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 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

Spyderco

 

Spyderco was established in 1978 by Sal Glesser.  Surprisingly, his first product wasn’t a knife but the Portable Hand, a device created in 1976.  It was a spider-shaped device with ball joints, angles, and alligator clips that helped hobbyists and jewelers work with small parts.  Following the success of the Portable Hand, they produced the Sharpmaker in 1978.

Over the years, they have driven other companies to use new steel to stay competitive, and were the innovators of the one-hand opening folder.  They have become one of the drivers in the knife community.  Undoubtedly, success didn't come overnight but through hard work.  I greatly admire them.  Spyderco lives up to their motto: "Integrity is being good even if no one is watching."

I have been fortunate enough to acquire a mix of Spyderco folders.  In the pre-911 days, I flew with two Spyderco Delicas, and my wife also carried one.  I still carry a Spyderco almost daily.  Let’s take a shallow dip into my favorite Spyderco knives.

C28 - The Dragonfly

The Dragonfly was originally introduced in 1994.  The original steel was GIN1/G2.  G2 was Spyderco code (Good Shit 2) for the steel used.  Mine came in a little solid black box made in December 1997.  By this time, they were using AUS8.  AUS8 is a slightly better steel than GIN1.  Spyderco was still using plastic clips on FRN handles.  The clips worked well but tended to deform if caught in a seatbelt or such.  Unlike metal clips, first used on the Worker in 1981, a damaged plastic clip was bent for life. 

The Dragonfly

I like the Dragonfly.  It was a compact knife you could carry while wearing suit or dress slacks.  The small size makes it compatible with the tiny pockets in women's slacks. The weight of 1.2 ounces didn’t tug at the lines and deform your trouser pocket.  It is a classy knife.

C11 - Delica

The Delica has always been in the top ten best sellers at Spyderco.  You can get it in an amazing variety of steels.  Perhaps my first two were a green FRN and a black FRN Delica.  At the time, Spyderco serrations were still suspect.  We weren't sure about sharpening serrations or what to use them for, and even today, they are a polarizing feature for many knife owners.   Sal Glesser designed the Delica in 1990.  The early ones did not have the type of steel used stamped on the tang and were tang stamped with the acknowledged knife capital of the world, Seki, Japan.  Later ones were stamped Seki-City.  At the time, all the FRN (short fiberglass reinforced nylon.  Engineers often use it for high strength and low weight.) knife bodies had a molded clip.  The clip helped make the knife popular as a tactical knife.  You could fix it at a specific location, and it would remain there.  No hunting in your pocket trying to determine the knife’s orientation.  The clip held the knife tip up, and if you carried on the right side, the blade would nestle against the back seam of your pocket, out of the way until you needed it.

The Green Delica

The green FRN became first available in 1990.  Spyderco started stamping their knife steel in 1992.  I purchased it sometime between 1990 and 1991.

The plastic clip was always something of a question mark.  While it was convenient to anchor the knife in pocket, pouch, or shirt neckline, the clip could be deformed if caught on a seatbelt or forced around thick fabric.  Unable to remove the clip, re-bend it and re-install or replace it, Spyderco responded by grinding the clip off and fixing a metal clip with small screws.  Over time the screws would deform the FRN plastic and loosen.  Most owners who went that route ended up taking the clip off and dropping the knife in a pocket.  I would have bought a new one and exiled the bent one to the car glove compartment or tackle box.

Green Delica - Classic Plastic Clip

The black-handled Delica is marked AUS8A.  The A means the steel was factory-annealed.  AUS8 is very similar to 440C with a slight addition of vanadium, which forms very small and hard carbide particles.  These carbides represent an improvement in steel properties.  At the time, AUS 8 was one of the best available steels for knife blades.

The Black Delica

The tang stamp reads Spyderco AUS8A Stainless.  The reverse is stamped Seki-City Japan.

The Plastic Clip - Everyone loved them until the bent beyond repair

Both knives have the traditional ‘volcano checkering,' a margin defined raised square with a slight spherical depression in its center.  The pattern improved your grip with wet, soapy, or bloody hands.

AUS8A tang stamp

C71 - Salsa

Spyderco's Salsa was made in Taipei, Taiwan, and sports a green anodized finish with a pepper engraved.  It came with a shallow pocket wire clip and top compression lock.  The blade is AUS8.

The Salsa -  Still sorry I didn't get other colors too!

It’s not the first Spyderco with a compression lock, that honor goes to Bram Frank and his design, the Grunting.  The green Salsa was only made in 2002.  The blade is 63mm long with a cutting surface of 53 mm.  The thumb hole is 14 mm in diameter.  As a point of reference, the thumb holes on the two previous Delicas were 12 mm in diameter.  The Salsa thumb hole also has a cobra hood over the hole to promote the blade opening.  Then the blade is locked open, the hood becomes a wide, jimped thumb rest. 

Salsa top compression lock and Cobra Hood opener

My Salsa is partially serrated.  Serration increases the cutting ability of a knife by changing the geometry and increasing the cutting edge.  This is especially valuable in a short-bladed knife.

I'm sorry I didn't buy some of the other colors when they were available.  That is the life of a knife collector, one regret after another. 

C242 - Ikuchi

Ikuchi is one of Spyderco’s ethnic line knives.  This line pays tribute to many diverse cultures and their contribution to knives.  The Ikuchi is named after a mythical Japanese eel-like sea monster.  Paul Alexander designed it with a tapered, curved handle.  Skeletonized stainless steel liners and bitchingly cool carbon fiber/G-10 laminate scales.

The Ikuchi

You can find an excellent description of the Ikuchi in the August 2022 issue of Knife Magazine.

The knife was first shown in Spyderco's 2019 product reveal and was still available in the 2024 catalog. 

The Ikuchi top compression lock and finger opener.

The blade is full-flat ground 83 mm long graceful curve of CPM S30V and sports a tiny 6 mm Spyderco thumb hole.  The thumb hole on Spyderco folders has become a trade make.  I remember when Benchmade lost the rights to Spyderco’s thumb hole and had to change to an oval opener.  The clever thing is, when closed, the blade thumb hole lines up with two holes set in the handle.  That's mega-cool.

The top of the tang is slightly enlarged and becomes the flipper to open the knife.  The index finger of either hand works quite well when opening the Ikuchi.  The closed knife tang rests on a stop block, protecting the blade from hitting the pin connectors between the handle sides.  I like Spyderco's top compression lock, as I don't have to have my fingers in the path of the closing blade.

The wire clip is reversible, but the knife can only be carried tip-up.  I don't see it in the same light I see the Delica.  The Ikichi is much more of a formal dress knife.

We will see what's next!

Part Two

Sunday Blade at Spyderco

         Sunday, the last day of the Blade Show, is always a day of mixed emotions. Everyone must leave and for many dealers that means packing up and making flight connections. Some, like Pro-Tech, are completely sold out. For knife fanciers, like myself, it's a sad day. My wife and I are leaving a community, even as temporary as the Blade show, and reentering a world of people who don't carry a knife, don't understand about knives, and if they own one, they have owned it for thirty years. It is as if an invisible wall is erected between me and them. We don't speak the same language,

The upside is my visit with Spyderco. I really want to thank Kelly Towers, the Director of Sales and Marketing, for taking the time to talk with me.

Spyderco is still in the final stages of building and enlarging manufacturing facilities in Golden, Colorado. They have been at it for some time. The COVID epidemic and the shortages that followed put a damper on their progress. The exciting thing about their expansion is that they are expanding the manufacturing areas, not office space. The difference is that manufacturing space makes money, not office space.

To my surprise, much of Spyderco's new production space will be set aside to develop new knife lines made solely in Golden. I have always associated Spyderco with Japan. Many of their knives are still made overseas, but things change. Don't be surprised to see more knives stamped "Golden Colorado U.S.A. Earth" on their tangs.

I always carry one of these, incase I get kidnapped by aliens, at least they know where to return me

Their value folder line, which serves as their introduction line, is still made in China. If you're a knife person and you aren't aware that China is a huge player in the knife industry, well, you better get caught up. Spyderco makes many of its fabulous knives there, as well as in Italy, Taiwan, and Japan. The Tenacious is one of their better sellers, but a blue titanium-handled Tenacious will be released later this year. https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C122TIBL/Tenacious-reg-R-I-L-Blue-Titanium/2554

Titanium Tenacious

The blue Tenacious is fantastic. And at an MSRP of $170, you're going to want one.

Spyderco is known for their sprint runsd, short production runs of new steels combined with unusual handle materials. One sprint run you should watch out for is the Micro-Melt PD#1 series. It's the next super steel. It contains about 7% chromium, over 1% carbon and a whopping 2.3% vanadium along with other elements. Carpenter Technology describes their steel as "…an air hardening cold work die steel possessing wear resistance superior to that of conventional grades such as AISI D2, while still maintaining excellent toughness. This steel can be considered … where a combination of excellent wear resistance and good toughness is required. Many of the benefits realized including … greater wear resistance, and increased toughness."  Carpenter Technology attributes these properties to "smaller, more uniformly distributed carbide particles and a finer grain size.”

The run will feature a black, non-reflective TiCN coating and dark burgundy grips. Look for this steel in many of your favorite knives, Delica, Eldela, Police, Stretch XL and others. Woo Hoo !

I casually mentioned to Kelly that Spyderco likes dealing with different steels and struck a nerve. Kelly told me that one fan sat down and tabulated all the different steels various knife companies use. Spyderco topped the list at 64 different steels currently in use. The next biggest user fizzled out at 9.

Speaking of steel, I fell instantly in love with their CPM Rex 121 steel line with their bright orange handles. I know black is tactical cool, but this bright orange is a cup of hot coffee on a rainy morning. You wouldn't believe me telling you about the wild mix and amounts of elements this steel has. Check it yourself!

https://www.crucible.com/eselector/prodbyapp/highspeed/cpm121.html

The initial run is limited to just the Sage with a $400 MSRP.

Still no word on expanding their lines of automatic knives. Spyderco makes a limited number of autos, chiefly the Autonomy and Autonomy 2, at the request of the US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. The Swimmers needed a knife that could be deployed with a single gloved hand, tolerant of salt water, and cut like the devil. Their answer was the Autonomy. But that doesn't mean Spyderco wants to make them. 

The Autonomy

What’s new? Even as you read this, knives are making their way to retailers. I'd check out the new Manix 2XL in canvas micarta. The steel is CPM Cru-wear, and I'll let Crucible Industry brag about it. "CPM CRU-WEAR is an air-hardening tool steel, heat treatable to HRC 60-65. … CPM (Crucible Powder Metal) (is an) upgrade to conventional Cru-Wear and D2, it offers better wear resistance, much greater toughness, and higher attainable hardness. Both D2 and CPM CRU-WEAR contain carbides for wear resistance, but CPM CRU-WEAR has more vanadium carbides than D2."  

Manix 2XL with canvas micarta handle.

If you're a knife guy, you know vanadium carbides are harder than chromium carbides and provide much better wear and strength. This steel has a little secret sauce (tungsten and molybdenum) contributing to a secondary hardening response. D2 doesn’t do that. While Cru-Wear steel isn't strictly classified as stainless, there may be sufficient free chromium to help you with that. I'd run a little oil over the surface and in the pivot, just to be sure. Spyderco has a little product sheet included with the knife warning you to stay away from acid food and use a little oil on the blade. Check it yourself. MSRP is under $300.

https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/C95MCW2/Manix-reg-2-XL-Brown-Canvas-Micarta-CPM-CRU-WEAR/2507

It’s a great time to be a Spyderco fan!

SMOCK!

 

“Hey, you got my knife!”

That's different from what I hear very often at my sales table.  Often, I hear, "You got the knife I’m looking for!’ or the slightly different version, ‘You got the knife I lost!’  Neither of these states assures you of a sale.

“You’re Mr. Smock?” I ask.  He was pointing at Spyderco’s Smock in carbon fiber.

You must understand I grew up with Steve Allen's late-night TV show, Tonight.   Allan launched the careers of people like Don Knotts, Lewis Nye, Bill Dana, and many more.  But it was his catch phrase that always fascinated me:  'Smock, Smock."

So, when Mr. Smock walked up to my table and introduced himself, I was, without a doubt, at a loss for words and very confused.

Kevin Smock 
He's holding a flier for the WRCA Knife show in April 6 and 7th at MAPS

                                                           near the Akron-Canton Airport

“Yes, I am, and you," he said, pointing at the Smock on my table, "have the new pivot.  I didn’t like the old one.”  It turns out he is Kevin Smock, the designer of Spyderco’s Smock.  The previous one was a simple screw head inset in the carbon fiber handle.  The new one is a polished metal head with an aerospace look. 

I like the look, that button release is totally icey

I've met other famous knife designers, but usually at the SHOT Show or Blade.  But never at the Medina Community Center until today. 

Kevin started as a knife modifier.  He would take other factory knives and modify them, creating unique, one-of-a-kind knives.  This is a bigger knife hobby than you might think.  Facebook is filled with postings of 'patina-ized’ blades, replaced grips, and altered grinds.  I met a fellow who shortened the blades and sometimes the grip of factory knives.  Finally, Kevin’s friends told him, ‘Look, you got the skill and the knowledge; you should be making your own knives.'

That did it.  Kevin wanted to use Spyderco's top compression lock, so he approached them and got permission.  The result is the SK23.

 

Notice the flipper, it's very easy to use and doesn't distract from the streamline profile.  

Later, Kevin showed Eric Glesser his creation and Eric was impressed.  He gave Kevin his card and told him we should talk.  The rest is history.

You can look up Spyderco’s Smock for yourself.  It’s a very cool knife.  The flipper is uniquely positioned and utilizes a button to disengage the compression lock.  The button lets you close the knife without your fingers coming near the closing blade.  That’s a nice touch.

If you don’t think this is significant, you’re wrong.  I constantly deal with people who want a knife, in some cases need a knife, but worry about cutting themselves while closing the knife.  A lot of effort and time goes into finding a knife they feel comfortable with.  This apprehension is especially common with frame and liner locks.

The Smock weighs in at 3.7 oz, and the blade, incompletely described as a modified Wharncliffe, is ground from CPMS30V steel. 

Kevin still makes his SK23 but also makes custom scales for the Spyderco Smock.  You can check out these and other items at https://www.smockknives.com/

Meeting him made my day.  Here's an entrepreneur creating industry and generating profits.  There's a lot to be said for that.