A few subscribers Mr. Morris and the Tod have been bugging me to check out the budget spyderco
Byrd line.
And if you don’t know the Byrd is kinda sorta in the same category as the Endura 4
in size and I dunno inspiration… and instead of $70 it’s a filthy $20.
It’s a Spyderco for poor people.
Poor people of course are people who buy too many knives, like for example a cheaper version
of a similar knife they already have.
But let’s look at the dimensions of the Byrd Cara Cara 2 whatever the hell that means,
with the dimensions of the endura 4 in parenthesis to make everything just a little harder to
read.
Like the overall length and weight.
You know the reason why I never bought a Byrd right?
The blade length and cutting edge, you’re like the steel?
Handle size and grip area.
Nope.
Spine thickness and handle thickness.
I think the opening hole is ugly.
And tallness.
I like the look of the endura but I think the cara cara 2 is ugly.
Spydercos poor persons line of knives is known as the Byrd series, and the hallmark of them
is they’re made by cheaper labor sorry value labor, in china with a value Chinese steel,
and maybe some value materials in some other places.
However based upon the Byrd, and when compared to my other spydercos fit and finish, and
construction, and deployment, and basic functionality, is on par with their main line of knives.
Yes even their USA ones.
The Cara Cara 2 when compared to the Endura 4 in the blade area has a slightly shorter
cutting edge.
It falls in size between the Endura 4 the largest of these 3, and the Paramilitary 2
being the smallest cutting edge of the 3 but also the most expensive.
The blade is a drop point satin finish made from a flat ground 8Cr13Mov steel.
8Cr13MoV steel is a Chinese steel found in many cheap chinese knives and also some expensive
ones when a vendor on DHGate decides they call it M390 or D2.
You’re an M390 and you’re an M390!
But in reality this cheaper steel means you’ll just have to sharpen it a bit more often than
than a 1%ers spyderco.
Also it must be noted it seems the Chinese can get an edge grind down that looks even,
however a $140 made in Colorado knife has issues in that area.
Go figure.
Deployment of the blade is similar to an Endura 4 and delicate 4.
It’s not a knife you can flick open quickly- I mean you can but it’s not easy.
The thumb works better…
it’s one handed opening, click and click.
The lockup on the knife is handled by a lock back uhh lock.
It’s kinda stiff like the endura but it’s reliable.
So you can open it with one hand and close it one handed like this.
It’s a little awkward or you can just use two handed closing if you don’t want to
flick it shake it and reposition your hand.
The only people who care about how smoothly you open and close the knife are jerks on
the internet trying to be more tactical.
Be safe.
The handle.
The handle is a good size, for regular sized hands and even larger ones it works well.
I have extra room to spare and there’s also a chill up front that invites choking it when
you need to hold the knife in a different way.
Also called the stranger.
There’s also some jumping on the blade spine here although the slop isn’t quite as aggressive
as on the Endura or PM2, and I slightly prefer that on those two knives.
The handle is made from FRN and inside there’s a skeletonized nested liner, that allows the
knife to be thin and pocketable.
A nested liner just means it’s recessed inside the handle.
And a skeletonized liner simply means it’s made from human bones.
The handle is textured, and has a similarity style to the bidirectional texture on the
endura and delica, except uglier.
I think I slightly prefer the texture on the endura but that’s just because I’m used
to it and it’s hard for me to praise a $20 knife.
The handle on the Endura is also more comfortable because of the gentle slope gentle slope of
the rounded edges unearth the handle.
I think spydercos decision went like this… this knife is $60… and if we made the Byrd
as comfortable no one would buy the Endura.
I’m not saying it’s uncomfortable…
it’s just that there was more care and design and money and Japanese labor prices put into
the Endura.
And as far as the paramilitary 2…
It’s hard for me to say but I think the Endura has a more comfortable handle that
it because of the rounded edges.
Blade retention when closed is great on the Byrd, very similar to the endura with a very
strong detent.
You can not get it to open by flicking it downward and it won’t open accidentally
in your pocket.
No I didn’t hit puberty I recorded the first half of this a few in the afternoon a weeks
ago and this earlier this morning.
Pocket clip is very similar to the Enduras style except not painted.
It’s stainless steel and slides in the pocket very nicely.
No spyderco logo though, almost like they don’t want you to know the Byrd is a spyderco.
It’s position-able to all four places.
Ok comparison.
I know this whole review is one big goddamn comparison- but youtube algorithm awards total
time watched not percentage watched.
So if an internet person were to watch 30% of a shorter video and 30% of the longer video…
Youtube’s like hey that longer video is better.
We have plenty of server space.
At least I think that’s how it works.
Where we we.
First let’s show you the Byrd, and this is how you flip the Byrd.
Sorry I have very specific rules on the types of jokes I make- even if they don’t fit
well into the video.
The Byrd is my least favorite of the 3 knives you already have seen.
If the handle had those rounded edges and was a bit more similar to the enduras it would
be just as good minus the steel.
The cheaper steel of course means you have to sharpen a bit more often in theory.
The Endura is also a great knife and it’s served me well for years.
I have reviewed all of these knives before so go back and take a look if you want to
know more.
However the Para military 2 is probably the best to fidget with and the nicest looking.
And like I said before has the most uneven edge grind of the three because it was made
in America.
It deploys faster closes easier and also has the world military in the name so it’s more
tactical.
Now the spyderco efficient.
It deploys faster but has a shorter blade and handle and is heavier.
Only slightly though.
It’s also a Chinese made knife so expect edge rentention to be similar to the Byrd.
Also it ain’t as ugly.
Now the Delica.
The delicate is too small a knife for my tastes.
A lot of people like it, and it comes down to personal preference.
I like full sized handles and larger blades.
Which is why I don’t carry this much.
As its is the blade to me ain’t much more useful than one of my Leathermans I carry
for work and because I’m a nerd.
I dunno how about the Griptillian so this isn’t just a big spyderco love fest?
Hows that look?
Maybe the 940-1 too?
People like that one.
Ok so I think I’ve said everything one needs to know about the Byrd Cara Cara 2… it’s
a very functional budget friendly knife.
If you don’t have more than $25 to spend on a pocket knife, because you work back of
there house, it’s one of the best buys you can get in a spyderco.
It doesn’t deploy fast but it’s also a freaking pocket knife.
Does it need to?
If money isn’t an object the tenacious and the Endura might be better choices.
And if you want to spend more than $100 on a knife my money is on the Para Military 2.
If you like this review, and unless you’re a jerk how couldn’t you?
Subscribe to my channel, baton that like button, leave a comment about how I didn’t baton.
And please watch some of these other videos if you haven’t I am begging you.
And a word on my absence, I had a death in the family which kept me from Youtube for
weeks because of traveling and all those things you have to do when a parent passes away.
My video output will be sporadic until mid March, so just stick with me- and if you need
your fix just rewatch all your favorite videos.
I sometimes wish my videos took less time to write shoot and edit, but they don’t.
Thanks for watching.