Reviews > Knives > Folding > Spyderco Delica CombinationEdge > Shandra Hunt > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Spyderco Delica CombinationEdge Folding Knife

Name: Shandra Hunt

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 3" (1.6 m)

Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)

Location: Ben Lomond, California

Email: jns170@yahoo.com

Date: 9/5/05

Biography:

            Growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, I have always been an avid hiker and camper.  Only recently however, I have evolved into a backpacker. I started backpacking about three years ago. Since then I have done many trips throughout California and the Southwest. I spent five days packing in Grand Canyon, which fueled my love for the sport even more. I try to backpack as often as possible, I think I may be addicted, and I am constantly looking for more efficient and lightweight alternatives for the gear that I own.

Product Information:

URL: www.spyderco.com

Manufacturer: Spyderco

Year of Manufacture: 2005

Advertised weight: 1.9 oz (55 g)

Measured weight: 1.9 oz (55 g)

MSRP: $66.95 U.S.

Item number: C11PSBK

Test Results:

I have been using the Delica CombinationEdge knife quite a bit over the last few months. My main use of the Delica knife has been for food preparation at home. The Spyderco Delica knife works well for chopping and paring most foods. Due to the short length of the knifes' blade, only 3 in (77 mm), I have had some difficulty cutting larger foods like an onion for example. While I really like having both a smooth and a serrated blade on the same knife because it allows for a broader range of materials to be cut effectively, it can also make it more difficult when trying to quickly slice or chop something. When cutting something wide, the blade cuts smoothly and fluidly until it catches on the serrated edge. This also causes some difficulty when trying to slice through something smoothly, like paper or plastic cloth. I have not noticed any change in how sharp the blade is after having cut a wide array of materials like different types of food, plastic shade cloth, cardboard, rope, and cloth. I noticed at one point the Delica knife was a little hard to open and close because it had some grit in the handle, but after washing the knife in soapy water, it worked as good as new. The knife does not seem any different in how easy or difficult it is to open and close. This knife is a great knife in the field mainly because it is lightweight, easy to use, and easy to wear. The CLIP-IT is secure when I wear the Delica knife hiking. I have had to use it to chop food, cut rope, and pry lids off of jars.

The Delica CombinationEdge is a comfortable knife to use, I can prepare a full meal without experiencing any hand fatigue. The trade marked waffle texture Volcano grip on the handle of the knife reduces hand slippage when chopping, even with wet hands. Overall, the Delica knife has been durable. I have dropped it a few times and I have not noticed any problems. The Spyderco knife features a fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) handle. I have noticed that the side of the knife handle scratches and can be gouged if it is used to try to pry something open, like a bottle or a jar. This has not affected how the knife performs and I don't particularly notice the handle being scratched unless I really examine the knife. I have found that the raised thumb rest on the top of the blade works well for prying and also helps to stabilize the knife when cutting.

The Delica knife is compact, which makes it easy to carry in a pocket, even when not camping. The CLIPIT works well to secure the knife and I have not had any problems with the knife falling out of my pocket. I feel safe when using this knife because it is easy to open and close and the knife locks open so there is no possibility of it accidentally closing during use.

Would I buy this knife or recommend it to someone? Yes. The best things about this knife are that it is compact, lightweight and it is easy to use. This knife is comfortable to use for longer periods of time due to the ergonomic design. This knife provides good stability when cutting into something hard or thick. I have mixed feelings about the CombinationEdge. I really like having both the serrated and smooth blade in one knife because it enables the user to cut a wide array of materials. I don't like the CombinationEdge because it tends to catch when I try to cut something wide or I try to cut through something smoothly in one cut. I think the advantage of having both blades in one knife out weighs the problem of the knife catching. There is a vast array of knives sold by the Spyderco company and there are many different sizes, styles, and blade types to choose from. Aside from some gouges and scratches in the handle, the rest of the knife has been durable and continues to work as well as when I first got it.

Good Things:

> Lightweight and compact

> CombinationEdge - having two blades in one is very handy

> Ergonomic

Bad Things:

> The fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) handle scratches

> CombinationEdge - tends to catch on the serrated blade when slicing

Reviews > Knives > Folding > Spyderco Delica CombinationEdge > Shandra Hunt > Long Term Report