If you are looking for a high quality folding pocket knife, the Spyderco knives are where to look first. The Spyderco Caly 3 is an excellent every day carry(edc) knife. It is small, elegant, and you will hardly notice it in your pocket. It will be very rare to find a bad review on the Caly 3. For what it is, it is close to perfection. The Spyderco Caly 3 comes in 2 different forms. A carbon fiber handle with zdp blade steel and a G10 handle with VG-10 blade steel. I opted to get the G10 version as it is more practical and the steel is easier to sharpen albeit slightly inferior. This knife is small! it is very compact. The reason I choose to carry this knife had much to do with my state law. In Rhode Island, it is illegal to carry a knife with blade length longer than 3 inches. You have to play the cards you are dealt. Besides the size, I noticed that it was extremely comfortable in hand. The ergonomics are incredible. I am 5′10″ and have medium hands. It fits perfectly. The Knife does not look like a traditional knife but do not let the looks fool you. It is incredibly comfortable to hold. It is a bit heavier than my Spyderco Delica Wave, but in a good way. The Caly 3 feels high quality and durable.
My brand new Caly 3 was not perfect out of the box. The deployment of the blade was slow. After a few hundred openings, it was fine. The lock back is solid. My being a left-hander, I preferred lock backs over liner locks. If a knife is not available to accommodate left-handers, I will pass. Fortunately, this wonderful knife is ambidextrous. The Caly 3 has a good pocket clip. It is a paper clip design and it allows the know to hang deep in the pocket. You can slip your knife in and out of your pocket easily but the clip is very strong. It’s a great clip design that should be standard on all Sypdercos.
The blade is very thin. The grind is full flat grind. This means the bevel starts at the spine of the blade making the edge come to a very thin point. The angle is more acute making this blade an excellent slicer. I am fairly good at sharpening. I can put a decent honing edge sharpening freehand. Lately, I have been using the Spyderco Sharpmaker to sharpen my knives. I recommend using the Sharpmaker simply because it makes sharpening easier. It is no substitute for freehand sharpening but it’s definitely convenient.
A few weeks ago, I saw a youtube video where someone modified their knife with a zip tie and created an Emerson Wave with it. A “waved” knife is a knife that can be deployed as you pull it out of your pocket with a certain technique. I modified my Caly 3 with a black zip tie and now it works just like my old Delica Wave. It looks good too. Some people like to have knives that look good and that’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. I like to use my knife and I use it often. It’s more important how a knife functions than how it looks. Either way, I think the Caly 3 is beautiful. I would even go as far as calling it a gentleman’s folder. Even after 3 months of hard use, I still think it’s beautiful. Usually the lust of a new knife dies in about a week but this knife has lasting appeal. It looks awesome and timeless. I truly feel that this knife will serve me for years to come. That’s another thing. Knives should serve you, not the other way around. It’s important to take care of your tools but your tools should function for you first.
I love this knife. I own a Spyderco Native, Spyderco Delica 4 Wave, Benchmade Griptilian and hand’s down, this is my favorite knife. If my state allows a longer blade to carry, I would get the Police 3 G10 in a heartbeat. Spyderco knives are like drugs. Once you try them, you have to have more. I can’t get over it’s looks. The contrast of metal on the spine and G10 is beautiful. The workmanship screams quality. I purchased my Caly 3 for about $100 shipping included. I suggest shopping around for the best price. Some places, you can get them for around $70. Either way, you won’t feel buyer’s remorse after getting this knife. It’s a gem.
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