A little background before I get into the review of the Delica 4. During SHOT Show 2017 I had a chance to sit down with Spyderco to learn about what’s new for 2017 as well as some background on the company. One small piece of info I learned was that the employee count of Spyderco is under 100 employees. I was under the assumption that they were a much larger company, but this is not a bad thing at all. Because of their smaller size they are able to provide exceptional customer service and support. That is important to me. When I look for a new knife, I look for a company/manufacturer that is going to be easy to deal with from a warranty and support perspective. Spyderco is one of those companies. Spyderco is also a huge supporter of our Military and Law Enforcement. Before myself and 2 other Loadout Room writers left the Spyderco booth, we were each presented with a challenge coin as a thankyou from them to us for our military service. Needless to say I left the meeting extremely impressed with Spyderco as a company.
The Spyderco Delica 4 Lightweight Folder
The Spyderco Delica 4 is a veteran in their lineup of knives. I have been carrying and using the Spyderco Delica 4 every day for the past 2 months in order to get a good feel for the knife. I’ve been pretty damn impressed so far.
The Blade
The steel used for this knife is Japanese VG-10. It seems to hold an edge well and is easy to maintain when needed. I’m not going to get into the science behind the steel, but know this is in the upper echelon of steel. The blade itself is coated with black titanium carbontride which has proven to be extremely durable. I’ve used it to open a number of cardboard boxes, carve sticks, start a fire and other random tasks. The coating has shown little to no wear.
The handle (description courtesy of Spyderco)
The fiberglass reinforced nylon handles come molded with Bi-Directional Texturing® for preferred traction and improved ergonomics. Inside the handle dual skeletonized stainless steel liners make the knife stronger without adding weight and make an anchor for all external and internal components to attach through adding sturdiness and rigidity.
The pocket clip
The pocket clip is equally as impressive. The clip comes mounted for tip up right hand carry. The handle is drilled so that you can move the clip to your desired carry whether that is tip up, tip down, left hand or right hand. Well done Spyderco! The clip has a black coating, although it’s not the same as the coating used on the blade, so it will wear quicker (not a deal breaker).
Overall this is a great everyday carry knife. It’s lightweight and slim enough to just throw in the pocket for the day and go about your business without advertising the fact that you are carrying a knife. The only issue I have had with carrying it dropped inside my front pocket has to do with lint. Occasionally a small piece of lint got in between the blade and lockback bar preventing the blade from locking into place (just blow it out). Not really that big of a deal, since I’m not using this knife as a defensive knife; it’s for everyday utility tasks.
