Spyderco Caly 3.5 Folding Knife - Black Carbon Fiber Handle with PlainEdge, Full-Flat Grind, ZDP-189 Steel Blade and Back Lock - C144CFPE

I've been carrying the Spyderco Caly 3.5 in ZDP-189 for about a week now and during that time I've been thinking consistently about its intended place in your pocket which I will attempt to detail below in an effective format. As a background to myself, I am definitely an aficionado/amateur collector of quality folding knives and cutlery in general, however limited funds forces me to consider each and every purchase that I make. As such, here are some thoughts from a self-professed "knife-nut" who thinks about this often. This is going to be a long, thought out review, so if you are truly interested in this knife, please continue. :)-First and foremost, this knife is of course intended as an EDC option for you to carry everywhere and potentially learn to love in the process. For the sake of describing some of its attributes and how they relate to you, I am going to make a blanket statement which I believe is at least reasonably accurate: -If you are considering an EDC option in this price range, you are likely:A: Either an aficionado/collector of knives, and this will simply be another EDC option in your rotation, orB: You are perhaps not a collector but at least an individual that appreciates the aesthetic and tactile pleasures of using a quality tool in your day to day life, and are looking to acquire that one (or perhaps just a few) great knives that you can carry for many years. I will try to write the rest of the review addressing both sides of these philosophies.-Usually when thinking about a serious EDC option in a price range that is getting up there for a knife, people begin to take into consideration several points, not necessarily in any order: -Philosophy of Use -Weight -Size/profile and Ergonomics -Blade Length -Torsional rigidity/strength -Cutting Ability/Blade Geometry and Steel Quality -Price -The Locking MechanismI'm probably forgetting some but those are the things I think about at least. So lets address them.-Weight, Size, Profile and Ergonomics: These basically all relate to another so here it is: As far as EDC options go, I consider this knife to be on the low to very low scale. At 3.2 ounces, it feels very light in the hand. Couple that with an extremely small profile for a blade of this size and the knife literally disappears in your pocket, you almost can't even feel it even while being mindful of it being there. In day to day operations, it simply will not interfere with or annoy you in any way.A great comparison knife in this weight, price, ergonomics and POU would be the Spyderco Manix Lightweight in S110V. I've also seen it compared to the Paramilitary 2. Both of those knives have a substantially larger profile/handle, however the cutting edge is the same length, which favors the Caly. The Caly 3.5 will FEEL a bit heavier in hand VS the Manix Lightweight, and this is due to the Manix having a much larger profile for the weight to disperse in your hand than the Caly. However, for those that prefer stainless steel liners and carbon fiber scales VS textured, plastic-y FRN, the Caly is a great option.Everyday I think about it, these 2 knives are extremely close in POU, that is a very lightweight and wonderfully ergonomic EDC slicer. That brings me to my next very important point I wanted to make about this knife.The Caly 3.5 was intended as a pure SLICER, plain and simple. It's blade geometry is extremely effective at gliding almost effortlessly through many materials. It is NOT intended to be used for prying in any way shape or form, doing so will likely ruin your knife or snap your blade. Why have a knife you can't pry with, or at least VERY little? This is why:This knife is a specialized beast, the geometry of the blade and handle shape lend itself to a platform that is absolutely superior in terms of its intended function. I honestly cannot overstate this enough: I've never felt a handle/blade relationship quite like the Caly3.5, the knife literally seems to just melt into your hand. Your fingers find themselves exactly where they need to be within a split second and stay secure there despite the smooth texturing of the CF scales. Spyderco executes their finger choils/jimping pretty much perfectly, and this one is no different. Wrist movement/control with the Caly is outstanding. All sizes of hands will fit equally well on a Out of all the knives that I own, the Caly 3.5 has the most appropriate handle for it's intended usage, hands down its that great. The Manix LW comes CLOSE but you simply do not have as much control over that 3.5 inches of blade as you do with the Caly. THIS is the Caly's biggest selling point IMO, and by FAR its greatest strength. If you carry a knife to CUT things with and cut them well, I believe the Caly 3.5 will do you no wrong. And I'd imagine the Caly 3" would be equally superb, (if not better) the preference between them coming down almost entirely to blade length preference.-Blade steel: ZDP-189 is nothing to complain about, and while I haven't sharpened this particular knife yet, all my experiences with Spyderco ZDP-189 have been stellar, its a mean edge holder if slightly vulnerable to chipping. Just don't cut anything metal with it and you'll be totally fine, assuming you have the skill and/or tools to sharpen a steel this wear-resistant. Put a good high beveled edge on it and it'll give you miles of smiles in the cutting department. The laminated blade is an interesting touch and should theoretically give the blade more torsional strength, although as stated above, this blade is too thin, too small and the wrong steel for prying in general. You want to pry, get a Benchmade Adamas. :P-The Caly uses a mid-positioned lock-back as the locking mechanism. It's a tried and true system, very strong. As such the knife has a closed off spine, a requirement for such a locking system, makes it harder to clean but not impossible. Most people will have zero to minimal complaints with this system.-Price? There are so many great EDC options once you climb to this price range it'd be almost foolish to try to list them all. Once again, it boils down mostly to your POU, of how you intend to use your knife and the requirements that it must fulfill in day to day life. Being completely honest, many of the Caly's "quirks" I am about to list will drop it's "market value" score when compared to other knives in it's price range. A collector can easily live with that because of the Caly's fantastically "niche-d" strong points, but a one-time buyer? You'll have to be the judge on that one, again it depends entirely on what you value.Ok, here are the quirks. Many people would likely call them "negatives" but I simply do not think this would be a fair term.-The biggest quirk? The knife is put together with rivets, so you can't take it apart to clean it. Is this a deal-breaker? For some, yes it is. However, with an open-mind and a bit of historical knowledge one will realize that some of the greatest folding knives in history used rivets (Buck 110, all "traditional" folders, Swiss army knives, etc). It's the old style of knife making, and believe it or not you don't HAVE to take the knife apart to keep it functional, a good soap and water wash will literally solve 99% of your problems. The rivets are extremely unlikely to loosen or come apart if not impossible to.-2nd biggest quirk: No washers in the pivot. Once again, this is a more traditional method of making a folding knife, and yes, you will sacrifice some opening smoothness and perhaps have a bit more side to side play than usual. My Caly 3.5 has absolutely NO up and down blade play, however it does have some slight side to side play. I think this is more a result of the sheer thinness of the Caly 3.5 than anything else, and I'm sure I could adjust it out if I chose to. However, with the way you grab the handle/blade, it's completely unnoticeable during any use, I can only tell it's there if I actually flex the blade/handle. The Caly doesn't flick open well, the Spydie-hole is too small and without washers it simply has too much tension, a fact you should be aware of. A deal-breaker? Absolutely not, keep the pivot reasonably lubed and the knife still slides open and closed VERY smoothly. It's smooth enough to drop and cut my finger if I FULLY and forcefully depress the lock-bar fully, which is basically as smooth as you can get for that. No real reason to do that anyways. Worried about the knife wearing out without washers? I wouldn't be, knives have been made this way for a LONG time, and with an adjustable pivot you can simply adjust the tension to your specifications. The pivot is also hex, which is unusual but I doubt will make any real difference vs a standard torx.-The only actual negative I can think of is that apparently Spyderco has had issues in the past with their manufacturing plant in Moki, Japan (where this knife is made.) The issues were of QC on the fit and finish of the knives, and I've seen pictures of some less than perfectly finished knives. They seem to have fixed any of these issues, as my Caly arrived with a nearly flawless fit and finish, and a perfect blade grind. My blade has a tiny cosmetic smear near the choil and that's about all I could find, the fit of the lock-back is tight and responsive, and everything is as flush as mechanically possible. If you want a PERFECTLY cosmetically finished Spyderco knife, I'd recommend something from their Taichung, Taiwan plant, as it has a much more consistent reputation. Also, expect the 420J2 lamination lines to be a bit wavy, almost all are, and I think it's simply a result of the lamination process. This is purely cosmetic of course and honestly I'm nitpicking at this point, as this has no function on the actual edge performance. Lets face reality here: if you want a purely cosmetic showpiece/safe queen, buy a different knife. From a user's standpoint, this knife is as good as it gets and needs to get.Bottom line: This knife is one of the best EDC options available anywhere in terms of its intended function as a pure slicer with almost unparalleled ergonomics. If you're a collector, you should have it, you just should. If you are looking for that one user knife and this fits your philosophy/aesthetics, this knife will serve you for years to come. I hope this very long review was worth your time, enjoy the knife! :)

Das Caly ist ein schlankes Messer mit relativ viel Klinge im Verhältnis zum Griff. Die Kohlefaserschalen sind auf die Metallplatinen aufgenietet (nicht verklebt). Dadurch kann etwas "Luft" zwischen Kohlefaserschale und Platine entstehen. Dies ist besonders im Bereich der offenen Seite, an welcher die Klinge hineinklappt der Fall, da die Vernietung lediglich am Griffrücken erfolgt ist. Der Spalt ist bei meinem Messer jedoch marginal und nicht störend. Es wäre allerdings schön gewesen, wenn Spyderco statt der Nieten versenkte Torxschrauben zur Befestigung der Giffschalen verwendet hätte.Die Metallplatinen sind mit Erleichterungsbohrungen versehen. Da auf die Metallplatinen nicht gänzlich verzichtet wurde und der Backlockmechanismus ebenfalls nicht die leichtmöglichste Konstruktion darstellt, gibt es aber leichtere Messer mit Kohlefasergriff das (CRKT M16-01F sei hier genannt). Das Caly CF ist jedoch angenehm ausgewogen und das absolute Gewicht ist ok. Die Kohlefaserschalen sind hervorragend verarbeitet, alle Kanten sind gebrochen, die Oberfläche ist hochwertig und die Struktur ist sehr hübsch mit schöner, dreidimensionaler Wirkung. Leider sind die Innenkanten der Metallplatinen (wie oft üblich) nicht gebrochen. Der Backlock ist sauber eingepaßt.Die Klingenachse ist verschraubt und die Friktion daher verstellbar. Der seht gute Drahtclip ist von links nach rechts umsetzbar und sehr hoch am Griff angebracht. So läßt sich das Messer verdeckt und unauffällig tragen. Durch den umsetzbaren Clip sowie das Daumenloch als Öffnungshilfe für die Klinge ist das Messer voll linkshändertauglich. Bei geschlossener Tragweise zeigt die Klingenspitze nach oben. Ein Versetzen des Clips auf umgekehrte Tragweise ist nicht möglich. Das Messer läßt sich sich auf Grund von Größe, Gewicht und Form angenehm tragen, die glatten Griffschalen erweisen sich als sehr schonend für die Hosentaschen.Der Klingengang ist konstruktionsbedingt nicht superleicht, erfolgt aber sauber und ohne Knirschen. Die Klinge ist poliert. Am Klingenrücken sind die Kanten sauber gebrochen. Die Klingenstärke von 3mm paßt zum Konzept und sorgt in Verbindung mit der Klingengeometrie für hervorragende Schneideigenschaften. Zum Hebeln taugt die Klinge nicht – dafür ist sie auch nicht gedacht. Der ZDP-Stahlkern steckt zwischenzwei Lagen weicheren 420J2 Stahls. Der Übergang zwischen den beiden Stahlsorten ist auf beiden Klingenseiten gleichmäßig. Die Schneide ist extrem scharf und sauber abgezogen. Der feine Ausschliff und das damit mögliche sehr exakte und butterweiche Schneiden deuten auf eine sehr feine Stahlstruktur hin. Die Standzeit der Klinge ist ausgezeichnet. Die Klingenspitze sitzt absolut mittig. Die eingeklappte Klinge kommt exakt mittig zwischen den Griffplatinen zu liegen.Die Verarbeitung ist insgesamt sehr gut. Die verwendeten Materialen, insbesondere die Kohlefaserschalen und der sehr gute ZDP189 Stahl sind hochwertig. Der Laminierte Stahl gibt dem Messer etwas Besonderes. Das Messer läßt sich fast unbemerkt führen, da es nahezu gänzlich in der Tasche verschwindet, das Verhältnis des Klingenvolumens zum Griffvolumen ist ausgezeichnet. Das Konzept ist insgesamt gut, allerdings nicht ganz zu Ende gedacht (die Kohlefaserschalen dienen lediglich der Optik, nicht der Gewichtsersparnis, vernietete statt verschraubter Griffschalen).Das Caly läßt sich bei allen Schneidarbeiten hervorragend und leicht führen und liegt angenehm in der Hand. Das Gewicht im Verhältnis zum Volumen des Messers ist in Ordnung. Die Ergonomie ist sehr gut. Für den Zeigefinger gibt es eine Aussparung unter der Klingenache.Der Kaufpreis über Amazon betrug 189,- EUR. Dafür bekommt man ein sehr gutes EDC-Messer mit hervorragenden Schneideigenschaften und dem gewissen Etwas. Volle Punktzahl.

Took off 3 stars because pocket clip only goes on one side of knife. Still a nice knife. "One side of the knife" meaning both side but only on one end of the knife.

The blade tapers down to a thin sharp edge, which I like. It is easy to convex using only a strop. ZDP-189 is hard, but responds well to stroping. It takes some work and patience,but as the edge is honed, a smooth convex edge emerges. My opinion is the micro convex edge is the best edge for common EDC chores--opening envelopes, cardboard boxes, string, cord, rope, plastic packaging materials, etc.,and this knife is made for that kind of edge without having to go through a reprofiling process. I don't use the knife hard, but the edge holds up, so when and if I need it for a bigger chore, it's still sharp. I spend a few minutes three or four times a week to keep the edge the way I like it. The edge keeps getting better with time. Chosera stones set at acute angles will undoubtedly get the edge "sharper," but those thin edges require much more effort and dedication to achieve, and the long term utility of the edge is not nearly as robust as a micro-convex. Like most people who have spent time searching for Excalibur, I've come to realize, there is no "one size fits all" knife, and there is no edge that serves all purposes. My EDC of choice is the outstanding Spyderco Dragonfly with ZDP-189. But if I feel I need a little more, the Caly 3.5 is a great knife. It sits low in the pocket. It's light, and its ergonomics and blade architecture are outstanding, even better than the Caly 3 in my opinion.

Let's cut to the bottom line: Spyderco is highly reputable and has a great philosophy when it comes to designing knives. The ZDP189 steel is scary sharp. The only reason I gave this particular knife 4 out of 5 stars is because the carbon fiber handle has no texture. I called Spyderco and they said the carbon fiber is from Japan and is different from their other models like the Navaja and Gayle Bradley which have a more sophisticated look and feel. The carbon fiber handle on the Gayle Bradley and Navaja are from Taiwan. I would recommend you check out the difference in the handle material if you are debating. I have all three knives listed above. I bought this particular model because I wanted a carbon fiber knife with a ZDP189 steel.