Seven years ago, I was already in love with a KnifeCenter Exclusive Native. The idea of offering a smooth G10 handle was, IMHO, a great EDC enhancement, as aggressive G10 can quickly turn any knife into a pocket shredder.

As you can notice, the Native 5 with its OEM clip can perfectly clip into a watch pocket.

I was certain I had missed the opportunity to own one of those smooth operators made exclusively for KCI when Alex, a fellow member of the Facebook Spyderco Fan Club France, pointed it out to me.
They were still in stock! HERE!!

I have known monsieur Howard Korn, the founder of KCI, since his early beginnings back in the 90s when he was operating almost alone. He even suggested that I design their logo. Howard was among the very first resellers to offer knives on a large scale using a very new medium at the time: the World Wide Web! What a venture… and eventually, what a success!
That was before Amazon, and Howard remains one of the true pioneers in spreading cutlery culture worldwide. Hence the excellent videos now produced in-house.
Once again, it was a smooth transaction from the USA to France thanks to great customer service for a fantastic exclusive. I may be biased, but after nearly 30 years of dealing with KnifeCenter, my experience has always been flawless and inspiring.

Eventually, I found out that I may have bought one of the very last examples of this Native Exclusive because 10 days after my order (June 2024), they were already out of stock.

So what do we have here?

I have written a lot about CPM CruWear!
But this tough and well-balanced alloy, capable of taking a crisp razor edge, is perfect on both small and large folders.
This is a true workhorse steel and one of the greatest high-tech alloys available in modern cutlery. I have even demonstrated how difficult it is to force a patina onto it. This time, with the DLC coating, neither patina nor rust should be a concern.
BTW, DLC (Diamond-Like Coating) is even used for medical implants. It is not toxic.

This all-black version of the Native is ready to be used in all weather conditions.

So here we have a very low-profile package with a non-threatening design, because black knives matter when confronted with sheeple who might otherwise label you a mall ninja carrying a dark saber.

These days, I am reluctant to carry long blades or large folders in the city, and my search for shorter, socially accepted knives — locking or non-locking — has become obvious.
I have previously written about knives suited for city use, and the Native is definitely one of them. The idea is maximum versatility in a tool that should not raise eyebrows: a friendly, non-threatening package. The kind of knife my grandfathers and father used to carry without a second thought — except on airplanes. 😉
When heading into the countryside, I do not restrict myself in terms of blade length, but in big cities I play a very low-profile game and most of the time strictly follow the law, even if I am not particularly worried about police checks.
Hence the Native: the same cockpit ergonomics as Hellboy, which gets a lot of kitchen use now that the Chief has turned into a Chef, but in a shorter format.

There is also a swedge on the blade spine of the Native that is not present on the Chief.

The action is smooth with zero blade play, and a true guillotine drop can be achieved simply by releasing the lock. I have already written about how top notch these Golden-made Natives are in terms of fit and finish, having used them since 2011.

This linerless version is, to me, the best Native design ever produced, and this Exclusive represents the best of the best. In these years dominated by titanium frame locks and Axis-style locks, the opportunity to own a truly great lockback feels precious.
And this one, for me, is the Last of the Mohicans!