It is day 48 of our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway, and today we will be giving away a Byrd Flight. Byrd is Spyderco’s budget line, though there is nothing budget in how this knife feels. If an under-$30 Gentleman’s knife is a thing, the Byrd Flight nails the niche.
My first experience with a Byrd knife was their Meadowlark model. It was insanely sharp, but the unlined FRN scales were not strong enough to prevent blade wobble.
This is not an issue with the Flight. It has blade stability one would expect in a much more expensive knife, and with the stainless scales, this knife is a looker.
If you want to win this knife, you must Register for a free account, and leave a comment on our official contest thread (here).
Unlike some knife websites, Spyderco provides a thorough description of their knives – including the Byrd Flight:
The Flight has a hollow-ground blade manufactured using 8Cr13MoV stainless steel, which is similar to AUS-8 in its properties, performance and function. 8Cr13MoV steel contains both molybdenum and vanadium. Molybdenum enhances the strength and hardness of the steel, vanadium its wear resistance and toughness. Carbon augments the steel’s tensile strength and increases its resistance to wear and abrasion. Resulting from this recipe is blade steel that retains a sharp cutting edge over time and use. Most byrds are available with a plain or combination plain/serrated cutting edge.
The “comet” shaped opening hole is a trademark of the byrd line and is synonymous with the stringent quality requirements, high performance materials and manufacturing, which go into every knife. fully stainless handles have a sequence of ergonomic curves that fit into the palm for comfort and fatigue-free control while cutting. For additional safety, a portion of the lock release is ground away. This is a design add-on conceived by custom knifemaker David Boye and eliminates the chance of gripping the knife tightly enough to unintentionally release the lock. All byrds feature a pocket clip that clips the knife inside a pocket and it attaches to either end of the folder for tip-up or tip-down right-hand carry.
Personal Observations:
The Byrd Flight is a classy looking knife. There is a saying “perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add, but nothing left to remove”. They could have been talking about this knife. It is distilled down to the very essentials, a solid blade, bare stainless scales, and a tried and true back-lock mechanism.Pretty much the distilled essence of an EDC folder. Were Spyderco to mill the hole round and make it from S30V or better, they would have a hit at the Spydie price point as well.
The construction is great for a budget folder. The only ding I can find is the blade is slightly off center, but I see that in $70+ knives as well. The pivot is rock solid though. As I mentioned, there is virtually zero blade play.
The ergonomics are pretty solid as well. While this would probably not be the knife you would want to use to dress out a limit of fish becuase the smooth scales would be slimy, the finger scallops are well-located and aid in grip.
The lock is a touch stiff, but I prefer to error on this side of things, and it will likely wear in a touch with use.
Outside Review:
I was unable to find a review from an outside source I trust. Hopefully the recipient will drop us a line.
I would once again like to thank Spyderco for their generous participation in our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway. Spyderco is one of the best when it comes to supporting the bloggers, writers, and reviewers of any company in the industry.