The best non-Spyderco, Spyrderco - Byrd Raven 2

[@thomassharrow1883]

The Raven 2 is the only Byrd knife I own. You’re right. It is a great knife. I bought it as a beater knife for tasks that I didn’t want to mess up my Spyderco’s on. I ended up liking it very much.

[@nmhvactech5474]

Same here. The Raven 2 is stouter than my Manix, Stretch, Sage, ect. I bought mine as a work knife that doesn’t break the bank. It’s a great Spyderco budget knife that I think is better than many of the frn Japanese versions.

[@DaveAlkema]

One small correction, the Raven 2 uses CTS BD1, and the Para 3 LW uses CTS BD1N. The BD1N is similar to VG10, the BD1 is more similar to the 8Cr13MoV. Great video either way, seems like a good knife for the money!

[@Mrsp365x]

I completely agree, it's better than the tenacious and because the 50/50 choil it's better than the polestar. I have two of them and love them, the Byrd line is mega good value. The only thing with the raven 2 that is silly is the plastic washers. That's zero problem tho as just order 4 PB washers and polish them and replace the plastic/Teflon washers that will 100% get side to side play over time and to stop it you have to tighten the pivot and eventually you will reach a point where it's to tight to spydieflick if you don't want blade play. I order washers from AliExpress they are cheap so I just order a 20 pack of all the normal sizes and thickness and it cost m about 25 bucks total to have 20 of each of the 5 major sizes that are used.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Any chance you have a link to the correct size PB washers? I like the idea of swapping them out...

[@richardkev3077]

I wanted a G-10 Dragonfly, but I’m unwilling to pay $138 for one. I just ordered a G-10 Byrd Robin. $44. Quite a price difference.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

1/3 the price for the same sells and similar design? Yeah, I would call that a win!

[@Mrsp365x]

3:57 no that is incorrect, cts BD1 is not what comes in the us made para 3 base model. The para is comes with BD1N and that is a vastly superior steel to BD1. BD1N will have double or more the edge retention of BD1, tougher and more corrosion resistant then it as well, they have a similar name but they are a vastly different tier of steel. The raven 2 is a hell of a good 67 dollar knife no doubt about it and BD1 is a significantly higher preforming steel then the 8cr13mov that comes in the tenacious for just a few bucks more. In my edge retention test th Byrd Raven 2s BD1 cut about 40% more card board then 8cr on the tenacious and not only that but it takes a better edge then 8cr and will strop back many more times than 8cr without loosing all it's bite and going slick. The raven 2 is a stupid good value as are the Byrd FRN lock back models.. again those stating it's the same steel that's on the US manix 2 and Para 3 LW it is not and again the BD1N is a vastly higher performance steel then BD1.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

I didn't even catch the difference, thanks for calling that out. I saw BD1 and sorta just assumed they were the same. So what came on my Para3 LW is better?

[@edcrus]

@@Daves_Man_Cave yeah BD1N that's on the base Para 3 LW, Manix 2 LW and the aluminum scaled PM2d is vastly superior to the bd1 that is on the raven2 and polestar. Now the BD1 that's on the raven and polestar is a lot nicer of a steel then like 8cr that, in my testing it gets almost VG10 level edge retention. Imho BD1 is actually near 14c28n in overall performance. It's a slept on steel when done well it's a damn good budget knife steel.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

@@edcrus Good information. I did think it odd to use there same steel as the Byrd, so that's good to know that its a good step up from that...

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

I just happened to look at my Raven2, and it says CTS-BD1N on the blade... so they are the same steel, the Para3 LW and Raven2?

[@EDCandLace]

@@Daves_Man_Cave the raven 2 is 100% BD1 but they did change it to BD1N when they changed the Polestar over to it and i didnt know about that so i was wrong, the new Polesar they did change over to BD1N like on the Para 3 LW and manix 2 LW base models. I did just check, the new releases of the Raven 2 have been changed to BD1N and that I surely did not know. That literally makes the raven 2 the best value knife you can even think about getting. So as long as you get one that's made since Feb 19 then you do in fact get BD1N, same for the Polestar. If it was pre Feb 19 made it will be BD1... I'm actually very glad you said this as I had no idea the changed the Raven 2 as well as the polestar because now I have to get another one. The ones Amazon are selling are pre Feb 19 BD1 models for anyone looking to buy one. Hell even spyderco hasn't updated the description and it's still listed as BD1.

[@Fred-f1g]

What about the Ganzo 729 which is an PM2 hommage? That is in 440C steel and cost around 20$. I would say better than the original Spyderco Byrd line in AUS-8, lots cheaper and even better built.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

God suggestion, and I believe I did a review and comparison of one of those as well. :-)

[@cfltitan]

But you don’t get the ladybug!! Lol I’ve always looked at the Byrd series but never pulled the trigger on one. They’ve been part of the Spyderco lineup for a long time. I remember back in the paper catalog days they were in the Spyderco catalogs. I also get a nice LE discount on Spyderco so that’s always helped with their pretty steep prices which have gotten much more steep lately. I can’t get over what people are charging for a little ass folding knife. You can buy very nice high quality 6-7” blade fixed blades for half of what most big brand folders are selling for these days. It’s complete bullshit. Hell I only paid $160 for my HUUUGE ESEE Junglas that even comes with a VERY VERY nice sheath. Yeah it’s only 1095 but it’s a VERY good heat treated American made 1095 that’s tough as nails and comes with a no questions asked lifetime warranty. I remember when even the Golden CO Spydies were like $100-150. Now they START at $150 it seems. Still better than benchmade though, the biggest over hyped crap out there.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Its an excellent, well made and ergonomic knife, and the steel is more than adequate. And it's $110 cheaper than the PM2, which will appeal to a lot of people.

[@cfltitan]

@@Daves_Man_Cave Yeah that’s a huge difference in price. And honestly for 99.9% of people out there it’s way more capable than they’ll ever need.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Yup

[@yasinalan6674]

Selam, güzel bir video teşekkürler. Bende Almanya üzerinden bir Raven 2 alacağım, umarım çeliği BD1N olarak gelir, çünkü açıklamasında BD1 yazıyor ayrıca Spyderco 2023 kataloğunda da BD1 yazıyor.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Benimki BD1N ile geldi, ancak bu fiyat noktasında her iki çelik de bıçağı iyi bir performans ve iyi bir değer yapıyor. Hangisini aldığını bana bildir.

[@yasinalan6674]

@@Daves_Man_Cave gelmesi biraz uzun sürecek, arkadaşın babası Almanya dan Türkiye ye getirecek, size haber ederim inşallah.

[@yasinalan6674]

@@Daves_Man_Cave raven 2 geldi, çelik BD1N 😊 güzel çakı bakalım uzun ömürlü olacak mı? Teşekkürler.

[@ground_and_pound]

I realy like PM2, but tip is so crunchy(mole), so this Raven 2 is way better then PM2 in that way. Also, PM2 and Raven 2 you can beat, but Raven 2 will survive more abusing. So, Hard Use or EDC, Raven 2 will win.

[@strannostrannovasrr]

Try to spydey flick with your pointer finger. That's the way I do it. Much easier and safer too.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Will try that, thanks.

[@ziggarillo]

The spydie flick is so easy.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Yeah, but to me it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. We already have like 6 ways to open the knife... Did we really need another, just to look cool? lol

[@dv-artistdavidv.828]

nice,thanks.)

[@KingKsEDC]

I like it but fact it doesn't come with bronze washers is hilarious. There are $30 knives that come with it.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

I will have to look closer at mine. What's it come with?

[@shallmaneser]

Really? No one mentioned GANZO ?!?! 😁

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

The blue Muppet with the weird nose?

[@shallmaneser]

@@Daves_Man_Cave Yes??? 😁(but with an a)🧐. I don't know it there're technically clones but their G729, new-er ver, is the closest I would ever get to a Spyderco, financially speaking.

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

@@shallmaneser Never heard of it, but I like it! I would say that the Raven 2 is the best Spyderco without the Sypderco price, but the Ganzo is the best alternative if you don't want the name brand. For $21 I am thinking of getting one, just for the hell of it. 440C steel is decent and it looks well made...

[@shallmaneser]

@@Daves_Man_Cave Would love to see that review!🙂(or the Ganzo Firebird FH922)

[@slec22]

Shame Byrd Raven is discontinued same as Byrd Crow :(

[@Daves_Man_Cave]

Yeah, they were tremendous value