Customer Reviews

Spyderco Endura 4 Folding Plain Edge FRN Knife

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first I wanted the Endura with the Wave function where it catches onto the pants pocket and opens will being pulled out. Then I thought against it since I wouldn't ALWAYS want it to open if I pull it out so I went with this one. Great VG-10 blade...durable edge but harder to sharpen, great handle and grip, can move pocket clip to 4 different spots, big Spyderco thumb hole, and a nice 4 inches or so of blade to use either for everyday tasks or for self defense. Favorite knife out of all the knives I have.

There's a storm rolling in today so I have no work. And as they say, ships and sailors rot in port. So here we go with a product review. First, let me say that I actually USE the gear I own out on the ocean... for days at a time. Some of the characteristics that impress me include size, weight, corrosion resistance, and overall performance of any given piece of gear.

So dudes, without further ado, I give you the Spyderco Endura 4 (4th gen Enduro) pocket knife. I know some of you are not sailors, but perhaps you enjoy camping or other outdoor activities, so I figured this might have some general appeal.

Size: This is a big folder (3.75 in. blade, 5 in. closed) but it sure doesn't feel big when you're carrying it. This is partially due to the Endura's light weight, but for me it's the flatness that really counts. It's only 3/8 in. thick, which is amazingly thin considering the handle has stainless steel liners built in for strength. This knife practically disappears in your pocket. Excellent pocket clip design too, I might add.

Weight: 3.6 ounces. Impressive for a knife of this size with stainless liners in the handle.

Corrosion resistance: The Endura's VG-10 steel is among the more rust resistant of the premium knife steels on the market. It's a Japanese made steel developed for culinary use, popular in high-end chef's knives. I wouldn't put it away wet after heavy exposure to ocean salt, but a quick rinse with some fresh water is all the maintenance it will need in extreme situations.

Cutting performance: This is the sharpest out-of-the-box pocket knife I've ever owned. Scary sharp. It will shave hairs right down to the skin. VG-10 steel has a fine carbide structure so it will take and hold a very keen edge. It will also sharpen back up without much trouble, which is very cool. Some of the premium steels out there are tough to sharpen after they've lost their edge--not cool, especially out at sea. The Endura's blade, in either serrated or plain edge, is almost 4 inches long. Lots of cutting surface here, folks. And combined with the razor sharp edge that STAYS SHARP, you've got a blade that you can count on in any kind of emergency where you have to cut through a lot of material fast. Last but not least, the large thumb hole in the blade makes one-handed opening a cinch. And the steep, textured thumb ramp keeps your hand from slipping forward even in wet, slippery situations.

Overall: Home run. The Spyderco Endura 4 is now a permanent fixture in my quiver of sailing gear. MSRP is $99.95, but Amazon.com stocks these with pricing just under $60. Buy one. You won't be disappointed.

I love Spyderco knives after I received one as a gift years ago. Just was not crazy about half of it being a jagged edge so I wanted an every day carry plain edge. I wanted something a little bigger than the standard 3 inch knives and found the Endura 4. It's just the right size for what I need and is a good every day carry knife. It came razor sharp and is of the quality you would expect from Spyderco. I expect to carry this the rest of my life unless I should lose it. I will also buy more Spyderco in the future as the quality is excellent. I've had quite a few other carry knives but nothing compares to the quality of the Spyderco. Don't waste your time with a cheapo knife. Get a Spyderco. You'll never go back.

I purchased 2 of these with half/half plain/serrated over 14 years ago and they are still going strong and I've literally used them almost every day for common day-to-day tasks and several times camping. Needless to say I love this knife and I've owned a lot of them . . . . You can't go wrong with this knife.

Pros:
very easy to open, easier than the little metal stub on other knifes
I like the blade unlock on the back of they knife more than on the inside portion of the knife
I like pushing the unlock down vs. having to push it to the side

Cons:
None for me!

This is the second Endura I have purchased; I already have the same knife with a serrated blade (purchased some 10 years ago). I would have rated this knife excellent (as I found my serrated Endura) but the blade was not at all sharp. Breaking the blade down in inches, the distal inch was dull: it would not catch a finger nail and looking down on the edge, one could clearly see the flat edge. The middle two inches were reasonably sharp but not that awesome "factory sharp" that is hard to achieve with hand sharpeners. The proximal inch was a mess: not only was the blade not sharp but it was noticeably dinged in several places.

It took me about 20 minutes, not a long time, to sharpen the blade that, nevertheless, should have been razor-sharp from the factory. I am wont to give Spyderco the benefit of the doubt and have concluded that my experience was a fluke; perhaps the knife was returned to Amazon after use and repackaged. I don't know. But, as I compose this, if I recall correctly, a reviewer here noted that his blade was "reasonably sharp from the factory"; he is, no doubt, correct, i.e., his blade's sharpness was reasonable - not, I suggest, that razor sharpness one expects from the factory.

Anyone who purchases a Spyderco can expect an exceptionally well made knife that will provide many years of service. Have you sharpener handy though and, if you purchase a knife with a serrated blade, expect to spend a while getting it sharp.

This Endura 4 knife is made with excellent quality and for the price, not too many other knives can beat it. Extremely light considering its size and the blade came sharp enough for mostly any type of cutting activity. The blade does come out slower than most other knives but that's to be expected since the blade is large. Overall, I would buy another one if I lost this one. If you expect $200 knife quality, your looking at the wrong blade. If you want a trustworthy sharp knife that you'll really use instead of putting it in your "collection", then this is the knife for you.

I bought this knife for the sole purpose of self defense. I never plan on cutting anything with it, thats why I carry a leatherman. This knife came in very sharp, cuts though paper out of box. It fits in my hand nice and I really like the grip texture. The plastic handle seems a bit weak but I dont think under normal use you would have any issues with it breaking. With one flick of the wrist you can flip this blade open into its locked position.

Why did I wait so long to buy an Endura? Beats me! It may be one of Spyderco's less-expensive knives, but you'd never know it from its quality. Thin, light weight, very easy to carry in the pocket, ambidextrous and reversible clip, VG-10 steel and wicked-sharp out of the box. That makes it a "10" in my book! I've put this little knife through its paces since I got it a little over a month ago, cutting LOTS of cardboard boxes, whittling, cutting wire, etc, etc. Can't tell I've even used it from the sharpness of the blade after all of that! Still "shaving sharp" and it's not been near my whetstones yet.

While there's absolutely NO sideways play in the blade in the frame, you can sort of "wiggle" the blade just a bit from the tip if you try. Have to expect a bit of frame-flex in such a lightweight knife, so I certainly don't hold that against it. If you need a really, really heavy-duty working knife, there are definitely better choices out there. However, for EDC and general usage, I'd have a hard time making a better choice that this Endura. I completely forget I have it in my pocket, it's so easy to carry. And that's remarkable for a folding knife with nearly a four-inch blade! Try it, you'll like it!

I've carried a Leatherman with me for my entire adult life and so have always generally had a decent knife handy. Around the middle of 2009 I decided to start carrying a separate folding/locking knife because that seemed to be the tool I used most on the Leatherman (I'm an IT guy, always opening boxes it seems...) and for it's tertiary tactical use in an extreme emergency. I didn't realize that I was beginning an expensive lesson.

The first knife I bought was a Snap-On folder. I'm an avid mechanic and have a lot of respect for Snap-On tools, and so when I saw it for a good price at my favorite parts store, I grabbed it. The problems began almost immediately. When it was new it wouldn't lock every time, although I managed to tinker it into submission. Then it started falling apart. First one of the opening studs disappeared, then the pocket clip fell off, and then the knife itself began to come apart. Clearly, Snap-On didn't know anything about knives, so my hunt resumed.

My next knife was a Smith and Wesson "Extreme Ops" SWA3 folder, and while it was altogether better than the Snap-On it still left a bit to be desired (although it looks really cool). Despite only light use in a period of about 4 months, the finish is largely coming off and the pocket clip has fallen off this one as well. Generally the knife itself has performed well, but it's a little short for my intended POU (utility/tertiary tactical) and also kind of heavy for what it is.

And that brings us to the item in question, the Spyderco Endura 4. Mine is black with a plain saber edge (as opposed to FFG) blade. I should say that, having never physically seen an Endura before I relied heavily on a good friend who has what you might call an "Endura 1". It's a very old Spyderco from back before they were numbering the models, in fact from Spyderco's early days. He's used his in construction and for mechanical repairs and it's still tight and sharp, despite being made from inferior materials when compared with the modern Enduras.

So now I have my Spyderco and I love it. The tolerances are tight, the blade is reasonably sharp from the factory, the locking mechanism is excellent and out of the way, and it fits my intended POU precisely. So far the only complaint I have is that when it arrived the pocket clip was in a position that didn't make much sense to me, but thanks to the excellent design I simply reconfigured it to my tastes and slid it in my pocket.

Altogether an excellent knife. If you're in the market for a "tactical folder" you'd do well to "buy once and cry once" and go for the gold standard to start with. With the knives I've bought before this one I could have bought 2 of these.

After one of my older knives locking mechanism broke I decided I should spend a little more money on a replacement. Originally I thought the hole in the knife just made it ugly, but it actually is great for quickly opening the knife. After doing some research I read that Spyderco is known for good quality knives and I believe they live up to that reputation. I did some research on the grade of steel (VG-10) and found out its harder and holds an edge better than similar prices knives with 440A steel or the AUS-8A steel that cold steel uses on their knives in this price range. Out of the box the knife was shaving sharp, making it useful and dangerous.