Personal Information:
Leesa Joiner
leesaj@gmail.com
Southwestern Maine
44 years old
Female
5'7" (1.7 M)
160 lb. (73 kg)

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Spyderco
Model: Vagabond Knife Model FB12
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Manufacturer's URL: http://www.spyderco.com
Advertised Weight: 2.8 oz (79 g)
Advertised overall length: 7 7/8 in (200 mm)
Advertised Blade length: 3 1/8 in (79 mm)
(all weights and measurements are as advertised, according to my home postal scale.)

MSRP: $39.95

Product Description:
    The Spyderco Vagabond is a stainless steel, fixed blade knife. It features a straight edge, with pointed tip. It has been ground on both side to an extremely sharp edge. The handle is FRN plastic that has a textured finish that is designed to improve the grip. There is a blade cover that fits within the handle and pivots upward to cover the sharp edge of the blade. This cover is made from inflexible plastic, and covers the length of the blade and up and over the tip. There is a small hole in the end of the handle that could be used to attach the knife to a lanyard or metal ring.

First Impressions:
    The Vagabond Fixed Blade Knife appears as advertised on the Spyderco website. The knife has a nice feel to it.   I picked it up and carried it around for a little while, then decided I needed to cut something – luckily, it was time to make dinner. I cut both raw beef and broccoli, the meat sliced very easily as did the broccoli. I could chop through the broccoli in one slice. I also sliced a bushel of tomatoes, to make sauce. I could slice through the ripest tomato without ‘sawing’ or making a juicy mess.   (reminded me of the old ‘Ronco’ commercials)   I found that although I could feel the textured ridges in the handle, they didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. The knife was easy to grip, even when my hands were wet with tomato juice.
   I am looking forward to testing this knife over the next few months.

Test Plan:
    My plan for testing the Spyderco Vagabond knife covers a few different areas:
    Construction quality - how well is the knife put together, what is the quality of the blade and handle?   Blade sharpness and durability - how sharp is the knife, and how long does the edge last? Is it easy to sharpen and create a good edge on the blade?   Does the blade tend to pit?
    Handle comfort - The company claims that the design of the handle 'latches onto your palm keeping the hand and handle connected even when wet or cold.'   I am very curious as to how well this claim holds up. It seems like my hands are always either cold or wet (or both) while camping.   Another area I will address is how well the handle fits my hand and if there is discomfort after using the knife for any length of time.
    Sheath usage - I am very interested in the sheath attached to this knife.   I have never carried, although I have used, a fixed blade knife. Mainly because I hated the idea of having to keep track of a sheath or not always having a place to set it down while using the knife. While testing this knife, I will address the construction, and functionality of the attached sheath.   Does it stay out of the way, how easy is it to cover and uncover the blade? Does that pivot point function smoothly?
    One of the most important parts of testing the Vagabond will be to see how well it cuts, and what types of materials it is able to cut.    Some of the items that will need to be cut while on the trail; food, rope, small sticks, fresh fish, etc.   There always seems to be a need for a knife while outdoors - I've used them to cut a shredded fan belt even.    I will carry the Vagabond while pursuing many outdoor activities - hiking, geocaching, camping, fishing, cooking out, gardening and others as they pop up.   During the next four months or so, I should have ample opportunities to use the knife under various conditions and for various uses.

Background:

        My camping, hiking and backpacking experience has included trips varying in length from one day hikes to two-week trips. My experience hiking began with my father when I was about six years old. We hiked along the river pathways in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. While enjoying the outdoors with my Girl Scout troop, friends and family, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and camping.    Although I am not a lightweight backpacker, I am trying to 'lighten up' and primarily use a hammock for sleeping.

Test Locations:
        During the fall I will be hiking in western Maine and central New Hampshire, with my children, scouts and with a group of friends. We typically either set up camp and hike out from the base camp, or we backpack in to a camping area. We are fortunate to live in an area where we can drive just a short distance and take advantage of some great hiking. I am planning on hiking Mt. Chocura in New Hampshire with my kids and some friends Columbus Day weekend.   Once the lakes freeze, we will spend many weekend days ice fishing on the lakes along the western Maine border with New Hampshire.

Test Conditions:

         The majority of my testing will be done in northern New England, where the current temperature is 72 degrees F (26 C) and winter temperatures are often below the 0 - 32 F ( -14 - 0 C ) range. Over the next four months temperatures will drop and we typically have a rainy early fall. It is not unusual to have snow on the ground by late November.
    Most of my hiking is done below 3000 ft (914 m), but some spring climbs go over 4000 ft (1219 m). There is a wide range of types of terrain on these hikes - everything from well maintained trails to hiking through heavily wooded areas. Some trips involve backpacking into campsites and at other times I set up camp and hike out from there.

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Initial Report

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