Spyderco Temperance 2: High Ticket Grind

The Spyderco Temperance 2 is a capable blade. It is an upgraded successor to the similar and discontinued plastic-handled Temperance 1. Wearing a perfectly ground 4 7/8" VG10 full flat ground blade, it will cut, slice, chop, and split well (with moderation). This blade comes razor sharp as well and should exhibit the effective Spyderco heat treatment and adequate edge holding, rust resistance, and fine edge capability of VG10. The grind lines are wonderfully precise and the overall the fit and finish is superb. The drop point leaf blade features excellent belly for slicing and a sharp tip for the thrust and detail work. It also angles forward from the handle for more comfortable cutting. The hilt is skeletonized underneath the Micarta scales which contributes to the excellent 7.0 ounce blade weight (9.6 with sheath). Just don't expect the Temperance 2 to be a heavy duty hacker however; there's just not enough weight forward in the blade. The brown canvas Micarta handle is comfortable in hand, has a radiused lanyard hole, and thankfully has no sharp shoulders around its circumfrence. It offers good control of this well balanced blade in concert with a small run of jimping topside and the bottom finger indentation. While handsome, note that the Micarta can be slick in dry conditions but traction improves when it gets wet. Make sure that's not salt water that gets on those handles however because you can't remove them...they're pinned. I find the jimping lacks sharpness in this specimen (a rarity for a Sypderco blade) and as such the thumb doesn't lock on it with authority. The "Boltaron" sheath seems identical to Kydex to me and is excellent: lightweight, waterproof, drains well, and it's tough. I would prefer a Tec-Lok® belt attachment to the included G-clip which is a more cost-effective clip for Spyderco. Perhaps trying to position the blade in the customer's mind as an upscale and special blade, the pricing is high on the Temperance 2. For around $200 you do indeed get a good looking, sharp, FULL FLAT GROUND well-designed blade that will be limited in availability. But if you are looking a utility camp knife, then this is probably too much to spend and other mid-sized factory stainless blade options are available that might offer similar utility in role. All are more affordable. These could include the Cold Steel SRK ($65), Roach Belly ($24), Finn Wolf ($12), Long Hunter ($20, great food prep and camp knife), Fallkniven Forest Knife ($125), Fallkniven A1 (great wood splitter, tough, $154 for satin), Benchmade Nimravus ($100), Gerber Profile ($18), Gerber Big Rock ($25), SOG Team Leader ($150), SOG Seal Pup Elite ($62), or even the Spyderco Aqua Salt ($65). Prices vary and other high utility, high value options also exist. But the Temperance 2 remains a high quality, well-executed blade. Only a Spyderco is a Spyderco and some will find their money well-spent on this beautiful blade. /////////////////// Nutnfancy Likability Scale: 7 of 10 (cost considered) ////////////////// Music: http://www.partnersinrhyme.com ///////// Some images are taken from public sources. Their posters/owners have consented to royalty-free worldwide unpaid distribution through unqualified agreement to Photobucket.com Terms of Use and through their selection and agreement to worldwide public use.