Spyderco Delica 4 - FFG

The Delica is one of those knives you just can't get around. Do any meaningful research into EDC blades and you'll hear a lot of people talk about the Delica being the "perfect EDC". My review will make about the forty billionth one on the internet, but like I said when I started this, the goal is to create more useful data points for those researching their own purchases.

Here are pictures of my ZDP-189 Delica (pen on the bottom is a standard Pilot G2 for size comparison):

Here is a link to Blade HQ's video review of the Delica 4. It is a good visual reference point, and always, a fairly nice, concise review in and of itself.

Short Form: I don't think the Delica 4 is perfect (nothing is), but it is a really, really nice blade, especially for the price point. Its merits (many) outweigh its flaws (few). Not the most discrete knife in the world, though.

Size: Medium

The knife is 7.125" open, 4.25" closed. The blade itself is 2.875", but the cutting edge is only 2.563". This puts it in the medium category, creeping up on what I'd call large for an EDC blade. Some people complain that there's a lot of handle for not much knife here, and I think that's valid. You can get a lot more cutting edge in a smaller package with something like a Benchmade Mini-griptilian. That said, I think the increased size does pay dividends in ergonomics, but we'll get to that in a second.

Usage Rating: Medium

Unlike the Kershaw Leek, which seems downright dainty, this is a knife I would (and have) taken into the woods. Like most Spyderco knives, it has a rock solid lock-up that has stayed with absolutely zero play after a year of solid use (abuse) at my hands. The grip is solid from an ergonomic stand point and is appropriate for heavy chores. Between the thumb ramp and the bi-directional texturing on the handle scales, you're just not going to accidentally let go of this knife... ever. Great for fishing and light bushcraft.

The only reason I don't rate this as hard use is because of the thin blade-stock and fairly steep secondary bevel.

Blade Steel Quality: Moderate / Superior

The VG 10 on the regular model is one of the best all-around steels I can think of. Notably better edge retention than the "budget" steels like 8Cr13Mov and 420HC. It is also crazy-easy to sharpen and polish. It takes a great mirror edge and resists rust quite well. I feel like this particular steel really hits that "sweet spot" where it performs well, but isn't so expensive that you would baby it and keep it from being really used hard.

I put the "superior" tag on there for those that want to fork out $30 extra for the ZDP-189 steel. I have both versions of the Delica 4, so I figured I'd throw this information in. ZDP-189 really is in a league of its own. I don't think I've ever seen steel (even s30v or D2) come close to the edge retention properties of ZDP-189. It will take and hold an extremely steep (less than 30 degree inclusive) edge for months at a time. I am a sharpness freak with my blades, and I have gone three or four months without sharpening my ZDP-189 Delica because it can still shave hair.

I will place a few warnings on this steel, though.

1. Higher price point = greater fear: I do find that I "baby" this one more than my regular Delica. It has that wonderfully ground, super-hard blade and I'd hate to screw it up, especially since it is so damn expensive for an everyday use knife. As a result, it sees less actual use than some of my cheaper "workhorses".

2. Corrosion prone: a whopping amount of carbon is to blame for that wonderful edge retention. The trade off is that it is more rust prone than most high end knife steels. You really can't let this thing get wet, and even handling it regularly with your hands creates a noticeable "patina" over time (although this doesn't affect the performance of the blade in the slightest).

3. Chips: Because this steel is so hard, it is more prone to chipping at the edge than rolling like softer steels do. This matters because this steel is, frankly, a royal pain in the ass to re-profile and polish. The hardness which lends to its performance adds challenge to the maintenance.

Deployment Method: One-Handed Ambidextrous

Ahh... the truly ambidextrous knife. Lefties and righties can open and close this thing with equal ease. And "ease" is the operative term here. The 14 mm Spyderhole is about the easiest opening method on the market, as far as I'm concerned. I've never met anyone that didn't quickly fall in love with this method and start grousing about thumb studs in short order. No matter your hand size or position, wet or dry, gloved or no, you'll be able to get this knife open easily.

I should point out, though, that the deployment on this one isn't lightning fast. The sturdy back lock, which makes for a thin knife and makes it truly ambidextrous, does slow deployment a bit. The reason is because of the tension that the back-spring puts on the blade as it rotates out into the open position. Don't be expecting that explosively fast opening that you get on a Kershaw assisted opener or even a really well-designed liner-lock knife. Not a deal breaker for me, but I know it bothers some people.

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - The Delica is a decent slicer, but not spectacular. The lack of curvature in the blade means it doesn't perform quite as well as a Mini-Griptilian or even the Delica's cheaper cousin, the Persistence. That said, the extremely thin blade-stock and steep secondary bevel do make up some of that lost ground. The extremely ergonomic grip also helps. I've never been aggravated with this knife's slicing performance, but I've never really been blow away by it, either.

2. Piercing - The Delica is a decent piercing knife. This iteration has a stronger tip than previous incarnations. You used to read about older versions losing their tip when dropped. That isn't an issue here, but that stockier tip costs the knife some of its piercing power. It doesn't pierce nearly as well as a clip-point knife or something with a needle-fine tip, like a Kershaw Leek. That said, I'd be much more comfortable driving this into a hard material.

3. Push-Cutting - The Delica is a pretty good push-cutting knife. The fairly straight blade, which hurts slicing, seems to help in this aspect. Further, the thin blade stock and steep bevel help here, too. Again, I can't stress how much the good grip on this thing makes all its uses easier.

Reading the three evaluations, you get the impression that the performance on this blade is kind of "meh". Let me try and disabuse you of that notion. While it doesn't do any one thing spectacularly, it does just about everything well. The more you use one, the more you'll appreciate the value of this. For an EDC blade, I think you really need something like that.

Retention Method:

1. Functionality - Like most things Spyderco, this is the focus. This hourglass pocket clip isn't pretty or discreet, but by God, it does its job. It will hold the knife in the pockets of about any pants (jeans to light slacks) securely, based on the broad surface area "pinching" the fabric. Also, the fact that the bow of the clip contacts the smooth logo panel (regardless of configuration) means that your pants won't get torn to shreds on this one.

2. Discretion Factor - Fail. This is a large clip, but in tip-up carry (which is the preferred option for most folks), a large portion of knife sticks out of your pocket. Some people like this for the ease of drawing it out (again - Spyderco cares about function), but I can't say as I've ever had any serious problems pulling out blades with deep carry pocket clips (which I greatly prefer).

3. Versatility - As versatile as it gets. Four way carry plus lanyard plus wave capacity with a zip tie means you can carry this thing however you like to carry knives and it will work quite well.

Fit and Finish:

The Spyderco knifes from Seki in Japan are good, but not mind-blowing. Everything was clean and functional. No gaps, stripped screws, or overtly sloppy bits of work. On closer inspection, though, two of the three Delicas I own have centering issues. Two also suffer an uneven grind at the tip, like the person grinding it just nodded off. It doesn't affect the performance noticeably, but for perfectionists, I might be irksome.

I will point out that the ZDP-189 Delica had significantly better fit and finish. Immaculate grind and perfect centering to supplement an already great knife.

Ease of Maintenance:

Generally pretty good. A monthly touch-up on the Sharpmaker will keep the VG-10 shaving sharp. It takes a fine edge easily. The more I use and evaluate knives, the more I start to appreciate how much ease of sharpening matters. The ZDP-189 stays crazy sharp so long as it gets touched up bi-monthly, but God help you if you put a nick in it or really trash the edge. Getting it back to razor sharpness is a certifiable nightmare.

Because of the closed, lock-back design, these things are definitely lint magnets. Invest in pipe-cleaners and compressed air to keep the mechanism free of debris. If you're not finicky about keeping grime out, the action on these knives does get gritty.

For reasons I don't know, my ZDP-189 Delica attracts grime way more than the VG-10. Perhaps the tighter tolerances make it more noticeable when something is out of whack?

The phosphor bronze bushings make the knife open smoothly, but I've also found that these blades need a dab of mineral oil or teflon spray to keep their peak performance.

Conclusion:

It is really easy to see why this blade is in the pantheon. It is one of the most quintessential examples of the qualities that makes Spyderco a great company. If you need a small-medium size folder to keep you company for a half decade or so of regular use, and still be a fantastic tool at the end, this one is for you. I really can't think of a more versatile lock-bladed folding knife.

Review of the Kershaw Leek, Model 1660

The Leek is like that movie that I really didn't want to see, but finally went to because everyone and their mother had seen it and told me how great it was. I didn't like the knife's long, weird looks, straight blade, or funky pocket clip. That said, I had to acknowledge that tons of people love this knife. It has over 500 five-star ratings on Amazon. If you type in "Kershaw Leek" and "best knife ever" on Google, you'll get hundreds of hits. You can find any number of glowing reviews for this blade. I avoided getting one for years, but curiosity finally got the better of me. The way I figured, there must be something to this blade that I'm missing since so many people drool over it. I got one and carried it daily for a few months to see if I could start to understand what the fuss was about. In the end, it didn't join my pantheon of greats, but it is fun to carry and use, and mine will stay in my rotation for a while to come.

Here is a link to the Bladereviews.com video review of the Leek which you can use to get a good visual on the knife, as well as another reference point for your own evaluation. Here's pictures of my stainless Leek.

Short Form: The Leek handles most EDC chores and has nice fit and finish for the price, but has some stylistic quirks that keep it from being a good "all around" pocket knife.

Size: Medium

The 7" open length puts this firmly in the medium size category. Good size analogs would be the Spyderco Delica 4 (7.125" open) and the Benchmade Mini-Griptilian (6.78" open). Mine, which is the steel frame-lock version, clocked in at 3 ounces exactly. The handle is a super-slender 5/16" thick without the pocket clip, and the handle is slightly less than 1" wide at the widest point (with the blade closed).

Usage Rating:  Light

There's going to be some debate here. I put this in the light usage category, for three reasons.

1. Thin tip - The tip, as is discussed in many reviews, is needle fine. This ain't a bad thing (see below), but if you even think about thinking about prying with it, the tip will snap off. Similarly, if you tried to pierce a heavier material, I suspect the tip would bend or fold. I've also heard a lot of stories about people losing the tip when the knife gets dropped.

2. Thin blade - The blade thickness is 0.090", which is the same as a Delica 4, but it tapers quickly and gets dramatically thinner well before the tip of the knife. While this does help the knife with slicing performance, the trade off is strength. The fairly steep secondary bevel makes for a razor-sharp edge... but it rolls quickly. If you took this thing into the woods, you'd likely be sharpening it a lot.

3. Slick grip - The grip is very slick. The jimping on the thumb ramp and choil certainly help, but this is not a knife you'd want to use with wet hands or gloves. The lack of texturing on the scales and the rather amorphous handle shape (not molded to fingers) keeps this blade from really locking into your hand. In my opinion, if the grip ain't great, you really shouldn't be using a blade for anything other than light duty. (I make no commentary on the G-10 version. That might be an improvement, but I can't see where even grippier scales would have a drastic impact on this knife's "hand profile".)

The reason I say there's debate on the usage rating is the price tag. I can see where some people would beat on this knife and ramp it up to medium usage. I got mine from Amazon.com for $38 and change. That isn't so horrifically expensive that you couldn't replace it if you maimed one beyond repair. It should also be mentioned that Kershaw has fantastic customer service. I've seen a lot of instances where they will simply send out replacement parts for free if requested, and they have a blade replacement service for a paltry $10.00. When you take that into account, I suppose medium use could be feasible.

Blade Steel Quality: Moderate

Current models come with Sandvik's 14c28n steel. This is Kershaw's flagship steel and for good reason. The rust resistance has been good (better than on my Spyderco Persistence with 8cr13Mov), and this steel takes a very fine edge (similar to the VG-10 in the Delica 4). In terms of wear resistance, it is hard to say what to associate with the quality of the steel and what to associate with the geometry of the knife. This is a very thin blade with a very steep bevel, and a very steep secondary bevel. It makes for a fine, "scary sharp" cutting edge, but that thin edge is prone to rolling when you put it to work. I'm not sure if this just the steel or the thinness of this particular blade. I'll have to put a few more 14c28n blades with different geometry through the paces and update this when I do.

Note: The edge's tendency to roll under pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unlike chips in the edge (which are common with some of the harder steels), you can hone the rolls right out of this blade and get it back to shaving sharpness with a common kitchen steel. Even stropping it on a belt will more or less put it back where you want it.

I'm not a metallurgist, so I can't give you all the technical crunch and lab data, but I can tell you this: I've got to sharpen this blade slightly more often than I do my VG-10 blades that get put through the same paces, but significantly less often than my 420 HC and 8cr13Mov blades. On average, I'd say it took one trip to my Sharpmaker for every month I used it regularly. (You should note that A - I did only use it for light jobs and B - I sharpen before the edge gets too dull; it was still a working edge when I cleaned it up.)

Deployment Method: Ambidextrous (?) One-Handed Assisted

The knife has Ken Onion's patented "Speedsafe" assisted opening, which consists of a small torsion bar (read - stiff piece of wire) nested in the handle scale opposite the frame lock. It works well and flips the knife out quickly. Kershaw's literature has said that each one of these torsion bars has 10,000 openings of mileage in it. No idea if that is right. Mine is still snappy after a lot of use. They'll send you a replacement if you wear one out.

You can easily open this knife with either hand, but since this is a frame lock, I would imagine that closing the blade one-handed with the left hand would be problematic. Hence my question mark above.

Ignore all the reviews that talk about how much the thumb studs suck. They aren't thumb studs. Read the literature that comes from Kershaw. They're called blade stops. Their size and location differentiate them from thumb studs. If Kershaw's own literature is to be believed, they did not intend these studs to be used for opening the knife. (As an aside, I have used the blade stops to open the knife from time to time, and after a little practice, they work just fine.)

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - I was a little nervous about the wharncliff style blade, with virtually no curvature. There was no reason to be. This thing is so thin and steep at the edge that it will slice through most materials with virtually no resistance. Fresh from the sharpening stone, easily glided through paper and light cardboard. It even handled heavy cardboard and paracord well, though the edge did degrade fairly quickly on those tougher substances.

2. Piercing - I know of no folding knife which pierces better than this folding knife. The needle tip (which people bemoan constantly) makes this thing perfect for opening up boxes and most packaging. There's virtually no resistance for most substances. This feature (which I thought I'd hate) turns out to be one of the knife's best points (no pun intended).

That said, I'd be nervous trying to pierce tougher substances like linoleum, because I think the tip might give before the material did.

3. Push-Cutting - Mixed bag here. Push cutting means more pressure on a smaller surface area in the cutting edge. Do a little push cutting and you'll get great performance because the blade is so dang thin. Do a lot and you're going to have problems because of how the edge degrades under high pressure.


Retention Method:

1. Functionality - The pocket clip is one of the weird things about the Leek. A mixed bag in all respects. What makes this a good "suit knife" is that the scales are slick and the clip isn't super-tight. This means that you can clip it on without worrying the fabric getting ripped to shreds. The problem, though, is that it is slick. If the clip catches on anything, this thing will slide out of your pocket. (This happened to me 3 times in the first month I owned the knife, and I was a habitual knife-carrier for 10 years when this occurred.) As such, the clip doesn't function to keep this thing firmly in your pocket.

2. Discreetness Factor - Another schizophrenic area for this knife. The blade is super-slim, which would make it discreet, except that the clip is over two inches long (way big on a knife that is four inches closed), and it is broad and shiny, to boot. The clip attracts the eye and anyone with half a brain will know that you are carrying a knife. If there was any doubt on this point, in tip-down carry, there is about three quarters of an inch of shiny knife sticking out of the tip of your pocket. Go tip up and I believe you've crested an inch of exposed knife. That is a lot. Between the brazen pocket clip and the speedsafe (which could be intimidating to non-knife carriers), this design just doesn't seem quite sure where it fits into things in terms of whether it is people-friendly or not. Possibly the biggest issue with the blade, in my opinion.

3. Versatility - You can only go right side tip up and down on this one. Left sided handle scales are completely smooth, so lefties are left out in the rain here.

Fit and Finish:

Kershaw generally does well in this department, and the Leek is no exception. Blade was perfectly centered when I got it (impressive for a sub-$40 frame lock), and stayed that way after a lot of use. Everything was flush and there was no blade play.

Quality of the screws was an issue, though. When I went to migrate the pocket clip for tip up carry, the first screw stripped. It stripped even though I used the appropriate torx bit and applied gentle pressure. Kershaw was good to send me new screws and a new clip free of charge, but this was definitely a disappointment. When I finally got the clip off, I saw the likely culprit for the stripped screw. The screws had been covered with blue loc-tite (or something similar) from the factory. For a knife where you've got the option to remount the clip, sending it out of the factory with loc-tite seems like a strange choice. If you do move the clip on this one, be careful and do whatever seems best to you in order to navigate loc-tited screws.

Wish I'd known about that before trying to move the clip.

Ease of Maintenance:

The Leek does well here. The almost perfectly straight blade is very easy to sharpen, and steel takes a razor edge very easily. Open, flow-through construction makes cleaning the knife easy. It isn't a lint magnet. Despite my above warning about not taking it into the woods, I did exactly that and the knife didn't rust even though it spent the better part of 24 hours moist. The satin-finish blade likes to grab on to little pieces of adhesive when you open packages, but it is nothing that a little Goo Gone can't fix. As previously mentioned, honing the knife back to a true edge is very easy, and while I don't speak from personal experience, youtube makes it seem as if replacing the torsion bar isn't terribly challenging.

Conclusion:

For around $40, there's a lot to like about the Leek. For a knife I actively disliked when I acquired it (long story), it grew on me and still sees time in my pocket with some regularity. It definitely has unique looks that appeal to a lot of people, even if it does cost the blade some of its functionality. The slim profile, easy deployment, and superior piercing make this a really nice knife to use for day to day chores. This is a nice knife to have in a rotation if you know what jobs might get thrown at it on a given day. Given its limitations, however, I wouldn't go with this blade as a sole EDC. For a little more money, you can get a better all-arounder (hint: Delica 4). If you're brand-loyal to Kershaw, you could go with a Skyline get a lot more functionality for almost the exact same amount of money.

Review Criteria

I like things that are elegant. That is, things which give the appearance of simplicity but, in fact, are quite refined and have layers of form and function. Hence the name of this blog. My purpose here (for now, at least) is just to review a few of my favorite folding knives and provide more data points for potential consumers and the industry at large.

I really like Tony Sculimbrene's work at www.everydaycommentary.com, and his very structured review system conforms with my own idea that data needs to be A) specific and B) contextual in order for it to be useful.

I ain't a math major, so I'm not stealing Tony's number system. I speak in terms of categories. Think of it in terms of how people like Darwin and Linneus grouped different animals into different taxa. Here's my breakdown for folding knives:

Short Form: Every review will start with one sentence that captures the whole thing. As any good trial attorney will tell you, if it can't be summed up in one sentence, you haven't mastered the material yet.

Size: 

1. Small - less than 6" in length, when open.
2. Medium - between 6" in length and 7.5" when open
3. Large - larger than 7.5"

Usage Rating:

1. Light - suitable for projects around an office (packaging, envelopes) and simple food preparation.
2. Moderate - suitable for light usage plus somewhat heavier chores, like cutting cardboard or paracord, but still not so sturdy that you'd make it a primary blade while camping.
3. Heavy - suitable on a construction site or campground. Could handle jobs like bushcraft, skinning a large animal, or cutting heavy materials like linoleum flooring. Possibly sturdy enough for activities like batoning wood.

Blade Steel Quality:

1. Budget Steels - steels like 420 HC, 8Cr13Mov, Sandvik 13c26, and whatever they make Swiss Army Knives out of. Generally blades that aren't going to crest $35 in price.
2. Moderate Steels - steels like VG-10, Sandvik 14c28n, and H1 that cost a bit more and generally have much better performance properties (viable secondary bevel angle, edge retention, rust resistance). Usually range between $35-70 in price.
3. High End Steels - steels like s30v, D2, 154cm, ZDP-189 and others that have truly exceptional performance qualities and equally exceptional price-tags. Usually starting at $70 and going upward to a ridiculous degree.

Deployment Method (Left-Handed, Right Handed, Ambidextrous):

1. One-Handed Manual
2. One-Handed Assisted Opening
3. One-Handed Automatic
4. Two-Handed Opening

Performance Aspects (all three covered in every review):

1. Slicing - This refers to how well the blade cuts when its cutting edge is being drawn backwards or forwards along the material being cut.
2. Piercing - As the name implies, this addresses how well the blade performs when pressure is being applied at the tip.
3. Push Cutting - this addresses how well the blade performs when a portion of the cutting edge is being pressed directly into a material with no lateral movement of the cutting edge.


Retention Method (all three covered in every review):

1. Functionality - how well does the knife stay where it is supposed to be carried?
2. Discretion Factor - how eye-grabbing is the intended carry mechanism?
3. Versatility - how many options does the user have for how to carry this particular blade?

Fit and Finish: Pretty much speaks for itself. This is really something that is always going to be evaluated relative to price.

Ease of Maintenance: addresses everything from how easy it is to clean, to how likely it is to attract lint, to how difficult it is to sharpen a particular blade.

Errata: If some relevant piece of info isn't covered in the gauntlet above, I'll put it in at the end of the review.