Endura 4

This is the best knife I've ever owned. I gained an interest in knives about 2 years ago, but didn't know enough about them to make a good purchase. I first bought a cheaper assisted opening knife, and liked it a lot, but the spring broke on me. I was then gifted a microtech switchblade clone, which I thought was cool but found out that it was very cheap. Over the time period of me owning these knives I would explore forums and watch videos (particularly a youtube channel named nutnfancy, check it out, here is his video on this knife:[...] and I gained a lot of knowledge on good knives. My criteria for this knife purchase were then as followed (ranked in order of importance): 1) Folding knife, 3-4" from a name brand manufacturer. Folding because I would carry it with me everywhere, and these are typically lighter too. 3-4" because longer knives are increasingly awkward to work with on most tasks, and shorter knives just look small (I want to like my knife!). A name brand knife would hopefully mean a tight lockup (no or veryyyy little blade play), good quality build, decent customer service, and a name knife people can recognize (because its nice having a knife people think is cool). 2) Good steel. Name brand manufacturers offer knives in bad steel for cheaper blades, and I didn't want that. I wanted a decent/good steel. I didn't want to break the bank, but I wanted to have a blade made out of something worth making a blade out of. (sharpening difficulty, edge retention, rust resistance, ect) 3) Blade shape. I wanted something shaped like a drop or spear point. These were the knives I found easiest to use. I would prefer a knife without serrations. Small amounts of serration at the base would be acceptable, but perhaps not ideal. 4) Opening speed/ease. I wanted a knife that was fast to open, because the faster it is, the more convenient it is. If I could get a knife that would be better at self defense WITHOUT sacrificing utility, I would opt for that knife. Self defense wasn't my primary purpose for purchasing but anyone who says they don't carry a knife for self defense is either dumb or lying, because when it comes down to it, if you need to use that knife to save your life, you will, no questions asked. That is called self defense. Again, any knives with gains in self defense WITHOUT sacrificing in the previous areas would be preferable over alternatives to me. With all those criteria in mind, this is the perfect knife for me. It fits all of the criteria perfectly. Folding, 3.8" blade, Spyderco, very nice lockup, good quality, good customer service (from what I hear, haven't needed it yet), VG-10 steel is a great steel, blade shape is what I wanted, no serrations, and this is in the group of the fastest opening knives on the market because of the wave feature (although I will mention that spyderco's wave is larger than any other manufacturer, and this does make for easier, more reliable opening, so one could argue that this is the fastest). That is why I bought the knife. Upon using and working with the knife, my expectations have been met. I love this knife. I don't have a single complaint. ----- 2 Month Update ----- I still love the knife, man this thing is awesome, and the wave feature is so nice. Initially I looked at it as just a tactical improvement, but its actually shown to be a utility improvement too. Opening this knife with gloves on is a breeze, and if something needs to be cut, no one needs to wait around while you fumble with your knife. You can hold what youre cutting in one hand and veryyy easily cut it without any thought, in any conditions. I have learned how to operate the knife completely with one hand, which is something I did not think could be done (closing a lock back one handed?). You can actually put your finger in a place under the blade, and hinge the locking mechanism. If you know where to put your finger, the blade will fall and the flat part by the base with bump into you, letting you reach around and close it. As Im typing this, I did a blade play check. The blade still locks up as tight as the day I bought it, and it should. Its only been two months. Another thing I've learned that I like is that you can easily open this knofe quietly. This is true with any lock back, but this is my first real venture into the lock back scene. I will say that while this is still my ideal knife, I do not like lock back knives. The wave on this knife counters it, but on any other I would not be interested. I dont use the knife an excessive amount, and I havent needed to sharpen it yet. Thats pretty nice. I do really like the handles. As some others have mentioned, they might feel cheap because they are slightly flexible and polymer based. However, the knife has a skeletonized liner and its not going to ever break. I prefer the reinforced nylon, it gives better grip in my opinion. Spyderco wins for putting amazing gimping on their blades, and extra texture on the back of the handle where the blade gimping is. It reallyyyy improves how well you can hold on to the knife. I think thats just about all the observations I've made on the knife while owning it. It's still my ultimate knife, if anything I love it more now then when I first wrote this review. I've kinda fallen in love with the blade shape too, from an asthetic point. The long, thinner (edge to spine, its thicker from side to side than the normal endura I hear) blade just looks so elegant. I thought itd be something I just lived with, but I really like how it looks. Great knife. Worth my money. ----- 2 Year Update ----- Ok, so, it hasn't exactlyyyy been two years, but it's close enough (1 year 9 months?) and I really just want to echo my previous statements. This knife is still my edc. I love it. I love everything about it. "If you could go back, would you get a different knife?" ... Possibly. But I know exactly which one it is. It would be this knife's smaller sister, the delica w/ wave opener. That's the only knife I could possibly foresee kicking this out of my go-to position. Are there other knives I am interested in? Yes. Lately I've been eyeing up MCUSTA's Tactility with the cocobano handles. But even if I got it, nothing would ever remove this knife from my collection or from my rotation. It is edc perfection. ----- 3 Year Update ----- Still loving it. I now own knives that are 2, even 3 times the price of this guy. This is not to say that I do not love those knives, they are very nice, however this spydie endura with the wave opener is still my go-to. I still hold that the delica might be a better size (see 2 year update), however I'm super happy with my endura and would never get rid of it.

An excellent pick for an EDC (Every Day Carry) pocket knife. Spyderco's Endura 4 combines excellent features to provide an effective, but "pocketable" knife, for occasional use in most everyday applications. To wit: - The VG-10 Seki City (Japan) Stainless Steel Blade offers great corrosion resistance and edge retention, but can be resharpened by the layman with a little research and practice (see You Tube!). The saber-grind retains the full thickness of the blade, through the greater part of the blade, for added strength. - The combination edge includes serrations, which work better for cutting stuff like reinforced hoses, braided wires, seatbelts, and rope! - The iconic Spyderco leaf-shaped blade is TiCN coated (black) for added corrosion resistance and a lower profile appearance, when opened. The characteristic Spyderco thumb hole is simplicity itself, as it offers a convenient means for one-handed opening of the blade. - The blade locking mechanism is robust enough for a lifetime of reasonable use, but allows the easy--and safe--unlocking and closing of the blade, using either hand. - The Endura 4's FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) grips are tactile enough to provide a sure grip, without being overly aggressive to hands and clothing. - Spyderco's 4-position pocket clip lets you customize your carry to your liking. - Important: The Endura 4's 3.75" (96mm) blade length complies with most US state's and municipality's concealed carry laws. With an MSRP of $134.95, the Amazon price of $69.72 with two-day Prime delivery is an excellent buy! In fact, I have given two of these Endura's as gifts, and they were well-received and much appreciated. Note: I recommend lubricating a new knife and maintaining it with TUF GLIDE lubricant/protectant (available here at Amazon). Alternatively... An excellent and slightly more expensive alternative to this Spyderco Endura 4 would be one of the Cold Steel Recon 1, 4" models with these specific features: CTS-XHP Steel Blade, DLC (black coating) and 50-50 Combo Edge. This is a beefier, more substantial knife, but still very pocketable, IMO (but some might find it "excessive")... It is available with three blade tip configurations: Clip Point, Spear Point and Tanto (my favorite for this knife). The Tanto (Japanese: pronounced "Tonto") Point is probably the most robust piercing tip ever devised for an edge-weapon; you could plunge that sucker through a car door! (if you were so inclined). Samurai swords, long and short, often have a variation of the Tanto tip. Important: The Recon 1's 4" blades may exceed some US carry laws... For example, in my state and city, up to 4" is okay; but my municipality says that 4" and up is illegal (go figure). The Spyderco Endura 4 meets all criterion. Of course, a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapons) Permit lets you carry whatever you like. I would encourage anyone that can, to acquire a CCW Permit, even if you don't own/carry a gun! But that's me. RayB P.S. If you had to cut a seatbelt, could you? It makes sense to carry a sharp, quality knife. For a great many of us, a knife is an everyday tool. Over the years, I have given personal knives to the women in my life, and they were always well-received, and eventually used. See the Spyderco Ladybug series.

So, seeing as this is the first lockback I've ever EDC'd, I was a bit skeptical as to how it would feel opening and closing it with one hand. But after using it just a little bit and getting used to it, I can honestly say that it's the most natural feeling lockback I've ever used. It closes easily with one hand, and the Boye dent on the lock makes it that much better. It feels like it was built for my hand, the ergos are just fantastic on the knife. At first it seemed a bit long, but after holding it, it just felt perfect. Lockup is completely solid, no blade play. When I first took it out of the box the opening was a bit tight, but after I loosened the pivot no more than a quarter turn, it was completely smooth and easy. The blade is centered in the handle, which brings me to the next point. The handle has steel liners embedded in the FRN handle scales, which give it strenghth and solidity. The clip is able to be repositioned with a T6 bit in tip up or down, left or right. Some people have said that the FRN so them feels cheap and slippery, and I can tell you that this isn't true at all. Yeah FRN is plastic, but it has a solid quality feeling to it, it doesn't feel cheap or like it's going to break on me, at all. And the bi-directional texturing on it just locks it right into my grip, it doesn't move at all, and I think it'd be the same if it were wet too. The blade steel is VG 10 which is an EXCELLENT steel that holds an edge and sharpens relatively easily, the blade was razor sharp right out of the box, cut phonebook paper and shaved hairs effortlessly, despite being a saber grind and having a thicker blade vs a full flat grind (ffg). The spydie hole in the blade makes the knife extremely easy to lock your finger into to open the blade, and paired with the phosphor bronze washers/bushings, it opens extremely easy. The lock is perfect, it holds the blade in place while it's closed, but it opens effortlessly with a flick of your finger. All in all this knife is absolutely perfect, I can't think of any complaints I have with it, seeing as it has everything one could want in a knife and more. It's my first Spyderco and this knife is an excellent representation of their quality, I'll definitely be buying another one. Take it from me, with this knife, you just can't go wrong.

Started carrying a Gerber E-Z many years ago, mostly for show. It was easy to deploy (thumb hole) but I never trusted the lockback (which rose above the scales in the back). The Gerber was not sharp and I could not get it sharp. When the clip eventually got loose (and could not be tightened), I switched to CRKT M16 because of the double lock. It was sharp and I could mostly keep it sharp and I liked the tanto blade. But the blade was too short and I learned that I will never trust a liner lock (with or without a double lock). I discovered the Benchmade 'axis' lock (Gerber calls a similar lock the 'wedge', others call it 'crossbolt'). I ordered one with a thumbhole and got one with thumb studs. It is a fine lock but it makes the knife fat. I also worried that a push from the front might dislodge the lock unintentionally (the spring on Gerber's wedge is much stronger). The blade was too short and I will not get another knife with studs, but the essential problem was that it would not cut more than the old Gerber E-Z. That brings me to the Endura4. Thought I would never get another lockback, but Spyderco's lockback is not like the old Gerber. It is precision-cut and gives a very satisfying click when engaged. The lockback rides below the scales, and, if that is not enough protection, Spyderco added the 'dent'. My fingers appreciate the idea. The big thumbhole makes the knife deployable with gloves. Finally, the Endura4 (VG-10 steel, Japan) cuts everything from delicate (smooth opening of a CD security strip), to ordinary (quartering apples), to difficult (low-lying Osage Orange branches on my daily walk). Quality is at Benchmade standards but, if I ever need to work on it, the fasteners are torx T8 for the blade and T6 for the rest, including the movable clip. That clip is the best I have used so far (better than Benchmade). The scales (handle) are fibreglass-reinforced nylon with steel liners. They are comfortable but yet non-slip. Spyderco add jimming on the front of the scales above and on the the blade just beyond the pivot to further decrease the chance of sliding forward on the blade. That blade is long. It is a big knife in a small package. That means it is a drop point blade, but Spyderco's flat sabre cut (not hollow cut) looks to leave the blade very strong. I will know more after a few years.

I've carried a Leatherman with me for my entire adult life and so have always generally had a decent knife handy. Around the middle of 2009 I decided to start carrying a separate folding/locking knife because that seemed to be the tool I used most on the Leatherman (I'm an IT guy, always opening boxes it seems...) and for it's tertiary tactical use in an extreme emergency. I didn't realize that I was beginning an expensive lesson. The first knife I bought was a Snap-On folder. I'm an avid mechanic and have a lot of respect for Snap-On tools, and so when I saw it for a good price at my favorite parts store, I grabbed it. The problems began almost immediately. When it was new it wouldn't lock every time, although I managed to tinker it into submission. Then it started falling apart. First one of the opening studs disappeared, then the pocket clip fell off, and then the knife itself began to come apart. Clearly, Snap-On didn't know anything about knives, so my hunt resumed. My next knife was a Smith and Wesson "Extreme Ops" SWA3 folder, and while it was altogether better than the Snap-On it still left a bit to be desired (although it looks really cool). Despite only light use in a period of about 4 months, the finish is largely coming off and the pocket clip has fallen off this one as well. Generally the knife itself has performed well, but it's a little short for my intended POU (utility/tertiary tactical) and also kind of heavy for what it is. And that brings us to the item in question, the Spyderco Endura 4. Mine is black with a plain saber edge (as opposed to FFG) blade. I should say that, having never physically seen an Endura before I relied heavily on a good friend who has what you might call an "Endura 1". It's a very old Spyderco from back before they were numbering the models, in fact from Spyderco's early days. He's used his in construction and for mechanical repairs and it's still tight and sharp, despite being made from inferior materials when compared with the modern Enduras. So now I have my Spyderco and I love it. The tolerances are tight, the blade is reasonably sharp from the factory, the locking mechanism is excellent and out of the way, and it fits my intended POU precisely. So far the only complaint I have is that when it arrived the pocket clip was in a position that didn't make much sense to me, but thanks to the excellent design I simply reconfigured it to my tastes and slid it in my pocket. Altogether an excellent knife. If you're in the market for a "tactical folder" you'd do well to "buy once and cry once" and go for the gold standard to start with. With the knives I've bought before this one I could have bought 2 of these.

I am a huge fan of Spyderco knives. The company is rife with metallurgical geniuses - If you want a knife for a specific reason, they probably have the shape and the metal needed for the job. On top of that, they precision machine, cut, and sharpen their blades to a quality standard exhibited in very few other brands. Some may complain about the knife's appearance, but I would counter that a good knife is designed to do it's job first, and look good second. Spyderco has taken this design choice to heart with most all of their knives, and never detract on usability for looks. I have come to expect the above on most all Spyderco knives. In particular, the Endura 4 Wave is no exception. For brevity, I will cover the wave feature, as some reading this review will be interested in that only. The Wave feature was invented by Emerson, and has been featured on their knives for some time. The original Wave patent has a small rod of separate metal protruding at an angle from the top of the blade. Spyderco licensed the Wave opener patent, and crafted a notch into their one-piece blade, improving on the patent, in my opinion. The good: The wave opener performs as expected. A little practice, and watching a few youtube videos, you'll be just fine. The bad: Be careful what pants you use this knife with. The wave feature can tear the pocket on nicer pants. The bolster is a bit tight in my case, so I had to loosen the torx screw to allow for an easier open. Further, the knife hand will end up out of position due to the force needed to pull the knife and blade out of the pocket, so loosening the screw just a bit really helps. It is crafted of VG-10 Japanese high-carbon stainless. This steel is amazing, and so it is no surprise that Spyderco uses this steel in many of their knives. Personally, I appreciate the balance of edge retention and anti-corrosion qualities (high-carbon steels lacking enough vanadium will rust if you stare at them wrong). This knife comes razor sharp from the factory - no need to put an edge on it. The knife handle is polyurethane with internal steel liners and locking mechanism. There is no play in the blade when out. The knife handle is extremely knurled - this knife should not slip out of your grasp but in the most extreme conditions, if that. The poly handle also features a four point clip mounting system, but the wave feature will only work with "tip-up" left and right-handed configurations due to it's design. The clip itself is sturdy, and appears to be black-coated steel, which further hides the knife while in the front pocket. It is secured by three small torx screws, and feels very robust when mounted. The lock is a standard mid-spine lock with a detent to easily identify by touch, and for comfort. The internals move very smoothly and comfortably. Once locked, the knife feels like one-piece, with no play whatsoever in the blade. With all of the above said, this knife is most certainly a Spyderco, and one of great value for the price. That value can be seen in the more costly but quality choice of blade steel, the addition of internal liners, and the robust lock and four-point mounting system.

I've only had this knife for 48 hours so this is mostly an initial impression. Product Description: The blade is about 3-1/2 inches long and the handle is nearly five inches long. When opened, the knife is about 8-1/2 inches. It fits my short, wide hands quite well. It's a fairly big knife but has a rather slender profile so it fits into a front jeans pocket fairly well and Spyderco did a great job of keeping the weight down by skeletonizing the liners and using a high quality plastic (they call it fiberglass reinforced nylon) handles. The pocket clip is secured to the knife with three small torx head screws and is reversible to either end or either side. That doesn't make sense for a knife designed for tip up carry only, but they use the same handles on Endura knives without the wave feature so it saves them another part to inventory. The lock is very positive and audibly clicks when engaged. Sale/delivery rating: I ordered this knife via Amazon Prime. It arrived the following day. You simply can't beat service like that so Amazon earns five out of five stars. Quality of Product: The knife is made at Spyderco's Seki City, Japan factory and arrived sharp, well constructed and ready for use by a right hander. Spyderco has a reputation of providing high quality products for reasonable prices. I feel they easily met these standards with this product. Five stars Quality of design: It's too early to tell. There is a learning curve with this knife. Utilizing the Emerson Wave Feature is not simply a matter of pulling the knife from your pocket with the blade swinging free and locking into place. It requires an outward twisting of the wrist and a bit of wrist snap to get the blade to open completely and lock. I've complicated the matter by switching the clip to the opposite side and trying to use the knife left handed. I'm a rightie but I believe in keeping my options open and my right hand free. That is only going to add to the time required to gain proficiency with this knife. I am confident the design is sound but I believe the time required to master the use of this knife is going to be much longer than I had initially hoped. I did purchase a training version Spyderco Blade/Opener Folder Knife With Red FRN Handle Md: C10TRW but it has not arrived yet. Four stars - only because the use of the Wave feature is not as intuitive as Spyderco would have you believe. Manufacturer support. Go to the spyderco website and you'll find every replacement part available for this knife but the blade itself. That is very important to me. Overall: 4.75 stars.

I have been a spyderco fan for over 20 years. The quality is worth the cost. Highly recommend.