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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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.
