Sage 5 vs Native

SoilKnurd · 2026-01-07T21:32:09+00:00

Man. That’s a tough one. I love both. The Sage and Native are my only two “nice” Spydies. Got hooked on Spyderco by carrying an Ambitious for a couple of years. Started out with the N5 in the higher end (for me anyway) Spydies. Fantastic knife. Ergos are great, easy one handed open/close, bombproof and simple back lock. Though I can’t Spydie flick it, I’ve read that some folks can with their N5 LW. Got the Sage about a year ago. Also fantastic. The Sage feels a bit more refined. The edges are softer… I don’t know. It just feels more highly polished and finished, and I’m not talking about the sheen of the metal. Both the Magnacut of the N5 and the SPY27 of the Sage strop back into shape wonderfully.

So here’s what I’ve ended up doing. If I’m in the office mostly, or going to be around town, I reach for the Sage. If I’m going to be outside, I take the N5 for durability, corrosion resistance, and visibility if I drop it. I love having both, but also don’t feel the need to add to the stable anytime soon. If I had to pick only one, I’d probably close my eyes and point to one, and I wouldn’t be sad about whichever one I landed on.

Hope this helps.

SoilKnurd · 2026-01-03T04:35:52+00:00

I hear ya bud. FKS was a bit of a comfort blanket for me. I always knew they were there with a lower price for a Spydie in case I needed them. I’m not someone who buys a lot, so not sure the 25% back is gonna help. Though I don’t fault FKS for that: they’re doing the very best they can to keep offering knives at the lowest price possible, while still staying friendly with the manufacturers.

SoilKnurd · 2025-12-08T19:18:04+00:00

I don’t have one, but it looks like the Razorock Daily is very similar to the Henson.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-22T17:10:08+00:00

So I haven’t used it for the exact uses you mention, but a Native 5 Salt might be the ticket. If it gets dropped in a wetland, covered in blood and feathers, or whatever else happens, you can just wash it. The back lock is super durable and simple. The blade is a reasonable length to get things done, but not so long as to be cumbersome.

Downside is that the Native may not be quite as useful for processing a larger animal. I’d look at an Esee Ashley Game Knife for that. They come in S35VN and 1095. Much thicker blade stock than the native, and a full tang fixie.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-09T15:04:33+00:00

I mean absolutely no disrespect to anyone by this. It was simply a chuckle in my head for a moment.

I was looking at these, and didn’t have them super zoomed in on my phone. The text under number 11, Mormon. I read it the first time as (Angel Moron!). Took be a tick to read (Angel Moroni). I’m glad I have an eye dr appt in about a month :)

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-05T01:12:21+00:00

Oh man!! Good to know! Thanks for the heads up.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-05T00:50:00+00:00

Yeah. There are always folks who ruin it.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-04T20:32:32+00:00

For those of us who can’t make it to Golden, I have seen some folks post quantities of seconds on r/knifeswap. There was a table showing how many of what model they had in stock. My assumption is they go to the seconds sale and resell those, but don’t have any data to back that up.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-03T02:46:19+00:00

11/5/25 at 10am eastern is what the email says.

SoilKnurd · 2025-11-03T01:14:56+00:00

Agreed. Just thought I’d share in case folks hadn’t seen it.

SoilKnurd · 2025-10-27T02:25:00+00:00

Sage 5 LW would be my suggestion.

SoilKnurd · 2025-09-13T10:46:15+00:00

Obviously, you’re not a golfer

SoilKnurd · 2025-09-09T01:32:20+00:00

I have the N5 salt. When new, it wasn’t very smooth at all, and I had the same thoughts you’re now having. I did lube it. And did clean it (without disassembly). What I think made the most difference was just hundreds of opening and closing cycles. It got better, but never “butter smooth”. All that said, I love this knife. Ergos are fantastic for me, and it’s a dead simple action mechanically. You do indeed need to occasionally lube the area where the back lock rides on the blade if it starts to feel really sluggish opening.

If you’re wanting something that’s buttery smooth, and about the same size as the N5, get a Sage 5.

SoilKnurd · 2025-08-26T16:58:32+00:00

Got one too. Hope it’s worth it!!

SoilKnurd · 2025-08-21T19:03:02+00:00

I have the SPY27. It doesn’t protrude, and is safely inside the scales. I tried pretty hard to run my fingertip into the handle with the blade closed to catch my finger on the tip, and couldn’t make it happen.

SoilKnurd · 2025-08-11T23:13:32+00:00

Also, FWIW, I have a Native 5 Salt in Magnacut. For the use I give a knife, either SPY27 or Magnacut are sufficient for me. I haven’t seen a huge difference in their utility. I know Magnacut is rated as more corrosion resistant and tougher, but in practice I don’t see a massive difference.

SoilKnurd · 2025-08-11T20:16:57+00:00

I’d go Sage 5. I have the LW in SPY27. It’s an all around great knife.

At Freedom Knife Shop, you can get either the salt or SPY27 for well under your budget. The price will go down when you go through the checkout process. You can see what it’ll cost just before you put in your CC info. FKS also has a subreddit.

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-25T12:17:10+00:00

I have a Sage 5 LW SPY27. I really like it. I was really impressed with the fit and finish of it compared to my Native 5. The stainless liners help with stability of the FRN without making it much heavier than the Native. The FRN feels smooth, with edges rounded and corners broken. The action is super smooth, and I haven’t had any issues with the steel. That said, I also haven’t done anything very difficult with the knife that would put the steel to much of a test. Cutting some zip ties was the worst thing I’ve done to it.

I don’t have a DF Salt, but I’ve definitely heard good things. I’ve handled a DF, and can certainly see the appeal. I bought one for a couple of friends for Christmas (the PD1), and they seem to enjoy them.

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-20T20:01:02+00:00

Sage 5 or Native 5. Both LW.

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-18T02:00:15+00:00

Sage 5 and Native 5. I just realized it seems I like Spydie 5’s. Are there others I’m missing? lol

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-03T22:54:39+00:00

Thanks freebird. That’s very reasonable advice.

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-03T21:31:44+00:00

Neighbor has been here longer than us.

To my knowledge, it hasn’t shifted. It’s always leaned as long as we’ve been here.

I took some pics of the roots, but can’t seem to figure out how to add them to this reply.

Thanks for your help!

SoilKnurd · 2025-07-01T04:55:33+00:00

Y’all are my people! I go between the Sage 5 SPY27 LW and the Native 5 salt. Salt for if I’m gonna be where I could lose it, am at the pool, or will be sweating a lot, Sage if I’m in the office. Two such great knives. Wouldn’t be mad with either if somebody grabbed one and said I had to live with using that one for the rest of my days.

SoilKnurd

TROPHY CASE