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Last updated: January 24, 2019
The Native has been a staple in Spyderco’s catalog since 1997. Back when I first got into pocket knives it struck me as a potentially excellent knife. It has great specs on paper. Lightweight, high quality blade steel (at a time when that wasn’t a given), a good useful size to get things done, and a surprisingly affordable price point. This knife sold for close to $50. But the previous generation Native also had a saber grind, toothy jimping, and pinned construction. A number of flaws that kept me from giving the knife my full endorsement.
Buy the Spyderco Native at BladeHQ
Of course Spyderco being Spyderco, they haven’t rested on their laurels. Their most classic designs get updated and tweaked over the years, and the Native was no exception. The Native 5 is their latest in the series. Introduced in 2012, this 5th generation in the series benefits from a number of upgrades. They have also rolled the Native pattern out in a number of variations, including the covetable carbon fiber version Aaron reviewed.
This plastic handled version, dubbed the “lightweight”, is their simplest Native. But I happen to think it may be their best version of the Native yet. Let’s dive in to see what this Native 5 Lightweight is all about.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
The Spyderco Native has an overall length of 6.875″, a 3″ blade, a weight of 2.45 ounces, and is made in the USA. I happen to think this is a great knife for suburban daily carry. It’s a full size knife, but at less than 2.5 ounces you hardly notice it in the pocket. While the Dragonfly II gets the job done, the Native 5 gives you more options.
Speaking of the Dragonfly II, here is a size comparison:
These days the Native comes in a fully flat ground leaf shaped blade. The old deep hollow grind and swedge has been updated with something a little more modern and clean looking. It’s the kind of simple and elegant blade shape that works well for everything from carving up a block of cheese to breaking down boxes to preparing wood shavings for a bonfire.
Spyderco has released this knife in many different blade steels over the years. Mine happens to come in S35VN, which I believe is a fairly common offering for the Native 5. They offer these in everything from S30V to exotic steels including S110V and even Maxamet.
I like the S35VN version of the knife, as S35VN is so easy to maintain. It takes a nice edge and is easy to sharpen, while also exhibiting decent toughness and corrosion resistance. No steel is perfect, but S35VN is pretty damn good by most metrics.
In practice my knife has done everything I’ve asked it to. It is an excellent slicer. It can thinly slice fruit, zip through cardboard, and handles heavier duty chores as well. I’ve been maintaining the edge on my Spyderco Sharpmaker, and the knife stays razor sharp that way. This is a great “do everything” blade that will handle all the stuff you would expect a good EDC knife to handle. I have carried and used this knife extensively. It just works.
Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip
The handle of the native is comprised of two injection molded linerless Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon (FRN) handle pieces mated to a steel lock back and FRN backspacer. Everything is finished well and is secure. The old version of the Native had pinned construction, but this Native 5 comes with screw together construction. So you can take the knife apart if you would like to clean it. All said this handle is simple and utilitarian.
The handle of the Native 5 is big and boxy, providing you with a comfortable handle that fills the hand. There is a nice forward finger choil that is welcome on a good Spyderco. There is no lack of grip either. Between the bidirectional texturing, and the heavily jimped thumb ramp you are going to be hard pressed to find fault with the traction on this knife.
But personally I’ve never been that obsessive about traction. What I enjoy most about the ergonomics of the Native 5 is that none of the ergonomic features get in the way. Instead, everything has been applied with a deft hand. Subtly is the name of the game here, and the whole is the greater than the sum of its parts.
Once again, it’s kind of hard to explain what makes this handle so good, but at the end of the day it just works. This is a knife you will want to hold and use.
Lets turn to the pocket clip. This too has been worked over the years. What Spyderco has done is provided a secure spoon style clip with a unique 3 screw configuration. The base of the pocket clip straddles either the lanyard hole or the pivot, depending on whether you have the pocket clip placed for tip up or tip down carry. This is a “4 corners” clip, so you can configure the knife to carry tip up or down for left or right handed carry.
In practice this knife carries phenomenally. It’s a sub 2.5 ounce folder. You forget it’s there. While the pocket clip is not a deep carry clip, it’s still discreet, burying the majority of the handle. It also a secure clip with excellent spring retention. Not once has this knife fallen out of my pocket.
Lock and Deployment
For deployment we have the Spyderco thumb hole. No surprises there. What’s potentially surprising is this knife has no bearings or washers inside it. It’s all FRN. That would be a turn off for me, but honestly I didn’t know the knife didn’t have washers until I took it apart. It was smooth and I figured it had phosphor bronze washers or something in there. It doesn’t, but that’s OK because it doesn’t need them.
Here is a shot of the disassembled knife so you can see what I’m talking about:
The Native 5 comes with an adjustable pivot, a big upgrade over the old version of the knife that was pinned together. This is a bushing pivot. It works great, and the blade is perfectly centered.
Here is a size comparison with the Sage 1:
For lockup we have a lock back. It’s got a crisp snappy action that is satisfying to use. And there is no blade play in this knife. That is surprising when you consider it’s a plastic handle with no liners at all. Yet it’s a robust knife. Would I baton with it? No. Would I jab it into a tree and use it as a step ladder? No. But it has held up great after normal extended use.
Here is a parting shot with the Native 5 next to my Paramilitary 2:
Spyderco Native 5 Lightweight Review – Final Thoughts
The Native 5 is one of my favorite EDC knives. I even like it more than the Sage 1. Here’s why: it’s lighter than the Sage, has better pocket clip retention, I prefer the S35VN blade, and I think it’s a little more comfortable with the big plastic handles. The Native 5 has found it’s way into my permanent EDC rotation. It’s just an excellent knife and you don’t need to think very hard about carrying it. The blade is versatile and cuts well. The handle is comfortable. The pocket clip is great and the knife is so light you forget you are carrying it.
Spyderco offers this knife in a G-10 version with liners. Why you would pick that knife over this lightweight FRN version is beyond me. The G-10 version weighs over an ounce more. I’m sure it’s a great knife, but I don’t need to look any further than the FRN version. Maybe you have some harder use in mind for your pocket knife. But for most people I think they will find the Lightweight version to be plenty stout and rugged. This is a workhorse of a knife, and it’s great choice if you primarily use your knife to cut things.
The Native 5 Lightweight has my highest endorsement. This is an exceptional EDC knife. Buy it and enjoy it.
- An Improved Classic: The Native model has been a mainstay of Spyderco's product line for years as a result of it's Superior Quality and affordability. The state of the art Native 5 is available in an array of handle choices and colors.
- USA Made: Spyderco takes tremendous pride in every knife we make, but the ones crafted in our Golden, Colorado factory are special because we invest a piece of ourselves in every USA-Made knife we create.
- Light and Durable: This Native 5 handle is fabricated with Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon. FRN is a polymer mixed with glass fiber that is injection molded and formed into a sleek textured handle, creating a lightweight yet high-strength knife handle.
- Dependable: If you are looking for control and precision, look no more. This knife features our PlainEdge grind which is known for creating a smooth and exact cut.
- High-Strength Lock: The Back Lock mechanism is known for it's high-strength and ease of use. The locking system is positioned on the back of the handle.
If you are thinking of buying Spyderco Native, please consider purchasing it at Amazon or BladeHQ. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.
Earl Sweatpants says
Spyderco makes a hell of a good knife. Of all my various EDC folders, my Native gets the most use. It’s the perfect size and it’s held up spectacularly under all sorts of use. I’ve yet to find the “perfect” folder (and I’ll never stop trying LOL) but this one is as close as I’ve come so far.
Dan says
Earl, I totally agree. The Native is just an awesome EDC option. Light, slim, great steel – so much to love. I personally carry a Sage 1 a lot – very similar to the Native, but has some nice refinements. More expensive though! Thanks for reading man.
Mark says
Greetings, I came to/discovered your site via a link from another site, I’ve enjoyed reading the reviews of a few knives that I own, ones I don’t own and one that I’ll soon own, the Italian made SALUS (Combative Edge).
Re: the Spyderco Native: I own two of them, had three, just sold one on Ebay.
I love this knife, it is the only EDC I carry, however I carry and prefer the all black ‘combo edge’ version, for me it opens/deploys fast and smoothly, locks tightly, the two lower choils are perfect for my small to med. sized hand and the thumb jimping is superb and is easy to keep clean.
I live in Manhattan, N.Y.C. and for the frequency of the tasks/uses I come in contact with daily, the combo edge is perfect for every one.
The serrations are “EXTREMELY” sharp like sharks teeth.
(I call this knife “The Little Monster”)
The other positive attributes of the ‘Native’ for me is that it’s incredibly light in weight and its small size fits in my pocket easily.
Without going into depth, N.Y.C. has the most restrictive and archaic knife law/s in the U.S., so the ‘smaller’ the less chance of me going to jail if a Cop even sees the clip on the outside of my pants pocket.
I never keep it clipped.. only “down in” my pocket…. which is theoretically legal, clipped is illegal, yes go figure!
To close, I’m in love with the all black combo edge Native which stays literally “razor” sharp and if it was ever needed in a defensive situation I have no doubt it would go through clothes like butter, including a jacket.
The only possible negative would be that the paint on the clip/s wear off easily, so what I have done to mine is take the clip/s off, sand them, apply a base coat of Rust-Oleum primer, then a coat of Rust-Oleum “Flat” black protective enamel.
The “flat” keeps it from any shine thus being spotted easily.
Great blade blog, enjoyed reading your reviews.
Besides the Italian ‘SALUS’, there’s another Italian made blade I will soon purchase, the Italian made fixed ‘Extrema Ratio Fulcrum C.’ all black Tanto.
Would enjoy reading your thoughts on that.
Best regards from the Big Apple,
Mark
Dan says
Hey Mark,
First of all, wow, thanks for the very detailed comment. Awesome stuff, and my hope is others will benefit from your seasoned experience with the Spyderco Native (an awesome little knife as you so aptly described). I am not familiar with the NYC laws specifically (although I do know they are quite draconian) but I am glad to hear you are able to carry the Native. It’s a very capable EDC and you don’t sacrifice much (if anything) by doing so (as far as carrying a good EDC knife goes, I’d say the Native is near perfect in that respect). The all black combo edge definitely has it’s appeal, and I like your pocket clip modification a lot – I’ve got a couple knives that could benefit from that treatment.
I am glad you have been enjoying the rest of the blog, I certainly have enjoyed writing reviews and such over the past couple years (well, year and a half really). The SALUS is a really nice knife, I am glad to hear it’s on your radar as I think it is woefully underappreciated. I have also heard great things about Extrema Ratio – I confess that I haven’t owned any myself, but a good friend of mine owns a number of them (including the Fulcrum I think) and he swears by them. Really rugged knives, the styling isn’t for everyone but if it grabs your attention then rock on I say.
Well Mark, thanks again for the great comment. Stay sharp, and all the best from sunny S FL!
Dan
Shad says
Dan,
Thanks for another good review!
It could be that my hands are slightly smaller than yours as I have never found a knife that fits my hand better than my Native! That said, I can see how someone that very large hands could have a problem.
My only gripe with my Native is, like you said, hard to deploy quickly. It sure would be nice if they added some bushings to make this knife smoother to deploy, but that is the only thing I can find to complain about.
Thanks, and keep the reviews coming!
Shad
Dan says
Thank you, Shad! Yes, I think this is one of those “your mileage may vary” situations. I found it a little tight some reason for my hand, but I know plenty of people who can get a good grip on the Native. I wouldn’t argue if they made the knife a little smoother and easier to open, maybe the Native 5 is like that, I’ll have to get my hands on one at some point.
More reviews coming (relatively) soon. I wish I had more time to pump them out but these days I’ve just been slammed with work.
Thanks again,
Dan
Shad says
Totally understand Dan!
No stress, I just enjoy your reviews as they are well done without having “favorite” brands, or at least not letting it show too much.
Regards,
Shad
Dan says
Thanks, Shad. I try to review what I like, and I also try to stay *reasonably* objective. Of course some bias will trickle in but that’s the nature of a personal review. At any rate I really appreciate you visiting the site and taking the time out to comment.
Dan
DJ says
I think the FRN Native is darn near the perfect EDC knife and I’ve been carrying mine to work going on 4 years now. BTW the more you use it the more it breaks in and I can flick mine open faster than my ZT assisted opening folder (a few drops of high quality gun oil on the pivot really help). I think that it is a fantastic value as well.
Dan says
Thanks for stopping by, DJ. Glad you really like your FRN Native. I agree that it has many qualities I look for in an EDC. Interesting to hear about the break in as well.
Dan
Darren says
Dan I picked up the Native 5 lightweight recently and loved it so much I ordered another for my son! Small and light, it lends itself well in a pairs of jeans without notice. Wow what can you say about getting S35V on a full flat ground blade under $100 and made in the U.S.A. , well done Spyderco.
Dan says
Darren,
Glad you enjoy your Native 5. Back in the day I thought this model was a real unsung hero of the Spyderco lineup. It still strikes me as a tremendous value and all around great option for EDC. I hope you and your son enjoy them!
Dan
M Tim Magee says
I found the Spyderco Native to be my perfect EDC. I believe my two are considered 2nd generation with CPM 440V (=S60V) steel. In 2002 I found a combo edge first which didn’t have the Boyd Dent. I used it until I found the same knife in plain edge. I had been a plain edge fan, but now having used both in the same knife platform, I find myself preferring the combo edge for EDC.
I found your review of a later generation Native very interesting. My knives fit my hand very well, and open quickly and smoothly. The steel is very corrosion resistant, holds an edge very well, and I have no trouble maintaining the edge. The pivot pins have never loosened, and still remain perfectly adjusted. The handle has been very durable and generally comfortable. The pocket clip has never failed and has always retained the knife in whatever position I place it. 14 years and counting with a Native!
Grant says
You need to update this review and cut out the endurance 3 and 4 material. It’s a FFG now, not a hollow saber ground blade, doesn’t have a deep swedge anymore, the pivot isn’t pinned and is fully adjustable, the “Boye Dent” isn’t present anymore and is flat. It’s an excellent review and I enjoyed reading my way through it, it just needs some more detailed updating aside from pictures.
Dan Jackson says
Grant, You are absolutely right. I took some new pictures when I got the updated Native 5, but forgot to update the review itself. It’s back on the to-do list.
Dan
Grant says
Sounds good! I enjoy your reviews, thank you for doing them for us all to see
Dan Jackson says
Thanks, Grant. I updated it so much that I decided to republish it. It’s essentially a brand new review complete with additional new pictures. I appreciate the kind words and hope you enjoy this new review!
Dan
Dan Jackson says
Thanks, Grant. I updated it so much that I decided to republish it. It’s essentially a brand new review complete with additional new pictures. I appreciate the kind words and hope you enjoy this new review!
Dan
Grant says
Well said Dan! I appreciate how these reviews are always being updated, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thank you!
Dan Jackson says
Thanks, man. Since I started in 2011 I think it’s important that the reviews be updated as things change, my opinion changes, etc. I really appreciate your support of the site.
Dan
Grant says
Yeah that’s awesome man, I’m always seeing the update tags on the reviews. Keep it up!
Brad says
Great review, Dan. I received my first Native 5 when I was deployed to the Middle East. It was the special military-lottery version that Spyderco sent me for free. Very cool.
I’m surprised at how good the ergonomics are. I wear a size XL glove, yet the Native 5 fits my hand beautifully in both grips.
I also appreciate the Native 5’s locking mechanism. Eric Glesser has described it as the evolution of the back lock. I’ve been using my Native for a long time, and it still doesn’t have any up-and-down wiggle. I hope Spyderco eventually upgrades the Delica and Endura with the same lock.
Again, thanks for a great review.
Brad
Dan Jackson says
Brad, Thank you very much for leaving a comment and some of your thoughts on the Native. I agree, it’s an extremely comfortable knife, which is not something I really expected either. And the lock does strike me as an evolution of the lock back. No play at all and great action. Not sure what they did exactly, but it works. The lock bar and spine of the blade are both thicker than the Delica and Endura. Perhaps that extra surface area plays a role.
Dan
Brad says
The Native 5 utilizes a pivot bushing, which is uncommon on a lock back. Perhaps that has something to do with it.
Regardless, I also like the fact that the blade doesn’t “push up” during hard cutting. It’s a fantastic knife overall.
Will Murphy says
Thanks for the great review. I love the Dragonfly2 for EDC, and would love a Dragonfly2 sized up to about the dimensions of the Native5. I think that would be about perfect for suburban EDC. And I think the Native5 is not all that far from being that.
Dan Jackson says
Will, My pleasure. Thanks for checking out the review. A good tweener to span the gap between the DF2 and Native 5 is the Chaparral. The new Lightweight version is supposed to be awesome. My guess is it channels the same lightweight utility and practical ergonomics that both the DF2 and Native 5 LW have. But this Native 5 is also excellent. One of Spyderco’s best in my opinion.
Dan
David Airey says
Mxg has a nice deep carry clip for this specific knife. It makes this knife even better.