Spyderco

Spyderco Slysz Bowie Review

Last Updated: August 1, 2019
An often enjoyed pastime of production knife collectors is to discuss various “Sebenza Killers” arriving on the market. The Sebenza has long been considered a gold standard in high end production cutlery, and the thought that a competitor might knock the Sebenza off it’s podium has been a topic of conversation for some time. The Bradley Alias might be the most notable knife to get bandied about as a “Sebenza Killer,” and there have been several others over the years. But 25+ years later the Sebenza is still going strong, and there seems no end in sight to its reign.

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Ironically, the rise of titanium framelock flippers (something Chris Reeve Knives doesn’t have an answer for) has collectors moving on to other topics, and the thought of a “Sebenza killer” suddenly seems less relevant than it once did.

Still, it’s interesting to think of knives that may stack up to the Sebenza, and as I admired my Slysz Bowie I couldn’t help but draw several comparisons to the Sebbie. Designed by Polish knifemaker Marcin Slysz, the Bowie is his second collaboration with Spyderco, with the Techno being his first.

The Techno met the market with great reviews, and remains a highly regarded production piece. The Bowie is a bigger offering. While quirky like the Techno, the Bowie has its own more business-like character. The knife is expensive, but begged for further examination. I’m pleased to offer some thoughts on the Slysz Bowie after an extended period of carry and use.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Slysz Bowie has an overall length of 7.79″, a 3.42 blade, and weighs 4.3 ounces. The knife is manufactured in Taiwan. Depending on your preferences this could make a good every day carry piece. This is what I consider to be a medium sized knife, and it sits between the large and small Sebenza. Of course if you are looking for something smaller the Techno, also designed by Polish knifemaker Marcin Slysz, could be more your bag. I have never stressed out over blade to handle ratios, but I can’t help but feel like there is a lot of excess handle on this knife, and there is something a little funky about the proportions of the Slysz bowie.

As it’s name suggests, the Slysz Bowie features a clip point blade. This is more of a non-traditional bowie with an elongated clip, and rounded spine. The rounded spine is a lovely detail, and is one I don’t recall seeing on a Spyderco before. The blade has a full flat grind and it is very thin and slicey. The finish is a stonewash that was first taken to a high polish. The blade is still highly reflective and mirrors whatever you hold it up against. I liken it to the finish on my Fantoni CUT Flipper. Clip points have always been a very practical blade shape, and this version provides a good balance of tip strength and fine piercing ability. The cutting performance is also very good.

Spyderco went with CTS-XHP, the same steel on the original Techno. I have had a good deal of experience with CTS-XHP using the Domino. Having been a fan of that steel on the Domino I immediately put the Slysz Bowie to work. This knife is a hoss, and easy handled cardboard boxes, a rope cut test, and some woodwork in addition to regular EDC chores. CTS-XHP holds a nice edge but I especially appreciate this steel’s ease of sharpening. I have yet to have any problems with rust or corrosion with CTS-XHP and so far the Slysz Bowie has been no different.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Slysz Bowie is comprised of 2 contoured titanium handle slabs. The gentle radius of the handles is a nice touch, and it seems like that is how they were able to keep the edges crisp without the knife feeling too blocky in hand. Construction is top notch with matte gray hardware (including an oversize pivot) and a substantial black G10 backspacer. I know that the bright blue backspacer of the Techno was a favorite feature of many. Personally I prefer the more subdued appearance of the black backspacer. The backspacer is jimped in 2 places and protrudes ever so slightly from the handle scales. The light chamferring to the corners of the backspacer give it dimension and detail that belies its plain black appearance.

The titanium handle slabs have been given a heavy stonewashing. The stonewash supplies the slightest amount of texture to the handles. It also makes the Slysz Bowie very easy for me to cram into my pocket without agonizing over it inviting scratches like a freshly waxed Porsche parked too close to a grocery store. Compared with the Rubicon (another recent Spyderco release) the Slysz Bowie practically begs for use.

The Slysz Bowie feels pretty good in hand. There is a run of Sebenza like jimping along the spine, as well as the backspacer, and the good size handle accommodates my larger hand well. Although no efforts have been made to round the edges of the handles, the contoured titanium makes up for it slightly. The knife is fine for normal use, but I would reach for a fixed blade if I had an extended heavy duty cutting chore. The Slysz Bowie feels capable in forward and reverse grips and handles like a well-balanced medium sized folder should.

The Slysz Bowie takes advantage of Spyderco’s wire clip. It should be no surprise to regular readers that this is one of my favorite clip designs. It’s very discrete and the Slysz Bowie all but disappears into the pocket. The handle is tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry. The knife carries very well being relatively slim and relatively lightweight considering that it’s a decent sized full titanium framelock folder. I will say that I did have issues a couple times with my pants pockets binding up on the lock spring cut out on the handle when I tried to draw the knife.

Deployment and Lockup

Being a Spyderco, this knife gets opened with its thumb hole. This is a generously sized thumb hole that is easy to access with your right hand and opens smoothly and quickly with a satisfying “thwack”. The phosphor bronze washers are very smooth and the detent is tuned to where you can easily flick the knife open but you don’t need to worry about the blade falling out of the handle.

Unfortunately, us lefties are left out in the cold. Just like with the Techno, this knife is difficult to open with your left hand. It’s not impossible, but you can’t enjoy flicking the knife open like you can with your right hand. That’s a shame because part of the appeal of Spyderco is their (usually) ambidextrous designs. I’ll stop whining as I understand that 90% of the people reading this are right handed, but I gotta “keep it real” for my fellow lefties.

For lock up we have a classic titanium frame lock, or a Reeve Integral Lock (RIL) as Spyderco likes to call it. This lock does not benefit from a steel insert like some of Spyderco’s other framelocks, and my knife locks up pretty late (around 75%). That said, its a very sturdy lockup and there is no blade play in any direction. There isn’t any blade stick either. Blade centering on my example is absolutely perfect.

Spyderco Slysz Bowie Review – Final Thoughts

The Slysz Bowie is a hell of a knife, and I imagine if Spyderco released it either a few years ago or for $100 less, it would have made huge waves in the production knife scene. As it stands, it’s a beautiful knife and a solid performer. I pictured it next to my American Lawman for a reason – the Slysz is meant to be used. But I think that the $320+ price tag will scare many folks off. And the absence of a flipper, bearings, steel lock insert, and big name American designer doesn’t give it that “gee whiz” factor that seems to drive a lot of consumer attention these days.

I have justified expensive knives in the past. They are luxury goods. People buy them because they want them. Still, I think a discussion on price is appropriate here. Personally, I bought mine used for $230, and at that price I was willing to check it out. For $300 it was just too rich for my blood. While I could somehow justify paying full retail for the Rubicon, I could not do that with the Slysz.

Here is a shot of the Slysz Bowie next to another hard working knife, the Cold Steel American Lawman:

I am more than a little surprised about the price of this knife, especially since the Farid Mehr K2 is a bigger titanium frame lock, has an equally exotic steel, is also made in Taiwan, and has a MSRP of a full $100 less than the Slysz Bowie. I’ve since learned that the reason for the price difference is largely due to the 3-D machined handles of on the Slysz Bowie and the polished and stonewashed blade. Whether these features are worth the $100 difference is up to you.

The Slysz Bowie is still pretty far off from what a Sebenza costs (currently $410 for a Large 21), so if Spyderco truly had a “Sebenza Killer” in mind, at least it’s almost $100 less. In many ways I like the Slysz Bowie more than a Sebenza. I prefer the full flat grind, superior blade steel, 3-D machined stonewashed handles, thumb hole, and better action. When you consider the value proposition, maybe the Slysz Bowie is priced appropriately after all.

If you can swallow the price tag, or can snag a good deal on it, this is an awesome knife. I am not ready to declare the demise of the Sebenza, but this is still a damn good knife.

Spyderco C186TIP SLYSZ Bowie Folding Knife, Titanium, 3.42-Inch

Plain sharp edge
7.79 inches overall length
4.37 inches closed length
3.42 inch blade length
Titanium handle

I recommend purchasing the Slysz Bowie at Amazon or BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated – thank you very much!

Spyderco Pingo Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

Last Updated: August 5, 2019
I have spoken about the revival of interest in traditional slip joint knives a few times now. Today we have another slip joint review, but rather than featuring a traditional knife today’s blade could not be a more progressive collaboration. Acclaimed Scandinavian custom knife makers Jens Anso and Jesper Voxnaes have joined forces with Spyderco to bring us the Pingo, a completely modern slip joint folder.

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The idea with the Pingo was to make a folding knife that is legal to carry in Denmark, which doesn’t allow for locking folders or folders you can open with one hand. Both Jesper and Jens are from Denmark. Although that hasn’t stopped them from making all manner of bad ass folding knives, they apparently wanted to provide something even their countrymen could enjoy.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Pingo has an overall length of 5.80″, a 2.35″ blade, and weighs 1.9 ounces. This is a lightweight and slim every day carry (EDC) knife that disappears into the pocket. I can’t help but compare this to the Dragonfly 2, a knife I refer to as the Pingo’s distant cousin. It is also small, features a linerless FRN handle, and has a wire pocket clip. The Pingo is a great size for daily carry and should be legal to use pretty much anywhere knives are allowed.

The sheepsfoot blade of the Pingo is funky and functional. The high flat grind makes it a capable slicer, while the absence of a serious tip make the Pingo great for delicate tasks. Case in point, I used the Pingo to cut away a bandage from my dog’s foot the other week. It worked great – both animal and handler walked away without any problems. Denmark’s law for folders restricts blade lengths to 2.756″. The Pingo easily meets the standard with its 2.35″ blade. While 2.35″ isn’t a ton of blade to work with, I got a lot done with the knife. It easily broke down boxes, opened mail, and performed mild food prep. The knife is also fine for harder chores like cutting rope and whittling wood. The absence of a serious tip doesn’t make this ideal for stabbing things or cutting out coupons, but for most tasks the Pingo was fine.

The Pingo is made in Maniago Italy and features a blade of Böhler-Uddeholm’s N690 stainless steel. N690 is great stuff and I would compare it to something like 154CM or CTS-XHP in that it holds a nice edge but it is still easy to sharpen. It gets screaming sharp with very little effort. It is also very resistant to rust and corrosion. I have really come to enjoy N690 and was pleased to see it on the Pingo.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Pingo has a simple FRN handle with a stainless steel backspacer / spring. The FRN has a very fine waffle iron texture to it. It provides good grip but I find that it holds dirt and the little pores get clogged. Not a problem really until you decide to photograph the knife for the world to see. I’m not a huge fan of the oversize Spyderco bug logo in the center of the handle. I have never been a fan of over the top branding, and would have preferred something a little more restrained.

With all of that said, the overall handle construction is great. The button head hardware is nice and simple, and each edge of the handle has been rounded for comfort. The absence of any kind of liners make the knife extremely lightweight. While I wouldn’t pry with this knife, I am not concerned about the strength of the handle under normal use.

The overall shape of the handle is kind of elf-like, and the whole knife has a sort of otherworldly vibe to it. I will say that it feels great in hand. The simple elongated handle has plenty of room for all 4 fingers. A small run of jimping on the choil area of the blade holds your index finger in place. The absence of jimping on the spine makes the knife comfortable to use. This is a great little knife for lighter tasks.

Spyderco included the wire clip on the Pingo, which happens to also be on the Sage 1 and Dragonfly 2, a couple of my favorite Spydies. So I might be a bit biased when I say that I really like the clip on the Pingo. It’s simple, discrete, and highly functional.

In pocket the Pingo carries beautifully. It’s a wider knife, but slim and lightweight. Perfect for urban daily carry.

Deployment and Lockup

The whole point of the Spyderco Pingo is that you are not supposed to be able to open the knife with one hand. The knife is hard to open one handed, but with some finger gymnastics I can still get it done. The back spring or (“pull”) isn’t super strong, but feels appropriate and I’m not afraid of the blade falling out of the handle or anything like that. The pivot is smooth, and the action is crisp as the blade slides into its half stop, and then opens completely with a satisfying snap. All said this is a well implemented slip joint. Spyderco did include their trademarked round hole here, and when the knife is closed the hole sort of winks out at you over the FRN scales.

Here is the Pingo next to my Dragonfly 2:

Of course being a slip joint there is no lock on the knife. Personally this doesn’t turn me off and I think it is fine for an EDC knife (at least for my purposes). People have been using slip joints as work knives for hundreds of years. You just need to be careful with it and treat the tool with respect.

There is no blade play to speak of, and blade centering is perfect.

Spyderco Pingo Review – Final Thoughts

The Pingo strikes me as an excellent convergence of traditional sensibility, forward design, and modern materials. It appears simple enough, but this is a deceptively refined knife from the benches of two of the hottest custom makers on the market. The choice of materials is great and the fit and finish is good (not amazing, there are some tooling marks on the inside of the spring and the spring bows out ever so slightly from the handle at one point). Although it’s not a locking folder, it’s still a practical choice for EDC, even if you can carry a locking folder in your jurisdiction.

The Pingo is also priced attractively at under $50. I have been critical of Spyderco for mostly introducing expensive knives these days, so I have to give credit where it’s due. The Pingo is accessible, and it doesn’t feel cheap either.

If you are torn between this and the Dragonfly 2 (and your local laws allow you to carry both) I would probably recommend the Dragonfly because you can open it with one hand and it locks. But the Pingo is still a fun and functional knife and worth your consideration. Ultimately, you can’t go wrong either way. Recommended.

Spyderco PINGO Slip It Plain Edge Knife, Black

Made using the highest quality materials
Tested for quality and durability
The most trusted name in you cutlery needs
Two-hand opening Slip It
Reversible wire clip

I recommend purchasing the Pingo at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Spyderco Rubicon Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
Spyderco has released a number of high end knives of the past year. Blades like the Slysz Bowie, K2, Firefly, and Burch Chubby are all retailing at north of $200. Meanwhile, there doesn’t seem to be much of interest going on in the ~$100 price point or sub $100 price points – both of which have been sweet spots for Spyderco in the past with cherished blades like the Paramilitary II, Sage, Caly 3, Dragonfly, Manix 2, and of course the Endura and Delica.

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So I have been forced to pick my battles a little bit. I can’t review everything Spyderco turns out, especially if the majority of their stuff is going to set me back 2 bills+. So as 2014 drew to a close I decided to acquire one of their most ambitious pieces to date: the Rubicon. Retailing for over $300, this is the most expensive Spyderco I have ever acquired.

The Rubicon is a collaboration with custom knife maker Peter Carey, a designer / maker that I have previously had zero experience with. The Spyderco Rubicon is an interpetation of Peter’s custom Rubicon. Peter’s knives are meticulously hand finished and coveted by collectors, and one of Spyderco’s goals with the collaboration was to celebrate that aspect of his knives. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a production knife, but the end result, while expensive, is unlike any other Spyderco I have handled to date.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Rubicon has an overall length of 7.48″, has a 3.03″ blade, and weighs 4.2 ounces. This folder is compact enough for daily carry, but to me it is more of a collectible. It feels very lightweight for its size, which is fantastic for daily carry, but I can’t say I remodeled a bathroom with this knife, or had it clipped to my pocket while swapping out the transmission of my truck.

The blade is a bulbous piece of S30V and the shape is faithful rendition of Peter’s custom Rubicon. I think the blade shape is a little too curvy, but it’s faithful to the original design. Of course being a Spyderco collab this blade features a thumb hole. Both the primary bevel and swedge are belt finished and the hollow grinds ripple in the light. A nice touch is the horizontally polished satin flats. This is a high end detail you don’t see on many Spyderco’s. No doubt this was done to mimic the “hand rubbed” flats of a real Carey. The end result is something lustrous and difficult to photograph.

At this point, Spyderco’s CPM S30V is a known quantity. I own several Spydies in S30V (some for 4+ years) and have been reasonably happy with their edge retention and performance, although at this stage in the game I may have preferred something a little different: S35VN or CTS-XHP come to mind. I am not too concerned about squeezing every last drop of performance out of this knife, but I would be remiss if I didn’t lightly admonish Spyderco for not springing for an even more premium steel given the price point. I suppose that just goes to show how good we actually have it.

The hollow grind is lean, the edge is keen, and I have been happy with the way this knife carves through cardboard and paper. There is a slight recurve, which has a way of improving cutting performance, but hampering your ability to easily sharpen the edge. The recurve is mild so I’m not expecting too much difficulty, but this is a knife that I will relegate to my Sharpmaker and strops for touch ups, rather than flat stones.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is where things really start to get interesting. The star of the show is the 3-D machined high polished carbon fiber handle scales with bright orange G10 pivot collars surrounding an oversize decorative pivot. As an avid knife collector I have had the opportunity to get my hands on all kinds of carbon fiber handled knives over the years. I can say that this is the nicest carbon fiber and the best finished carbon fiber handle I have ever seen in the production world. The weave of the carbon fiber is ultra tight, and there are no pin holes or voids. The polish has almost reached mirror like qualities and rotating the knife in your hand reveals a depth and character to the carbon fiber unlike anything else I have seen. I have often been critical of Spyderco for using cheap carbon fiber overlays over G10 on their knives (like the Sage and Domino). They didn’t skimp in this instance.

The pivot collar, while entirely decorative, has been beautifully and seamlessly integrated into the handle. The two-tone tri-tip pivot is the nicest I have seen. The carved g10 backspacer, while bold, has also been beautifully rendered. I realize that this is starting to sound like a Jim Skelton video, but if these kinds of details mean anything to you then you will be impressed with the job done on the Rubicon. And construction of the handle is perfect. There are 2 thick stonewashed and skelotonized titanium liners. A couple simple button head fasteners hold everything together, allowing you to revel in the gloriously finished handle.

The Rubicon is comfortable and is a nice knife to work with if you can bring yourself to actually use it. Those 3-d finished handles don’t just look good, they provide plenty of meat for you to hold on to. The handle shape itself is thoughtful, allowing your fingers to wrap around it easily and naturally. You do have a forward choil of sorts that you can use to choke up on, and a short run of jimping on the spine provides tactile feedback without being overly sharp and aggressive. As for the polished carbon fiber being “smooth” and “slippery”, I haven’t had any issues holding onto this knife. The handle shape provides lots of traction naturally by virtue of its design. That said, I didn’t take the Rubicon into the shower with me, so this could be one of those “Your Mileage May Vary” situations. If you really need a high traction handle on every knife in your collection, buy a Griptilian and call it a day.

In comparison to the rest of the knife, the pocket clip seems like something of an afterthought. The clip on the custom knife is similar, so there is that to consider. The clip isn’t offensive to look at or anything, but next to the rest of the knife the simple stamped clip seems basic and stock. I will say that this is a sturdy titanium clip, and this is a step up from the clip on the Southard Flipper. I will also say that it functions fine as a pocket clip. It has strong retention and buries decently low in the pocket. The Rubicon feels lightweight for its size and I don’t notice it that much in my pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

The Rubicon gives you the option of a flipper tab or thumb hole, and both work well. This is the 3rd flipper in the Spyderco flipper dynasty, and the action is smooth and reliable. The detent isn’t super stong, but the way the flipper tab is canted ensures that the blade will gracefully flip open without fail pretty much every single time. The bearings are very smooth and the blade floats around the pivot.

The Rubicon makes use of a thick titanium liner lock to hold the blade in place. Mine is a little sticky. I have never been a huge fan of titanium liner locks, but I am not sure I would have built this knife any differently myself. The beautiful carbon fiber handles are the star of the show, and I think it would have been a shame (and boring) to make this another titanium framelock knife. The lock bar isn’t the easiest to get at to disengage. It’s not impossible to wedge the meat of your thumb in to free the blade, but when compared with other knives it’s a little less convenient. To be fair I think that is how Peter designed the knife – perhaps favoring aesthetic considerations over raw functionality.

Blade centering on my example is perfect.

Spyderco Rubicon Review – Final Thoughts

The Rubicon is an ambitious piece from Spyderco. Overall I would say it’s a great success. Spyderco should be proud to have put together such a nice knife. Lately, Zero Tolerance and LionSteel have both been making most of the waves in the high end production knife world. In many ways Spyderco has raised their bar in terms of high end finishing and production quality. I am excited to see some of this trickle down into future offerings. No knife is perfect, and I have a couple minor quibbles with the Rubicon, but I its pros easily outweigh its cons. As a tool the fundamentals are there: it’s comfortable, lightweight, and it cuts well. That said, there were some form over function considerations with this knife, and for me it’s more of a collectable than a true tool knife. I don’t have a problem with that, but for some folks that just won’t work.

Like most expensive things, one question many will ask is, “Is it worth the money?” I can’t answer that question for you. I will readily admit that $325 is a lot of money to pay for a production knife, and I can understand if some view this simply as needless pocket frosting. I will say that I can see where the dollars go when comparing this with a Domino or Southard Flipper. The handle is truly amazing and one look at the material selection and finish work shows you where the $100 or so went. Personally, while I don’t deny that $325 is a lot of money for a pocket knife, I don’t think they are out of line with the asking price. You are welcome to disagree.

If I were to make any refinements I would address the lockbar area. I am not a knife maker so I couldn’t tell you how to take the slight amount of stick out of the lockbar. I might have opened up the lock release area to make the liner lock easier to disengage. And some sort of 3-D machined pocket clip would be uber cool. My guess is that would make the knife even more expensive.

All in all I am impressed with the Rubicon and can recommend it to die hard Spyderco fans and fans of high end production folders. The Rubicon is something truly different from Spyderco, and I am glad I selected it out of the melange of high end 2014 releases.

Spyderco Rubicon 3.04" Folding Knife C187CFP

Folding Knives, Knives & Tools

I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Rubicon at Amazon and BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Tuff Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Ed Schempp’s designs are something of an acquired taste. The man isn’t afraid to try new things, and his “function over form” design philosophy aligns nicely with Spyderco’s credo. He has worked on a series of ethnic folders with Spyderco which have intrigued me, although never to the point of acquisition. I have always found his designs to be a little strange.

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That said, the Tuff slowly grew on me. Not so much from a visual standpoint, but from the idea of designing a knife that is such an unapologetically hard use folding knife. We often see “hard use” folding knives that fit inside a lot of the tropes of well established knife design. The Tuff looks more at home in a scene from Aliens than it does sitting in the display case of a cutlery shop. The Tuff is extreme. That is what drew me to this knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Tuff has an overall length of 8.85″, a 3.7″ blade, and weighs 6.3 ounces. This ain’t no normal EDC knife. Surprisingly, it feels lightweight for its size, and carries most of its weight in its 4mm thick blade. I am not sure who this is good for as a daily use knife. It would be good for a camp site, a farm, or maybe if you were 350 pounds and rode in a motorcycle gang for a living.

As for self defense applications, I certainly would not want to be stabbed with this knife… for whatever that is worth. I have enjoyed carrying the Tuff on the weekends and for purposes of putting this review together, and wouldn’t mind having one in my pocket while traversing a dark alley, but I can’t say that I need a knife like this to accomplish my basic daily tasks.

The blade of the Tuff is almost like a beak. The tip is insane. It’s a thick piece of 3V steel, with a dramatic fuller running almost the entire length of the blade. The fuller looks cool, lightens the blade up a little bit, and offers an alternate means of opening the knife. The flat grind is thick, but that’s par for the course with this kind of knife. It still cuts pretty well for what it is. The large forward choil leaves you with a mere 3 inches of cutting edge, not a ton given it’s overall size. What else can I say? It’s a brutish blade. The satin finish is handsome and lends almost a surgical appearance to the tool.

3V steel is a high carbon tool steel known for it’s combination of edge retention and extreme toughness. This is actually my first knife in 3V, so I was especially interested in examining its performance. I know that Strider has been using 3V on their toughest folders and I have seen it showing up in a lot of custom and mid tech offerings as well. It has been received very well by the knife community as a hard wearing no-nonsense premium steel for those wanting extreme toughness and good edge retention.

There are folks on YouTube using 3V knives to bust up cinder blocks. I’m not nearly that hardcore. But I ran the knife through a series of tests with cardboard, rope, and wood, and even did some light chopping with it. The edge (and lock) held up well. The edge seemed toothy and cut very aggressively – kind of like M4.

While this is a thick blade and the geometry isn’t ideal for fine slicing (forget cutting up an apple with it), the knife cut surprisingly well. Much better than say, my SnG, which also is a very stout blade. When it came time to sharpen I did not have any issues with a strop and fine Spyderco Sharpmaker stones. Like many high carbon steels, 3V felt like it wanted to take an edge. No issues with rust or corrosion either, although this is not a stainless steel knife and you need to exercise some care with it. I found M4 on my Gayle Bradley took a patina faster than this 3V.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Tuff’s handle features a black G10 scale over a full stainless steel liner, a partial G10 backspacer, and a thick titanium framelock. Oh, and there are dimples all over the handle. The dimples are visually interesting, lighten the knife up a little bit, and are well executed. This knife has come from Spyderco’s Taiwan-based manufacturer, and the fit and finish of this handle is immaculate. The stainless steel liner has been drilled out to keep the weight down, the oversized pivot is a custom piece, and all the pieces line up perfectly. This is what I have come to expect from Taiwanese Spydercos, and I’m pleased to say I haven’t been disappointed.

The Tuff is a surprisingly comfortable knife. Or maybe that isn’t a surprise given how ugly this thing is. Regardless, it’s comfortable. With the forward choil the handle is so big I can almost get 2 hands on it, so you have options as to hand placement. You can choke up on the blade for more precision work. You can also lean far back on the handle for light chopping. The knife is almost like a folding kukri. There is a run of jimping on the spine, choil, and lock relief. All of the jimping works well without being overly annoying. The handle design itself has a strong negative angle, which has a way of putting the blade on target. Overall I found the Tuff to be comfortable and easy to work with.

The pocket clip is a 4-position blackened stainless steel spoon clip. It has good tensile strength, and is planted in place with three fasteners that fit over the pivot or lanyard hole. The clip has been finished with something of a black chrome look, and it gives the clip some depth and character. It isn’t an ultra deep carry clip. I suspect it has been designed to be strong and easy to access. In pocket the Tuff carries well for it’s size. It’s a flat knife and is relatively lightweight give its size. For a working knife like this I think they did a good job with the pocket clip.

Deployment and Lockup

Spyderco included a generous thumb hole with the Tuff. I can flick the knife open but it usually involves shaving off a good portion of my thumb nail. The heavy blade, strong detent, and sharp thumb hole do not make this the easiest knife to flick open – but it is possible. I tend to prefer using the fuller to push the blade open. It catches the thumb nicely and gets the job done. The action of the knife was very smooth straight out of the box thanks in part to generous phosphor bronze washers.

For lockup the Tuff is equipped with a short throw titanium frame lock. It’s a sturdy lock further reinforced with a stainless steel lockbar insert. The lock bar insert also doubles as a hidden lockbar stabilizer. The stop pin on this knife is about as thick as I have ever seen. It’s a really impressive stop pin.

In an earlier version of the knife I handled, I recall the lock being real “tuff” to disengage. I bought my personal knife a few months ago, and this version is easier to disengage. I realize that this is a knife designed for he man alpha males, but I appreciate that this lock bar is easier to disengage. Also, the knife is very smooth. The blade will fall close when you disengage the lock.

As for lock strength, I haven’t taken this knife to the moon or entered it into a robot fighting competition (yet), but so far it has held up well under normal use and a few trips to the back yard to beat around with some heavy cardboard, rope, and fire prep. So far so good.

Also, as an aside, I love the sound this blade makes when opening. Opening the blade slowly makes for a very satisfying “ker-thunk”.

Spyderco Tuff Review – Final Thoughts

The Spyderco Tuff lives up to it’s name. Next to the Hinderer XM-18 this is one of the most heavily built folders I have reviewed, although the Benchmade Adamas and ZT 0550 are pretty damn beefy too. Compared with a run of the mill production folder this a huge difference in build. If overbuilt is what you are looking for then check out the Tuff. For $200.00 is a serious piece of hardware.

Of course a knife like this is not for everyone. I can’t seriously EDC this thing, and I’m guessing most readers won’t. Also some people will be turned off by the looks of it. Between the dimples, huge fuller, and elongated shape I am sure it doesn’t appeal to everyone’s design tastes.

Spyderco Schempp Tuff G-10 Plain Edge Knife, Black

Flat-ground drop-point Crucible CPM 3V steel blade
Black G-10 scales
Dimpled texture pattern
Oversized pivot assembly and hardened steel lock interface

I recommend purchasing the Tuff at at Amazon.com and BladeHQ. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Sharpmaker Review

by Dan Jackson 29 Comments

Last Updated: July 13, 2019
I occasionally get questions from readers about sharpening: what my “system” is, what products I recommend for sharpening, how I sharpen my knives, etc.

While I wouldn’t call myself a knife sharpening professional, I can certainly keep a blade sharp, and I have tried a number of different sharpening kits over the years.

Buy the Spyderco Sharpmaker at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

Whenever I hand out recommendations for a sharpener, I always come back to the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It may not be the sexiest system, but it works. Some might be surprised to learn that before Spyderco sold knives, they sold knife sharpeners. The Sharpmaker is actually the first product Spyderco ever produced.

I’m not sure what these sold for back in the day, but today the Sharpmaker can be had for around $50. For $50 you really can’t beat it. It allows you to go from knowing nothing about sharpening knives to getting hair shaving, paper slicing edges in minutes. It almost sounds too good to be true, but I have experienced it first hand when I bought the Sharpmaker years ago. It was one of the first sharpening products I purchased, and I still have and use it to this day.

What You Get

The Sharpmaker is a very simple tool. Once you pry it free of its blister pack you are left with 4 ceramic sharpening rods (2 fine and 2 coarse), 2 brass guide rods, and a 2 part plastic base / case. I believe it also includes written instructions and a DVD, although these days everything is available online. All the components are well made and sturdy. I like how the entire package tucks into itself and forms its own little case. Very cool and easy to store.

Use

Using the Sharpmaker is pretty simple. If you can hold a knife perpendicular to the floor, then you can use the Sharpmaker. Basically, you put the base on a sturdy flat surface, put the rods into the base, hold your knife perpendicular to the floor, and run the edge of the knife up and down the rods. That’s all there is to it.

Once you get the basics down, you can play around with the nuances of the Sharpmaker. The rods come in 2 grits and you can place them in 2 settings: a 40 degree setting (20 degrees per side), which Spyderco advises for normal sharpening, and a 30 degree back bevel setting, which you can use to “relieve” the shoulders of the edge and make the edge a little more durable. You also don’t want to forget the brass guide rods. I’m sure general counsel for Spyderco wants me to mention that.

The rods themselves are ceramic. The main things to watch out for with ceramic sharpening stones is to be careful not to drop them as they are brittle and can shatter, and that you will need periodically clean them with Ajax or a similar powdered abrasive cleaner. Ceramic is porous and you will see the rods fill up with tiny metal shavings. Once they fill up they must be cleaned out or the rods won’t work as efficiently. The good news is that the rods are triangular so you can rotate them around and get plenty of use in between cleanings. The other nice thing about triangular rods is that you can even sharpen recurved edges if you use the corners of the stones.

Generally I have been pretty happy with these ceramic stones. The only thing I noticed is that over time they seem to have developed little bumps or chips. Apparently they don’t do anything to mess up your edge, but I find it a little unnerving when I use the system and the blade catches one of the bumps.

If you want to get really fancy you can order diamond and ultra fine rods for the Sharpmaker. The diamond rods are used to re-profile and aggressively remove steel. These diamond rods are good if you are trying to remove a chip or fix a really crummy edge, or maybe if you are working with a very difficult steel. The ultra fine rods can refine your edges even further for an even sharper knife. Personally, if the knife can cleanly cut paper and shave the hair off my arm, that’s as sharp as I need it. I can usually get that level of sharpness with just the regular stones that come with the Sharpmaker.

In addition to using the stones in the jigs, you can also use them as bench stones, and apparently you can use them to sharpen scissors. I free hand sharpen with the Sharpmaker stones all the time. I just hold the rod in one hand and sharpen with the other. That is the nice thing about the Sharpmaker system, you can use the guides to get a feel for how to sharpen, and then use it to learn how to freehand sharpen.

Spyderco Sharpmaker Review – Final Thoughts

If you are new to the world of sharpening or are just looking for a simple kit that can take you from dull to sharp in minutes, I can safely recommend the Sharpmaker. It was one piece of equipment I purchased early on in my knife collecting career that I still use to this day. The system is near fool proof, the components are all high quality, and the price is right. For $50 you really can’t go wrong.

These also make great gifts, and are not just for hardcore knife enthusiasts. They are handy in the kitchen and are designed to be used by almost anyone. In our fast-paced single serve world maintaining what we have sometimes falls to the wayside – especially when we can just buy new cheap stuff. Learning how to keep your edged tools sharp is fun and empowering, and for that reason I think the Sharpmaker can be a very thoughtful gift.

In closing I cannot recommend the Sharpmaker more highly. It’s a versatile no-nonsense sharpening system that almost anyone can learn how to use.

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, Complete Knife Sharpening System with Medium Grit and Fine Ceramic Stones for Professional-Grade Finishing - Compact, Easy-to-Use Design - 204MF

Complete Sharpening System - Includes medium and fine grit ceramic stones for both edge maintenance and precision sharpening of knives and tools.
Versatile Performance - Perfect for sharpening knives, awls, scissors, and and many other tools, making it an all-in-one solution for your sharpening needs.
Effortless Sharpening - The Tri-Angle Sharpmaker makes sharpening easy, removing steel at the edge while maintaining consistent angles for precise results every time.
Two Grit Options - Comes with medium-grit (brown) ceramic stones for aggressive sharpening and fine-grit (white) stones for a professional-grade, polished finish.
Safe & Compact Design - Includes aluminum safety rods to protect your hands during use, and all components snap into the durable ABS plastic base for convenient storage. Complete with an instructional book and DVD for guided sharpening.

I recommend purchasing the Sharpmaker at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Chaparral Review

by Dan Jackson 9 Comments

Last Updated: September 28, 2017
They say that a good way to measure the quality of a production knife is to take it apart and then put it back together. A high quality knife will come back together just as easily as it comes apart.

Buy the Spyderco Chaparral at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

I recently took apart my Spyderco Sage 1. I have sung praises about the Sage 1 for years now, even going so far as to call it the “perfect EDC knife”. Whether the knife is “perfect” or not is debatable, but I have really enjoyed the Sage and it has remained in my collection for years now. But the action of my Sage had gotten pretty stiff. It was obvious to me that the pivot had become caked with dirt and the knife could use a good cleaning. I popped the Sage apart, and spent a good 15 minutes cleaning and oiling all the pieces. The knife came back together without a hitch, and the blade fell dead center as I gave the pivot a final twist. The action is smoother than it ever was. This, my friends, is still an excellent knife.

Which leads me to today’s topic of conversation, the Spyderco Chaparral. It shares many similarities to my beloved Sage 1: The profile is near identical, both knives have faux carbon fiber scales and a wire pocket clip, and both made in Taichung Taiwan.

The biggest difference is the size. The Chapparal is about an inch shorter in overall length, but the blade is less than a quarter of an inch shorter. Of course you also have different steel and different locking mechanisms, but in many ways the Chapparal can be seen as sort of a mini Sage 1.

As I’ve matured I have grown to appreciate a smaller knife for my kind of EDC needs. Could the concept of the “perfect EDC” be a moving target? Could the Chaparral usurp my fabled Sage 1 as best and brightest?

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Chaparral has an overall length of 6.375″, has a 2.812″ blade and weighs 2.5 ounces. Next to my Spyderco Sage 1, with its 3″ blade, the Chaparral is significantly smaller in every dimension. This knife is imminently pocketable and works just as well with jeans and a t-shirt or slacks and a tie. For those seeking a smaller pocket knife in the Spyderco lineup, but don’t want to go all the way down to a Dragonfly, the Chaparral fills the niche. Having owned both the Sage 1 and this Chaparral I personally prefer the size of Chaparral for office use.

The blade is a classic Spyderco leaf shape, complete with full flat grind. This blade shape has proven itself to me many times over, but what I especially like about the Chaparral’s blade is the 2mm thick blade. This is a relatively thin piece of stock that has been ground even thinner. This is a very slicey knife, and I really like that. This wouldn’t be my first choice to pry open an ammo crate, but its a great choice for cutting stuff. Especially stuff that you come across in the general suburban EDC context.

Spyderco selected Carpenter CTS-XHP stainless steel for the blade material. I have had some experience with CTS-XHP with my Spyderco Domino which oddly enough was the last Spyderco knife I have reviewed. This is a nice steel and I am glad Spyderco is rolling it out on more products. It has good edge retention, and decent corrosion resistance, but it’s surprisingly easy to sharpen and takes a very fine edge. Apparently these originally come in S30V, which is what my Sage 1 is equipped with. The S30V on my Sage 1 can be a little stubborn to get super sharp, so I think the upgrade to CTS-XHP was a smart one.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Chaparral is faux carbon fiber over full stainless steel liners. The carbon fiber has a quilted feel, providing just enough texture. The liners have been skelotonized to keep the weight down. Fit and finish of the handle is very tight, like all of the other Taichung Taiwan Spydercos that I have examined, with crisp lines, a flush backspacer, and polished steel. I like how Spyderco has only 2 exterior bolts showing; one at the pivot and the other securing the pocket clip (and rest of the handle) together. Underneath the scale there a couple hidden screws and even an internal stop pin – interesting construction for a lockback knife.

Spyderco also offers the Chaparral in a couple titanium handled variants. These retail for $200 and $300. Personally I purchased the Chapparal as a user, and had no problem with faux carbon fiber, but I want to acknowledge the fact that other more expensive versions of the knife do exist.

In hand the Chaparral feels like a Spyderco. The handle is unassuming yet receptive. The “50/50″ choil accepts the forefinger without issue and affords a very comfortable grip for an under 3” blade. The jimping on the spine grabs the skin of your thumb without irritating it. Spyderco has made a name for themselves designing “little big knives” so I am not surprised that the ergos are on point. Frankly, Spyderco probably considers the Chaparral a medium size knife in their lineup. There is plenty of room here to get work done and the ergonomics of the Chaparral are as thoughtful and refined as you would expect from any other knife designed by Sal Glesser.

Spyderco went with their wire clip for the Chaparral – the same clip found on the good ole Sage 1. This is a proven clip design. I noticed the clip on my Sage 1 loosen over time. I thought that was the metal losing its spring tension for some reason, but it turns out that all I needed to do was tighten down the pocket clip screw. This clip is discrete and it buries the Chaparral deeply. I can get away with clipping this knife to a pair of dark slacks if I want to and most people wouldn’t give the clip a second thought. Spyderco set this knife up to accommodate ambidextrous tip up carry, and I think that is a nice compromise between form and function.

Deployment and Lockup

It should come as no surprise that the Chaparral features a thumb hole. It is sharp and catches the thumb easily. The spring on the lockback is sturdy, and the action is smooth, although if I put any lateral pressure on the blade when opening I detect a faint grinding sound near the pivot. There are very thin phosphor bronze washers inside that can’t be seen unless you take the knife apart.

Lockup on the Chaparral is very sturdy. As I mentioned before, there is an internal stop pin that prevents the up and down flex you often get with lockbacks. This is similar in concept to the tri-ad lock Cold Steel uses, and it makes for a very solid lockup. The lockbar is a little sharp and the spring is strong, so this is not a knife you will idly open and close for hours on end, but it works well and is satisfying to open and close.

Spyderco Chaparral Review – Final Thoughts

I think the Chaparral is a great little knife. I may be a bit biased because I enjoy my Sage 1 so much, but the Chaparral seems to tick a lot of boxes for me. Small, slim, well made and carefully designed, the Chaparral is a sleeper EDC knife that straddles the gap between Dragonfly and Spyderco’s 3″ bladed offerings (of which there are several). I can’t find much to fault with this one; certainly not the performance. It’s an excellent cutter and vanishes in the pocket. It’s nice that the knife is fully ambidextrous as well.

Is it “better” than my Sage 1? Is it the “perfect EDC knife”? It could be, depending on who you are and what your preferences are. I will always have a soft spot for my Sage 1. Now that I cleaned it out the knife is just uber smooth, and the blade pretty much falls shut on its own after releasing the liner lock. For my needs the Chaparral is plenty of knife, but I love the smooth action of the Sage and the convenience of a liner lock. Both are worthy buys, and I don’t think the Sage 1 is ever leaving my collection.

If you are interested in the Chaparral or are looking for a small “do it all” EDC knife that doesn’t sacrifice blade steel or ergonomics then I recommend it.

Spyderco Chaparral Prestige Folding Utility Pocket Knife with 2.80" CTS XHP Stainless Steel Blade and Black Carbon Fiber Laminate Handle - PlainEdge - EDC Gear - C152CFP

Superior Blade Material: Crafted with a 2.80-inch CTS XHP stainless steel blade, renowned for its exceptional edge retention and corrosion resistance, ideal for a variety of cutting tasks.
Elegant and Functional Design: Features a black carbon fiber laminate handle, providing a sophisticated look while ensuring durability and comfortable handling.
Precision Cutting Performance: Blade is full-flat ground with a plain edge, offering optimal cutting performance and non-skid jimping on spine and choil for enhanced control.
Compact and Lightweight: With an overall length of 6.38 inches when open, and a weight of just 2.50 oz, this knife is designed for easy everyday carry and use.
Versatile and User-Friendly: Accommodates both right and left-handed users, making it a practical choice for a wide range of individuals.

I recommend buying the Chaparral at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.