Six Days of EDCing the Spyderco Delica Pocketknife: A Knife-Snob's Thoughts 

Dude is that your real voice? You sound like you should be announcing a horse race in the 1920s. 10/10

I've been carrying the same Delica Gen 1 in my uniform pocket every day I've worked since 1995. It's been a great little knife. No broken tip or clip. I think I'm finally going to retire it and get a gen 4 before I mess it up or lose it. 22 years with the same pocket knife is a pretty good run.

"I'm not a hard use sort of guy." This is Nick's favorite pickup line to show he's a sensitive dude.

There is a paradox to the Delica. Because it is so well designed and made it is the perfect utility. It is all that is needed. Because it is all we need it is boring. As knife nuts we hate to settle our needs. Our wants is what drives us in our obsession.

The Delica may not be all the knife you want but it's all the knife you need. Wonderfully said sir.

Always fun to look back on where you came from... When I got out of the Army and came home I went through my old stuff to see what I wanted to take with me to my apartment and I found my old Chinese mystery knives from when I was a kid and it's so funny to me how much joy those brought me. Perspective is everything I guess. So glad I found your channel, Nick, I very much enjoy your perspective on things.

Is not the knife they want... it's the knife they need. The spyderco batman

Nick you are a Shakespearean poet to the Knife community. You have mastered the English language regarding knives.

The Delica just feels like one of those knives you need to have.

I had the same problem. Yes I called it a problem because it made me lose sight of that a knife was. I started to only care what a knife looked like rather than focusing on what it needs to do. I carried a budget knife for a year to break that habit and I'm glad I did. Got rid of every over priced knife I had and started appreciating the simple pocket knives. Best decision I've ever made.

Your videos led me to my first EDC knife - the Delica. Complete chance that you, among the many online knife aficionados, caught my ear and imagination. I thank you and appreciate your perspective. I know now there will be a few more to follow this first choice - nothing in the stratospheric price range, but certainly something with a bit more flair than the very cool tool which is the Delica.

whats funny is that i have steadily moved up the ladder of folders over the years, all the way from cheapos before i knew any better to now owning some 2K+ customs. but recently ive kinda reverted a little bit to appreciating some of the better quality productions that i still have. the delica being one of them. i usually carry 2 blades with me and recently, despite the plethora of other options that i have, the delica has been getting some pocket time in one of those spots. i appreciate this video Nick. it serves as a bit of a reminder to keep yourself grounded. i love all of my high end knives, but i never want to see the day where i scoff at a well made knife because it it isnt the absolute top of the line. gotta remember that just because a knife doesnt have a famous name attached to it doesnt mean it isnt a great knife recently, ive even started to look for a few production gems that i might have missed. i think part of it is that i am very satisfied with my current custom lineup. i own my grail knife and a lot of other i absolutely love. ive hit a point where i dont really need more unless it something truly special. the one really nice bonus to that switch has been that productions (even though some can get pricey) are a lot friendlier to the bank account

Excellent video. Do what you do.

Great vid as always. I'm a relatively new subscriber and your channel is one if my favourites. Cheers!

The law of diminishing satisfaction perhaps? I totally agree with your thoughts Nick.

For me the Delica is such a perfect fit and as such it becomes exciting. It's so refined and sophisticated while being elegant. It's not fancy, and it's not gimmicky and instead it's focused on performance and being reasonable etc. Fits my hand like a glove and just exposes other knives for me- it kinda ruins things for me honestly. Thanks for the video.

When it comes to the "sufficient" argument, 80% of everyone's knife needs can be met with a simple boxcutter. Nearly all of the other 20% could be met with a plain old swiss army knife. That's just the reality of life in this century.

Thirty years ago I walked into an Eastern Mountain Sports store and some really different looking knives in the display case caught my eye. They were a brand I hadn't heard of, Spyderco. I ended up buying a Delica for $32. I still have it. It is still like new and I still like it but I wouldn't want it to be my only knife. The guy also showed me what I think was an Endura for roughly $40. I wish I had bought that one too..

Excellent philosophical points!

Love my delica! You really can't go wrong with this knife. I just added a deep carry clip on mine, so it's even better! I agree, it is a gem!

Excellent video!

Two knives I absolutely love using - Spyderco Delica and Benchmade Bugout. Can’t go wrong for EDC with either of these knives. Buy a Delica, replace the original Spyderco clip with a sand blasted LynchNW deep carry long clip and add a Wise men signet ring attachment. That knife will look fantastic and be your EDC carry for self defense and EDC use for decades.

My favorite knife reviewer, thanks Nick. Your take is a beautiful thing!

Got a couple myself - Grey one came with the black pocket clip but I swapped it over from my ZDP189 Endura to look like the one you're reviewing here. Thanks for posting....:)

I do understand Nick. I have an ever growing assortment of really neat knives. I dont really need any of them. I am looking for what do I take when I am not taking a knife? I think a delica 4 may be it. Thanks for the videos on it. They do help.

Really, how often do you hear the phrase, "bat shit insane," in a knife review? Nice job on the review. Communicated very effectively.

Great Video Nick. Keep up the great work. Nick A.

Great background 😄

You mean your NOT jumping out of airplanes?!?! Nick we thought you were an operator!

great video!!!

Great video. Go team Delica! Honestly though, it is a great platform and there are options if you want different colors, grinds, and even blade steels (ZDP-189 and various Sprint Runs). The new Mantra is basically a Delica made as a Ti frame lock flipper...all fantastic EDC options. It doesn't hurt that Spyderco knows how to make a flat grind that really cuts.

Delica 4 with CPM M4 and deep carry clip. Been my EDC since it came out, replacing my PM2. Love the PM2 as well, but the Delica is so light, and a perfect size for most stuff.

6:53 A man after my own heart, he can come right out and just admit it. Right there with ya

Exactly. Thats why i never keep the delica. Owned many. Tried to fall in love. But just cant. Lol. Gotta enjoy what ya carry !! Utility is not everything. Your right, "all most need, but not want".

between my dragonfly zdp 189 and my delica zdp 189 thats is pretty much all i use my other knifes are more for fun i work at a grocery store i use my dragonfly during the day when we are open and my delica at night when we are close the zdp edge last forever and i just love it

The Delica is the knife you marry. Settled on the Salt 2 LC200N Delica CQI. I sold off all of my others. no regrets. If you want to baton get a fixed blade or small axe when bushcrafting.

What is a slightly higher-end Delica? Para 3?

Never heard my condition described so well.

Looking forward to 6 days with the Zombie Hunter!

i been saving for a delica for a while, one day :)

Feeling the same way. I love my delica, but I crave more fun mechanisms. Unfortunately price goes way up to have a little more fun when it comes to folding knives.

Hey Nick, I absolutely love your videos. You also have one of the most clear, 1080p crystal clear channels I watch. Frankly...you've ruined my viewing experience when watching some other knife reviewers. I'm not sure if you've addressed my question in a previous video or not, but what camera do you use when doing your vids ? Maybe you could show your setup in a later vid, or just answer my question with a response?

Just got mine today and upon first handling it, I find it slightly small in hand. I'm 6'0 tall with probably slightly larger than normal hands.

I agree that the Delica is a great EDC knife. I think the black handles look better than the gray, however.

So funny to watch this like 6 months into owning a Delica 4. I have carried it too, 1-2 weeks, a month, 2 months.. Still I don't feel it as an EDC. I know bash me, I don't go to near forrests or anything "Heavy Duty" these days, but it is just - despite its smoothness - too much blade for my environment. Next up I'll try to give a try for the 'Tuff Lite' or Dragonfly, maybe it is more suitable:) Thanks for the video Nick, much appreciated! Oh and btw I use Remington oil to lubricate my knives - seems to work wonders:)

Great insight as usual. I have a lot of "tool" knives and Spyderco is probably foremost among them. But I have yet to find a folder that I enjoy aestetically as much as I do functionally and gives me that joy and pride of ownership (regardless of brand) that you seem to have found in a number of cases. I expect I'm just not spending enough to get that and that is something I'll have to overcome in the future. Keep up the great reviews.

Hey Nick. Would you please do a review on the Spyderco Endura 4? I want to see your take on it. Thanks.

Hi Nick...I've really been enjoying your videos. Excellent topic choices and unique perspectives which really separate your channel from a bunch of others..."and that is a beautiful thing"! I recently bought a Delica 4 due to your high praises (FYI - not new to collecting). And got it in ZDP due to another reviewers love for that steel and my great experience owning a DF2 ZDP...on that note, sorry for your loss! My question is...since you love the D4 so much, why not get it in ZDP for an additional $20-30? Is it preference of steel, overall cost or just random circumstance?

Hey nick you should make a video on tips for knives😄

The Delica 4 in HAP40 was my first Spyderco (with the Dragonfly Tattoo as my second), and it's a lovely knife... but it's a bit too big a the handle for the blade, IMO. It can do almost everything I need, but I like the S110v Native 5 LW for my tool needs, the Chaparral or the Dragonfly Tattoo for a slender but easily carried cutter... and a ZT0450CF for when I need a blade longer than 3 inches but short and thin enough to carry without having a huge bulge in my pocket. The Delica is a nice knife, but it's nothing that's especially attractive in the end. It's a player that can do any job decently, but I'll usually keep it at home and carry a knife which has a bit more pizazz or which is at least easier to carry.

Are there any knife trade forums you can recommend? I have some I'd like to trade.

Goddd I want a norseman, I can't find them anywhere though *tear* anyways... awesome vid Nick!

I think that the delica is like vanilla ice cream. It gets the job done but if there's mint chocolate chip, I gonna choose the mint. And if I have to pay a little extra for some sprinkles or nuts, then I will do so gladly.

I got one too and i agree... Its all you need. But a Strider smf lego is cool ;-)

What do you do in your six days?

The only problem with the delica is the "soft" VG-10 steel, for that reason I have a ZDP-189 and a CPM S90V versions

As common as it is,the pm2 Does it all for me and has for years now..I used to carry the Endura,Delica(love the ffg versions)But I really understand the ease of use/luxury of just having a slick lock.Nothing against the Delica....They are easy to sharpen great corrosion resistance,But they are not as slick as some of the other Spyderco designs....

Where do you get that pocket clip?

I like your videos because I feel like I'm not listening to a gun nut speak. nothing against them but I like knives for different purposes. your channel along with everydaycommentary are pretty great.

It’s a gentleman’s knife. Love the grill outa mine

Your voice reminds me so much of George Costanza

nick how much for it??? Ill send paypal asap!!!

Staying grounded.

Could it be your only knife in factory titanium and Damascus?

I have a few Delicas in my collection.

I'm fine with some plastic or polymer scales, but I don't like the liner-less plastic chassis of these. Just me. If it was "lined" in some metal.... then maybe. Sticking with my Opinels for now.

Nick do you ever have self defense in mind when carrying a knife? If not, do you carry a gun?

I guess it would be a good comparison to say that this is a Timex and the other ones are Citizens. They both tell time.. But one is just a watch. They'll both last for years and years and not give any trouble, but one is more refined than the other and if you had nothing else, the Delica would serve as well as the Timex. I went though the whole Grail gauntlet too, and carried a $700 knife for a while. I've EDCd Sebenzas and after all of that, I've come back to Spyderco and have had the Para 2 in my pocket for 4 years now exclusively and open the drawer and see the Sebenzas and the Hinderers and I'll open and close them and put them back in the drawer and periodically think that if I get in a financial pinch, I'll flip them without hesitation. But if all I had was this Para 2, I think I can survive it and unless I tried using it to break apart a brick wall, I think it'll last me several decades.

I don't even have anything high end and I think watching u and Jim skeleton a am a knife snob or becoming one lol smart move mentioning the fiance first and knives last

A great knife should feel good in your hand and be dependable for the price

Are you from Chicago?

The norseman looks like the elephantman of knives 🤣

how do you spell "sleish Bouy"?

TFW the Delica is a grail knife for me

That is so right on, the knife is perfectly capable but boring. After collecting some higher end Spydies, BM and ZT’s, the Delica is NOT fun to play with! Just clip it to the pocket of your work pants and forget it until you need it.

endura all the way

High end what does that mean??? Lol

I prefer this background and the squares appear to be 1 inch which makes it easy to see size. Hope you stole the chair.

I wish i had the Problems you have

Don't ! get any spider in VG10... I wish someone would have told me so I'm passing It on, vg10 Reminds me of the steel they put on a $3 Walmart kitchen knife ( It's awful )

You cut tape

I have... Unconventional needs

All I heard in this video was I have a 700$ knife...........

You realize youre comparing the delica to 200+ dollar knives

I would have purchased one of these years ago if it wasn't just absolutely hideous. I refuse to buy most of Spyderco's lineup because they're so ugly. I'm that shallow, I think knife collectors can understand nit-picks like that

Good knife , but boring

ALL THE KNIVES YOU PRAISE ARE OUT OF PRODUCTION! IT'S SO ANNOYING!

You’re gettin’ snobby Nick. 99% of us don’t have people and knife makers knocking on our door, asking us to carry their stuff. How nice of a knife do you need to open letters, and cut boxes?