I have the Raven 2 and the Crow 2. They are absolutely beastly! I was breaking down some junk during a home renovation and my Raven cut a Pontiac car bumper into chunks before it got dull. I know that might be harder than normal use, but no bending, chipping or any issues. I love this knife.
The blade thickness and pocket clip position make this a no go, it's mainly the stock thickness. The thing I like most about budget knives is that they usually have thinner blades, something that makes me buy them even tho I could buy more expensive knives (and I do buy mid range knives that have thin blades but there are less and less new models coming out every year, especially in the 3.5+ inch long blades I prefer).
One more thing to note in comparison to the polestar is that the lanyard tube/pillar hits the edge of the blade on the polestar causing it to roll/chip. Maybe it's just mine but it happens🤷♂️
I actually bought the Raven 2 and loved it. I had a huge issue with it. I could not adjust the pivot at all. The pivot was free spinning and there is only a torx head on one side. So tightening it just made it spin and did nothing. The blade eventually drifted into the liner and I was forced to send it back to Spyderco. I was hoping they would be able to fix it. Instead they sent me a credit. I bought the Polestar in fear of getting another bad Raven 2 with that credit. I like the Raven 2 better overall if you take away that issue. Maybe they fixed the pivot or I just got a bad one. But I have seen other people with the same problem. Glad you got a good one!
Between the Raven 2 and the Tenacious, totally agree. The Polestar adds a lot of blade edge, I use choils on smaller knives, but with this much handle you don't need it, especially as they have blade right up to the handle. I like the thinner liners, the net covered G10 adds a little visual appeal. What I total agree with, is I don't think the Tenacious has much of a place in the lineup.
Have a tenacious have never been impressed with it but really want to carry it despite having way more expensive knives. Hate to buy another knife of same size when I have so many but man this is tempting.
Byrd in general is impressive. I wonder why they aren't talked about more? If they bumped up the entire line to CTS-BD1 and kept the price under $50 (for FRN versions at-least) they'd sell great I bet.
Just curious, but how often have you found something you can not cut with a 3" cutting surface? I used to be a big blade fan myself, but over time, I have gotten to the point where I don't mind shorter blades. It took some time, but I ma there now.
3 inch is plenty of cutting edge, and if i need more force i can chock up on it and the thumb ramp is way better its not a clift like its counter part knife
I've handled Byrds in store.. I've got away from buying budget knives (have enough) so never bought one.. But, the ergos are great.. Your'e review is on the money.. I think they are even better then the Delica and Endura.. I'm 6ft4, 270 with big hands.. The ergos on the Delica and Endura suck for me.. Endura seems even worse for some reason..The finger grooves are in all the wrong places.. BD1 and VG10 are close enough...
Finally! Bro i feel the same way! Now im 5'9 200lb and have an average man hand (i wear a large glove) and after i handled the delica i got rid of my Endura's and swapped them for Delica's..... Wierd lol
I'm gonna try a raven I have a tenacious I've been carrying it for about 6 months or better There is not a knife does come close to removing it from my pocket it just works so well for my work in everything I do I feel naked without it. But I like the sounds of the better steal my only complaint about the tenacious is it doesn't hold an edge long enough. I like the liner lock all the other ones have some other kind of lock so I'm in for a raven 2
My issues with the Raven 2 could easily be fixed. Where the G10 and liners curve down by the thumb ramp on the blade are hot spots and push into your fingers. The lock bar cut out could be made smaller and not expose the point. The teflon isn't a deal breaker even though mine are noisy even after taking it apart. I will be doing a washer conversion to see if that helps. At the price point I can overlook some of this but the original price was 65$ US and at that price I would have returned it. I also agree it's a better value than the Tenacious and Polestar.
You wouldn’t put 440C in the same ballpark as BD1? I haven’t used my BD1 bladed knife enough to form an opinion but based on the ingredients 440C should be up there (more carbon, chromium, molybdenum, manganese. I think BD1 has a titch of Vanadium which is missing in 440C- maybe that makes a difference?). Nice to see a value Spyderco
Spot on. Have it and absolutely love it. Ranks right up there with my Manix 2 LW and Kershaw Knockout. Just hope they give the Cara Cara 2 the same treatment. Their BD1 is excellent.
Great ergo's aren't surprising since it was designed by Sal Glesser. (Initialed Blade) Great knife good quality love mine. I have a lot of pricey knives but the Raven2 still gets a lot of pocket time. Perfect edc/work knife.
Ohhh...GREAT TIPS! I have a a couple Tenacious's and they are pretty MEH. I got them when I was just getting going and I honestly don't care for them anymore. I was interested in the Polestar but never pulled the trigger based on what I saw in several reviews. You have certainly peaked my interest with the Raven 2!
Hey kevin thanks for this review. I actually bout the first raven for my father in law and he luvs it. I spent 32 on it and it wasnt bd1 steel as im sure u kno. I didnt like the lock back and of course the steel for price but that was some time ago. I would diffinetly own this one. Thanx again great vid as always.
I came here to have you help me decide between the Polestar, Tenacious or Raven and left purchasing the BT Paladin. Wow what a sweet looking blade and pretty feature rich. Comes tomorrow.
I bought the Polestar. Those finger choils are unnecessary and awful. It's creating a problem just to "fix" the problem. If you design the handle properly, like the Polestar, you can already have a "choked up" grip without wasting 1/4 of the blade edge for a choil.
Agree, on all points. It is a little small for my taste, but I've gotten over that. Great ergos, and steel. I don't have a lot of Spyderco knives. Mostly because I got tired of hearing about them endlessly from everyone, so I dug in against. Eventually tho, yeah. I've currently got 5, & want about 5 more. Shaman & Manix 2 up next. Great job Kevin, we agree on a lot of points. Satin finishes, and size for sure, another excellent review. Thanks for your insight man
wagstaff613 not just price egonomics and action are both better I also like the thicker blade stock more so lots of things to recomend it over the polestar
Well... wish I saw this video before I bought your Polestar ;-) (Just kidding -- the action on that particular one is top-notch, at least, and you made sure of that). I'll have to get a Raven 2 to check the ergos... Polestar is definitely "prettier" at least.
Only in terms of price. The Polestar proves that a finger choil on this design is a complete waste of blade edge. If you design the handle properly, like the Polestar, you can already have a "choked up" grip with a normal grip. So why waste 1/4 of the edge on a choil? The Raven created an unnecessary problem just so it could then "solve" the problem.
Teflon sucks blah blah blah... Just like anything..... if its done right it will work. I don't own any Byrd knives but i did own a tenacious (waste of $40) but i will take proper thickness teflon washers over the 3 micron paper thin piece of shit bronze washers on the tenacious.
I have the Raven 2 and the Crow 2. They are absolutely beastly! I was breaking down some junk during a home renovation and my Raven cut a Pontiac car bumper into chunks before it got dull. I know that might be harder than normal use, but no bending, chipping or any issues. I love this knife.
This knife is unbelievably comfortable for lefties.
The blade thickness and pocket clip position make this a no go, it's mainly the stock thickness. The thing I like most about budget knives is that they usually have thinner blades, something that makes me buy them even tho I could buy more expensive knives (and I do buy mid range knives that have thin blades but there are less and less new models coming out every year, especially in the 3.5+ inch long blades I prefer).
I bought 2 raven 2s. My brother carries it everyday while he works at the marina and it has been a stellar blade for him to carry.
One more thing to note in comparison to the polestar is that the lanyard tube/pillar hits the edge of the blade on the polestar causing it to roll/chip. Maybe it's just mine but it happens🤷♂️
This was my first "nice" knife. I still carry it often. It works very well for sharpening practice. Thanks for the review. 👍
I actually bought the Raven 2 and loved it. I had a huge issue with it. I could not adjust the pivot at all. The pivot was free spinning and there is only a torx head on one side. So tightening it just made it spin and did nothing. The blade eventually drifted into the liner and I was forced to send it back to Spyderco. I was hoping they would be able to fix it. Instead they sent me a credit. I bought the Polestar in fear of getting another bad Raven 2 with that credit. I like the Raven 2 better overall if you take away that issue. Maybe they fixed the pivot or I just got a bad one. But I have seen other people with the same problem. Glad you got a good one!
I agree. I only purchased a Tenacious last year because my son demanded the carbon one. It's basically made the Tenacious and Polestar redundant.
Slicey Dicey yeah its a better knife than both for a better price than both
I wouldn’t say it’s better than the Polestar , just a better value.
Shortcut Reviews I actually find the ergos better and the action quite a bit better so I actually would say better even if they cost the same
Shortcut Reviews I’d go with this better steel close to the same size and cheaper.
Between the Raven 2 and the Tenacious, totally agree. The Polestar adds a lot of blade edge, I use choils on smaller knives, but with this much handle you don't need it, especially as they have blade right up to the handle. I like the thinner liners, the net covered G10 adds a little visual appeal. What I total agree with, is I don't think the Tenacious has much of a place in the lineup.
Have a tenacious have never been impressed with it but really want to carry it despite having way more expensive knives. Hate to buy another knife of same size when I have so many but man this is tempting.
Going into 2021 and it's still a great knife.
Oh I didn’t know they upgraded the steel, I’ll have to check it out. I was completely disillusioned with the Tenacious at the cost and poor quality.
Not a fan of the finger choil. IMO, it's a waste of a half inch of blade.
Byrd in general is impressive. I wonder why they aren't talked about more? If they bumped up the entire line to CTS-BD1 and kept the price under $50 (for FRN versions at-least) they'd sell great I bet.
The Raven now sells for about $60.00
Just curious, but how often have you found something you can not cut with a 3" cutting surface? I used to be a big blade fan myself, but over time, I have gotten to the point where I don't mind shorter blades. It took some time, but I ma there now.
3 inch is plenty of cutting edge, and if i need more force i can chock up on it and the thumb ramp is way better its not a clift like its counter part knife
I've handled Byrds in store.. I've got away from buying budget knives (have enough) so never bought one.. But, the ergos are great.. Your'e review is on the money..
I think they are even better then the Delica and Endura.. I'm 6ft4, 270 with big hands.. The ergos on the Delica and Endura suck for me.. Endura seems even worse for some reason..The finger grooves are in all the wrong places..
BD1 and VG10 are close enough...
Finally! Bro i feel the same way! Now im 5'9 200lb and have an average man hand (i wear a large glove) and after i handled the delica i got rid of my Endura's and swapped them for Delica's..... Wierd lol
I'm gonna try a raven I have a tenacious I've been carrying it for about 6 months or better There is not a knife does come close to removing it from my pocket it just works so well for my work in everything I do I feel naked without it. But I like the sounds of the better steal my only complaint about the tenacious is it doesn't hold an edge long enough. I like the liner lock all the other ones have some other kind of lock so I'm in for a raven 2
My issues with the Raven 2 could easily be fixed. Where the G10 and liners curve down by the thumb ramp on the blade are hot spots and push into your fingers. The lock bar cut out could be made smaller and not expose the point. The teflon isn't a deal breaker even though mine are noisy even after taking it apart. I will be doing a washer conversion to see if that helps. At the price point I can overlook some of this but the original price was 65$ US and at that price I would have returned it. I also agree it's a better value than the Tenacious and Polestar.
You wouldn’t put 440C in the same ballpark as BD1? I haven’t used my BD1 bladed knife enough to form an opinion but based on the ingredients 440C should be up there (more carbon, chromium, molybdenum, manganese. I think BD1 has a titch of Vanadium which is missing in 440C- maybe that makes a difference?).
Nice to see a value Spyderco
Spot on. Have it and absolutely love it. Ranks right up there with my Manix 2 LW and Kershaw Knockout. Just hope they give the Cara Cara 2 the same treatment. Their BD1 is excellent.
Jamie Nelson
I wish Spyderco would make a cara cara 2 with CTS-BD1.
Uncommon Guest I would buy that in a heartbeat.
Great ergo's aren't surprising since it was designed by Sal Glesser. (Initialed Blade)
Great knife good quality love mine. I have a lot of pricey knives but the Raven2 still gets a lot of pocket time. Perfect edc/work knife.
Very good budget knife for sure. I have 2 of them but prefer the polestar myself
I love my Raven 2. I just wish they would have kept the featherd scales.
I can't wait to get a Crow 2.
Ohhh...GREAT TIPS! I have a a couple Tenacious's and they are pretty MEH. I got them when I was just getting going and I honestly don't care for them anymore. I was interested in the Polestar but never pulled the trigger based on what I saw in several reviews. You have certainly peaked my interest with the Raven 2!
TimbrWolf 22 I think you will like it
Hey kevin thanks for this review. I actually bout the first raven for my father in law and he luvs it. I spent 32 on it and it wasnt bd1 steel as im sure u kno. I didnt like the lock back and of course the steel for price but that was some time ago. I would diffinetly own this one. Thanx again great vid as always.
For $35 it’s definitely worth checking out.I also love thick lock bars 👍✌️.
$60. now.
I came here to have you help me decide between the Polestar, Tenacious or Raven and left purchasing the BT Paladin. Wow what a sweet looking blade and pretty feature rich. Comes tomorrow.
I have the byrd "cara cara2". Nice slicer,good price. fyi a cara cara is a type of falcon...get it ,falcon;byrd. ya,ya .
I bought the Polestar. Those finger choils are unnecessary and awful. It's creating a problem just to "fix" the problem. If you design the handle properly, like the Polestar, you can already have a "choked up" grip without wasting 1/4 of the blade edge for a choil.
Agree, on all points. It is a little small for my taste, but I've gotten over that. Great ergos, and steel. I don't have a lot of Spyderco knives. Mostly because I got tired of hearing about them endlessly from everyone, so I dug in against. Eventually tho, yeah. I've currently got 5, & want about 5 more. Shaman & Manix 2 up next. Great job Kevin, we agree on a lot of points. Satin finishes, and size for sure, another excellent review. Thanks for your insight man
Dude, you've convinced me. I was buying a Tenacious. Not anymore.
your a smart man better steel better ergos lower price seems like an easy choice.
Kevin, the edge of the lockbar seems to stick out a bit. Isn't that a hotspot for the index finger in a regular grip?
Ron Broeders its only that way on the show side so no real hot spot at least for me
Thanks! I'll put this knife on my list.
Is this better than the Polestar in "just about every way"? Or just in terms of pricing?
wagstaff613 not just price egonomics and action are both better I also like the thicker blade stock more so lots of things to recomend it over the polestar
Well... wish I saw this video before I bought your Polestar ;-) (Just kidding -- the action on that particular one is top-notch, at least, and you made sure of that). I'll have to get a Raven 2 to check the ergos... Polestar is definitely "prettier" at least.
Only in terms of price. The Polestar proves that a finger choil on this design is a complete waste of blade edge. If you design the handle properly, like the Polestar, you can already have a "choked up" grip with a normal grip. So why waste 1/4 of the edge on a choil? The Raven created an unnecessary problem just so it could then "solve" the problem.
I agree will that you this knife is just as good as the Polestar and it’s $30 less
John Scrivani yep
Teflon sucks blah blah blah... Just like anything..... if its done right it will work. I don't own any Byrd knives but i did own a tenacious (waste of $40) but i will take proper thickness teflon washers over the 3 micron paper thin piece of shit bronze washers on the tenacious.
2020 the price is up to 60bucks or over...still worth it?
Still a very good option, I would do some comparison shopping look at some Civivi's Ruike's and Realsteel's but yes it holds up very well even at $60
Yes!!
Mark W Byrd is a Spyderco company
Mark W yes is right thanks for watching
But the others are sooo much sexier