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Last Updated: August 4, 2019
The Spyderco Domino is a knife that I almost wasn’t going to review. I’ve been following the Titanium Framelock Flipper Arms Race closely ever since the ZT 0560 took the production knife market by storm. Like pretty much everyone else, I’ve enjoyed these knives, but felt some initial hesitance to the Domino for some reason. I talk about this in my video, but I feel like the knife was almost too easy for Spyderco. After all, it parrots many of their already successful designs only this time we have a flipper, framelock, and bearings.
Buy the Spyderco Domino at BladeHQ
Obviously I caved and bought the knife, and I am actually very happy I did. The Domino is a stellar performer and at a sub $200 price point I also think it’s a pretty decent value. Where else are you going to find the impressive feature set of the Domino, with a level of fit and finish that few companies can rival, with all the creature comforts of a Spyderco, for less than $200?
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Domino comes in with an overall length of 7.68″, a 3.13″ blade, and weighs 4.1 ounces. The knife is a decent size for EDC. It’s a little larger and heavier than my Sage 1 (the quintessential EDC knife), but it still pockets well and makes for a reasonable daily carry.
The blade is a classic Spyderco leaf shape, and includes a full flat grind, a very fine tip, and a slight curving belly. It’s everything you need for an EDC blade. The 3mm thick stock is ground thin and the knife slices well. Although I must say that I find the wide blade is a little precarious tasks like carving apples, a task I often relegate to my trusty Victorinox Alox Cadet. Still, it will slice and dice with the best of them and I find it a good match to common tasks like opening letters and breaking down boxes.
Spyderco selected CTS-XHP steel for the Domino. CTS-XHP is made in America by Carpenter, and is supposed to be formulated with cutlery in mind. In practice I think it’s a good steel. It combines moderate edge retention with an ease of sharpening that I find lacking in steels like S30V. I had no issues with chipping or corrosion, and the steel took very well to both my strop and Spyderco stones. For those interested in extreme edge retention, I must confess that I found the steel a little lacking, but I am one of those people who prefers easy sharpening to ultimate edge retention so I wasn’t disappointed. I discuss this in greater detail in my video review.
Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip
The handle of the Domino sports a faux carbon fiber scale over a titanium liner with a titanium frame lock. You also get flow-through construction, a sleeved lanyard hole, and a steel lockbar insert that doubles as a lockbar stabilizer. My biggest beef with the knife has to be the ridiculous handle scale. I suppose Spyderco wanted to step it up a bit with an unusual handle appearance, but I could have done without the Domino patterned carbon fiber. Ruminating on this further, I think the knife would have been even nicer if they went for a full titanium handle rather than the carbon fiber (which is really just a thin veneer of carbon fiber over black G10 anyway). Some may appreciate this “unique” handle material, but I think the after-market knife modifier crowd will be in business for a very long time if companies continue to release knives with such blatantly distasteful handle materials.
The ergonomics of the Domino are good. This is what you would expect from a mid-size Spyderco. The bulbous handle fills the palm, while the double choils give you plenty of options for finger placement. There is a mild run of jimping on the spine of the blade that provides a little feedback without being overly aggressive, making the knife acceptable for extending cutting while still appealing to the TNP and mall ninja crowds. Although every folding knife handle is a study in compromise, I still found the knife reasonable to use in hard cutting situations like 1/2″ rope cuts and carving into bamboo.
The pocket clip of the Domino is sturdy and functional, although it won’t win any beauty contests. Spyderco selected a standard hour-glass clip and gave it a lustrous black chrome finish. It definitely beats a satin finished clip, while the chromed finish gives it a little depth and character. The handle is drilled and tapped for 4 corner carry, and the knife doesn’t ride too deep in any of the positions. On these more expensive knives I tend to like a knife with a one or two position clip over a knife with tons of holes in it, but functionally speaking there is no reason to complain. This knife itself is relatively thin and light and isn’t too obtrusive in the pocket. While the pocket clip and carry isn’t anything outstanding, the knife will certainly be able to get from A to B without issue.
Deployment and Lockup
Of course the Domino features a flipper, after all, that’s probably why you are interested in the knife. I am very pleased to report that the knife flips phenomenally. The detent is so well tuned that the blade practically explodes out of the handle when you press down on the flipper tab. I am very happy Spyderco took the time to ensure this aspect of the knife was squared away, as the action alone makes the knife worth the price. The over-sized pivot and caged bearing system certainly doesn’t hurt the performance either, and the knife is very fluid even when using the thumb hole.
For lockup you have a very nice stonewashed titanium framelock that includes a steel lockbar insert. In theory this steel insert should prolong the lifespan of the lock, and if things ever wore out you could (again, theoretically) replace the insert. In practice the knife is rock solid, without even a suggestion of blade play in any direction. Much like the other titanium framelocks I have seen come out of Spyderco’s Taichung factory, they got the geometry right and the lockup is worry free.
The steel insert also performs double duty as an overtravel-stop mechanism (sometimes called a “lockbar stabilizer”). This prevents you from hyper-extending the titanium when disengaging the lock. I’ve never had this problem, it’s a nice touch and aesthetically it doesn’t detract from the knife.
Spyderco Domino Review – Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the Domino is one hell of a knife. Here we have classic Spyderco fare like a thumb hole, 4-corner pocket clip, and good ergonomics coupled with the latest crazes in modern knifemaking. That alone should be reason enough to give this one a try, but I am very happy to report that they really executed this right. As I mentioned alone, for a flipper aficionado the action alone will be worth the price of admission, and Spyderco has once again turned out a very high quality product from Taichung Taiwan.
Of course an obvious comparison would be with their previous flipper, the Southard, and it’s worth taking a second to differentiate the knives. First of all, the action on the Domino is vastly superior to the Southard. The detent on the Southard is acceptable, but it is weak in comparison to the crisp action in the Domino. Also, the design of Southard may be a little “out there” for classic Spyderco fans. Personally, I find the Southard to be a far more interesting knife, but to each their own. I am sure the Domino will appeal to traditional Spyderco fans.
Of course I do have a few issues with the knife, and I might as well re-cap them now. Mainly I wish they went a different route with their handle scale, but I could also do without 4-corner carry on a $200 knife, and same with a sleeved lanyard hole. I think both the lanyard sleeve and funky carbon fiber detract from the appearance of the knife. The pocket clip could use a little work too. But by and large this is a solid effort for Spyderco, and I think it will be an excellent addition to anyone’s collection of high end production knives.
- Category name: locking-knives
- Country of origin: taiwan
- Brand name: Spyderco
- Tip Carry Position Tip-Up/Down
I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Domino at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for checking out the review.
Very interested to read your thoughts on this one, Dan. I totally share your instant repulsion from the “domino” pattern on the handle scale. That’s just kind of a sad gimmick attempt to make the knife stand out. Some kind of subtler twill pattern would be preferable (I prefer the one fiber/G10 scale over all titanium).
Otherwise there’s a lot to like. Your review makes me want to play around with the flipper action on one of these.
About the blade shape: A lot of the Taiwan-made Spydies have wide leaf blades like the Domino & Sage or thick blade stocks like the Southard.
There seems to be a meme afoot on the enthusiast sites that we’re all supposed to agree the Taichung Spydies are the best. I dunno. They have really good fit and finish but I don’t think the *designs* are as refined, time-tested, and practical as the Japanese-made Spydies such as the Caly, Endura 4, Stretch, or Delica 4. Those long, thin, FFG blade profiles that slice and pierce beautifully are a major reason why I’m a Spyderco fan for life. I don’t get the same performance yet out of the Taichung Spydies I’ve owned (Sage, Chaparral). They get sold and the Japanese Spydies, despite sometimes lesser fit & finish, stay in the collection. BTW the Moki-made Calys have fantastic F&F that I would put up against a Sage any day.
TL;DR: Taichung is overrated right now and Seki City underrated, at least from a user standpoint.
Thanks for stopping by, Anon, and for leaving the very insightful comment.
As for the Seki City / Taichung argument I see you point and tend to agree. When I’m talking about the “best” Spydercos coming from Taiwan, I purely mean from a fit and finish perspective. From a practical and functional perspective there is a lot more room for argument and you make good points about the classic Japanese Spydies – which are undeniably uber practical knives. And for whatever it’s worth, I still think the Caly 3.5 CF is a lustworthy knife – even in the age of bearings and titanium flipper framelocks.
Thanks again,
Dan
The only thing that keeps me from pulling the trigger on the CF Caly 3.5 is that I don’t love the laminated blades on the ZDP Calys. Looks really technical and precise, but I worry the 420 outer blade would get scratched up and take away from the beautiful aesthetic of the design.
Instead I have the non-laminated, 100% ZDP blades on the (Seki-made) Dragonfly and Delica FFG and they are great to use; awesome cutters. I have not had any toughness problems when using them for appropriate tasks. They convince me that the laminated blades are not needed.
The “normal” VG-10 Caly 3.5 with G10 handles is probably my favorite Spyderco. Design, ergos, fit & finish, discreet carry clip, blade shape, grind, handle:blade ratio — it’s just a delight. It is one of those knives that reveals whole swaths of one’s knife collection as dispensable. “I like owning these other blades, but do I need them? Not really, no.”
Always a pleasure to read & comment here.
The 420 does get marred up around the pivot from just opening and closing the knife so I can understand your concern there. My dad has one and I occasionally take it out and marvel it a bit. I don’t really have it in me to carry one – mainly because my collection has plenty of other users to choose from. The design is classic Spyderco and I agree it’s among their best. Everything else is variations on that theme.
Thanks again for dropping in – I’ll do my best to keep coming up with stuff for people to read and comment on.
Nice Review sir…I’ve been thinking about picking this one up as well.
Thank you, Jason. Worth acquiring imo – it’s a solid knife.
Dan
Excellent information on the Domino. How do you feel about the lack of jimping on the flipper? Is it a deal breaker?
Thanks, Maurice. Not at all, I have not noticed the absence of jimping on the flipper at all. The knife is very easy to open and your finger doesn’t get torn up.
Dan
Great review! I am absolutely in love with the looks of this knife. It screams “refined Tenacious” to me. I am yet to handle one but it’s on the list. I was really surprised to see it was made in Taiwan. Just goes to show that “Made in USA” isn’t a prerequisite for making a great knife.
Thanks, Matt. Yes, it’s a very nice knife.
Dan
They did a sprint run of the Domino that replaces the goofy “domino” pattern with a handsome, simple carbon fiber weave with blue accents, so I bought that.
It is an unbelievably well made and finished knife. As it should be for two bills — but yeah, just flawless. Silky flipper action. Perfect lockup & lock operation. The precise steel insert in the titanium lock bar makes all the difference.
So far I like the XHP steel a lot. Very good edge retention but also seems to respond well to Sharpmaker touchups and stropping; not a lot of the high-vanadium-carbide “supersteel” angst with this stuff.
I would now rate XHP as one of my preferred high-carbon stainlesses, along with ZDP-189, and some — but emphasis on “some” — S30V, such as Buck’s Bos-treated stuff. I don’t love Spyderco’s S30V, as mentioned in an earlier comment. There is nothing wrong with good D2.
The Domino’s leaf blade is pretty broad for a medium sized knife. An above commenter compares to the Tenacious; that is slightly on point, but the real likeness is to Spyderco’s Manix series. The broad, slim XHP blade makes a magnificent slicer for non-fine work. The Domino will dismember cardboard with precision and ease.
The blade needs to be broad to make the design work, given the handle’s compact dimensions. If the Domino had a slim Caly-like blade you could not use the Spyderhole to deploy it (or they would have to mess up the comfortable handle shape). As it is, the hole deployment is wonderful, right up there with the flipper.
The Domino’s clip is the Spyderco “spoon” clip at its best. The hard-treated finish (which you described as a kind of chroming; that’s informative) is really tough. It is SO much better than the cheap, flaky black paint this clip gets on the Delica, Para 2, Stretch, and many other Spydies. I wouldn’t change a thing here. I don’t think Taichung knows how to execute the wire clip properly yet — too little retention on my Chaparral and Sage.
The eyesore “Dad sweater” CF pattern on the original Domino was the knife’s only flamboyant trait. So once you take that away with the blue sprint run, you are left with an impeccable, yet rather plain knife, despite all its cutting-edge engineering touches. Some might find the Domino a little dull for $200 compared to a more “extroverted” design like the Southard or a ZT 0801. Me, I love it (in the blue CF) and had no difficulty choosing it over those two blades. I love classy, plain things, like a bespoke navy blue suit.
Anon, thank you for the awesome comment and in-depth thoughts on the Domino. The Domino is my “car knife” and it still gets handled a few times a week. The “fidget factor” of this one is undeniable. I recently picked up a Chapparal (also in XHP) and that is a lovely folder. It is like a smaller Sage 1 with a thinner blade and better steel. I am becoming to really like CTS-XHP for the very reasons you mention. Enjoy your Domino in good health and thanks again for dropping by.
Dan
Awesome review, Dan. I have read it more than once as I seem to keep coming back to this knife. The only issue is that I really don’t carry knives this large (I know this is not large to most knife guys, but it is for me) and even the Sage is a little bit outside of my usual size preference.
This brings me to my question: have you managed to spend any time at all with the Dice? It’s just about perfect for the uses I have for a knife, size wise, and would make a nice change of pace for my D-fly and Techno. Most reviews have been favorable, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Again, thanks for running this site (even if it does make me spend money) and for taking the time to keep us all informed and entertained.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving the kind comment. Honestly, I haven’t had any experience with the Dice, but if it’s built like the Domino, then I know the build quality is very high. Based on my time with the Domino, I’d suggest checking out the Dice if you were interested in it. My guess is it’s a well made knife.
Dan
I find the ergo’s on the Domino to be much better than the Sage. The Sage leaves my bottom 2 fingers hanging, while the Domino gives them a place hold on to. The main choil on the Sage is just too big, and the narrow area formed by the liner lock and scale is a hot spot. In all honesty, the thing that I really like about the Sage is the look. With my long fingers, I am not that crazy about the ergo’s on the Sage. I have a Sage 1 and used to want a Sage 2, but the Domino has satisfied my want.
As for the faux carbon fiber scale on the Domino, I don’t mind it. To me it is aesthetically pleasing. The handle materials of the Domino at its price, are far better than what you will get from Benchmade, I have heard that BM forces it’s retailers to hold their prices artificially high. I have rewarded Spyderco and others with my purchases as a thank you to BM.
Hi John,
Thanks for the thoughts on the domino. It’s a very nice knife and I agree that the long profile of it makes it feel especially good in hand. Benchmade does utilize MAAP pricing, which is a practice that is not without its share of controversy. I am with you, a lot of Benchmades seem priced outside even my reach (and that’s with a healthy budget for new knives!).
Dan
Hi Dan,
How does the domino stack up against the caly 3 and the techno?(Design/blade material wise) Im quite curious between these knives(price wise quite similar in my area) and which is more towards general edc or gentlemen folders(Also whats with the titanium craze) A little backstory: I just got a Mcusta Mc 132 which sports the modified spyderhole like opening and I find it abit uncomfortable to deploy as the edge are abit too sharp for my taste so I’m wondering if the spyderhole deployment is somewhat similar experience. Also , I have a Manix (S110V) on the way to beat up with on harder tasks so the one I’m intending to get next would be more towards lighter usage perhaps. The Domino is quite fancy with the flipper given more variety for deployment.Not much experience with either ZDP 189 nor CTS-XHP in terms of edge retention,etc hopefully you could provide some insight on the matter . Any thoughts?
Hi Dominic,
That is a tough question, because all 3 are good knives for their own reason. I wouldn’t worry too much about the steel, as the steel is great on each of those knives. CTS XHP is a good all around performer, and ZDP-189 is an edge retention beast (tougher to sharpen, though). So I wouldn’t make the choice based on steel (personally).
If you are looking for a flipper then the Domino is your only choice. That’s its main draw and the main reason to buy it. If you like the Tactility, but want something smaller and with a real Spyderhole then go with the Caly 3. That is honestly my favorite of the bunch. But the Techno is a cool little knife as well. As a lefty I liked it less, but if you are right handed it could be the perfect blend of small and stout. High speed and high class. It does have a lot going for it.
I hope this helps a little – either way you are stuck with a tough decision. Hard to go wrong with any of those choices.
Dan
Dan, I have long admired the Domino, I think this folder is one of the most beautiful knives in the world and I very much like the original presentation with the checked domino CF over G-10 scale. I have been made aware of a possible flaw intrinsic to the bearing system, but I cannot be sure that it truly is a flaw. It seems to me that it may be that this knife must not be adjusted by the owner because of the thin 5.5 washers that support the caged bearings will tend to cup given a over tightened adjustment. I do hear that Spyderco uses red Locktite to discourage this adjustment, and I have little issue with this if the blade is centered precisely. Have you any relevant information on this matter? Thank you in advance, Rick Davis.
Hi Rick, Thanks for the insightful question. To be honest, I’m not familiar with that issue. I know that there was an issue like that on the Gayle Bradley Flipper. And Spyderco acknowledged it publicly, and fixed it. I’m not aware of them doing anything like that for the Domino, so I’m not sure if it shares that problem with the Bradley Flipper.
Dan
Dan, thank you for responding, I appreciate that you took the time to respond to another “crazy knife guy”.
Richard, Hah! My pleasure. Us crazy knife guys gotta stick together!
One other idea is to check the Spyderco forums. They love to geek out on this sort of thing. It’s a great resource.
Dan
Is one of the complaints on this REALLY that it can be carried 4 positions? Really?