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Last Updated: August 4, 2019
The Spyderco Techno is a small titanium framelock folder with all the fixings. It is designed by Polish maker Marcin Slysz, who doesn’t seem to have much in the way of background information on the internet. According to Spyderco, Marcin is an extremely talented knifemaker of international repute.
Buy the Spyderco Techno at BladeHQ
I must admit, the knife designer’s pedigree isn’t what drew me to this one. Rather, I was taken in by the Techno’s charming design. Featuring bold lines and plenty of personality, this one really struck a chord with me. The fact that this knife also includes CTS-XHP supersteel and 6AL-4V titanium handles further piqued my interest. And when I learned it would be produced at Spyderco’s now legendary Taichung Taiwan facility, well, that sealed the deal.
General Dimensions and Blade Details
With an overall length of 6″, a 2.55″ blade, and a weight of 3.6 ounces the Techno falls firmly into what Spyderco likes to call “little big knife” territory. This a nice little nugget of a knife. It’s a great size for EDC and would also do well in anyone’s collection of titanium framelock folders.
The drop point blade has been fully flat ground from a very thick (4.5mm) piece of steel. Out of the box I wasn’t super impressed with how this knife cut paper, but I quickly gained respect for the Techno after attacking some super tough 5/8″ manilla rope, and carving up a pressure treated piece of pine. While the thick blade is not the most amazing slicer, the knife is ground relatively thin so you still have a capable cutter on your hands. The thick stock carries out all the way to the tip, leaving you with a stout blade able to handle a large variety of tasks.
Spyderco selected CTS-XHP steel, which has previously never been used on a production level Spyderco knife. This is also my first experience with CTS-XHP, and I was eager to try it out.
So far my experience with CTS-XHP has been extremely favorable. It’s a powdered stainless steel with an ultra fine grain structure. When I sharpened the knife I didn’t have any issues and it has held a hair shaving edge through a number of nasty cutting chores including the aforementioned rope and wood tests, a good deal of cardboard, and a number of little EDC tasks that I encountered in my several weeks of carry time. The edge holding was extremely impressive, I had no issues with chips or rolling, and saw no signs of rust or staining either. I would definitely place CTS-XHP above something like S30V, and I look forward to spending more time familiarizing myself with this steel.
Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip
The handle slabs are full titanium, and they have been given a tumbled finished for an attractive and easy wearing look. The handles have a smooth feeling to them (contrast it with a blasted finish on something like the small Sebenza), but it feels really high quality, and there actually is a decent amount of grip. There is a partial backspacer made of blue G10. I know some guys will really like the blue G10. Personally, I would have preferred to see titanium or carbon fiber instead. This is one of those “your mileage may vary” situations, so feel free to disagree. Overall, handle construction is rock solid. Everything screws together and all the edges have been nicely chamfered and meticulously finished. It’s really very impressive, and difficult to describe in a single paragraph.
The ergonomics on this knife are surprisingly good. It’s a small blade so naturally I wasn’t sure how it would fit my larger hand, but I can get a comfortable 4 finger grip here without issue. There is a run of coarse jimping on the spine that looks good and provides a little traction for your thumb. The back of the blade is also wide enough to accommodate your thumb, giving you plenty of room if you desire it. There is more jimping on the backspacer. Again, it is more for decoration than anything, but it does offer some traction. There are definitely more comfortable knives on the market (consider the Sage 2 if you want to keep it reasonably small and also in the Spyderco titanium framelock family), but all in all I am very pleased with how this knife feels in hand.
The pocket clip is the excellent Spyderco wire clip. This is a proven clip design that I personally have had a lot of experience with. This one has been sandblasted for a unique finish that will wear well, and it is positioned for ambidextrous tip up carry. I happen to be a big fan of the wire clip, and think Spyderco did an excellent job integrating it with the Techno. The knife rides very deep, and makes for an extremely discrete carry. At 3.6 ounces I did tend to notice this one in my pocket but, it’s not going to weigh you down.
Deployment and Lockup
Since this is a Spyderco, deployment is made possible by a thumb hole – this time of the 13mm variety. It is well placed for right hand access, and is easy enough to get at with your thumb. Unfortunately, lefties will have a slightly different story. The thumb hole is partially blocked by the titanium lock bar, and it is difficult to access with the left thumb. I can pinch out the blade with my thumb and middle finger, but don’t expect to open this like a normal Spyderco. I can also sort of flick the knife open with my index or middle finger, but really it is a design with right handed people in mind. I still like the knife despite these issues, but it’s definitely something to consider if you are a lefty eying this design.
The detent is firm, but the blade gives way to very smooth action aided by the phosphor bronze washers. Initially the knife was a little stiff, but that is because the tolerances are so tight. Mine almost immediately started to break in, and within a week or so of use it is became very smooth.
For lockup we have a titanium frame lock. Spyderco pays homage to the lock’s designer Chris Reeve, and refers to it as a Reeve Integral Lock (RIL) in the Techno’s documentation. This is a nice touch in an era of intellectual property shenanigans.
Practically speaking, I am extremely impressed with how this knife locks up. I hate to use hokey catch phrases like “this knife locks up like a bank vault,” but this knife locks up like a bank vault. It’s really impressive to slowly move the blade and hear the chunky framelock fall into place. My lock engages early (around 25%), hasn’t budged a millimeter (even after hard use and repeated flicking of the blade open), and there is zero blade play to speak of. Much like the finish of the titanium handles, you just have to feel this one for yourself to truly appreciate how nice it really is. It blows the Sage 2 out of the water, and gives the Chris Reeve Knives I’ve owned a good run for their money.
Spyderco Techno Review – Final Thoughts
Spyderco has another winner on their hands here. From a fit and finish perspective this knife is immaculate. If you have owned any of Spyderco’s other Taiwanese knives you will begin to understand where I am coming from, but even for their Taiwanese factory this knife is impressive. No doubt fans of Spyderco and titanium framelocks will find a lot to like with this little knife. It’s just really well done.
Now that I am done gushing over the knife I do have some caveats for you. First of all, it is expensive and small. I don’t necessarily have a problem with either of those things, but I’m not going to say this knife is for everyone either. From a cutting perspective the geometry is a little chunky. Spyderco did thin the blade out, but the relatively narrow profile and thick stock has its limitations. Also, the ergonomics are good, but not outstanding. So the Techno is far from a perfect knife – at least on paper. However, if you are willing to overlook that sort of thing, and approach the knife from a wider perspective, then I think you will be very pleased with the Techno. It’s one of the most solid folding knives I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and the feeling of quality I get from this knife is difficult to describe.
I also have to “keep it real” for my fellow lefties. This really isn’t a knife designed for us. I’ve managed to overcome the opening adversity, but unless you really like the design I don’t think it is worth the struggle.
All in all I’m really impressed with the Techno. If you like smaller knives and have the money, check it out. It’s a very cool little knife.
- Collaboration with knifemaker Marcin Slysz
- Fully flat ground CTS-XHP blade
- Titanium handle with blue spacers
- Chris Reeve Integral Lock (RIL) with a deep pocket wire clip
- Closed Length (Inches): 3.43, Overall Length (Inches): 5.98, Blade Length (Inches):2.55, Blade Steel: CTS XHP, Grind: Full-Flat
I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Techno at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.
I almost pulled the trigger on one of these, but the frame lock is keeping me from doing so. I have 2 framelock knives (a spyder and a BM) and they both have a sticky lock (if that is the correct term?). I didnt want this knife to be my #3 framelock that just sits in a drawer due to that issue. I like the idea that Lion Steel uses on the SR1 with the steel cap on the Ti framelock. I bet that removes all stickiness from the lock. That is a great idea that i wish all of these knives would adopt.
JD
Hey JD,
Thanks for the comment man, I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this one. I’ve had several Ti Frame locks that were sticky, and it always drives me nuts – so I can definitely appreciate the apprehension. That said, I haven’t had any issues at all with this one. It’s super smooth. Haven’t heard any reports on sticking either. The geometry of this lock is a little different (hard to describe in writing but I mention it towards the end of the video). I’ve been running this one hard and it has held up really well.
However, I do like the idea of a steel insert. I generally think steel on steel will wear better than titanium on steel (and I was pretty vocal about it in the Brous Silent Soldier Flipper review). Spyderco did this with their Tuff, which is another Ti framelock released about the same time as this one. I’ve heard mixed thoughts on how people have liked that insert, but hopefully Spyderco will continue to refine it.
At the end of the day this is about as well of an implemented titanium framelock as I have found – if you get a chance to see one locally, definitely check it out. You may just add a 3rd titanium framelock to the collection. 😉
Best,
Dan
I’ve heard that the lockface of the Ti has been carbidized. Not sure if that is true or not. But if it were true it should extend the life, reduce some wear and prevent stickiness. Not quite the same as a steel insert, but something.
As a fellow lefty, I will admit that it isn’t overly lefty friendy. But I have been managing. I also wonder if cutting a small arc into the lock bar would weaken it in any significant way because it would just take a little bit to get my thumb to grab the edge of the Spydie hole.
I hate the wire clip on this knife. The prototype had a really great little Ti clip that suited the knife a hell of a lot better.
But it is still a superb knife that has been carried since I borrowed it from a friend. It might be a long time before he gets it back.
Oh and I am with you on the back spacer. Ti would have been sweet, CF nice…even black G10 would have been better than the blue.
Hey Graeme,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving some thoughts. You make several excellent points.
I have not taken this one apart so I am unsure as to whether they have carbidized the lockface. It wouldn’t surprise me however, given how nice and smooth this lock feels. I agree it would definitely add to the lifespan of the lock.
As for the thumb hole, I pondered several design changes myself. Ultimately I felt like I wouldn’t change anything since the design is what I like so much about the knife in the first place – but yes I do wonder if a small arc would make this one easier to open. I’ve been managing, but I think it has kept me from 100% enjoying this one to the fullest.
You raise some good points about the pocket clip. I noticed that was something several people on the Spyderco forum had issue with. Maybe ignorance is bliss with me since I don’t recall the clip on the prototype (I’ll have to revisit Wouter’s videos). I don’t mind the clip, but can understand how some may have issue with it.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment – much appreciated!
Dan
Think you could post a comparison pic of the Techno and Sage side by side?
Edit – Nevermind. I watched the video and saw the comparison with the Sage 1. Derp.
Glad the video helped clarify Shannon! 🙂 Photo comparisons would be nice – I need to start taking some so at the very least I have a couple on file. Thanks for reading (and watching!).
Dan
The lock is carburized, not carbidized.
Matt,
Congratulations. This may be the most pedantic comment I have ever seen on here.
Dan
Dan,
Thank you for your in depth review on this micro tank. 3 and a half years later after posting this you are still helping convince people like myself to buy into the techno. I’ll get my first this week in the mail! I haven’t really heard a bad review about this knife outside of the wire clip. It was good to hear that you actually didn’t mind it. I carried a spyderfly with the same clip design and I was wary of it at the beginning but never had any of the snagging issues that I’ve heard of. Hopefully the technos clip holds up, but if it doesn’t I have a deep carry clip I could mod to make it work even better.
Thanks again for the review!!
Hi ZJ,
Thank you for the kind words. I am glad the review is still of use – the knife is certainly still a great piece. The wire clip polarizes people. I happen to like it, but know that others aren’t a huge fan. It will come down to personal preference. If you like it on your Spyderfly, then I think you will like it on the Techno. It’s a nice discrete clip that gets the job done.
Cheers,
Dan
First of all allow me to say that I agree with most of your informed comments on the Spyderco Techno. I have one serious disagreement with you and it is regarding the wire clip. I am not the only one who has had problems with the strength of the wire clip and truly believe that it is designed for sub 3 oz knives and it just is not robust enough for the Techno. If you were to do your research more extensively you would discover that Marcin’s original knife ‘The Mouse’ which the Techno is a direct copy of has a proper solid titanium clip that is worthy of the knife. Spyderco makes an excellent knock off of this custom and for less dollars, but they should of respected the original clip and that is that. I have made a titanium clip for mine and it has improved this folder immensely, as I had to ditch the wire clip due to its feeble personality. Are you this feeble that you would recommend it? Apparently so.
Sal,
I am all for constructive criticism, differences of opinion, and spirited discussion involving knives, but to call me “feeble” because I don’t agree with your take on the pocket clip of a folding knife is taking things a bit too far. I am guessing you truly did not mean to lodge this as a personal attack, and perhaps were having a bad day or maybe English is not your first language.
With that said, I know a number of people don’t like the wire clip. That’s totally fine. There is plenty of room for a difference in opinion and I understand why people don’t like that clip. Personally, it still does not bother me.
Dan
Got it, love it. One complaint, lockup is at almost 50% out of the box, should I be concerned about this?
That is great Michael. I wouldn’t be concerned. You can see in the picture that mine was around 50% as well. It’s secure.
Dan
The Techno had a limited run of s30v, so there are models out there with that blade steel. Various comparisons have stated that both steels are comparative
Hey Simon,
Thanks for stopping by. I seem to remember hearing about a run of Technos in S30V when there was a shortage of CTS-XHP. All things equal, I personally prefer CTS-XHP as I find it a little easier to sharpen.
Cheers,
Dan
No problems, I have an s30v version and can only compare it to a Custom Curtiss knives Nano with CTS XHP blade steel. Both are comparative to me. Spyderco does do a good job with the heat treat on s30 v