than a Spyderco Delica 4), has a very utilitarian wide blade, and unlike the Delica 4, I can really choke up on this blade with all four fingers on my hand because of the finger friendly choil. The steel on this blade is also razor sharp, and from what I saw in on the internet, has a very tough and very easy to sharpen blade. I also love the dark blue FRN handles. This knife makes me very happy.
I told myself I didn't need this knife because I already own a Sage5 which occupies the same size category but in the back of my mind I still wanted one. I'm surprised at how much I like this little knife. It is slightly smaller in the closed position than the Sage so it takes up a little less pocket room but fits in my size large hands just as well. The action came a little stiff but loosened up within a couple of days. As usual for Spyderco, the blade came razor sharp and the fit and finish is excellent. I'm very happy with it.
So far the CPM SPY27 blade has been flawless in edge retention, sharpness, and anything I have asked it to do. The only issue I have is the spine lock is a bit tight.
Cons: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip
A Mixed Bag of Design Tradeoffs
I have been evaluating the Native 5 as an urban EDC to possibly replace my Sage 2, which has been my EDC for about 15 years. I prefer the blade shape of N5. To me, the only advantages of the FRN version are lighter weight and lower cost. The pocket clip leaves a lot of the handle exposed, which is not the best for an urban EDC. However, the back lock has enough retention that I feel comfortable carrying the knife loose in my pocket when I need a more discreet carry option. Its FRN scales and thicker and the scales are rougher, so it's more difficult to reach other items below the knife in the same pocket. Also, the pocket clip doesn't fall on the landing spot/logo. That combined with the rough texture of the FRN scales are much harder on the pockets of my jeans. Although my overall impression of the knife is favorable, it probably doesn't have the right mix of features to replace my Sage 2.
I've been carrying this knife for about a month now. The action has been okay, but not my favorite as it has been a little tight. The shape of the knife is great. It carries smaller than a pm2 or pm3, I'm assuming because of the shape of the blade. I had to touch up the blade since it got a little love with some concrete. This is where it shines. This spy 27 steel is easy to sharpen and takes a super fine edge. The closest thing I have to compare it to is 14c28n. The grain structure is just amazing on the sharpener and strop. It holds an edge and takes one. Amazing steel.
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Close-up of hand holding knife, opening or unsheathing knife, and then closing or sheathing knife.
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