SpydercoChaparral Lightweight Prestige Knife with 2.80 CTS XHP Steel Blade and Gray Durable FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C152PGY

If you are looking for a small and lightweight pocket knife that is one of the best slicing knives you will ever use this is the knife that you want. Xhp steel is fantastic Spyderco really knows what they're doing with it it is a very high performance still is sharpens up very very well it's tough enough holds the edge great and is super easy to touch up be it on a strop or ceramic rod and when it's time for a full sharpening it responds beautifully to high performance waterstones. This still really loves naniwa chosera 800 grit as the finish and it performs great with that finish, lots of aggressive bite and really high levels of keenness. Xhp is one of my favorite stainless steels because of the edge that it takes it becomes so incredibly sticky Sharp and has so much bite and it holds on to it extremely well my favorite stainless steel would be s90v but xhp isn't all that far behind. Tai Chung Spyderco plant really does excellent quality work and their heat treat is fantastic on every steel they work with. What's so great about this knife is just how thin it is in the overall geometry makes for one laser beam slicer it literally Cuts Like the materials not there. If you like very slicey knives then the Chappy is for YOU. It's so small yeah even with XL hands I get a full grip as long as I'm using the 50/50 choil and it's super comfortable in hand and ready to go to work! It carries very nicely in the fifth pocket it also carries very nicely as a main carry it's thin doesn't take up much pocket real estate and it's extremely lightweight this is one of spyderco's best designs

Excellent knife. I have a bunch of knives and am always on the hunt for a nice gentleman’s knife. I like locking knives that are slicey (work in a professional setting). I don’t like huge knives, not at least for edc. Prior to this purchase my favorites had been going between a small Sebenza drop point and a Peña trapper. I had always liked the size and appearance of the Chaparral on paper so I decided to give it a whirl.The knife did not disappoint. The knife is small and thin. The blade opens easily with no wobble to a firm “click” and locks with an easily disengaged lock back. There is a finger choil to extend the handle size, making it comfortable to hold (I have average sized hands). The clip holds it in place securely. The blade cuts very easily and stays sharp. It has gone through the standard fair of boxes and mail with no issue. I do not expect to use it for anything much more than what an edc gentleman’s folder should be used to do, like boxes, whittling, food, mail, etc.The only minor gripe I have is the very grippy texture of the frn handle scales. They are great to hold and keep the blade in place nicely. However, they might want to tear up your pocket a bit, especially in a thicker pocket like jeans. But that is just a tiny little complaint. If there was a version with smooth scales that would be great. Everything else is just fantastic. Amazing amount of cutting power in a minimal pocket presence. I love it. It has supplanted the Sebenza and Peña for now as the main pocket carry, although I think the other two will probably make the way into the rotation again at some point.

I am not a knife collector nor do I have any expertise. However, I spent hours researching pocket knives and given that I am a reasonably intelligent person, became somewhat familiar with the terminology and why/how a knife is considered well made. I wanted something that was bigger and meaner than a traditional 2" Case knife (for instance), something I could pull out of my pocket and use without fear of not having enough blade. I looked at bigger Spyderco knives but I wanted something I could carry every day and that wouldn't be bulky or overkill. The Chaparral is the perfect knife for this. It is super light, thin, but has a blade that is quite large. I wasn't sure if I would like the carbon fiber grip, but I actually like it very much. It looks shiny but it has a slightly grippy texture which gives the knife a little more security in the hand. The way the knife is shaped and with the choil and jimping, it has an ideal seat in the hand. There are no gaps in the materials; everything is precise and the materials used are of high quality. The blade came as sharp as any knife I've ever owned, by far. Since I am not regularly in the wilderness and I don't hunt or need a big bad knife, I didn't want to be walking around with a 5oz piece of war, but I wanted something practical, nice, but a little nasty. If you are looking for an everyday knife that disappears in the pocket (deep-pocket clip is perfect), has good steel and has enough flash and bite to catch the eye: this knife is pretty ideal.