I would like to see more retailers get in on the slyz bowie sprint run action. I don’t personally want one, but i want happiness for the people who do and sadness for the parasites/scalpers.
@@johnnysilverhand1733 the scalping game is, as Nick points out, parasitic. the knife hobby could carry on quite happily without it, i've gone 14 years in the hobby without feeding the parasites. the problem is the parasites make it harder for non-scalpers to get the knives they are after. they suck joy out of the hobby for people, which is why i am totally okay with hating them and hoping they lose business on top of simply not giving them any of my money.
@@texashobbies some things being expensive is part of life. people buying them for no reason other than to make them more expensive for someone else is, as others have said, being a scumbag. scumbags are a part of life, but they are a part we can diminish by calling them out on it and not supporting them.
Why not though? Contoured Ti with M390 coming out of Taiwan. Taichung has basically always been one of Spyderco’s top factories so I don’t get this criticism.
I just got mine from the 2/29/24 drop. Thanks Nick for all the love and support you’ve given this model in your videos. Made me want one for sure. Glad for the opportunity today. BTW, 25 minutes in to the drop and they’re still available.
@@f4t4lity0r4plenty of Spyderco knives made in Taiwan have been over $200 but usually some limited release like the K-2. But some have also been about $200-$240 in exclusive titanium colors too…
its sure as shit not coming from america lol. its still coming from a place with vastly lower skilled labor costs. youre right though i mean how else can they afford to pay their Taiwanese factory a fraction of a fraction more than a Chinese one. golly, theyre probably getting like a whole 50 cents more a month! Wont anything think of poor spyderco???
Idk presently the cheapest iteration sells for $425 and they go way up from there. So maybe if you feel the CRK is far superior then I guess it could look like a bargain.
@@FinickyVoid They are definitely a nice looking knife and I definitely prefer American made knives. I just can't bring myself to pay much over 200 for a knife.
@@johnnysilverhand1733 If you own a Sebenza then I'm sure you own knives in the $200 range as well. Describe for me specifically two things about the Sebenza that makes it worth over double the price of a $200 knife. I'm not being argumentative I'm interested. Maybe you can talk me into buying one. Btw the knives I own in the $150 -$200 range are American made and I am happy with them. Just wondering what sets the CRK apart.
I am one of the people who bought one on the last drop because of your review. I bought it with the intention of using it. After seeing what the second hand market was trading them for I couldn’t bring myself to carry and abuse it. I still have it and it bothers me that I probably won’t use it any time soon and probably will never sell it as long as things remain the same. So where do we go from here? I hope that they crank them out and flood the market so I can justify using mine without fear of not being able to replace it. Thanks Nick for still being here and making videos for people like us who can’t abide a sub par cutting tool.
Been watching your show for many many years and remember that first review. After which I went and bout one. I still have the original and it’s mint. Brilliant part to collection and still holds its own with a beautiful smooth opener
I have one from the original release and it’s been absolutely perfect. The original price was $400 which I was happy to pay given the Bowie reputation as a Spyderco classic. $50 more two years later with a couple upgrades seems totally reasonable to me. People will always complain about prices. They’ll cope eventually.
Just like you Nick it's my very favorite thing in the world to be lectured about "supply and demand". By people who barely made it through high school macro. I mean, yes I have an advanced degree in economics. But you know, I just missed that lesson in the many years of having to learn about real economics. Anyway, there are a lot of good takes in this video. I think it's cool it's coming back but a Large 31 in Magnacut is 50 dollars more but like, it's in 63-64HRC Magnacut. You can replace it whenever. CRK has great warranty, too. Yeah it's an upcharge but you can get micarta or wood inlays if you want them. And at least for me, the blade of the 31 is more useful with it's much lower tip.
@@viewviewview1236 you literally sound like the villain who stole the riddler's board game lolololol. Hey at least with all that money you can make a good effort at buying the respect you'll never earn from doing real work. Hope it works out for you
The price hiked with inflation yes, but the kinfe industry is now producing higher quality for lower prices. You are always spot on with your assessments.
I flippin love this knife!! I want one so so badly but I live in Canada so there's no way I'm going to pay over 600 bucks for a knife that will get stolen in the mail before it even gets too me :(. Happy to see the model back but unfortunately I'll never see one : /. Thank you good sir for all your content, may your edge stay sharp and your fingers free of cuts.
Yep, the price isn't great. Compare to a Reate Tiger with compound ground M390 blade, beautifully milled Ti frame, milled Ti pocket clip, full, milled backspacer, and zirc pivot collars ... for $75 less. That said, I would be very tempted IF they had simply rereleased the original version.
Nick never misses. Tells it like it is always. That being said, I'm not mad at this drop. However, my wallet is waiting for the Spymyto, Bodacious, and Cru Carta Manix 2.
I got one of the first knifejoy ones for $400 and I felt like the price was steep. $450 is just kinda... Well, look, you could buy this or buy groceries for a couple weeks...
Why is that expensive??? That’s pretty typical for a Taiwan spyderco… 🤷♂️ I have the previous knife knifejoy version.. I think the lock bar insert was completely unnecessary and stands out when the knife block bar side is shown Great knife great video 👍
in defense of CTS-XHP, it's considerably tougher than M390. the jump in toughness and relatively modest decrease in wear resistance can still be of interest to some users.* incidentally the former is also easier to bring to a reflective polish. *like me, who will occasionally press a blade into functional ass-hattery.
I really like CTS XHP on the older version, I own a couple of blades in CTS XHP and like it a lot. The only reason I didn't buy one of these was due to the lack of a steel insert on the lock bar. Everything else was fantastic.
Totally agree, not sure why the hate for XHP, it is fantastic to me, I have a Strider and a couple of Spyderco’s as well and all of them take a fantastic edge, have great edge retention and strops back amazingly well.
An interesting comparison that makes Nick’s point is the Berg Blades “Tick” (which rhymes with “Nick”). The dimensions and basic shape are quite similar. The tick has some nice upgrades, all for $325. The titanium scales are contoured, just like the SB. There are 11 versions, but one version has a stonewashed and polished s90v blade along with a dlc coated stonewashed contoured titanium scales. No spydie hole, but a fuller for spydie flicks. A milled titanium pocket clip. Made by Reate. It would be interesting to get Nick to compare the materials, quality, fit and finish between the two which would in some ways reflect how the knife industry as a whole has changed over the past 14 years. Nick, what do you think?
I like this knife but I haven't bought a new knife in a few years. I don't need another knife. At this price point a Sebenza 31 in Magnacut makes more sense to me. But I salute Knifejoy for ponying up for this run. I hope they do well with it and people enjoy this version too.
Beautiful knife, glad they added the lockbar insert But the price is ridiculous, especially for a Taiwanese knife. There’s no way around it. It’s just ridiculously hard to justify, especially in times when expendable income is scarce for most people, including collectors I wish Spyderco would stop making/re-releasing fan-favorites in these weird iterations/runs, especially amid this year’s across-the-board price increase. The Military 2 got a lot of praise in 2023 because it seemed like an effort to make a product better and more affordable simultaneously, and we need more of that
450 seems like a lot when you can get things like the viper turn, a very similar knife in shape if not style, in the same m390 for 250. its a 2013 high end knife competing against the 2024 knife market. yeah it has generally kept pace with inflation, but it hasnt kept pace with knife market advances, it just doesnt really match up. a lot of folks would say that sebenzas are no longer competitive at their price, and they are a clear step up from the slysz bowie in quality. if it came out at the original price maybe it would have been competitive, but frankly at this point there are nicer knives for cheaper.
I noticed that as well. I think this is a first impressions video. Nick will probably go into more detail later on. I'll be waiting for the release of the sage 5 in Rex 121 lol. Screw the slyzie Bowie.
There is a down to earth practicality about the collector with 100+ knives with a rock solid justification for each purchase. The love/hate relation we have for each other’s choices makes us ravenous for the next purchase to prove our point. Some days it does not feel worth it to chew through the straps.
I think I would rather have k-2 design from Farid instead of the Spyderco version those custom knives look way more functional. Hint he added scales to ti frame lock increase the thickness of the handle. Still the k2 is a cool looking knife and huge.
Well done, Nick. You've made some great points. Spyderco was my first real knife love. I carried the Dragonfly 2 for many years. I recently purchased the Lil' Native in CruWear and enjoy that one too. Your point about value hit home for me. I wouldn't pay $450 for this re-issue, but honestly my ceiling is $300, so I wouldn't have purchased the original either. I can understand that for some people it's worth $450, or possibly even more. I'm happy Knifejoy made it possible for people to be able to enjoy this version of it because I can definitely see where this would be a real treat to carry. Thanks again for your good work.
That's probably the most expensive $275 knife that I've ever seen. Edit: I'll just keep using my ti/cf s90v Millie that I got lnib for $225 a few weeks ago. Buying any new knife when the secondary market is what it is right now feels ridiculous to me.
I think the REAL comparison we need to see is: What currently manufactured knife would this best be compared to? And what does THAT knife cost? I think the current state of knife quality and availability makes $450 an insane price for THIS knife.....
Garbage. Im bored to tears with the planned scarcity in the knife market and have zero interest in chasing knives. All they're doing with these drops is feeding the secondary market madness.
IMO it's a bargain compared to the OG. Several upgrades on this newer release. But I don't think either are well enough made the the cost so I agree that it's too much but in comparison this release is at least going in the right direction. Maybe they will fix all the other issues with the design and execution and price it at $250 😂
$450 is insanity. If they would just make them on the reg, or make a g10 or cf version around them same setup as a yojimbo it would revive their company. A lot of people wholely abandoned Spyderco bc of this. I'll still buy a ronin 2 when I lose or break mine, but other than that it's boojshie pricing. Even when I made $90k/yr as single 30 yr old nine yrs ago, spending money like water, I still would be not have spent three$450, but I would like one, however I'm really excited about the great budget bend crjb/artisan dropping the Prado and Bowie Pyrite soon and that will be goos enough for me. I'm not necessarily a hater, but I'm not rich & am becoming the opposite of that as I meet the things in life that make us stronger or break us permanently. When I get through the end of my parents life and my aunt whom I take care of and their property, maybe I'll grab one if consumer companies still exist in America
Of all the issues with the knife the cost ranks last for me. Ive sold all my Spyderco Taichung Ti stuff for most of the same issues with the Bowie. Orginal Bowie Issues: 1. Lock Stick 2. Spydie hole access 3. Hardware (too much too small) 4. Backspacer 5. Overtravel 6. Pocket Clip 7. Blade to scale ratio 8. Laynard Hole 9. Blade steel (I like XHP but doesn't belong on a Ti rust resistant knife) 10. Pivot size and design 11. Lock bar robustness (issue with most Ti Spyderco) 12. MSRP and Secondary Spyderco as most manufacturers and custom makers especially learned years ago artificial scarcity is an important tool to keep their brand in demand so thats absolutely the only reason there is interest in this knife. Definitely credit due to Nick for kicking off some of the SB hype but it was and is intergal to the high end in knife market anyways.
I kept wiping my screen thinking there was a drop of water on it! L😂L How did you get saliva to fly out of your mouth and onto the blade WITH A BATMAN MASK ON??? Love the videos Nick, keep up the good work! Long time viewer but might be the first comment I've ever made (I think?).
I was giving Nick real respect for continuing to talk and not miss a beat after the water drop hit the blade then later nonchalantly wiped off the blade
Glad I was able to snag one of the originals on closeout back in the day. I really like it and didn’t sell it at peak used. Certainly wouldn’t pay current new prices.
It's a beautiful knife and I have always wanted one and I own 36 Spyderco knives and I like the old original that your showing but $450 is way out of my price range and like Benchmade they are also over priced. Like always you are doing a great job.
One small point here: Nick, you'd know this better than me because you follow higher end knives way more than I do, but I don't think there is any such thing as mirror polished 20CV/M390/204P, and if there is I bet it costs way more than $450. In fact, I believe XHP is the most wear resistant steel that can be mirror polished, or at least be mirror polished on a mass produced product (maybe due to its lack of Vanadium carbides?). I'm pretty sure they'd need to use XHP or CPM 154 (or RWL-34) to have a mirror finish. Can't change the conclusion of the review obviously. Just my long winded way of speculating that it's likely possible to upgrade from XHP or retain mirror polishing but not do both.
I don't doubt there are people willing to spend $450 for this. But when I see the steel, the finishing, the materials... It isn't worth it for me. The finishing is better on the original. I also really like CTS-XHP.
The Slysz Bowie (and the TRM "out of stock" racket) is the knife that turned me off from knife collection racket. I'm sure there's an algorythm on just how many knives to make in a run to creat the highest profit to cost/effort. The hype, the "drops", the exclusives, the sprint runs, the knives you can't buy unless you know somebody, screw it all. I own a Spydiechef and love the design and if I bought one of the Slysz Bowie's I'm sure it would have that some joy for me, but I refuse to participate in the bs that goes on with knives and EDC anymore. Having a knife "reviewed" by one of the hype collaborators, is a death sentence for my interest. Guys, wake up you're being worked.
Unfortunately they missed the great things about the original knife. The blade finish on the original is amazing. This one not so much. The anodizing on the new version is terrible. It scratches to easy and the knife looks old after a week of carry.
This was a GREAT video, Shabazz. I don’t think you could have been any more truthful or fair. It’s a nice design and I like it. Frankly one of the few Spydercos I like. I need to get a Spyderco just to say I have one. But I can’t justify that price. I will take my Maxace Mamba for $94 over that all day every day.
You're not kidding about price increases. Just on a whim I checked the price of a spydiechef and if was drinking something would have done a spit-take. I bought mine about 2.5 years ago for about $220 IIRC, now the msrp is $400 (though most sites are realistically selling at a little over $300). Yikes.
It's worth what the market will bare. If it were over priced it wouldn't have sold out the day it was released. Same goes for secondary market. I've paid over retail for knives that I wanted because it was worth it to get what I wanted. All that said, still always love your reviews.
You should do a budget review of the CRKT Van Hoy, Nick. It's a really interesting piece, with a unique look & opening mechanism that is approximately &$50
I love how aware you are of the fact that prices aren't going up strictly because of inflation and because there are so very greedy people on the other end of this. The reality is every price hike that there has been there is some person that pushed to manifest the increase and I hope at some point they get their silver spoonful of karma.
I bought one and I’m not happy with the price especially knowing that I had the chance to get the OG years ago. But if it’s what you want to own and experience then I don’t understand all the hate. I see a lot of people buying all kinds of crazy looking knives in all kinds of configurations. If you like it, get! If what makes you want it is everyone else’s opinion!? Wait on it
Thx Nick, great content as usual. I have an original Slysz bought after watching your early review. That brings me joy, as does a certain watch... thankfully you do not review boats. The jacket guy with his foot on the chair, bathing in his own self importance haha...I thought that you may have moved your Slysz on and got a laugh when you added not for sale.
Glad I was able to exit the knife chasing with my Large Sebenza 31 before the price hike. It's crazy how many multi hundred dollar knives are out there that really don't compare. I'm not even saying the Sebenza is great. It's just good. It will probably last me forever and it has that feel of a premium knife. I carry it every time I go out. When another $400+ knife comes out, I compare it to the Sebenza, and like with this one, I see no compelling reason to go out and purchase it.
100% correct on every point and I’m not subsidizing Spyderco that either pumps out plastic crap and doesn’t build great stuff like this - that’s annoying so my money goes elsewhere.
XHP wins over M390 for me. Highes HRC, better edge stability and pleasure to sharpen. Edge retention of XHP and M390 almost the same acording to Cedric and Ada's tests on Spyderco Mule. But I understand that better corosin resistance of M390 is very important for many people, but not for me.
I bought two of the original ones. One to use and one to store. I do like the original look much more but the overstop is a nice addition. Hmmm so tempted to get the new one. I hope there are other editions coming.
OK, if they relaunched the classic model & finish at $450, would it be closer to worth it? (Of course if spyderco brought it back, it would be in the line, until they pulled it again.
I'd be a lot less conflicted if this was just the OG Bowie with a lockbar insert and M390 (or a similar high-performing steel with similar polish to the OG).
RUclips just stopping putting your videos in my feed entirely for months untill this video. Sorry that i forgot about ya. Thought the channel fell off or something. Puts metal complex in my feed constantly. That poser lol. You two should collaborate again. That was hilarious
Thank you for your honest take as usual
I would like to see more retailers get in on the slyz bowie sprint run action. I don’t personally want one, but i want happiness for the people who do and sadness for the parasites/scalpers.
@@johnnysilverhand1733 the scalping game is, as Nick points out, parasitic. the knife hobby could carry on quite happily without it, i've gone 14 years in the hobby without feeding the parasites.
the problem is the parasites make it harder for non-scalpers to get the knives they are after. they suck joy out of the hobby for people, which is why i am totally okay with hating them and hoping they lose business on top of simply not giving them any of my money.
@@Lack_of_responseits part of life, same thing with Rolex, Tesla Trucks, etc etc.
@@texashobbies some things being expensive is part of life. people buying them for no reason other than to make them more expensive for someone else is, as others have said, being a scumbag. scumbags are a part of life, but they are a part we can diminish by calling them out on it and not supporting them.
$450 is ridiculous
$300+ for a SpydieChef is ridiculous lol
Ridiculous knife pricing has no correlation to knife sales other than to boost the secondary market value......are you new to this??
The msrp for the original was $500. Debate as to whether m390 is an upgrade from cts xhp. I would have liked magnacut.
Buy the clone it’s just as good if not better
It’s absolutely not a 450 dollar knife.
It is if people buy them for $450
Why not though? Contoured Ti with M390 coming out of Taiwan. Taichung has basically always been one of Spyderco’s top factories so I don’t get this criticism.
You’re not a $450 knife.
@@f4t4lity0r4 For that price, should be Golden CO made imo.
Microtech is taking my 450
I just got mine from the 2/29/24 drop. Thanks Nick for all the love and support you’ve given this model in your videos. Made me want one for sure. Glad for the opportunity today. BTW, 25 minutes in to the drop and they’re still available.
I've always wanted one...but I can get two or three great knives for $450
Yeah it's lovely but it's a $200 build no question
@@Omniseedmaybe if it was coming from China. I guess everyone is expecting bestech prices now
@@f4t4lity0r4plenty of Spyderco knives made in Taiwan have been over $200 but usually some limited release like the K-2. But some have also been about $200-$240 in exclusive titanium colors too…
its sure as shit not coming from america lol. its still coming from a place with vastly lower skilled labor costs. youre right though i mean how else can they afford to pay their Taiwanese factory a fraction of a fraction more than a Chinese one. golly, theyre probably getting like a whole 50 cents more a month! Wont anything think of poor spyderco???
@f4t4lity0r4 how much different is the cost of labor from China to Taiwan? Prob not much. $450 would feel right for golden CO US made.
This is a well-made knife that makes the plain CRK Sebenza 31 look like a bargain.
Idk presently the cheapest iteration sells for $425 and they go way up from there. So maybe if you feel the CRK is far superior then I guess it could look like a bargain.
This. Using "we dont want scalpers" as a reason to increase the price another 50? 100 off a CRK, with a far worse warranty
@@charlesdudek7713 so american made, for less or 100 more? Yea. Worth it. Easily. lol
@@FinickyVoid They are definitely a nice looking knife and I definitely prefer American made knives. I just can't bring myself to pay much over 200 for a knife.
@@johnnysilverhand1733 If you own a Sebenza then I'm sure you own knives in the $200 range as well. Describe for me specifically two things about the Sebenza that makes it worth over double the price of a $200 knife. I'm not being argumentative I'm interested. Maybe you can talk me into buying one. Btw the knives I own in the $150 -$200 range are American made and I am happy with them. Just wondering what sets the CRK apart.
I am one of the people who bought one on the last drop because of your review. I bought it with the intention of using it. After seeing what the second hand market was trading them for I couldn’t bring myself to carry and abuse it. I still have it and it bothers me that I probably won’t use it any time soon and probably will never sell it as long as things remain the same. So where do we go from here? I hope that they crank them out and flood the market so I can justify using mine without fear of not being able to replace it. Thanks Nick for still being here and making videos for people like us who can’t abide a sub par cutting tool.
Sell it and with the aftermarket funds buy a yourself Sebenza and dinner.
@@franky3fingers337 Already have a couple Sebenzas. I accidentally won 2 on ebay but I get your point. I really wasn’t loving the wire clip either.
the commitment to the batman mask.... respect.
I love spyderco and benchmade but their pricing is forcing to give up this hobby
Been watching your show for many many years and remember that first review. After which I went and bout one. I still have the original and it’s mint. Brilliant part to collection and still holds its own with a beautiful smooth opener
I have one from the original release and it’s been absolutely perfect. The original price was $400 which I was happy to pay given the Bowie reputation as a Spyderco classic. $50 more two years later with a couple upgrades seems totally reasonable to me. People will always complain about prices. They’ll cope eventually.
Just like you Nick it's my very favorite thing in the world to be lectured about "supply and demand". By people who barely made it through high school macro. I mean, yes I have an advanced degree in economics. But you know, I just missed that lesson in the many years of having to learn about real economics. Anyway, there are a lot of good takes in this video. I think it's cool it's coming back but a Large 31 in Magnacut is 50 dollars more but like, it's in 63-64HRC Magnacut. You can replace it whenever. CRK has great warranty, too. Yeah it's an upcharge but you can get micarta or wood inlays if you want them. And at least for me, the blade of the 31 is more useful with it's much lower tip.
@@viewviewview1236 data science in tech actually. I get selling out but shame about wasting your potential like that
@@viewviewview1236 you literally sound like the villain who stole the riddler's board game lolololol. Hey at least with all that money you can make a good effort at buying the respect you'll never earn from doing real work. Hope it works out for you
My willingness to buy is around $250. Anything more is just plain hype.
The price hiked with inflation yes, but the kinfe industry is now producing higher quality for lower prices. You are always spot on with your assessments.
Thanks Nick. I do like that design. Sure it's a premium offering, but imo this is not a $450 knife...$300, I'm most likely all in.
I thought I would want one, but no. Thanks for still doing reviews
I flippin love this knife!! I want one so so badly but I live in Canada so there's no way I'm going to pay over 600 bucks for a knife that will get stolen in the mail before it even gets too me :(. Happy to see the model back but unfortunately I'll never see one : /. Thank you good sir for all your content, may your edge stay sharp and your fingers free of cuts.
why so many chefs and not more bowies?
Yep, the price isn't great. Compare to a Reate Tiger with compound ground M390 blade, beautifully milled Ti frame, milled Ti pocket clip, full, milled backspacer, and zirc pivot collars ... for $75 less. That said, I would be very tempted IF they had simply rereleased the original version.
Nick never misses. Tells it like it is always. That being said, I'm not mad at this drop. However, my wallet is waiting for the Spymyto, Bodacious, and Cru Carta Manix 2.
That Spymyto is on my radar
@@giantfatberg great minds think alike. Removable flipper, micarta on Ti. Good luck to us both 😆
At 10:15 you explain this perfectly!
I got one of the first knifejoy ones for $400 and I felt like the price was steep. $450 is just kinda... Well, look, you could buy this or buy groceries for a couple weeks...
Just eat ramen for two weeks
Yeah, or you can save an extra $50 and get a CRK Umnumzaan
At least knives last longer than groceries. That’s how I justify it to myself anyways 😂
For real, when the first knife joy bowie dropped 400 bucks went a hell of a lot farther than 450 now.
Nicolás, I could not have expected less from you. Great video, honesty always appreciated in this chaotic world of appearances.😁👌
Why is that expensive??? That’s pretty typical for a Taiwan spyderco… 🤷♂️ I have the previous knife knifejoy version.. I think the lock bar insert was completely unnecessary and stands out when the knife block bar side is shown
Great knife great video 👍
Nick, we can count on you to tells us that the emperor is in fact, naked. Love the honesty, objectivity and the lack of avarice in your reviews
This is always been on my list of things to get, BUT, not for $450.
It’s definitely a unicorn-having missed the last drop 3 years ago. Definitely a must in any collection.
Your hype is better than all the other hype combined. Love your reviews and own a few more knives than I need as a result.
in defense of CTS-XHP, it's considerably tougher than M390. the jump in toughness and relatively modest decrease in wear resistance can still be of interest to some users.* incidentally the former is also easier to bring to a reflective polish.
*like me, who will occasionally press a blade into functional ass-hattery.
The m390 is max 60rc and could be lower. Spyderco USA only does 60-62rc m390.
I love my Bowie. Paid around 260 on the german secondary market years ago. Obviously before the price hype.
I hope they do another run with all the upgraded, except with the original stonewash finishing on the scales and blade.
I really like CTS XHP on the older version, I own a couple of blades in CTS XHP and like it a lot. The only reason I didn't buy one of these was due to the lack of a steel insert on the lock bar. Everything else was fantastic.
Totally agree, not sure why the hate for XHP, it is fantastic to me, I have a Strider and a couple of Spyderco’s as well and all of them take a fantastic edge, have great edge retention and strops back amazingly well.
An interesting comparison that makes Nick’s point is the Berg Blades “Tick” (which rhymes with “Nick”). The dimensions and basic shape are quite similar. The tick has some nice upgrades, all for $325. The titanium scales are contoured, just like the SB. There are 11 versions, but one version has a stonewashed and polished s90v blade along with a dlc coated stonewashed contoured titanium scales. No spydie hole, but a fuller for spydie flicks. A milled titanium pocket clip. Made by Reate. It would be interesting to get Nick to compare the materials, quality, fit and finish between the two which would in some ways reflect how the knife industry as a whole has changed over the past 14 years. Nick, what do you think?
I like this knife but I haven't bought a new knife in a few years. I don't need another knife. At this price point a Sebenza 31 in Magnacut makes more sense to me. But I salute Knifejoy for ponying up for this run. I hope they do well with it and people enjoy this version too.
Thats a great outlook @nick great video as always with you man
Wish it would come out per original spec - stonewashed blade was class
Beautiful knife, glad they added the lockbar insert
But the price is ridiculous, especially for a Taiwanese knife. There’s no way around it. It’s just ridiculously hard to justify, especially in times when expendable income is scarce for most people, including collectors
I wish Spyderco would stop making/re-releasing fan-favorites in these weird iterations/runs, especially amid this year’s across-the-board price increase. The Military 2 got a lot of praise in 2023 because it seemed like an effort to make a product better and more affordable simultaneously, and we need more of that
450 seems like a lot when you can get things like the viper turn, a very similar knife in shape if not style, in the same m390 for 250. its a 2013 high end knife competing against the 2024 knife market. yeah it has generally kept pace with inflation, but it hasnt kept pace with knife market advances, it just doesnt really match up. a lot of folks would say that sebenzas are no longer competitive at their price, and they are a clear step up from the slysz bowie in quality. if it came out at the original price maybe it would have been competitive, but frankly at this point there are nicer knives for cheaper.
Hmmm. The new one seems to have a different pocket clip bolt offset. Seems to be a few mm different than the older one.
I noticed that as well. I think this is a first impressions video. Nick will probably go into more detail later on. I'll be waiting for the release of the sage 5 in Rex 121 lol. Screw the slyzie Bowie.
There is a down to earth practicality about the collector with 100+ knives with a rock solid justification for each purchase. The love/hate relation we have for each other’s choices makes us ravenous for the next purchase to prove our point. Some days it does not feel worth it to chew through the straps.
BRING BACK THE "K-2"
Now THATS A KNIFE! Unfortunately that bridge was burnt and it won’t be coming back.
I had the chance to get the Bowie or K2 and got the K2. I did get a Bowie later, but I’d pick the K2 over the Bowie any day.
The K2 is a beautiful beast; I’ll never get my hands on one; or the Nirvana for that matter. One can dream though.
@@echos-myron I never liked the grind on the Nirvana or Paysan.
I think I would rather have k-2 design from Farid instead of the Spyderco version those custom knives look way more functional. Hint he added scales to ti frame lock increase the thickness of the handle. Still the k2 is a cool looking knife and huge.
I can deal with the price but not that blade finish!! The original was sooo good.
I much agree that they have clearly stepped down with this run
Well done, Nick. You've made some great points. Spyderco was my first real knife love. I carried the Dragonfly 2 for many years. I recently purchased the Lil' Native in CruWear and enjoy that one too. Your point about value hit home for me. I wouldn't pay $450 for this re-issue, but honestly my ceiling is $300, so I wouldn't have purchased the original either. I can understand that for some people it's worth $450, or possibly even more. I'm happy Knifejoy made it possible for people to be able to enjoy this version of it because I can definitely see where this would be a real treat to carry. Thanks again for your good work.
That's probably the most expensive $275 knife that I've ever seen.
Edit: I'll just keep using my ti/cf s90v Millie that I got lnib for $225 a few weeks ago. Buying any new knife when the secondary market is what it is right now feels ridiculous to me.
I think the REAL comparison we need to see is: What currently manufactured knife would this best be compared to? And what does THAT knife cost? I think the current state of knife quality and availability makes $450 an insane price for THIS knife.....
Yeah, just ignore me. Should have realized Nick was headed that direction before I posted. :)
Garbage. Im bored to tears with the planned scarcity in the knife market and have zero interest in chasing knives. All they're doing with these drops is feeding the secondary market madness.
My heart deflated when I heard $450 I cant lie.
IMO it's a bargain compared to the OG. Several upgrades on this newer release. But I don't think either are well enough made the the cost so I agree that it's too much but in comparison this release is at least going in the right direction. Maybe they will fix all the other issues with the design and execution and price it at $250 😂
I'm simultaneously delighted and absolutely terrified because THE PRICE IS GOING TO THE MOON.
$450 is insanity. If they would just make them on the reg, or make a g10 or cf version around them same setup as a yojimbo it would revive their company. A lot of people wholely abandoned Spyderco bc of this. I'll still buy a ronin 2 when I lose or break mine, but other than that it's boojshie pricing. Even when I made $90k/yr as single 30 yr old nine yrs ago, spending money like water, I still would be not have spent three$450, but I would like one, however I'm really excited about the great budget bend crjb/artisan dropping the Prado and Bowie Pyrite soon and that will be goos enough for me. I'm not necessarily a hater, but I'm not rich & am becoming the opposite of that as I meet the things in life that make us stronger or break us permanently. When I get through the end of my parents life and my aunt whom I take care of and their property, maybe I'll grab one if consumer companies still exist in America
When can we expect the Civivi Vision Fg review? Been waiting to buy it until after I see your review lol
Of all the issues with the knife the cost ranks last for me. Ive sold all my Spyderco Taichung Ti stuff for most of the same issues with the Bowie.
Orginal Bowie Issues:
1. Lock Stick
2. Spydie hole access
3. Hardware (too much too small)
4. Backspacer
5. Overtravel
6. Pocket Clip
7. Blade to scale ratio
8. Laynard Hole
9. Blade steel (I like XHP but doesn't belong on a Ti rust resistant knife)
10. Pivot size and design
11. Lock bar robustness (issue with most Ti Spyderco)
12. MSRP and Secondary
Spyderco as most manufacturers and custom makers especially learned years ago artificial scarcity is an important tool to keep their brand in demand so thats absolutely the only reason there is interest in this knife. Definitely credit due to Nick for kicking off some of the SB hype but it was and is intergal to the high end in knife market anyways.
😮 I was just thinking the other day about how cool it would be to see a rerelease of this
Fantastic looking Spydies. Sounds like you are super impressed with this version.I have the same opinion about scalpers. They nasty
I kept wiping my screen thinking there was a drop of water on it! L😂L How did you get saliva to fly out of your mouth and onto the blade WITH A BATMAN MASK ON??? Love the videos Nick, keep up the good work! Long time viewer but might be the first comment I've ever made (I think?).
Honestly, probably should have gone with a Spider-Man mask.
I was giving Nick real respect for continuing to talk and not miss a beat after the water drop hit the blade then later nonchalantly wiped off the blade
Glad I was able to snag one of the originals on closeout back in the day. I really like it and didn’t sell it at peak used. Certainly wouldn’t pay current new prices.
It's a beautiful knife and I have always wanted one and I own 36 Spyderco knives and I like the old original that your showing but $450 is way out of my price range and like Benchmade they are also over priced. Like always you are doing a great job.
Always liked the original, but at the time still thought the price was too high. Thanks for the review.
Would be my dream knife if it wasn't so over priced, especially with the Spymyto releasing soon at half the price.
One small point here:
Nick, you'd know this better than me because you follow higher end knives way more than I do, but I don't think there is any such thing as mirror polished 20CV/M390/204P, and if there is I bet it costs way more than $450. In fact, I believe XHP is the most wear resistant steel that can be mirror polished, or at least be mirror polished on a mass produced product (maybe due to its lack of Vanadium carbides?). I'm pretty sure they'd need to use XHP or CPM 154 (or RWL-34) to have a mirror finish.
Can't change the conclusion of the review obviously. Just my long winded way of speculating that it's likely possible to upgrade from XHP or retain mirror polishing but not do both.
Great review as always!
Seems to be a good knife one i would purchase untill i seen $450. 😢
*Edit* It's not made n USA 😢😢
I don't doubt there are people willing to spend $450 for this. But when I see the steel, the finishing, the materials... It isn't worth it for me. The finishing is better on the original. I also really like CTS-XHP.
The Slysz Bowie (and the TRM "out of stock" racket) is the knife that turned me off from knife collection racket. I'm sure there's an algorythm on just how many knives to make in a run to creat the highest profit to cost/effort. The hype, the "drops", the exclusives, the sprint runs, the knives you can't buy unless you know somebody, screw it all. I own a Spydiechef and love the design and if I bought one of the Slysz Bowie's I'm sure it would have that some joy for me, but I refuse to participate in the bs that goes on with knives and EDC anymore. Having a knife "reviewed" by one of the hype collaborators, is a death sentence for my interest. Guys, wake up you're being worked.
Unfortunately they missed the great things about the original knife. The blade finish on the original is amazing. This one not so much. The anodizing on the new version is terrible. It scratches to easy and the knife looks old after a week of carry.
Thanks!
$450.00 huh.............Yes, but no thanks!
Bought a Kunwu Padre for 300 bucks... and it is miles ahead of this knife.
This was a GREAT video, Shabazz. I don’t think you could have been any more truthful or fair. It’s a nice design and I like it. Frankly one of the few Spydercos I like. I need to get a Spyderco just to say I have one. But I can’t justify that price. I will take my Maxace Mamba for $94 over that all day every day.
My Suggestion, get a standard S30V Spyderco Paramilitary 2. That's gotta be my all time favorite, and I own a lot of Spyderco knives.
@@thestig007 thanks a bunch for the recommendation. I appreciate it. I will check it out.
@@thestig007 they are proud of their knives. Lol That would be the most I’ve spent on a knife. By about double. 😂🤣
Nick, thanks for the video. I enjoy all of your work. Question: What size are the Torx screws? Are they standard Torx or Torx Plus?
You're not kidding about price increases. Just on a whim I checked the price of a spydiechef and if was drinking something would have done a spit-take. I bought mine about 2.5 years ago for about $220 IIRC, now the msrp is $400 (though most sites are realistically selling at a little over $300). Yikes.
I daily carry one of the original cts-xhp steel. It's a really great knife but Polished steel sucks when it starts rusting.
Shazam! I mean Shabazz!! Thanks for the review. It's nice to see spyderco doing a frame lock.
What a throwback
Belt satin, blasted ti, wire clip and g10 backspacer what’s going on spyderco
It's worth what the market will bare. If it were over priced it wouldn't have sold out the day it was released. Same goes for secondary market. I've paid over retail for knives that I wanted because it was worth it to get what I wanted. All that said, still always love your reviews.
You should do a budget review of the CRKT Van Hoy, Nick.
It's a really interesting piece, with a unique look & opening mechanism that is approximately &$50
Am I the only one who prefers XHP to M390?
People are absolutely not even going to hesitate to buy this knife at that price so I get it but for me its a nope, never.
I love how aware you are of the fact that prices aren't going up strictly because of inflation and because there are so very greedy people on the other end of this. The reality is every price hike that there has been there is some person that pushed to manifest the increase and I hope at some point they get their silver spoonful of karma.
Man.. I wish I wasn’t so on the fence about picking one up.. I need to make up my own mind fast.. thanks for the timely video Sir Man of Bat! 🦇
Thank you for sharing. Perfect points you brought here id say
I bought one and I’m not happy with the price especially knowing that I had the chance to get the OG years ago. But if it’s what you want to own and experience then I don’t understand all the hate. I see a lot of people buying all kinds of crazy looking knives in all kinds of configurations. If you like it, get! If what makes you want it is everyone else’s opinion!? Wait on it
Thx Nick, great content as usual. I have an original Slysz bought after watching your early review. That brings me joy, as does a certain watch... thankfully you do not review boats. The jacket guy with his foot on the chair, bathing in his own self importance haha...I thought that you may have moved your Slysz on and got a laugh when you added not for sale.
What’s the 2nd place knife? I’m interested in that one.
I'll take the Slysz Swayback all day over this (and it's $200 in stock at DLT right now).
I got the little benchmade with a gut hook for half.
Glad I was able to exit the knife chasing with my Large Sebenza 31 before the price hike. It's crazy how many multi hundred dollar knives are out there that really don't compare. I'm not even saying the Sebenza is great. It's just good. It will probably last me forever and it has that feel of a premium knife. I carry it every time I go out. When another $400+ knife comes out, I compare it to the Sebenza, and like with this one, I see no compelling reason to go out and purchase it.
Nick spittin' truth. Perhaps I'm lowbrow, but, people, get a Kizer T1 and take your savings and go somewhere on Spirit Airlines.
The T1 is fantastic. One of my favorite knives. And way less expensive. 👍✌️
It sold out in minutes! A lot of people think it a bargain at $450.
450$ is really expensive for this knife.
Have to admit that i have a original Slysz and i like my Kansept model 6 K1022A1 more as my EDC.
100% correct on every point and I’m not subsidizing Spyderco that either pumps out plastic crap and doesn’t build great stuff like this - that’s annoying so my money goes elsewhere.
XHP wins over M390 for me. Highes HRC, better edge stability and pleasure to sharpen.
Edge retention of XHP and M390 almost the same acording to Cedric and Ada's tests on Spyderco Mule.
But I understand that better corosin resistance of M390 is very important for many people, but not for me.
My car payment is less than this knife
I bought two of the original ones. One to use and one to store. I do like the original look much more but the overstop is a nice addition. Hmmm so tempted to get the new one. I hope there are other editions coming.
OK, if they relaunched the classic model & finish at $450, would it be closer to worth it? (Of course if spyderco brought it back, it would be in the line, until they pulled it again.
I'd be a lot less conflicted if this was just the OG Bowie with a lockbar insert and M390 (or a similar high-performing steel with similar polish to the OG).
I hope the price comes down on everyone sitting on them.
RUclips just stopping putting your videos in my feed entirely for months untill this video. Sorry that i forgot about ya. Thought the channel fell off or something. Puts metal complex in my feed constantly. That poser lol. You two should collaborate again. That was hilarious
I would understand the price if it was US made.. and if they are going to refresh it why not go with s90v or Magnacut? Just doesn’t make sense.