RUclips recommended one of your vids and I've kind of binged ever since. I've been watching knife and EDC videos for like 10 years and I get what you're saying about all the unboxing and impressions videos, and not so many reviews after extensive use. And I love that you have a different perspective on a lot things. Your multi-video case for the simple Emerson A-100 is compelling. You're gonna end up spiking the sales like Nick Shabazz did with the knives he championed when he came on the scene! lol. And I appreciate your helpful sharpening videos. Anyway, I'm just a viewer who posts occasional comments, but I think your channel is a nice addition to the mix.
Cruwear touches up and sharpens so easily. It’s also a very tough steel with good edge stability. It’s a great choice for the delica since it’s such a thin blade.
Wow what are freshingly thorough, informed and interesting review! So few knife reviewers out there matching this level. Instantly Subscribed on strength of this 👏 💪 👍!!!
Hair looks good! Have a great Tuesday. The delica is a great platform. I wish there was a USA delica in an interesting steel that was not a sprint run.
BLASPHEMY !!! Everyone says I must have a Delica , and if they charge more for a special steel I must be constantly on the lookout so I don't miss them selling out in under 10 minutes. Ha Ha , just having a little fun. I have never owned a Delica but bought my second Endura at their HQ in Golden on a visit this past summer. Lost my first (bought in the early ninetys) almost 15 years ago. Delica is just too small for me, wear extra large gloves. Applaud your testing & 100% agree about the unboxing / first impressions videos I see so many of. This is like the 4th video of yours I have watched, you earned a new sub.
The Delica is a great knife, but it sure could use the improvements you mentioned. I would like to see a new iteration of Delica with Spyderco's CQI framework.
Very insightful review. Thanks for giving it a shot. Unfortunate that they couldn't get the heat treat done properly. I have a version in CTS 204p but it doesn't get a whole lot of use due to a few things that I would change. I want them to make a delica 5 with a liner lock, wire pocket clip, and an ever so slight mod to the faux finger choil(think Byrd meadowlark[basically low quality delica with a fully functional choil]). Those 3 changes with a good heat treat would make a winner in my eyes since the ergonomics and blade shape are excellent.
I don't like the Delica's clip either. I took it off and just throw the knife in my pocket. I know most people don't like to do that, but for the Delica that's how I roll.
I've had a standard vg-10 delica for years. It was one of my first "good" knives, got it because everyone was raving about it. Rarely carry it now. It's a fine knife and good if you need a larger-ish handle on a sub 3" blade, but it doesn't really stand out from the pack in any other way imo. It slices fine, but I have better slicers, and the very fine tip on it is worrying. The VG-10 on it is a bit on the soft side as well, might just be an overall thing from japan, it strops back multiple times and sharpens easily though. 88 bucks for the standard version now is just what the heck. It was getting up there in price even back when I paid 65-70 or so for it.
Great video Erica today i got my first flexx official strop today so i can touch up my knives , i also got a zytanium inlay i gonna use om a handle have a great day , Regards from your friend Martijn from the Netherlands
Really really appreciate you taking the time to FULLY review this knife! Definitely have to disagree on the Chris Reeve S35VN statement though! LOVE that steel. Through dip ties, cardboard, plastic. It’s been tough as nails for me.
. I’ve had a pile of Sebenzas and Inkosis as well as a few Zanns. All of them were plenty tough and anyone that knows me knows I’m pretty rough on my knives. My current “Most Carried” is a drop point Zaan and I beat the shit out of it. My edges last really well and strop back easily. I get the occasional small chip when I cut those Crazy Thick green plastic pallet straps at a weird angle but I’ve had really good luck with CRK s35 but I get that with most other steels too. 🤷🏼♂️ I do definitely wonder what’s up with this CruWear 🤔 back lock works pretty good for me but I use the back of the spine to close on my thigh 🤷🏼♂️ I liked hearing your opinion though. Good job carrying it for a longer period of time before giving thoughts. That’s definitely missing from reviews in this community so thank you for that.
Good perspective on the Delica. Overall I agree and never warmed up to it much for EDC. I still think you've hit the Spyderco sweet spot at the Para 3!
Think i'm gonna get a Delica 4 soon, just to try it. Pretty happy with my c01Worker that is also made in Japan, has a vg10 blade steel and seem to also have a similar handle shape. So, think I'll go for a vg10 version, just gotta figure out which color or handle version i'm gonna get. At the moment i'm leaning towards the stainless steel version, for som strange reason. My brain keeps telling my: it's gonna be a stronger knife for hard work, and there's no screws so you can't fuck it up :D
The stainless has a stronger blade, too, 'cause it's a saber grind. (You can also get a saber grind with plastic scales -- the black one.) Hope you like whatever you choose. I'm still a big fan of the Delica. I try other, newer knives and then come back around to my Delica like it's an old friend I was neglecting.
I wonder what the HRC of that CruWear is? Sad it underperformed. Well heat treated CruWear is an insane steel (as you well know). Excited for next month💯
Maybe DLT requested they be a little softer? I have a Cruwear delica from the original distributor sprint run with the gray handle and uncoated blade and I don't notice a difference between it and Benchmade Cruwear.
This is why heat treatment matter New micarta pm2’s cruwear is awesome. Golden’s rex 45 is ran a lot harder than Seki’s hap40 (analog of rex45), which is the whole point of that alloy, hardness. Seki’s K390 has a better heat treat than the exclusive pm2/p3 in K390.
You're right about the testing process, you do need time with a knife to get over the pink cloud stage. I'm surprised by the Cruwear steel not being anything to write home about. I've never experienced it myself but I'll definitely take your word on it. You're right about the price, they're taking the Mickey there. I strongly believe that the big brands are sticking their hands in our pockets and there are a lot of overpriced knives out there. Much of it is just hype. I don't buy sprint runs. Horses for courses, we are all different and I like a good backlock and Spyderco do a good job there. Given your review I won't be getting a Delica. For the money you can do so much better.
I've been using 4 x Cruwear knvies for nearly a year now. I agree that there isn't much to write home about. I really enjoy its toughness and ease of sharpening, but I could some improvement. The edge stability for one, left some more to be desired (they're all Seki city Cruwear). But even with the PM2 Cruwear, I'm not not that over the moon about it.
Great review and I completely agree with your approach to "knife review" videos. I'm fairly new to your channel. Have you ever reviewed or owned a Shaman? I'm looking to pick on up and am gathering all the opinions I can.
@IHatchetJack get one. It’s an absolutely awesome knife. If it’s to heavy for pocket, could fit the role of bug out bag, vehicle, or even lunchbox. Thick blade with lots of potential. Probably my favorite spyderco 👊🏻🍻
I own a Shaman. Lots of my friends raved about how great it was and so I bought one for myself... but it did not live up to the hype and expectations my friends led me to believe. It is a big knife that would be a great pick for a heavy duty work knife but as Erica said "too big for me" is a legitimate factor in whether or not it is a good knife for you. I wear a size medium glove and while I can use the knife perfectly fine it always felt like it was more handle than I actually needed. Even though the handles are contoured G10 it is a smooth texture so you gotta grip it tighter when wet. S30v is a reliable steel choice and the stonewashed satin finish they put on the blade will make you confident about any #useyourshit situations you come across but $231 for G10 and a stonewashed (or blackcoated) s30v blade is overpriced based on what else you can get at that price point. Its not a bad knife but it was not my style and I think a lot of the bad reviews of the Shaman will come to the same conclusion: Better for large hands and not priced at a competitive price point.
@@SeemsLogical I appreciate the info! My hands run on the large size so hopefully it'll be a good fit. I'm very familiar with s30v, and g10, and paying too much for knives... Heh. Slickness of handle is bad, though. I'm 90% of the time EDCing a largish fixed blade (I know I know...leave me alone), and my only complaint is the super smooth micarta handle is bad news when its really cold outside. Humidity helps, but when it's cold and dry, or cold and wet its a "pay attention to what you're doing with zero distraction" kind of deal. I'm hoping the Shaman will help me keep the same level of performance and reliability at much less weight. In any case, I hear it's a good fidgeter!
Definately not a fan of spyderco but just personal preference. Hopefully you just got one of the lemons and the rest have better steel. Thanks for the look see and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable
Sounds like you got one with a bad heat treat. If I understand correctly cruwear is only made by one company, but the heat treat is what's done at the factory that it's made at.
@@ericasedc it's a tungsten carbide folder made by Sandrin knives.. supposedly outperforms steel in edge retention by a sig amount. I got one coming in the mail myself 😮
Dear Blade Queen … sorry that the Delica just didn’t work out for a long term relationship. I can relate… in middle school, girls would say “I like you Rob, you’re a nice guy. But I don’t want to dance with you”. But good things came later. So, hopefully at the end of your next knife testing, you and your new blade will be going steady. 🥰😁😍
Your view is your view. Maybe you are right about where it is made because I have a Delica that has zero blade play and stil drops. Yours seems very overtightened. I agree that the Para 3 lightweight is better however the put-down on Chris Reeve knives seems to be abnormal.
It’s fairly well admitted in the industry/community/hobby that Chris Reeve run their S35 softer than just any of the big and/or reputable brands. Their reasoning for it is running it softer increases its toughness (absolutely true), but that comes at the cost of edge retention. It makes sense to me that for Chris Reeve, a brand that, let’s face it, sells a lot based on their reputation of being “the last / only knife you need” prioritizes their blade not breaking over how many times you can cut a rope with it between sharpenings. I can see it being far more damaging to their brand’s reputation if someone posts a picture online and says “the tip of my Sebenza broke on me” (not super uncommon with a PM2) vs someone saying “the edge of my Sebenza goes dull quicker than my PM2 with S35.” I think Chris Reeve made the smart decision, given how their brand is perceived. I understand why they made that choice, but I’m not going to pretend that just because they were involved with the creation of S35, it therefore makes it impossible for them to have among the poorest edge retention S35 on the market.
I reserved this knife at the store couple days ago and it will cost me 140$, should I buy this one if I have no opportunity to get something better? I really wont a premium knife for a birthday and the only variant other than this spy is overpriced stock griptilian or para 3 in BD1.
I mean maybe you have manufacturing defects on your knife but there is nearly no chance of it. I’m not cutting cardboard as often as you do, I usually cut paper and do pencil sharpening and maybe this will be an okay knife for me
no steel lasts very long on cardboard it's like the worst thing you can cut with a knife, thats why i always use a utility knife with replaceable blades for blasting through cardboard. and cpm cruwear doesnt hold an edge as good as s30v, where it shines is toughness and ease of sharpening. its like an upgraded version of 1095. so it's confusing on small blade designs like the delica when it's more of a fixed blade steel.
A user never bashes a backlock IMHO..I can tell Benchmade work's for you so far but wait until your springs start breaking.. aside from Spyderco compression and the backlock I've had problems Benchmade being the worst 2 out of 3 that actually see use have failed and my crooked rivers time is coming soon..
Back locks are definitely not as convenient as many of the others, but, still stronger than most.
Great review! Thanks for your honesty. 👍🏼👍🏼
Great honest review!!! Nicely done Erica!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻
RUclips recommended one of your vids and I've kind of binged ever since. I've been watching knife and EDC videos for like 10 years and I get what you're saying about all the unboxing and impressions videos, and not so many reviews after extensive use. And I love that you have a different perspective on a lot things. Your multi-video case for the simple Emerson A-100 is compelling. You're gonna end up spiking the sales like Nick Shabazz did with the knives he championed when he came on the scene! lol. And I appreciate your helpful sharpening videos. Anyway, I'm just a viewer who posts occasional comments, but I think your channel is a nice addition to the mix.
Great preview! Have a great day!
Great vid and review! Honesty is hard to come by! Keep up the great work 🍻
That’s a nice edc knife regardless of steel choice. I’d probably go with a cheap steel that’s easy to touch up for edc.
Cruwear touches up and sharpens so easily. It’s also a very tough steel with good edge stability. It’s a great choice for the delica since it’s such a thin blade.
Excellent, and most importantly honest, review. Thanks!
I love your reviews Erica! Very thorough and down to earth 🤎
Thanks sis! Means a lot to me!!!
The k390 delica took like 5 sharpens and all of sudden it quit rolling the edge. Now it just keeps going and going it’s wild
Even with its shortcomings the Delica has been a solid knife IMO. Great longer-term review
Thank you!!!!
Well done ! I have a Delica with a Sabre grind , definitely more robust all around ,
Great review!
Wow what are freshingly thorough, informed and interesting review! So few knife reviewers out there matching this level. Instantly Subscribed on strength of this 👏 💪 👍!!!
Great review, subbed.
How refreshing ! Someone that actually uses knives that they are reviewing. Truly not your average edc !
Great job thanks for the video! 😎👍
Hair looks good! Have a great Tuesday. The delica is a great platform. I wish there was a USA delica in an interesting steel that was not a sprint run.
BLASPHEMY !!! Everyone says I must have a Delica , and if they charge more for a special steel I must be constantly on the lookout so I don't miss them selling out in under 10 minutes. Ha Ha , just having a little fun. I have never owned a Delica but bought my second Endura at their HQ in Golden on a visit this past summer. Lost my first (bought in the early ninetys) almost 15 years ago. Delica is just too small for me, wear extra large gloves. Applaud your testing & 100% agree about the unboxing / first impressions videos I see so many of. This is like the 4th video of yours I have watched, you earned a new sub.
The Delica is a great knife, but it sure could use the improvements you mentioned. I would like to see a new iteration of Delica with Spyderco's CQI framework.
Very insightful review. Thanks for giving it a shot. Unfortunate that they couldn't get the heat treat done properly. I have a version in CTS 204p but it doesn't get a whole lot of use due to a few things that I would change. I want them to make a delica 5 with a liner lock, wire pocket clip, and an ever so slight mod to the faux finger choil(think Byrd meadowlark[basically low quality delica with a fully functional choil]).
Those 3 changes with a good heat treat would make a winner in my eyes since the ergonomics and blade shape are excellent.
I agree full heartedly!!!! Awesome input
I don't like the Delica's clip either. I took it off and just throw the knife in my pocket. I know most people don't like to do that, but for the Delica that's how I roll.
Sal has mentioned on the Spyderco forum that they're working on a "high performance" delica. Maybe it'll have a lock and clip change.
I've had a standard vg-10 delica for years. It was one of my first "good" knives, got it because everyone was raving about it. Rarely carry it now. It's a fine knife and good if you need a larger-ish handle on a sub 3" blade, but it doesn't really stand out from the pack in any other way imo. It slices fine, but I have better slicers, and the very fine tip on it is worrying. The VG-10 on it is a bit on the soft side as well, might just be an overall thing from japan, it strops back multiple times and sharpens easily though. 88 bucks for the standard version now is just what the heck. It was getting up there in price even back when I paid 65-70 or so for it.
Great video Erica today i got my first flexx official strop today so i can touch up my knives , i also got a zytanium inlay i gonna use om a handle have a great day , Regards from your friend Martijn from the Netherlands
Really really appreciate you taking the time to FULLY review this knife! Definitely have to disagree on the Chris Reeve S35VN statement though! LOVE that steel. Through dip ties, cardboard, plastic. It’s been tough as nails for me.
. I’ve had a pile of Sebenzas and Inkosis as well as a few Zanns. All of them were plenty tough and anyone that knows me knows I’m pretty rough on my knives. My current “Most Carried” is a drop point Zaan and I beat the shit out of it. My edges last really well and strop back easily. I get the occasional small chip when I cut those Crazy Thick green plastic pallet straps at a weird angle but I’ve had really good luck with CRK s35 but I get that with most other steels too. 🤷🏼♂️ I do definitely wonder what’s up with this CruWear 🤔
back lock works pretty good for me but I use the back of the spine to close on my thigh 🤷🏼♂️ I liked hearing your opinion though. Good job carrying it for a longer period of time before giving thoughts. That’s definitely missing from reviews in this community so thank you for that.
Good perspective on the Delica. Overall I agree and never warmed up to it much for EDC. I still think you've hit the Spyderco sweet spot at the Para 3!
Im in construction we do Big buildings and highrisers like framing , forming and steel work i use a native 5 Lw the FRN is pretty damn tough
My dragonfly 2 is my 1st cruwear and I thought the same thing about having to touch it up.
Endela dlc cruware spuderco for $109 right now. Was debating on grabbing one
I saw that!
@@ericasedc you say skip it?
Here’s to keepin’ it real 🍺
Bad ass little knife
Think i'm gonna get a Delica 4 soon, just to try it. Pretty happy with my c01Worker that is also made in Japan, has a vg10 blade steel and seem to also have a similar handle shape. So, think I'll go for a vg10 version, just gotta figure out which color or handle version i'm gonna get. At the moment i'm leaning towards the stainless steel version, for som strange reason. My brain keeps telling my: it's gonna be a stronger knife for hard work, and there's no screws so you can't fuck it up :D
The stainless has a stronger blade, too, 'cause it's a saber grind. (You can also get a saber grind with plastic scales -- the black one.) Hope you like whatever you choose. I'm still a big fan of the Delica. I try other, newer knives and then come back around to my Delica like it's an old friend I was neglecting.
Sorry to hear about your cruwear ☹. Conversely i have a bugout in s30v and have never experienced a softer steel on a folder.
I wonder what the HRC of that CruWear is? Sad it underperformed. Well heat treated CruWear is an insane steel (as you well know). Excited for next month💯
Maybe DLT requested they be a little softer? I have a Cruwear delica from the original distributor sprint run with the gray handle and uncoated blade and I don't notice a difference between it and Benchmade Cruwear.
This is why heat treatment matter
New micarta pm2’s cruwear is awesome.
Golden’s rex 45 is ran a lot harder than Seki’s hap40 (analog of rex45), which is the whole point of that alloy, hardness.
Seki’s K390 has a better heat treat than the exclusive pm2/p3 in K390.
Excellent review!! Theres a 88$ version in vg10. I love vg10! Thank you Erica!!
Thank you for all your endless support!
@@ericasedc honestly, supporting your work is easy!! You inspire me to be my best self! And i do now need a spyderco delica
Hard to compete with Benchmades S30V 🤙🏼
You're right about the testing process, you do need time with a knife to get over the pink cloud stage.
I'm surprised by the Cruwear steel not being anything to write home about. I've never experienced it myself but I'll definitely take your word on it.
You're right about the price, they're taking the Mickey there. I strongly believe that the big brands are sticking their hands in our pockets and there are a lot of overpriced knives out there. Much of it is just hype. I don't buy sprint runs.
Horses for courses, we are all different and I like a good backlock and Spyderco do a good job there.
Given your review I won't be getting a Delica. For the money you can do so much better.
I've been using 4 x Cruwear knvies for nearly a year now. I agree that there isn't much to write home about. I really enjoy its toughness and ease of sharpening, but I could some improvement. The edge stability for one, left some more to be desired (they're all Seki city Cruwear). But even with the PM2 Cruwear, I'm not not that over the moon about it.
Thanks! Maybe I missed it, but what knife are you testing next month?
Haven’t released that info yet!!!
S90V is super sharp and slicey but a bit chippy (my prediction).
Great review and I completely agree with your approach to "knife review" videos. I'm fairly new to your channel. Have you ever reviewed or owned a Shaman? I'm looking to pick on up and am gathering all the opinions I can.
Too big for me! Probably won’t see it on my channel. Thanks for watching my friend!
@IHatchetJack get one. It’s an absolutely awesome knife. If it’s to heavy for pocket, could fit the role of bug out bag, vehicle, or even lunchbox. Thick blade with lots of potential. Probably my favorite spyderco 👊🏻🍻
I own a Shaman. Lots of my friends raved about how great it was and so I bought one for myself... but it did not live up to the hype and expectations my friends led me to believe.
It is a big knife that would be a great pick for a heavy duty work knife but as Erica said "too big for me" is a legitimate factor in whether or not it is a good knife for you. I wear a size medium glove and while I can use the knife perfectly fine it always felt like it was more handle than I actually needed. Even though the handles are contoured G10 it is a smooth texture so you gotta grip it tighter when wet. S30v is a reliable steel choice and the stonewashed satin finish they put on the blade will make you confident about any #useyourshit situations you come across but $231 for G10 and a stonewashed (or blackcoated) s30v blade is overpriced based on what else you can get at that price point.
Its not a bad knife but it was not my style and I think a lot of the bad reviews of the Shaman will come to the same conclusion: Better for large hands and not priced at a competitive price point.
@@SeemsLogical the micarta zwear shaman is sick 🍻
@@SeemsLogical I appreciate the info! My hands run on the large size so hopefully it'll be a good fit. I'm very familiar with s30v, and g10, and paying too much for knives... Heh. Slickness of handle is bad, though. I'm 90% of the time EDCing a largish fixed blade (I know I know...leave me alone), and my only complaint is the super smooth micarta handle is bad news when its really cold outside. Humidity helps, but when it's cold and dry, or cold and wet its a "pay attention to what you're doing with zero distraction" kind of deal. I'm hoping the Shaman will help me keep the same level of performance and reliability at much less weight. In any case, I hear it's a good fidgeter!
It’s definitely not a hard use knife 🔪 I have the Delica with the glow in the dark handles. Great hiking knife.
Awesome!!! Thanks for watching!
Just got a Delica straight edge in stainless VG10 Blade Great Value for 💰
I may buy an Endura with stainless steal scales
I mean, Delica is only 2 letters away from delicate.
Definately not a fan of spyderco but just personal preference. Hopefully you just got one of the lemons and the rest have better steel. Thanks for the look see and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable
Sounds like you got one with a bad heat treat. If I understand correctly cruwear is only made by one company, but the heat treat is what's done at the factory that it's made at.
Great video of your knife it looks good I want to get a knife for my self anyway how’s it going how’s your day been I hope its good 👍
Hey man! Thanks for watching!!! Have a beautiful day!!!!
hey Erica, will you ever test out a Sandrin Torino?
No clue what that is!!!
@@ericasedc it's a tungsten carbide folder made by Sandrin knives.. supposedly outperforms steel in edge retention by a sig amount. I got one coming in the mail myself 😮
@@mcm4point2o oh yes now I know what you are referring to! I have zero interest in that actually haha
Dear Blade Queen … sorry that the Delica just didn’t work out for a long term relationship. I can relate… in middle school, girls would say “I like you Rob, you’re a nice guy. But I don’t want to dance with you”. But good things came later. So, hopefully at the end of your next knife testing, you and your new blade will be going steady. 🥰😁😍
Won't Spyderco warranty cover bad heat treating?
Exclusives don’t really have a warranty.
Your view is your view. Maybe you are right about where it is made because I have a Delica that has zero blade play and stil drops. Yours seems very overtightened. I agree that the Para 3 lightweight is better however the put-down on Chris Reeve knives seems to be abnormal.
It’s fairly well admitted in the industry/community/hobby that Chris Reeve run their S35 softer than just any of the big and/or reputable brands. Their reasoning for it is running it softer increases its toughness (absolutely true), but that comes at the cost of edge retention.
It makes sense to me that for Chris Reeve, a brand that, let’s face it, sells a lot based on their reputation of being “the last / only knife you need” prioritizes their blade not breaking over how many times you can cut a rope with it between sharpenings. I can see it being far more damaging to their brand’s reputation if someone posts a picture online and says “the tip of my Sebenza broke on me” (not super uncommon with a PM2) vs someone saying “the edge of my Sebenza goes dull quicker than my PM2 with S35.” I think Chris Reeve made the smart decision, given how their brand is perceived.
I understand why they made that choice, but I’m not going to pretend that just because they were involved with the creation of S35, it therefore makes it impossible for them to have among the poorest edge retention S35 on the market.
I reserved this knife at the store couple days ago and it will cost me 140$, should I buy this one if I have no opportunity to get something better? I really wont a premium knife for a birthday and the only variant other than this spy is overpriced stock griptilian or para 3 in BD1.
I mean maybe you have manufacturing defects on your knife but there is nearly no chance of it. I’m not cutting cardboard as often as you do, I usually cut paper and do pencil sharpening and maybe this will be an okay knife for me
if you hadn’t grabbed something; get a spy27 para 3.
no steel lasts very long on cardboard it's like the worst thing you can cut with a knife, thats why i always use a utility knife with replaceable blades for blasting through cardboard. and cpm cruwear doesnt hold an edge as good as s30v, where it shines is toughness and ease of sharpening. its like an upgraded version of 1095. so it's confusing on small blade designs like the delica when it's more of a fixed blade steel.
A user never bashes a backlock IMHO..I can tell Benchmade work's for you so far but wait until your springs start breaking.. aside from Spyderco compression and the backlock I've had problems Benchmade being the worst 2 out of 3 that actually see use have failed and my crooked rivers time is coming soon..
I'm sorry Spyderco knives are just overpriced.
Not the base model delica with vg10. Worth every penny.