I have one with a relocated pocket clip position to put it adjacent to the lanyard hole. I put an MXG deep carry clip on it, bronze titanium screws/pivot, and a little bit of file work to open up the spydiehole/lockbar access cutout. Also smoothed down the spydiehol and plunge edges a bit with a ceramic rod. This knife is now one of my favorites. The blade shape and ergos are simply excellent for EDC, with choil grip, pinch grip, forward index finger grip, and all the way back grip for more leverage. Mine weighs a bit less now after my modes at 2.69 oz, and carries great. It is slim and sleek in profile with no flipper or thumstud to catch on anything and no spydie-hole protuberance making for a wider pocket profile like the Para 3, etc. This is a fantastic knife that with a couple of easy mods becomes even better. It will grow on you with use/carry and become a go-to!
Jude Grant Apart from some half ass design features, there is nothing wrong with the knife per se, it’s just another half g-10 half titanium frame lock. There was no reason to make this beyond the need to put something new out.
@@fa-tre2869 I tend to think the knife business is a lot like the movie business. In movies they say nobody knows nothing and so new movies tend to be a lot like previous movies, but with small tweeks that might catch the attention of buyers jaded by so much samness in the offerings. It's like that in knives too. Since Sal woke everybody up with the spidy hole and the clip, not much new has hit the scene except for better materials. Buyers are always alert for better value plays, but this ain't that. And buyers are always looking for a new pretty face, and this ain't that either. Though, the blade shape strikes me some. So, what is Spiderco actually offering to entice buyers?
Perhaps something worth commenting upon while you're talking about the knife's flickey-ness: like the Slysz Bowie, it's a give and take for whichever hand you prefer. Right-handed people don't get to Spydie-flick the knife open with their middle finger, but they do get to thumb flick the knife open. Southpaws are the opposite - they don't get to thumb-flick the knife open, but on the upside they do get to Spydie-flick. Yeah, it's overall better if you can do both whatever hand you're dominant with, but at least everyone has an option. Ambidextrous folks just get to go with the flow! Edit: haha, I've been following the Brouwer, watching this review and thinking it'd be a lovely knife for me. I like a lot of what it's doing. I can live with a lot of the drawbacks (except the price). Then you compared it to the Chapparal. I own a Chapparal (and a Dragonfly.. and a Neutron..). Alrighty, moving along!
Good review. Really like the blade shape. Was very much looking forward to this one. The opening issues are not great. Lanyard hole... ugh. Not sure this would displace my Chaparral despite my not liking back locks.
Less than 5 minutes of work, if you know what your doing, takes care of all the complaints on this lil’Gem. Amazing EDC on multiple levels. Perfect for me. I replaced the clip with a deep carry, smoothed the edge/points on spyder hole, and smoothed the jimping edges. Had Amazon points which took some of the sting out of the price. Good solid EDC...for me😉
You shouldn’t have to do these things on a knife costing this much Most people don’t want to take power tools and grinders to their new 200 dollar knife They just threw the standard clip on this knife so lazy
I’ve just seen Frankie and Bird’s review of this self same knife... they didn’t seem too keen! The coverage of the Spydehole, the dodgy clip and the huge price holed it below the waterline. That being said, I like the small blade, big handle thing. Here in the UK we have a 3” rule, but I have 5” hands. However, I’d take a 3”sharpened edge with a 4-5” handle anytime.
I actually like the visual look of a short blade/long handle. But, we Americans are such an overweight lot, I feel like I need to carry a longer blade in case someone steps out of line with me and I need to get in there for some deep work.😀. Did I just say that out loud?
I love your videos Nick, been watching them for about 3 years now. Your my favorite knife reviewer because your not super super tactical and overly serious.
On a knife of this size, I often remove the pocket clip & carry the knife in the bottom of my pocket. So, that is not a deal breaker, but everything else that Nick complains about does affect my purchase decision. Not a Spyderco that I am willing to fork out that amount of money for.
@@kerryrwac the Kapara is not in the same clasification. We are talking sub 3" blade, for starters. Totally different style, looks & appeal. Apples to apples. Personally I think the Kapara is what is wrong with Spyderco...same old, same old, and all $50 to $100 overpriced. And I'm a Spyderco fan, have been since the Worker first came out, but I must admit that I am more & more looking at purchasing other brands.
@@blueeyeswhitedragon9839 Gotta disagree on the Kapara. Maybe $25 overpriced but it's carbon fiber with a ti pivot and superb fit and finish. But yeah... The size is totally different.
I found your video 4 yrs after you posted it - and I cannot find a Brouwer anywhere. I guess Spyderco took notice of your video. I enjoyed watching it though! 😁
Spyderco trips over their shoelaces with lanyard holes, and the funny thing is they KNOW they trip over their shoelaces with lanyard holes. Agree with prior posts that the Brouwer won't have any legs over the years.
Price is high, clip needed to be changed. Other than that, I absolutely love this knife. It's hard to get a small EDC for my XL hands and this is great.
John, I am a huge Spyderco fan. Their original Rubicon is what drew me into knife collecting. However, to my eye - some knives simply fail the design aesthetic.
Agreed - I strongly prefer the larger handle. I have the Brouwer and wouldn't like it at all if they made the handle smaller. I think that's actually my favorite thing about it, is how well it fits in my hand.
This is something I've seen in the last two years coming around on. Just because you've made the blade smaller doesn't mean you've made the user's hand smaller. Yes, there are people with smaller hands that are going to prefer a smaller knife, but that notion can only go so far. Your main goal should be (in my opinion) to get the handle to work in the hand, and then from there figure out the cutting edge. Just as a thought experiment for anyone who's gotten this far reading my comment. Go into your kitchen and look at all the knives in your knife block. Notice how all of them have the same length handle? Even the big ones and the small ones? Wouldn't be nice if the knife you kept in your pocket brought the same philosophy on ergonomics? But then, I've never met a task where I thought "Well my pocket knife is just not long enough." I know I'm in the minority here since 3.5" seems to be the universally agreed upon Best EDC Blade Length and I find that length of blade to just be too long and too unwieldy. So maybe my notion that Blade:Handle ratios are total hokum is just a result of my bias, but dammit! Give me a 3.25" region for my hand to go and let me figure out if the cutting edge is enough for my needs. If you can fit even more grip area into a smaller space in my pocket by giving me a finger choil, then by all means, do it! I have yet to see the two finger forward choil, and that might be when science has gone too far, but I would certainly be willing to give it a try lol
@@HappierHealthierYou Fair enough. I'd still rather have as much control over that blade length as possible. I do actually do quite a bit of camping and traveling.
this is a different argument. some want a blade under 3" but still want the handle to fit their hand. the blade to handle ratio is often a silly argument, imo.
I always enjoy your vids and often find them valuable -- in this case, quite literally. I was eying this one (size, style etc) but was holding off since it's pricier than I wanted to go...and I ended up making a substantial turn and bought the Lionsteel Thrill itself. M390 steel, anodized aluminum, smooth walk and talk, half stop, retractable clip (!) etc in a "modern/classic" for less "green" and find myself loving it. In fact, I couldn't stop fidgeting with it (two stop open, two stop closed) throughout this review.
I actually really like this knife, but alas, I’m a lefty. Spyderco’s recent releases have been pretty unfriendly to lefties, hence I carry Benchmade. Say what you will about them, but the Axis lock is fantastic for lefties.
Seriously with the lanyards....just...why? I demand to see a lanyard hole census conducted by the knife industry to prove even 50% of people use them. If not even half of people use them, why is it worth making everyone else compromise on the clip placement?
Lanyards are great for pulling a knife out under heavy clothing/a jacket, and identifying a knife as yours, especially if you use a less common paracord color. Someone who knows nothing about knives if you were to lose it, if you say "a big knife with a orange lanyard" is a lot easier for the layman to figure out where to send the knife, especially at work, where you are most likely to lose it.
I use a lanyard. I can be clumsy. You offering to buy me a replacement? No? Then how about I get to keep using a lanyard if I want to. I don't require the lanyard hole to be exactly where they put it, however.
@@BluePachyderm105 I am not necessarily saying lanyard holes need to be omitted, I am saying that since a minority of people actually use them, that actually means *more* thought should be put into how they are implemented. Ideally, they should be incorporated into the design in such a way that they are there if you need them, but otherwise sort of disappear for the majority who don't. Vox is one designer who typically does this well, by integrating them into the back spacer. In any case, the lanyard hole should not impact the placement of the pocket clip, since almost everybody who buys a Spyderco uses the clip. Doesn't make sense to compromise a major feature for a minor feature.
Great review. Thanks! BirdshotIV nailed it, I think, when they let it sit on the table with the R2D2 not just for size... If Spyderco wants to compete in the same space as an established standard of simplicity and quality, they need to bring something really amazing, or make it cost less (which may not exactly be their strength). I think this will be an eye opener for them. They've definitely moved away from a brand I'm excited about by pricing themselves out of a user market into a collectors market.... and releasing so many ho-hum products at prices where their knives used to compare much more favorably. I appreciate that you (and BirdshotIV) didn't just blindly love the brand. ;)
Pretty knife but when you place it next to the Delica, it becomes apparent that Spyderco is allowing market forces to drive it away from what it does best.
I'm glad they didn't go wire clip on this one. The stock one sucks but I'd prefer the titanium aftermarket clip over either and aftermarket fits for the wire style are pretty limited.
I completely agree with everything Nick pointed out. Two fixes to save this knife from being discontinued. First change the clip to a wire clip, it doesn’t need the standard spyderco clip that dominate the whole side of the knife. They should put in the same wire clip as in the spydie chef. Second, lower the price. As it’s price stands it is not competitive. $125 to $150 would be more suitable. And as a bonus, I hope spyderco’s cqc fixes that stupid jagged metal near the spydie hole and maybe extend a small guard at the finger choil like the sage and the chaparral if they’re not going to put in jimping. I would put both though.
Reminds me of my green WE Rectifier in a lot of ways, definitely glad I have the WE instead. & Thanks for still being critical where needed given all the potentials for being comprised.
Clip follies? Who needs "quick deploy" pocket positioning for a little 3" knife? It is not a work knife nor a self defense knife. Please, just drop it in your pocket...It will be there when you need it to open an envelope or cut a thread.
I have the massdrop keen and massdrop crux and both are absolutely awesome knives
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If it's running on phospor-bronze washers, you should be able to flick it open using your left hand middle finger. I can do it with my Cat and if I recall correct, it's running on teflon washers.
Spot on review Nick. When I first saw, I was like wow. As you handle the knife all these little irritations presents itself. Much more thought should have gone into this knife before production and then there is the price. I will buy the Chaparral any day above this one, even though at first it looks really nice.
Another £20 and you've got yourself a lovely Spyderco Caribbean....i know which one id rather have. But like the aforementioned Caribbean it's produced in the Taiwan factory and that's just lovely. I like this though, will I get one? Probably.
The thumbnail makes the blade look two-tone stainless and brass transitioning though the middle of the hole right with the grind. I have no idea how that could be done but someone needs to figure it out so I can throw money at them.
I have one of these, with the MXG clip, and I like it. My only complaint was the price. I wouldn't mind another Native, none of the rest of the suggested alternatives move me at all. About the only other thing I'd consider would be a Busker.
MXG has some extremely good deep carry clip options for most everything. I have that same clip on my BM North Fork. It made that North Folk four times easier to use.
Great review as always. I fully agree. It should have been done in full titanium or carbon fiber at least. Flytanium makes a beautiful titanium scale for it as well as hardware that brings the Brouwerd up to the class it deserves. Problem is, you’ll have a very expensive little knife by that point. Yes it will be custom in a sense but it will also be a very small $350+ knife with an S30V blade. Not bad by any stretch but does it really excite? Naah. Not really. I love the design and execution is typical Taichung Spyderco, which is in a word, superb. But…..in full titanium and perhaps CPM-M4, S110V, M390/20CV or CTS-XHP etc etc etc it just makes a lot more sense.
I agree about the G10 handle slab...use titanium or at least carbon fibre, I would pay the extra cost. Though I like the concept...probably won't buy one unless heavily discounted. Compression lock might change my mind.
I am tired of s30v. Personally I think spyderco should switch to cts 204p or use it more often. In my experience it is easier to sharpen, it doesn't tend to roll or chip as easy and its resistance to corrosion is quite amazing. I honestly will not buy another knife in s30v, I used to love it until I got my cts 204p military. not to mention the amazing edge it will take and how long it will hold it. i can feel s30v dulling with every cut, but cts 204p just keeps cutting with no signs of getting dull for quite a while. it is far superior.
Fair point. But... people seem to be simultaneously complaining about Spyderco's prices and about their use of S30. Using 204p would have to drive the price up. Cedric and Ada show ~30% edge retention difference between the two (average to average). That's good, but not huge. I see about the same with my 20CV knives, which is similar to 204p.
I tend to see blade steel as something of a con. So little steel is used in the blade that an upgrade in the steel used should not affect the price much at all. But, blade steels are how makers vastly increase profit margins. Or they can make a ho-hum product seem a compelling proposition. But you don't necessarily need to pay the high prices for the better steels. I say this because not everyone gives their knives the hard use that demands a better steel. I have knives that are good to go with lesser steels like Aus 8.
winomaster Generally agree. VG-10 and other steels generally are excellent. That's why I don't get why people have an issue with S30V. Steel cost probably isn't that relevant - maybe $10-15 per blade. But manufacturing cost is higher. Harder steel takes more time and wears out belts and tooling faster. I'm surprised Maxamet isn't dramatically more expensive.
It is tricky to spydie flick, but it flicks open by thumb really well. Just push straight up instead of out. Still waiting for my deep carry clip to come, but I like it a lot otherwise.
Very excellent nitpicky review, Nick! I love hearing about all the details. Although I very much like this knife, I’m going to pass due to the clip issue. Sacrificing an otherwise great design for a silly lanyard hole is a major peeve. I do use lanyards on some of my smaller knives==but it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice the rest of the knife. I’ll pass, if only for the sake of principle.
I ultimately bought this knife because it looks to be as slim across the scale as my 0450 which makes it easier to carry for me. I have my knife and my wallet and my pen in the same front pocket. The sage 2 was wonderful and thin and short, but so wide. The PM2 fit in my everyday pants pocket well in terms of length and thickness and I loved using it, but it’s just too wide. Do you think you could compare more knives in the closed scale side up position? It seems the chaparral is perfect too but the hump looks to make it wider than the Brouwer.
Any chance you can provide a link to the clip you put on it? I went to their website and they had half a dozen different clips that look like that one, wasn't sure which one was the one you put on there.
170?!? Sry but Spyderco has gotten the BM blues too me.. overpriced on their last couple releases. The Spydie chef way overpriced especially for vg10. When I can get a para 3 for 125 why would I pay 170 for this especially with no compression lock. Shaman is 180. I wish knife prices would drop just a little. Now yah know why the budget Chinese blades are selling so well
The point is not whether the Chef’s blade is VG10 or LC200N. The point is that most recent Spydercos are overpriced. If we can buy a Massdrop Gent in TI, CF, and S35VN for $90; an SKBlade Maverick in 20CV for $70; a GiantMouse Vox Anso Iona in S35VN for $99, etc.; why should we plunk down $170 for the Brouwer?
Flickyness is super subjective to Nick. I can flick it with both hands, thumb, and spydie flick (just saying, not bragging, its not that hard) So if youre good at flicking its fine. Great review though as always
Great review Nick, glad you took the extra time to really come to a solid conclusion that makes a great point. The great competition in the knife making community right now makes it so we shouldnt have to settle for things like buying an aftermarket clip to make the knife good enough or less than top notch materials for a knife that expensive. This makes my Neutron (bought on your recommendation) seem all the more excellent! Also TRM is just great, needed to throw that in there!
Is this the first time you've reviewed a knife not as it comes from the factory? Would this be the same as reviewing a knife with extra grippy G10 so you swapped scales out, or using a dremel to make a sharpening choil? You've reviewed other knives that weren't deep carry or had hot spots, whats different this time? I don't understand why was this knife harder to review, its a knife with a lot of good points and a bad clip.
The Massdrop Gent is less than half the price, with materials that are just as good and a better design. No-brainer for someone who wants a small knife.
Great video Nick I love this knife but I 2 can’t stand the clip but this is the last knife that I’m going to buy with a crappy clip design/Choice Spyderco needs to get their shit together between the crappy clip placement and the weak detent on their flippers 😢
Hi Nick, I know you sell many of the knives you review for charity. I'm interested in buying from you since I know you've taken excellent care with it during your disassembly and cleaning. I would also like to contribute to the charity you give to. How can a viewer buy one of these knives?
Thanks Tony for personally and solemnly swearing to replace any knife I lose from now on because I dropped it without a lanyard. You're a pal! Or you could not be a jerk and let those of us who are clumsy keep our god damned lanyards.
I agree with your review, especially regarding the clip and the price, but it must be frustrating for the makers. Try something new and everyone bashes it; stick with what works and everyone complains it's the same old same old. "We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry."
I bet Spyderco are scribbling on a pad right now, a lot of valid points and credit to you for your sincere objectivity 👍
Absolutely...well that or planning a hit on the Nick.
I have one with a relocated pocket clip position to put it adjacent to the lanyard hole. I put an MXG deep carry clip on it, bronze titanium screws/pivot, and a little bit of file work to open up the spydiehole/lockbar access cutout. Also smoothed down the spydiehol and plunge edges a bit with a ceramic rod.
This knife is now one of my favorites. The blade shape and ergos are simply excellent for EDC, with choil grip, pinch grip, forward index finger grip, and all the way back grip for more leverage. Mine weighs a bit less now after my modes at 2.69 oz, and carries great. It is slim and sleek in profile with no flipper or thumstud to catch on anything and no spydie-hole protuberance making for a wider pocket profile like the Para 3, etc.
This is a fantastic knife that with a couple of easy mods becomes even better. It will grow on you with use/carry and become a go-to!
I have been waiting for this since the catalog was released-
I have no issue with S30v but the price on this is way off- way way off.
There are a lot of knives coming out these days that really didn’t need to be made. This is one of them.
Honestly, I dont think there is anything wrong with this thing... but it should only be 120 bucks
Jude Grant Apart from some half ass design features, there is nothing wrong with the knife per se, it’s just another half g-10 half titanium frame lock. There was no reason to make this beyond the need to put something new out.
@@fa-tre2869 I tend to think the knife business is a lot like the movie business. In movies they say nobody knows nothing and so new movies tend to be a lot like previous movies, but with small tweeks that might catch the attention of buyers jaded by so much samness in the offerings.
It's like that in knives too. Since Sal woke everybody up with the spidy hole and the clip, not much new has hit the scene except for better materials.
Buyers are always alert for better value plays, but this ain't that. And buyers are always looking for a new pretty face, and this ain't that either. Though, the blade shape strikes me some. So, what is Spiderco actually offering to entice buyers?
No sir. This knife would be a gem if that price weren't that high.
Perhaps something worth commenting upon while you're talking about the knife's flickey-ness: like the Slysz Bowie, it's a give and take for whichever hand you prefer. Right-handed people don't get to Spydie-flick the knife open with their middle finger, but they do get to thumb flick the knife open. Southpaws are the opposite - they don't get to thumb-flick the knife open, but on the upside they do get to Spydie-flick. Yeah, it's overall better if you can do both whatever hand you're dominant with, but at least everyone has an option. Ambidextrous folks just get to go with the flow!
Edit: haha, I've been following the Brouwer, watching this review and thinking it'd be a lovely knife for me. I like a lot of what it's doing. I can live with a lot of the drawbacks (except the price). Then you compared it to the Chapparal. I own a Chapparal (and a Dragonfly.. and a Neutron..). Alrighty, moving along!
"what are you doing you freakin' evil genie?" I lost it 😂
Good review. Really like the blade shape. Was very much looking forward to this one. The opening issues are not great. Lanyard hole... ugh. Not sure this would displace my Chaparral despite my not liking back locks.
Less than 5 minutes of work, if you know what your doing, takes care of all the complaints on this lil’Gem. Amazing EDC on multiple levels. Perfect for me. I replaced the clip with a deep carry, smoothed the edge/points on spyder hole, and smoothed the jimping edges. Had Amazon points which took some of the sting out of the price. Good solid EDC...for me😉
You shouldn’t have to do these things on a knife costing this much
Most people don’t want to take power tools and grinders to their new 200 dollar knife
They just threw the standard clip on this knife so lazy
I think this knife looks really nice and I like the strange blade look and design. I’m gonna look forward to it.
I want one but had a lot of the same issues you've brought up. Hopefully there's a second version of this. Until then para 3 it is.
It is a more aesthetically pleasing shape than the competition. Like a well designed logo as opposed to a dorky logo
I’ve just seen Frankie and Bird’s review of this self same knife... they didn’t seem too keen! The coverage of the Spydehole, the dodgy clip and the huge price holed it below the waterline. That being said, I like the small blade, big handle thing. Here in the UK we have a 3” rule, but I have 5” hands. However, I’d take a 3”sharpened edge with a 4-5” handle anytime.
I actually like the visual look of a short blade/long handle. But, we Americans are such an overweight lot, I feel like I need to carry a longer blade in case someone steps out of line with me and I need to get in there for some deep work.😀. Did I just say that out loud?
I love your videos Nick, been watching them for about 3 years now. Your my favorite knife reviewer because your not super super tactical and overly serious.
I will now call myself "a compelling Ball" (that's my last name.) But I can't forgive the pocket clip placement on this one.
Probably not what your wife says lol , and the lanyard hole doth suck .
On a knife of this size, I often remove the pocket clip & carry the knife in the bottom of my pocket. So, that is not a deal breaker, but everything else that Nick complains about does affect my purchase decision. Not a Spyderco that I am willing to fork out that amount of money for.
camping buddy For about the same money you can get the Kapara.
@@kerryrwac the Kapara is not in the same clasification. We are talking sub 3" blade, for starters. Totally different style, looks & appeal. Apples to apples. Personally I think the Kapara is what is wrong with Spyderco...same old, same old, and all $50 to $100 overpriced. And I'm a Spyderco fan, have been since the Worker first came out, but I must admit that I am more & more looking at purchasing other brands.
@@blueeyeswhitedragon9839 Gotta disagree on the Kapara. Maybe $25 overpriced but it's carbon fiber with a ti pivot and superb fit and finish. But yeah... The size is totally different.
I found your video 4 yrs after you posted it - and I cannot find a Brouwer anywhere. I guess Spyderco took notice of your video. I enjoyed watching it though! 😁
Spyderco trips over their shoelaces with lanyard holes, and the funny thing is they KNOW they trip over their shoelaces with lanyard holes. Agree with prior posts that the Brouwer won't have any legs over the years.
Price is high, clip needed to be changed. Other than that, I absolutely love this knife. It's hard to get a small EDC for my XL hands and this is great.
Prediction: that knife is on the fast track to Spyderco discontinuance.
blitzbbffl agreed. Owned it for one day and traded it.
John, I am a huge Spyderco fan. Their original Rubicon is what drew me into knife collecting. However, to my eye - some knives simply fail the design aesthetic.
blitzbbffl I hated the sharpness of the spydie hole and it.didn't feel like $175.00 at all.
i've been waiting for this for so long.. i'm very interested in buying this but $170 is too much
so you'd rather have a small handle to match the blade? one reason the PM2 is at the top of the heap is its large handle
Agreed - I strongly prefer the larger handle. I have the Brouwer and wouldn't like it at all if they made the handle smaller. I think that's actually my favorite thing about it, is how well it fits in my hand.
well nick has small hands. maybe that's it
This is something I've seen in the last two years coming around on. Just because you've made the blade smaller doesn't mean you've made the user's hand smaller. Yes, there are people with smaller hands that are going to prefer a smaller knife, but that notion can only go so far. Your main goal should be (in my opinion) to get the handle to work in the hand, and then from there figure out the cutting edge.
Just as a thought experiment for anyone who's gotten this far reading my comment. Go into your kitchen and look at all the knives in your knife block. Notice how all of them have the same length handle? Even the big ones and the small ones? Wouldn't be nice if the knife you kept in your pocket brought the same philosophy on ergonomics?
But then, I've never met a task where I thought "Well my pocket knife is just not long enough." I know I'm in the minority here since 3.5" seems to be the universally agreed upon Best EDC Blade Length and I find that length of blade to just be too long and too unwieldy. So maybe my notion that Blade:Handle ratios are total hokum is just a result of my bias, but dammit! Give me a 3.25" region for my hand to go and let me figure out if the cutting edge is enough for my needs. If you can fit even more grip area into a smaller space in my pocket by giving me a finger choil, then by all means, do it! I have yet to see the two finger forward choil, and that might be when science has gone too far, but I would certainly be willing to give it a try lol
@@HappierHealthierYou Fair enough. I'd still rather have as much control over that blade length as possible. I do actually do quite a bit of camping and traveling.
this is a different argument. some want a blade under 3" but still want the handle to fit their hand. the blade to handle ratio is often a silly argument, imo.
Says the black g10 can be a little scary and pulls out that magical shaemen.. nicely done
I always enjoy your vids and often find them valuable -- in this case, quite literally. I was eying this one (size, style etc) but was holding off since it's pricier than I wanted to go...and I ended up making a substantial turn and bought the Lionsteel Thrill itself. M390 steel, anodized aluminum, smooth walk and talk, half stop, retractable clip (!) etc in a "modern/classic" for less "green" and find myself loving it. In fact, I couldn't stop fidgeting with it (two stop open, two stop closed) throughout this review.
I love the way this looks and the frame lock, but not being able to get my big ol thumb on the hole the flick it out will kill this for me.
I actually really like this knife, but alas, I’m a lefty. Spyderco’s recent releases have been pretty unfriendly to lefties, hence I carry Benchmade. Say what you will about them, but the Axis lock is fantastic for lefties.
Thanks for taking the extra time on this one
Seriously with the lanyards....just...why? I demand to see a lanyard hole census conducted by the knife industry to prove even 50% of people use them. If not even half of people use them, why is it worth making everyone else compromise on the clip placement?
Or just do more of those top-to-bottom holes, rather than the side-to-side ones
Lanyards are great for pulling a knife out under heavy clothing/a jacket, and identifying a knife as yours, especially if you use a less common paracord color. Someone who knows nothing about knives if you were to lose it, if you say "a big knife with a orange lanyard" is a lot easier for the layman to figure out where to send the knife, especially at work, where you are most likely to lose it.
Why those pesky holes in donuts? no one seems to care about them ... Holes leftover everywhere, That's just annoying.
I use a lanyard. I can be clumsy. You offering to buy me a replacement? No? Then how about I get to keep using a lanyard if I want to. I don't require the lanyard hole to be exactly where they put it, however.
@@BluePachyderm105 I am not necessarily saying lanyard holes need to be omitted, I am saying that since a minority of people actually use them, that actually means *more* thought should be put into how they are implemented. Ideally, they should be incorporated into the design in such a way that they are there if you need them, but otherwise sort of disappear for the majority who don't. Vox is one designer who typically does this well, by integrating them into the back spacer. In any case, the lanyard hole should not impact the placement of the pocket clip, since almost everybody who buys a Spyderco uses the clip. Doesn't make sense to compromise a major feature for a minor feature.
Great review. Thanks! BirdshotIV nailed it, I think, when they let it sit on the table with the R2D2 not just for size... If Spyderco wants to compete in the same space as an established standard of simplicity and quality, they need to bring something really amazing, or make it cost less (which may not exactly be their strength). I think this will be an eye opener for them. They've definitely moved away from a brand I'm excited about by pricing themselves out of a user market into a collectors market.... and releasing so many ho-hum products at prices where their knives used to compare much more favorably. I appreciate that you (and BirdshotIV) didn't just blindly love the brand. ;)
This is in a different price category (titanium and s30v) than the rat (FRN & AUS-8/D2) so I don't know if that's a great comparison.
Pretty knife but when you place it next to the Delica, it becomes apparent that Spyderco is allowing market forces to drive it away from what it does best.
I'm glad they didn't go wire clip on this one. The stock one sucks but I'd prefer the titanium aftermarket clip over either and aftermarket fits for the wire style are pretty limited.
Yes the competition is ahead of this model
Solid comparisons and glad I watched
I completely agree with everything Nick pointed out. Two fixes to save this knife from being discontinued. First change the clip to a wire clip, it doesn’t need the standard spyderco clip that dominate the whole side of the knife. They should put in the same wire clip as in the spydie chef. Second, lower the price. As it’s price stands it is not competitive. $125 to $150 would be more suitable. And as a bonus, I hope spyderco’s cqc fixes that stupid jagged metal near the spydie hole and maybe extend a small guard at the finger choil like the sage and the chaparral if they’re not going to put in jimping. I would put both though.
Reminds me of my green WE Rectifier in a lot of ways, definitely glad I have the WE instead.
& Thanks for still being critical where needed given all the potentials for being comprised.
Totally agree, Nick. Nicely done.
Clip follies? Who needs "quick deploy" pocket positioning for a little 3" knife? It is not a work knife nor a self defense knife. Please, just drop it in your pocket...It will be there when you need it to open an envelope or cut a thread.
I really want one of these, I've been looking at it for a while. Unfortunately I'm 14 so I cant really afford a $200 knife
Another astute review. I agree with you and that is why I expect my Brouwer to end up on the trade/sell block. Thanks, Nick.
I agree should be all titanium or green scales, and spidy hole looks hard to access!
The Spyderco Brouwer is great Quality, it's a knife that grows on you
Don’t know why they didn’t use wire clip. Wow.
I gotta say, when you can get the Laconico Keen for $140... oye.
Yup, ordered a Keen when both Nick and Pete recommended it. It’s an awesome knife.
I have the massdrop keen and massdrop crux and both are absolutely awesome knives
If it's running on phospor-bronze washers, you should be able to flick it open using your left hand middle finger. I can do it with my Cat and if I recall correct, it's running on teflon washers.
Spot on review Nick. When I first saw, I was like wow. As you handle the knife all these little irritations presents itself. Much more thought should have gone into this knife before production and then there is the price. I will buy the Chaparral any day above this one, even though at first it looks really nice.
Another £20 and you've got yourself a lovely Spyderco Caribbean....i know which one id rather have. But like the aforementioned Caribbean it's produced in the Taiwan factory and that's just lovely. I like this though, will I get one? Probably.
The thumbnail makes the blade look two-tone stainless and brass transitioning though the middle of the hole right with the grind. I have no idea how that could be done but someone needs to figure it out so I can throw money at them.
Boosted the contrast and saturation as an example: i.imgur.com/2T2mMbA.jpg
I have one of these, with the MXG clip, and I like it. My only complaint was the price. I wouldn't mind another Native, none of the rest of the suggested alternatives move me at all. About the only other thing I'd consider would be a Busker.
MXG has some extremely good deep carry clip options for most everything. I have that same clip on my BM North Fork. It made that North Folk four times easier to use.
"Bending over for the lanyard hole" ... We've all been there, am I right?
I'm still waiting for that Shaman in cpm-m4 and carbon Mr.Eric :/
Me too!
The pocket clip location Ruins it for me......even with an aftermarket clip it’s still crappy.
I actually really like the cookout if the G10 they used. But I do wish they used polished G10 in that color. Would've looked beautiful
They could have used that screw at the top of the pocket clip for a wire clip.
Great review as always. I fully agree. It should have been done in full titanium or carbon fiber at least.
Flytanium makes a beautiful titanium scale for it as well as hardware that brings the Brouwerd up to the class it deserves. Problem is, you’ll have a very expensive little knife by that point.
Yes it will be custom in a sense but it will also be a very small $350+ knife with an S30V blade. Not bad by any stretch but does it really excite? Naah. Not really.
I love the design and execution is typical Taichung Spyderco, which is in a word, superb.
But…..in full titanium and perhaps CPM-M4, S110V, M390/20CV or CTS-XHP etc etc etc it just makes a lot more sense.
Just ordered one today
I agree about the G10 handle slab...use titanium or at least carbon fibre, I would pay the extra cost. Though I like the concept...probably won't buy one unless heavily discounted. Compression lock might change my mind.
For me, if this knife was xhp or some higher end niche steel maybe even lc200n it would be perfect
I am tired of s30v. Personally I think spyderco should switch to cts 204p or use it more often. In my experience it is easier to sharpen, it doesn't tend to roll or chip as easy and its resistance to corrosion is quite amazing. I honestly will not buy another knife in s30v, I used to love it until I got my cts 204p military. not to mention the amazing edge it will take and how long it will hold it. i can feel s30v dulling with every cut, but cts 204p just keeps cutting with no signs of getting dull for quite a while. it is far superior.
Fair point. But... people seem to be simultaneously complaining about Spyderco's prices and about their use of S30. Using 204p would have to drive the price up. Cedric and Ada show ~30% edge retention difference between the two (average to average). That's good, but not huge. I see about the same with my 20CV knives, which is similar to 204p.
vr6glx96 it’s on the same level as M390. Spyderco is married to S30V
I tend to see blade steel as something of a con. So little steel is used in the blade that an upgrade in the steel used should not affect the price much at all. But, blade steels are how makers vastly increase profit margins. Or they can make a ho-hum product seem a compelling proposition.
But you don't necessarily need to pay the high prices for the better steels. I say this because not everyone gives their knives the hard use that demands a better steel. I have knives that are good to go with lesser steels like Aus 8.
winomaster Generally agree. VG-10 and other steels generally are excellent. That's why I don't get why people have an issue with S30V. Steel cost probably isn't that relevant - maybe $10-15 per blade. But manufacturing cost is higher. Harder steel takes more time and wears out belts and tooling faster. I'm surprised Maxamet isn't dramatically more expensive.
It is tricky to spydie flick, but it flicks open by thumb really well. Just push straight up instead of out. Still waiting for my deep carry clip to come, but I like it a lot otherwise.
Very excellent nitpicky review, Nick! I love hearing about all the details. Although I very much like this knife, I’m going to pass due to the clip issue. Sacrificing an otherwise great design for a silly lanyard hole is a major peeve. I do use lanyards on some of my smaller knives==but it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t sacrifice the rest of the knife. I’ll pass, if only for the sake of principle.
Love my brouwer
I ultimately bought this knife because it looks to be as slim across the scale as my 0450 which makes it easier to carry for me. I have my knife and my wallet and my pen in the same front pocket. The sage 2 was wonderful and thin and short, but so wide. The PM2 fit in my everyday pants pocket well in terms of length and thickness and I loved using it, but it’s just too wide.
Do you think you could compare more knives in the closed scale side up position? It seems the chaparral is perfect too but the hump looks to make it wider than the Brouwer.
Yeah, the clip is a miss... Who needs lanyard hole on handle that big? The blade is great though and I like overall shape a lot.
I believe brouwer designed this knife with spyderco to embody the the very best edc cutting tool. Correct me if I'm wrong
That may be true, but I doubt it's any better at cutting than the Chaparral. And it's worse in many other respects.
Choke the choil would be a good name for a metal band.
Make it in a liner lock and I’ll buy it. Can’t do another frame lock...
Nice review.. thanks for sharing
nick, you should do a reviewof the Kershaw skyline xl but in copper or brass. just got mine and its amazing
Any chance you can provide a link to the clip you put on it? I went to their website and they had half a dozen different clips that look like that one, wasn't sure which one was the one you put on there.
So it seems the MXG clip fits after all, good to know. Is it one of the standard ones?
It's an expensive Bugout, isn't it? That would make a good comparison video.
170?!? Sry but Spyderco has gotten the BM blues too me.. overpriced on their last couple releases. The Spydie chef way overpriced especially for vg10. When I can get a para 3 for 125 why would I pay 170 for this especially with no compression lock. Shaman is 180. I wish knife prices would drop just a little. Now yah know why the budget Chinese blades are selling so well
Matt Baker Spydiechef and VG10? Don’t know what you’re comparing here, but the Chef is LC200N.
The chef is LC200N
The point is not whether the Chef’s blade is VG10 or LC200N. The point is that most recent Spydercos are overpriced. If we can buy a Massdrop Gent in TI, CF, and S35VN for $90; an SKBlade Maverick in 20CV for $70; a GiantMouse Vox Anso Iona in S35VN for $99, etc.; why should we plunk down $170 for the Brouwer?
Makes you feel better Spydiechef is 210 bucks... but Rustproof with space age materials.
solesolace good to know. Idk why I thought it was ..
replace the titanium with steel and replace the blade steel with aus8 and it would be a badass $40 knife
Flickyness is super subjective to Nick. I can flick it with both hands, thumb, and spydie flick (just saying, not bragging, its not that hard) So if youre good at flicking its fine. Great review though as always
Great review Nick, glad you took the extra time to really come to a solid conclusion that makes a great point. The great competition in the knife making community right now makes it so we shouldnt have to settle for things like buying an aftermarket clip to make the knife good enough or less than top notch materials for a knife that expensive. This makes my Neutron (bought on your recommendation) seem all the more excellent! Also TRM is just great, needed to throw that in there!
Like a mini-wheat. A wheat side of G-10 and a frosted side of titanium. And everyone likes the frosting.
Plz do the victorinox Pro Hunter, alox or classic...
Is this the first time you've reviewed a knife not as it comes from the factory? Would this be the same as reviewing a knife with extra grippy G10 so you swapped scales out, or using a dremel to make a sharpening choil? You've reviewed other knives that weren't deep carry or had hot spots, whats different this time? I don't understand why was this knife harder to review, its a knife with a lot of good points and a bad clip.
The competition element made coming to a conclusion tougher.
why does Spyderco have a fear of sharpening choils? come on.
I need a flipper or auto with a handle that is 4.5"-+ and thick. These handles are too small. Hurts my hand to work with such slender handles.
$175 for less than 3 inches of S30V is trash.
Should I get the Brouwer or the Amalgam??
love it, but it’s a little too small for me.
The TRM Neutron is a compelling ball, indeed.
If Spyderco wants to include a lanyard hole like that they need to send some Native 5 clips to their Taichung factory.
The Massdrop Gent is less than half the price, with materials that are just as good and a better design. No-brainer for someone who wants a small knife.
It's a small edc folder. The balance point and lack of jimping are irrelevant in my opinion.
Great video Nick I love this knife but I 2 can’t stand the clip but this is the last knife that I’m going to buy with a crappy clip design/Choice Spyderco needs to get their shit together between the crappy clip placement and the weak detent on their flippers 😢
Al 76 I wish I could give this comment more thumbups!!!!
Jim M I feel your pain
Hi Nick, I know you sell many of the knives you review for charity. I'm interested in buying from you since I know you've taken excellent care with it during your disassembly and cleaning. I would also like to contribute to the charity you give to. How can a viewer buy one of these knives?
Spyderco dropped the ball on this one.
Where can I get that deep carry clip
I would love to own this knife for 100 bucks if it came with the proper clip and that spyder hole edge ground down
Heck yea thanks nick
Wish I had one. I'd trade my LE g10 ghost bugout for that baby lol
Lanyard guys should move out of their parents’ house.
Thanks Tony for personally and solemnly swearing to replace any knife I lose from now on because I dropped it without a lanyard. You're a pal! Or you could not be a jerk and let those of us who are clumsy keep our god damned lanyards.
No worries Mark! 😃
Plenty of nice Ganzos here for you. Not sure they are big on lanyards though. 😖
should have been a compression lock so you could use all the spydie hole. fail.
I hate to be that guy but... I actually like the shallow carry
two words: Wire Clip
Got one for $30. $25 for lynch clip, $5 raffle winner on reddit😁
Really like it but 170$ ill wait
I agree with your review, especially regarding the clip and the price, but it must be frustrating for the makers. Try something new and everyone bashes it; stick with what works and everyone complains it's the same old same old.
"We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry."
change is good, as long as it is for the good, bad change is still bad.
I love that knife!
How much for that piece?
Ramiro Capozzi $175 USD
@@boredandagitated But for the one you are going to sell?
Im probaply the only one who thinks Spyderco knives are over priced compared to Kizer knives (for an exanple).