Customer Reviews

Spyderco Endura 4 Lightweight Combination Edge Knife, Black

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

 

 

This is my first Spyderco knife and I am very pleased with the purchase. The blade was razor sharp right out of the box and opened fairly easily with one hand. Even after use and opening the knife constantly there is no play between the blade and the handle. There are slots on the knife that lets you move the clip to various positions on the handle. The one downside for me is the handle rides high in the pocket making concealing the knife a little more difficult.

I definitely would recommend the knife for everyday use or as a defense tool.

I love Spydercos, I own a Gerber auto-folder that was issued to me, couple cheap butterflies, two Cold Steel AK-47, CRKT M16-14ZSF, SOG Trident, and other affordable (under $100) knives. I always seem to end up going back to my Spyderco because they're light, slim, and ergonomic from the opening itself to the grip which comes naturally. This is my fourth Spyderco knife, maybe the fifth if you count the Byrd Cara Cara. I simply can't get enough of these knives. I think I've become obsessed with how simple and intuitive these are to open. With the lock-back design, it's easy to say this knife won't close on your fingers any-time soon. I'd recommend any version of this: straight, serrated, or combination edges, I personally own all of them in the combination edge form, since I'm a person who's too lazy to sharpen his blades.

I got this knife a while back to use as my daily cary and it's just too big, I guess I probably should been more observent to the specs. Along with that, I did get a little chip on the blad, which made me kinda pissed, but other then that it's great. It came extremely sharp, so sharp I could shave hair off my arm, it's a nice hefty knife, and a big thing for me, (I don't know why) the blade is proportion it to the blade, that always bothers me. All and all, if your looking for something to carry everywhere you might want to take a look at the delica 4 but if you want something with some bulk this is a great buy.

Not only was this knife razor sharp but it looks amazing... Best $70 I have spent on a knife. VG-10 is a BIG plus.

Note: If you decide on the black on black style of the Endura 4, I must recommend polishing the pocket clip down to the nice stainless steel color. The slight 2 tone looks GREAT!

Mine out of the box was so off-centered it rubbed the finish off in one spot of the blade just from opening and closing. Spyderco can do better than this.

This is the forth generation of Spyderco's Endura, and arguably the best to be had in FRN. The blade - typical of Spyderco - is razor sharp out of the box, and comes in a combination of plain ( straight )and serrated edges ( about 50/50 ) ONLY. This is probably the most useful edge configuration IMHO since it allows the cutting of a variety of materials in the most efficient way without looking for another blade in mid slice. The black coating of carbonitride on the blade dramatically reduces glare and reflections, and also matches the colour of the handle and pocketclip, causing this knife to all but disappear when clipped to the pocket of a black/mid-night blue uniform pants, BDUs, or even jeans.. The handle has a dual skeletonized SS frame below the FRN handle for strenth without weight, making the entire knife weigh in at about 3-1/2 ozs. At that weight and colour, it does not make its presence known to the public but is nonetheless available when needed by the user for whatever task may be at hand.
One last item to note: the pocket clip can be changed around with the three torx screws for tip up/tip down, ambidextrous carry - a great feature in and of itself.
In short, for the price, this quality of knife is hard to find and all but impossible to beat. Try it, I am sure you will agree.

Cannot give a full five b/c the pocket clip is developing a wiggle. To be fair though it is in-out of my pocket often and I may have overtightened one of the three screws. No other quality issues w/ oxide finish (opened bottles w/o scratching), keeping an edge (razor sharp, not exaggerating) or the lock and pivot (solid). Initially, I thought it was too large but I was wrong. It still fits in my pocket and allows me to tackle bigger tasks yet still handles small items well. Also, the size allows ample space for both the smooth and serrated sections. This knife is excellent, buy it.

I lost my 1997 vintage Endura, the first model.

So I bought this fourth generation Spyderco Endura.
There is no comparison.
I am trying to think of a proper term for the new knife; "not good" and "I don't like it" come to mind.

My first impression was that Spyderco started making these in some third world nation with less quality control. However, the knife is stamped "Seki City, Japan".
I noted that this stamping was off center and seems somewhat crude.
Is Spyderco adopting European business practices, and stamping products any way they want to regardless of country of origin?

The first thing you notice about the new Endura is that the handle and blade are different.
The blade is less hollow ground with a different shape to the tip. Less aggressive. Different steel. And the knife is too heavy, much more than the original.
The handle has lost its elegant lines. The eight shiny torx screws in the black handle are ugly.

OK, whats going on here?
Spyderco claims to have improved the knife. Really?

The original had no steel handle liners.
It was so light you forgot it was riding in your pocket unclipped.
And it was strong. I used it for 10 years with no problem. The original was an air weight!
VG-10 can hold an edge, but so can AUS-8.
The old blade was *Very* sharp as received from the factory, as opposed to the new model blade which is just plain dull. VG-10 is harder to sharpen, and the factory, wherever it is, probably knows that.

The final test was performance.
I attemped to slash through a quarter inch vine in my yard. Three fast and hard slashes and it finally cut through. But just barely.
My Moki Zepher, with a 2.75 inch blade, circa 1997, cut through another vine like butter on the first try without loosing momentum.

Spyderco, shame on you, you ruined a very good thing.

The Endura is dead. The Endura is dead.
Long live the Delica
And a note to Spyderco; if you ruin that one too, then "long live Cold Steel".