Chaparral Lightweight

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

This is a great little pocket knife. Very solid construction, and came very sharp out of the box. It is also a very good looking knife, small and sleek and not imposing in any way. So great to carry around without fear of people being freaked out by it. I have read that some people have noted a gritty action out of the box. I had a very slight bit of grit feel, I mean really slight. The blade is very close to the sides of the frame, and with pressure from your thumb, can rub a little. The grit feel was just the edge of the frame being a tiny bit sharp. Not like a burr or anything, just a very clean sharp 90 degree edge. After opening and closing the blade with a little extra downward pressure a few times (maybe 10), it went away and is very smooth now. A drop of oil and it is like butter. No issues with the fit and finish at all. The blade is perfectly centered with zero play in any direction when locked. I don't even see the initial slight gritty feel is an issue seeing as it is rectified so easily. I haven't had it long enough to comment on how well it holds an edge, but reports from others suggest it will probably hold up quite well, and for a little light duty pocket knife, I'm sure it will be more than adequate. I do have one small gripe, but that is not with the knife. Mine did NOT come with the advertised S30V steel. It has CTS-XHP steel instead. I'm not particularly bothered by this, as both are very nice steels, but it was described as S30V on the product page. Not a huge deal to me, but if you specifically wanted S30V, beware that might not be what you get. Amazon should change the description really. Very nice knife. I don't think I'll need another small folder for a long time :)

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.

For some reason I started getting into carrying a pocket knife in the last couple of years even though I've never been a camper, hiker, or someone that whittles. I work in an office, doing IT work. But I seemed to be ordering so much stuff online that I was tired of using all the kitchen knives to open packages so I thought a pocket knife would be cool. So I bought a lot of different ones to get a sweet spot option that was thin, but not too thin, lightweight, but not flimsy, and not too long (less than 3 inches), was NOT framelock because the dry hand deep splits I get in my thumbs in the winter make it super painful to operate a framelock, and I wanted an outer sheath will not shred my clothes when I slide/clip it in my pocket and I wanted a deep carry clip. I've finally landed on this knife that seems to check all the boxes. I don't even notice it's in my pocket but it has a really quality solid in-hand feel, it's very well made with all the tolerances tight and solid, has a lockback (not framelock), is less than 3 inches, and is super sharp - I've already cut my finger. I like the black wire-style pocket clip. It is understated and doesn't scream "I'm carrying a pocket knife!" when worn with nicer clothes. And it is a deep enough clip that you don't see much at all, if any, of the knife itself protruding from your pocket. For someone who knows nothing about knives, this seems like a really good solid-feeling all-around knife for everyday use.

I'm really happy with this knife. I tried both the normal Delica 4 and the wharncliffe blade profile, and ended up settling on this. I think it's a much better knife than the Delica. Blade profile: the Delica has a slightly shorter blade and different blade shape. For some reason, the Delica blade profile looks quite a bit bigger and more aggressive, and I didn't feel comfortable using it in an urban / office setting. The leaf shape of the Chapparral has a friendlier look to it, and the knife as a whole feels smaller. That's a big plus for me. It has a nice medium-size feel to it. Both blades are under 3", which is a requirement in some cities. Steel: the Chapparral's blade is CTS-XHP steel, while the Delica 4 uses VG-10. VG-10 is a great all around steel, but CTS-XHP is a clear step up. Clip: the Chapparral's wire clip is a bit less durable, but much less likely to scratch things you bump into. Like your car. I much prefer it to the Delica's clip. The black clip on the Delica also started to flake almost immediately, which made it look cheap. Frame: the Chapparral has steel liners, while the Delica 4 does not. This reduces flex in the body a bit, and also makes the knife a little heavier. Both contribute to the Chapparral feeling more substantial and solid, which is nice. Action: the Chapparral has a much smoother deployment action. The Delica is fine, but the Chapparral manages to feel much higher quality. For a few extra bucks, I got a knife that fits my hand better, feels higher quality, has better steel, and is less likely to draw attention. I'm really happy I kept searching after trying out the Delica. This is the nicest knife I've ever owned.

I received my Spyderco Chapparal today after doing a lot of research on which knife I wanted as an EDC. I received the knife today & as I suspected, I loved it immediately! It is thin, lightweight, well built, crazy sharp & perfect for what I need! I would have given it 5 stars except that when it arrived, I noticed scratches on the blade (see pics) the first time I opened it. I turned the radio off to listen closely as I opened the blade again & I could hear something rubbing against the blade. I took the scales off to clean the knife & found a few small metal shavings inside. I am not sure where they came from...I suspect the factory. They were stuck in the oil that had been put inside the scales where the handle material met the metal. I cleaned it up, re-oiled it & it works perfectly with NO scraping. This is my EDC so I am not real worked up about it but I thought I should communicate it in case you found the same issue. I still highly recommend this knife for an EDC in the city, office or light duty work! It is my 2nd Spyderco...my 1st one that is from in the “introductory low end” line up (the Ambitious). The first one I purchased sold me on the quality & build of Spydercos so I suspect that this is a fluke.

After carrying a Spyderco Dragonfly for quite a while, I started looking for something a bit bigger. I settled on the Chaparral and am glad that I did. The knife is extremely well made. This knife is made in Spyderco's Taichung Taiwan factory, which some argue produces the finest knives. I would have to agree. Fit and finish is perfect. The carbon fiber scales are nicely done, with smooth edges. The blade on the knife I received is the newer CTS-XHP steel, not CPM-S30V as indicated in Amazon's description. The CTS-XHP is a better steel than S30V in my opinion and is used on some of Spyderco's high end knives. It takes a very keen edge and holds it for a very long time. The full flat grind profile is wonderfully executed and makes for a great slicing knife. If you've only had hollow-ground or sabre-ground knives, you should try one of Spyderco's full flat ground knives. The only downside to the CTS-XHP steel is that it can be a little more difficult to sharpen than say 440C or S30V. I really like Spyderco's back locks as they have a unique quality feel. The machining on the lock is so precise that you can barely differentiate the lock from the liners. It is a bit stiff when new, but loosens up slightly as it breaks in. Size-wise, this knife fits nicely between the Dragonfly and the Sage series in Spyderco's lineup. Side by side comparisons with the Sage series shows that the Chaparral is significantly thinner overall and makes for a great carrying knife, even in khakis.

I had never fallen in love with a Spyderco knife until the Chapparral came along. It's so small in the pocket but with a totally serviceable blade size. It also looks really nice. I never loved the skinny handle and tall blade of the Delica, for example, but the Chapparral seems more proportional to me (though looks are subjective so your results may vary). I have a Mini Crooked River but I was looking for something smaller because the bulk of the MCR is noticeable when I'm moving around a lot (cycling, etc.). I snagged a Benchmade Bugout and a Chapparral at the same time and for something "featherweight". I expected the Bugout to be superior but it sits on my desk more days than not. The ergonomics of opening/closing the blade on the Bugout are better for sure but the Chapparral is so much more comfortable in every other way I just end up choosing it most days. Mine didn't suffer from the burr/scratching issue some people are reporting so either they figured it out or I'm lucky. The CTS-XHP steel seems to have great edge retention (haven't tried sharpening it yet as a result but I've heard it sharpens nicely as well). Thin behind the edge means it's great for slicing just about anything. I put mine through some abuse (had a bunch of cardboard to break down and I sliced it all) to see what would happen and it's holding up fine. If you're in the market for a nice everyday slicer within a reasonable budget, it's hard not to recommend the Chapparral. It's a fantastic knife and I'm really happy with mine.