Spyderco - Part four

How are products driven to success?  What makes products evolve?

Remember Big Auto?  Think back to the day when everyone hated those cheap Japanese automobiles.  Detroit told the American public, “Don't worry about those small clever Japanese cars.  We're Big Auto, and we know what you want.”

That wasn’t the case.  Detroit was wrong.  More than one classic American auto company has disappeared since the 60’s.

The environment changed, and some knife companies didn't.  All that's left of them is their name, now owned by someone else.  Spyderco and others have managed to evolve and help change the knife environment.

Let's visit the Native.

C41PBK5 – Native 5

Native 5 

The Native has evolved over the years, reaching its current state of the art in 2012 with the release of the Native 5.  Spyderco makes the current Native 5 in Golden, Colorado.  It features a spear point blade made from a variety of high-end steels like  Cru-Wear, CPM S30V, S110V, as well as Spyderco's proprietary steel, SPY27.  Spyderco describes the 3-inch blade as a full-flat grind, distal taper, with a textured index-finger choil and thumb ramp.  The Boye Dent is gone.  My walk through Spyderco catalogs indicates the Dent disappeared in 2014.  So is the deep false edge that characterized the original Native.  My Native 5 has a very shallow false edge which ends slightly before the blade's point, putting a little more metal behind the point.

Native 5 with hour glass clip

The opening hole is 13 mm wide and slightly closer to the knife's spine than my older 2002 native.  That makes it a little easier to open.

FRN Native 5 lightweight features Spyderco’s bi-directional handle pattern and has four positions with threaded stainless steel inserts, allowing you to move the clip where you want it.

Native Classic and Native 5.  I like the classic form!

As much as I like the Native 5, it is missing that original, iconic blade.  Fortunately, that Native is still available.

 

C217GP – Caribbean

This is a colorful addition to Spyderco's growing Salt Series.  The Caribbean is unique in several ways.  It's a full-flat-ground, leaf-shaped blade machined from LC200N.  Let's talk chemistry.

Caribbean  with LC200N steel

First, the formulation:

0.3%  Carbon, 15% Chromium,  1% Manganese,  0.95% Molybdenum,  0.5% Nickel, and 0.5% Nitrogen.

The first thing I noticed in the formulation is the relatively low carbon content.  In my limited experience, carbon in steel does two things, it forms iron carbides and chromium carbides (if present) to increase the strength of the steel.  The second thing it does is determine the cooled steel's final stage: ferrite, austenite, or martensite.

Caribbean with top compression lock

However, nitrogen could function as a substitute for carbon in forming hard martensite.  Nitrogen doesn't form chromium nitride to the same degree as chromium, so more chromium is available for corrosion resistance.

The problem is nitrogen gas isn’t very soluble in molten steel.  This problem was eventually solved using high, very high-pressure crucibles.  The original steel, called Cronidur 30, was developed for ball bearings.

The high salt /corrosion resistance sounds great for a saltwater environment.  While nothing is perfect, LC200N has a great many of the qualities we look for in steel.

The leaf-shaped blade is housed in a bright yellow and black handle, which reminds me of a hornet.  The G-10 handle is reinforced with steel liners and carefully machined to create alternating bands of black and yellow radiating out from a center black oval.  The yellow bands are caused by a wide groove cut through the alternation layers of the G-10.  They are wide enough to provide a friction surface.  A little jimping behind the ‘hump ‘formed by the Spyderco hole also adds to the friction surfaces needed to control the knife.

Caribbean tang stamp

The Caribbean has a top compression lock, which I like.  Unfortunately, the clip is only left-right reversible.  The clip is Spyderco’s hourglass shape in titanium.  They describe it as black.  I see it as gray.

I don't know when I bought it.  The box doesn’t have the date on it as some do, and I neglected to record the date myself. 

It's an interesting knife.  The friction surfaces work nicely with pull or push, but my thumb tends to slide sideways, following the circular path.

Personally, I like the bright colors, a pleasant departure from black, but my experience tells me tactical black sells.

It’s still in production.  If you want one, they’re available.

 

C64JPBK – Meerkat

The Meerkat was introduced in 2001 and had what Spyderco called the Phantom Lock.  Many of us called it "Bet you a beer you can't close this knife."  Word of advice.  Make sure you spring for a beer after you win a couple.  The Internet claims that the Meerkat is a direct descendant of the C61 Pegasus/C62 Navigator.  These claims always bother me as they suggest companies don't have enough creativity to develop something new and not, ‘let’s make one like this, but different.”

Meerkat

The Meerkat was made from 2001 to 2003 and released as limited sprint runs.  Mine is from 2002 and has the AUS6 drop point blade.  The reverse  'S' blade is, in my opinion, icey cool and much more desirable to a collector or user.  The reverse blade gives you more cutting power, an essential feature in a small, sub-2-inch blade. 

Because of the opening mechanism, the Meerkat clip could only be located over the blade pivot.  It can be changed to right or left carry.  This positions the knife tip down in your pocket.  Perhaps not the optimal carry position, but the knife has limited tactical applications.

Meerkat secret exposed

For many, the Phantom Lock made the Meerkat so interesting.

To unlock: The right bolster can be pushed sideways using the depression in the butt end of the knife.  The Meerkat operation is well explained with both the product insert that comes with the knife and the Internet.  I’m not rehashing it here.

 

C119 – Citadel

Sal has always felt that Spyderco knives should be used for good, not evil purposes.  It sounds old-fashioned, but over the years of visiting their booths at both the SHOT Show and Blade, it is clear that Spyderco prefers its knives to be used for good. 

Citadel  

Having said that, Spyderco is a patriotic company, and when the government asked for an automatic knife, Spyderco stepped up.  The Citadel is one such knife.  It was made originally for the military and law enforcement.  When it first came out, not even Spyderco insiders could get one for themselves.

The Citadel has a basic black clip  USA can be seen on back side of tang

There’s not a lot of information on the Citadel.  The Citadel was made from 2008 to 2011.  Spyderco described it as a right-hand automatic blade-opening mechanism, assembled with screws.  The knife was made in two sizes, 92- and 83-mm length blades.  I have the 83mm blade.  Both blades were made from CPM S30V steel.  The blade has jimping behind the trademark Spyderco hole and a slight swedge grind to lighten the blade. 

The clip gives it a relatively deep pocket carry in the tip-up mode.  It's only left-right reversible.  The auto comes with a safety next to the opening button.  I prefer this arrangement; your thumb pulls back to undo the safety and then moves forward to open the knife.  While the Spyderco logo is present, the tang stamp on the left side simply reads USA.

the Citadel comes with warning papers

The interesting thing, and many other companies still follow this practice, if you send your Citadel back to Spyderco for any reason, unless there is a note on a department letterhead, Spyderco isn’t sending it back, nor can you pick it up at the factory in Golden, Co. 

While states are changing their laws to legalize automatic or switchblade knives, Spyderco has taken a hard line on them.  There is a story behind this.  Joyce Laituri told it to me.  As I remember it, there was a time when Spyderco needed to import one small screw for a balisong-type knife.  These knives could only be sold in the USA, provided they were made in the USA.  But the screw was made only overseas.  Everyone up and down the Justice Department said, sure, it’s just one screw, no problem.  That was everyone but one customs inspector who seized the shipment, including other legal but foreign-made knives.  The situation degraded, it took a lot of money, and finally, the Governor and others had to step in before things cooled off.  Company officials could have gone to jail.  Talk about a screw.  Considering the ramifications, I understand why Spyderco toes the line by several inches on the conservative side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Spydercos - Part Three

 

My Spyderco collection started years ago, driven by the need for my activities.  I have always been interested in surviving with a knife, but survival has many definitions, including self-defense.  You must ask yourself, which came first, the blade or the trainer?

C10SBK - Endura

Endura - No Boye Dent

The first Endura was released in 1990 with a thin molded plastic clip.  This went through a variety of changes that culminated with a switchable metal clip in 1998.  This was a milestone.  A bent clip could be removed and straightened or replaced.  The barrel screw holding the clip could be tightened or removed with a coin and it had a lanyard hole in the middle of clip.  I always preferred a dime as the right thickness and curvature.

The plastic clip had a following.  They didn't mar object if you brushed into them. 

Eventually, threaded metal inserts were molded into Enduras and many other lines so the clip could be moved to tip up or down and right or left.  I honestly don't know who was the first to incorporate this design, but in my opinion, it is a major milestone for knife users and a goal for many of the newer knives introduced in the last ten years.

Initially, the Enduras were snapped up by law enforcement and military.  What was not to like?  The GIN-1 blade was 3.75 inches in length.  The open length was 8.5 inches, and the Endura weighed 2.75 ounces. 

I got a plastic clip Endura in 1998 with a full serration.  It maybe one of the last ones made with the plastic clip. I had come to the decision that if I’m going to carry two knives, one should be a full serration.  The cutting power and jagged wound path were the best options for self-defense.

But any examination of knife evolution at Spyderco shows nothing is ever perfect.  Steels evolved, and Spyderco tried different colored handles only to discover tactical black was the winner.  Later, it was supposed that by using some funky inverted, sideways grip, the user could, maybe, unlock the blade and injure themselves.  The solution came in 2002 when the David Boye Dent was placed in the lock bar.  This reduces the chances of accidentally unlocking the knife during use.  Most Spyderco with a spine lock still have the Boye Dent, there are a few exceptions. 

C10TR - The Endura Trainer

Here a Endura trainer, complete with Boye Dent and reversible metal clip

The same year the Dent was introduced, Spyderco released a red handle trainer with an AUS-6 blade.  The blade edge is squared off and ground to give the weight of an actual knife.  The Endura and Delica trainers continues to be available in the 2025 Catalog.   I would suggest, if you are thinking self-defence, a trainer might not be out of line, especially the Endura.  At worse you can use it to spread peanut butter.

So, the answer to the question I asked at the beginning is the live edge comes first, followed by the trainer.

The blade was deeply ground out so the edge would remain thick to minimize injury 

I bought one for the firearms class I was running and for training purposes.  But Spyderco insiders tell me most of their sales went to dealers who used them to show customers how to thumb open a Spyderco without cutting themselves.

C11FPK390 Delica in K390

Spyderco loves steel.  They are very much like smaller shops and can pivot nimbly around changes in the steel environment.  K390 is one of these steels.

Delica in K390 steel.  By now you could move the clip to four positions on the knife.  Note Boye Dent

K390 steel is produced by the Böhler Uddeholm steel company.  This steel is the result of powdered metallurgy, which results in excellent grain size and uniform composition distribution.  The carbides in the K390 mix are fine and uniformly sized and distributed evenly throughout the matrix.  This is an important property of high-performance steels. 

IMO Knife pictures with out a headstamp loss value.  Yeah- I'm talking to you Italian Switchblade posters!

Making steel is somewhat like cooking.  You can’t just add the elements to a furnace and expect a great outcome, especially with all these elements:

Carbon 2.47%,  Chromium 4.2%,  Cobalt 2%,  Manganese 0.4%, Molybdenum 3.8%,  Tungsten 1%, and a kiss of silicon.  The rest is iron.

I suspect most, if not all, the Chromium is tied up with carbon-forming carbides, so this steel isn't stainless.  In fact, Spyderco includes a card warning you not to cut citrus fruit and to protect the blade from moisture and acid skin oils.

K390 has excellent wear resistance and high compressive strength but is difficult to grind, finish, and sharpen.  Once it is sharp, it will stay sharp for a long, long time.

My Delica has a flat grind, which I wasn’t sure about.  Was it just another gimmick?  I’m wrong.  Today’s flat grinds have proven to make cutting much easier than a saber or hollow grind.  I love the blue handle and have been told it's reserved for K390 steel. 

C41PBK – Native

I like the deep false edge and how the thumb hole is submersed in the blade  Note Boye Dent. 

The Native has always been an interesting knife.  First is the unique shaped blade. 

The Native has a broad blade completely incorporating the Spyderco open hole, with no bump as in the Delica or Endura.  It's a drop point a with a deep ground false edge.  The blade has always reminded me of an arrowhead.  I don't why, it just does.  Spyderco designed it with two choils.  The first choil is located where the blade and handle meet.  This allows you to choke up on the blade for more control but puts you closer to the cutting edge.  The second positions the hand farther back on the folder, farther away from the business edge of the knife.

The clip and barrel screw from this Native  Word of advice: Loctite.

My Native is from 2002 and has a Boye Dent and the metal clip with a barrel nut.  It doesn't have the volcano grip but has a set of lines and curves radiating outward, like a spider web from a central logo. 

The steel is 440V, aka: CPMS60V.  The tang stamp on one side says Spyderco 440V.  But the back side is the cool tang stamp.  It reads Golden Colorado USA Earth.  Yeah, that’s way cool.

The cool tang stamp.  Allen abduction?  With this knife they know where to return you.

The Native has undergone many iterations in size, steel, and handle material.  It remains another of Spyderco’s top ten best sellers because it was a great design and has kept the features that made it so interesting.  You can find a nice, if not slightly outdated, discussion of the Native's history in Knife Magazine, Jun 2017.

The biggest problem IMO:  The 12 mm hole is partially obscured when closed.

I have a later Native to show you, but that’s for later.

 

 

Vosteed Corgi

 

Last year at the Blade Show, I noticed the Corgi Trek at Vosteed Knife.  I was struck by the size, shape, and interesting opening mechanism. 

Vosteed Corgi

First, a little about Vosteed Knife.  Vosteed was started in 2021 by Johnny and Yue Dong.  The plant is located in China.  They work with several international designers like Geoff Blauvelt and Ray Laconico, to name a few.  The mission statement declares, “Honesty is a core business value.”  I have always found the best knife companies have simple, understandable statements about fundamental values.

Yue Dong is the in-house designer responsible for the Teck Lock on Corgi knives. 

I like Vosteed Knife.  I spent more than a bit of money at their booth at 2024 Blade. 

This Corgi has a sheepsfoot blade with a high shoulder grind and reverse tanto point.  The complex angles where the tanto meets the spine give the blade an eye-candy look. 

The sub-three-inch blade is made from 14C28N steel hardened to a RHc of 60.  This steel has been a favorite compared to S30V, VG-10, and AEB-L, all quality knife steels.  Let's briefly look at the chemistry.  14C28N steel can vary depending on the manufacturer, but it generally contains:

14% Chromium: Provides corrosion resistance and hardness,

0.6% Carbon: Increases hardness and wear resistance,

0.3% Nitrogen: Improves hardness and corrosion resistance,

0.3% Manganese: Improves hardenability and wear resistance,

and trace amounts of Silicon, Phosphorus, and Sulfur.  The last three improve machinability.

14C28N steel has excellent edge retention and improved hardness due to the nitrogen content.  More than one reviewer thinks it's a great choice for tasks that require a sharp edge, like cutting and slicing.

The levels of chromium provide good resistance to rust resistance and other forms of corrosion.  I have a knife that I accidentally ‘patinaed’ by slicing lemons.  Don’t laugh, it could happen to you.

the reversible clip

The blade is housed in a reinforced frame with a blue-gray micarta handle.  The knife comes with a deep carry clip for right-side, tip-up carry.  The clip is reversible.  You can't help but notice the depression that takes the clips has a metal plug filling it.  It gives the knife a look of completeness.  It's something you don't see on many higher-end knives.

Opening flippers

The knife opener is called “front and back flippers."  The flippers have a bit of gimping for friction, and you open the knife by pressing down on the ear.  The blade glides open on caged ceramic ball bearings.  This is high-tech stuff.

A little pressure on the opening tab and the Corgi flies open

Ceramic ball bearings have high hardness and elastic modulus.  No, that's not techno-babble; it means the bearings resist deformation under load and have increased wear and corrosion resistance.  They can run lubricant-free.  If you must rinse the knife out and can't re-oil it, the bearings have your back.  

There is a downside.  Ceramic bearings are sensitive to thermal shock and have lower load capacities.  These aren't really problems for knives.

Time for a true confession.  I don't sell knives from my blog, and I don't own this Corgi.  I know it feels good in my hand, but I’m not about to use someone else's knife in cutting tests.  On the Vosteed website, I noticed that their current stock was low.  What will the proposed trade tariffs affect?    I don't know.

If you're looking for one, I'd act sooner than later.

My Spyderco - Part 2

 

Spyderco  Part 2

C179 - Spy-DK

Many European countries and American cities prohibit knives that lock open.  As irrational as it is, the view claims a non-locking knife is less dangerous than a locking knife.  I don’t know.  It is hard to believe a stabbing or slashing wound is less serious if it is from a non-locking or slip joint. 

Spyderco  Spy-DK

The Spy-DK is based on the UK Penknife, with its blade length reduced to comply with Danish law.  The 68 mm flat grind blade is made from Böhler-Uddeholm’s premium N690Co stainless steel.  N690Co is similar to 440C but with increased levels of molybdenum and cobalt.  It has excellent resistance to corrosion, even in acid media, and high impact strength.  The downside seems to be a slightly reduced edge retention.

The Spy-DK has Spyderco's trademark round hole, but the hole is purposely small to prevent one-handed opening methods.  Following that theme, a powerful spring holds the blade firmly closed and precludes a one-handed opening.  Closing this knife is an adventure in injury as it requires significant force to close it.  This difficulty in closing may be why the knife was only manufactured from May 2014 to Nov 2016.

The Spy-DK’s handle is injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) scales with fine square checkering.  Interestingly, the bottom of the blade’s choil is jimped to provide a friction surface to keep your index finger from sliding onto the sharp blade.  The form of the handle almost forces you to use that grip.  I don't like it; it makes me feel like I will slice my finger open.

The front of the tang is stamped Spyderco, N690CO, and the reverse is marked Maniago, Italy.  The back of the blade is marked with Sal Glesser’s trademark, a stylized SAL.

The question in my mind is, is the knife a winner?  As an American living in a relatively knife-restriction-free community, I would say no.  Still, that is not really a question for a collector.  Our question to you is, "Do you have one? 

C65BLP - Blue Lum

My first Spyderco Lum Chinese folder was green-handled, and I liked it so much I stopped carrying it and made it a safe queen. 

What’s a Lum Chinese folder? 

You really need to get out more.

Spyderco Lum Chinese Folder  You can see Bob's name and chop next to the thumb hole

Bob Lum was 3rd generation Chinese born in Astoria, Oregon, USA, in 1943.  As a keen fisherman and hunter, he honed ideas about knife design.  In 1976, Bob began making knives and took the world by store.  He worked with Spyderco, Benchmade, and Seki-Cut, as well as in the custom field.  He is credited with introducing the Tanto-style blade to America.  Bob passed in 2007.  His Spyderco Chinese folder is perhaps the loveliest knife I own.

The C65 Bob Lum Chinese folder’s blade is tapered like a broad, flat leaf made of VG-10 sporting Bob Lum’s Chop and last name.  VG-10 is a Japanese super-steel developed for the horticulture industry by Takefu.  It is a favorite of Japanese chefs. 

The leaf shape pays homage to Bob’s cultural background.  It has been around in China for centuries.  It’s a definite winner for general utility and hunting.  The lack of a guard limits its tactical value.

While I have a green one, I was fortunate to get a C65BLP.  That’s a blue Almite coated Chinese folder made in the early months of 2002.  It is reported that only 800 to 1000 were made.  Spyderco has a buyer’s club.  It’s limited to 999 members.  Here’s the inside: You must buy every new knife they produce that year, with no exceptions.  The blade comes stamped with your three-digit number.  What you do with your knife is your business.

My Lum came stamped with 071V.  The V signifies variation.  Several variations have been reported, and perhaps the rarest is a cranberry Almite prototype.  Does it actually exist?  I don’t know. 

SC01PS - SpyderCard

Perhaps the most intriguing Spyderco is the SC01, the SpyderCard.  Eduard Bradichansky designed only two knives for Spyderco.  One is part of their ethnic series, and the other is the SpyderCard.  You can read more about the Spydercard and Bradichansky at https://knifesearch.blogspot.com/2016/04/spyderco-spydercard.html.

SpyderCard -  Don't leave home without it

The Spydercard first came to my attention at the 2000 Shot Show.  The knife is a full-sized folding knife with similar dimensions to a credit card.  It is about the thickness of three credit cards, but does fit in your wallet.  I’ve always believed it was an attempt to hide a cutting tool in the wallet of potential hostages.  Considering Bradichansky death in a terrorist attack on the West Bank, Israel, it is not surprising his design tended in that direction.  I also think if he had not been killed, he would have refined and matured his design.

The SpyderCard came with a plane or a partial serration.  The blade is crafted from AUS-6.  I prefer the cutting power of serrations on a small blade like this.

AUS-6 is stainless steel by Aichi Steel Corp. similar to 440A.  You used to see this steel in the introduction of knife market models because it is easy to sharpen and has excellent corrosion resistance.

SpyderCard - Open with 50/50 blade

Mine is from 2002 and has what Spyderco called a 50/50 edge.  I think of it as partially serrated.  The hole in the handle isn't the Spyderco trademark, it's designed to give you access to the integral lock.

It’s a very cool and perhaps a bit impractical knife.  Make sure you don’t have it in your wallet if traveling by plane for two reasons.  One, it will literally make the TSA agent’s head explode, and two, you’ll lose an interesting knife.

C11ZFGYBLP - Delica Zome

Delica Zome Blue Gray

The last knife tonight is a sprint run.  It’s the C11ZFYBLP or, as I know it, the Delica Zome Blue Gray.  Knife Magazine published a delightful article about this knife in the July 2023 issue. 

Sprint run knives are a unique manufacturing lot of established knives with different steels, often with hard-to-work steels, handle materials, and colors.  In many respects, Spyderco is a small custom shop experimenting with novel steels, constructions, and processes.  From a selling point of view, Spyderco is a little like Case knife: you'll never collect a sample of all the variations.

Sprint runs are always in limited quantities and sell out quickly.  You usually must buy almost as soon as you see the advertisement.  There is quite a following for sprint runs.  The Zome has a laminated blade with SuperBlue steel sandwiched between two slabs of SUS410.

If you look careful, you can see the differential polishing line in the blade

A laminated steel blade was the answer the ancient knife makers discovered to an old problem.  High-quality steel was never abundant, and while it held an edge, it was brittle.  Softer steel (steel is a mixture of iron and carbon) was flexible and stood up to hard use but couldn't hold an edge.  But laminate the hard steel in a sandwich of soft, flexible steel, and you have a winner. 

The FRN handle is a blue-gray polymer which is hand-dyed to produce color splotches reminiscent of Japanese Ai Zome, a fabric coloration process.

Delicas are one of my favorite knives and the flat grind blades, like this one, have amazing cutting properties. 

More to come!

 Part three

Swimming With The Dolphin

Collecting factory knives is the definition of jumping down the rabbit hole.

I recently obtained a 7-inch switchblade with a tang stamp ‘Dolphin D.M.’ I checked the few hard copy resources I have, but they were of little or no help.

My newest auto

Where does one go when you need information?

I used to go to public or university libraries, but in today's world, you try the Internet. It was quickly revealed that the company is called Dolphin D.M. and is in Maniago, Italy.  Oh!

Well defined tang stamp,  Note the meaning on the pivot 

I think of Maniago as a factory city. Orders for cutlery are spread out into the community, and different cutlers make knives to a general specification. Every cutler does it differently, so knives might be slightly different in length or with a different finish. The blades are stamped the same, and Bang!  Bob's your uncle!

Speaking of Bob, I want to thank my friend Bob for his insights on Italian switchblades.

Locking tab and blade stud

Dolphin D.M. is the brainchild of two men, Francesco Mariani and Lucio DeBon. Lucio DeBon is the acknowledged expert on natural scales in Maniago, and he is patronized by all the local makers.

The tang stamp has two dolphins, DeBon is the larger of the two. He has hand-selected the scale material used by all the shops making Dolphin D.M. By now you should be guessing that DeBon is the D. in the logo.

Francesco Mariani, I'm told, is the marketing guy at Dolphin D.M. He is the little dolphin on the tank stamp and the M in the logo.

But who actually made the knife? Here's the rub. You must guess based on workmanship. Francesco Mariani Dolphin's website states, "We collaborate with some of the most talented Italian master knife makers, including Renzo Pascotto, Giovanni Beltrame, Lelle Floris and many others."

5-pin back    Lovely stag, isn't it?

The locking hole is round and doesn't go through the ricasso. That eliminates some makers. The back of the knife has five brass pins, which I'm told is special. It is a picklock (the slang term 'pickle' sent me in circles for a while), and the ears are solid. The brass frame is continuous and follows the ears, but you can see machine marks and slight overgrind. The foot or J at the end of the back spring shows heavy grind marks.

Grind marks... I can't help wonder if 30 seconds more work would have eliminated the marks and increased the value?  

 The ones I see on the Internet read Made in Italy   Note the open "O" in Maniago

The stag scales are beyond lovely, and they should be as they were hand-selected by Lucio DeBon.

I like the deep color on quality stag

The tang stamp is interesting. All the internet images I could find read, 'Made in Italy,' not 'Maniago Italy' with an open 'O' resembling a backward 'C.' I'm unable to determine when that was changed. I'm told the company started in October 2023, and my knife resembles what was made in the fall of 2024.

The knife has minor pocket wear, and of course, the blade is dull enough to be considered unsharpened, a common feature of many Italian switchblades. I'm delighted with it. It's a nice little knife that fits in my small collection well.

The question everyone wonders about, with good reason, is, "What's it worth?" Did I get a deal or taken to the cleaners? You know the answer if you have been in the collecting market for long. It's worth what the last person paid for it.  What you paid for it.