Disclaimer: This knife has been provided through Spyderco’s Ambassador Program, upon my own request. Thank you to the Spyderpeople for letting me review it.
This is a first look, first glimpse review — my very first impressions!
Mike Read’s custom Alien (£400,00 Elmax Blade) was presented to the world in November 2023, and it is now produced by Spyderco through Maniago, Italy under the name PITS 2 in 2025 for around €300,00. So this is an English design, produced by a Colorado-based company, and manufactured in Italy — you can’t get more international than that.
To respect the King’s Law in the UK, you need to carry a non-locking knife with a blade under 3 inches, and also have a good reason to carry it on your person. The PITS 2 respects those rules and looks far less threatening than the original PITS 1.
This isn’t my first Mike Read design — I reviewed his PITS 1 back in 2018 and loved it. That knife was his very intention of creating a solid workhorse with no lock. Two years ago, a sprint run in M390 appeared. Now comes the PITS 2, in M398, and to me, this is a much better design. Here’s why.
“Pie In The Sky” (not pig!) was Mike Read’s nom de guerre on the British forums. His specialty as a knifemaker is crafting non-locking knives: state-of-the-art tools with titanium handles and obsessive attention to detail. The PITS 1 was a looker — but the PITS 2? It’s eye candy.
Here’s a video from The Crafter Carry about the Alien:
Compared to the more angular tip of the custom Alien, I find the PITS 2 blade shape more graceful, with a nicer drop to the point.
The custom Alien used a titanium clip, whereas the production PITS 2 wears a steel one — but I actually prefer Spyderco’s version here.
What really makes it stand out is the handle mechanism:
“A truly unique non-locking mechanism that consists of two integral spring arms machined into the handle scales. The forward end of these arms, which supports the blade pivot, flexes as the blade is opened to provide pressure for its notched-joint mechanism to bear against the stop pin.”
That’s clever: just two integral spring arms machined into the handle that hold tension on the blade pivot. The absence of a traditional backspring makes for an open-handle design — easier to rinse under the tap and keep clean. Exactly what you want in a workhorse. (Let’s be clear: If you anticipate heavy-duty work (construction, field outdoors, survival uses) where a strong locking mechanism is required, then this may not be the optimal choice — you’d trade some robustness for style and finesse.)
The blade is made of Böhler-Uddeholm M398 particle metallurgy stainless steel — a steel in the same class as CPM S90V. It holds an edge forever, though it’s not the toughest, and you’ll need diamonds to sharpen it. I once broke the tip of my Roadie XL after a fall on tiles, but when used as intended, M398 is delightful. I’ve worked my Roadie XL and Metropolitan hard, and M398 has never failed me. This steel would be perfect also for hunters which need long edge holding when skinning.
Mechanically, this is the first Spyderco I’ve handled that’s harder to open than to close. The blade retention in the closed position is quite strong, while closing is much softer than most slipjoints. With wet hands, I even find it tricky to open — I have to “Spyder-drop” it by holding it by the hole!
At least, if a Police officer asks to see it, you must open it with two hands — another good point, as it’s clearly a gentleman’s knife, not a weapon. Also, while the PITS 1 looked somewhat like a skinner, the PITS 2’s drop point blade is much less aggressive-looking.
Inside the “cockpit,” there’s now a choil and a gentle hump, allowing a secure grip near the blade — something the PITS 1 lacked with a more aggressive quillon or guard for the index finger. So even with its softer closing action, it’s not a real issue. Still, when whittling hardwood, beware: that tall blade can snap shut faster than a UKPK or an Urban, both of which have stronger backsprings. Always use the choil!
The tall, thin blade arrives razor sharp out of the box. Geometry is spot-on for push cuts, and like the Slipjoint, Manly Wasp, Chaparral, or UKPK, performance is excellent. Let’s call that: “Perf In The Sky.” This will be a great travelling companion and even a hunter best friend.
Totally UK legal and of the highest quality imaginable, the PITS 2 is not a cheap knife — in fact, it’s pricier than the Chaparral Slipjoint — but it has that “Sebenza-like”feel of a high-quality titanium folder. A gem of a knife, and one of the rare non threatening slipjoints truly designed to be a hard worker.
Disclaimer: This knife was supplied at no cost by Golden as part of their brand ambassador program. Spyderco’s decision to include this publication is appreciated, though the review that follows remains independent and unbiased.
This is my first glimpse at the middle Brother of the SLIPIT™, the Metropolitan. Made in Maniago. It is an Italian Spyderco. Un altro piccolo grande coltello !
It is made in Maniago like my Heinnie Urban and it is a pure Sal Glesser design. The blade comes razor-sharp straight out of the box. The factory edge is excellent, though I know it can be refined just a touch on leather. It’s a very thin grind—thinner even than on my Roadie XL. While M398 isn’t as leather-friendly as SPY27, it can still be brought to a high polish, as I managed with my Roadie XL after breaking its tip.
Being slightly longer than the Urban, the Metro’s handle comfortably fits four fingers when using the choil. This choil also adds an important safety feature, preventing accidental closure on your fingers. The choil-hump combinaison—acts like a guard, directing cutting force straight into the blade while relieving stress on the handle and pivot.
“Metro In the Middle” pictured: the G10 SPY27 UKPK “Golden Child”, the Metro and the Heinnie G10 S90V Urban.
To quote my friend Wayne Thomas Heywood Adamson: “So now we have a middle ground between the UKPK and the Urban. I was surprised when the Urban shrank in size but that was clearly now to make room for the Metropolitan.”
(Made in Golden – Maniago – Maniago.) The 68mm Metro’s blade thickness measures 3 mm at the spine, with a full flat grind in a leaf-shaped profile. By comparison, the longer UKPK “Golden Child” comes in at just 2.5 mm, which makes it the undisputed king of SlipIt designs. That said, opting for a slightly thicker blade in M398 is a sound choice. M398 is not known for its toughness—certainly less forgiving than Spyderco’s in-house CPM SPY27 alloy—so the added thickness provides welcome reinforcement.
The S90V Urban is 2,9mm !
And the Roadie XL is 2,8mm
Making the Metropolitan the thicker of the wild bunch ! By an hair !
Now about the weight…
At 51 grammes it is really light in the pocket.
The action is very good. It is as strong as my Urban and UKPK. perhaps a bit less hard to close but this is not really an issue. I have noticed the Metro’s back is a full spacer/spring construction like a G10 version (when the UKPK FRN Salt is not for example.) It does not share the same “fork” spring of the UKPK but the same slipjoint mechanism as the Urban. You can feel the spacer moving up when closing.
So what can we expected from this Metropolitan compared to its siblings? A little more room for your fingers. The Urban and the Squeak are three fingers knives, the Metro and UKPK are four fingers. This is also an opportunity to showcase M398 in a high, full-flat-ground, thin blade. The Roadie XL’s narrower profile already favors cutting efficiency, and the Metro builds on that. In terms of edge retention, M398 belongs in the same category as S90V—a steel I know well from my Urban model, where securing an exclusive sprint run was a real challenge. With the Metro, however, M398 is now part of the regular production lineup, offering users a true “super stainless” steel in an accessible package. But beware M398 does not like torsions, like my Walker in ZDP189 which has been able to survive all those years.
The Metropolitan could really be a major upgrade for my Italian Hares Hunter in Tuscany. For the record, skinning game—especially dealing with hair full of sand and dirt—puts a significant challenge on edge retention. Hunters typically don’t use their knives for woodcraft; their main task is working on hares and similar game. In that context, a blade of 68mm in M398 could offer a real advantage.
The Metropolitan—easy to carry, legal in many countries, and made of stainless steel—could be the perfect hunter’s SlipIt, which is great news for many of my friends.
I’ve been eying the Nano from Lionsteel for almost a year now. Magnacut and Titanium framelock made in Maniago in compact package is very very tempting. Lionsteel has decided to invest a lot on the “darling of all steel” aka the CPM Magnacut and you can find a lot of their new collection in that wonder steel. Lionsteel is also known for a very high quality in manufacturing. I had already reviewed a MKM designed by Bob Terzuola made in the same factory. Also I was a huge fan of their great collaboration with Spyderco on their LionSpy great knives.
So, back to the Nano: what not to love in this chunky little big knife ? Magnacut and Titanium encapsulated in a beautiful well thought Italian design ? Amore a prima vista !
See how it is beautifully crafted ? A picture worst thousand words.
Nano by lionSTEEL, technical specifications from their site:
Total length: 162 mm. – 6.38 in. Blade length: 65 mm. – 2.56 in. Blade thickness: 3.8 mm. – 0.15 in. Total weight: 101 gr. – 3.56 oz. Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut Blade finish: Satin finished Locking system: Frame lock Frame: Gray titanium Handle material: Titanium 6AI4V Handle colour: Blue Packaging: Cardboard box
This is designed to be the “ultimate every day partner” quoting Lionsteel.
For me it is the Italian answer to the Spyderco Techno. even the upcoming Techno 3 looks a lot like the Nano ! It is an ultra solid short fixedblade with a strong lock and a strong steel. The stop pin is hidden like on my Swayback. A natural born workhorse at 200% ! A Landrover in a Ferrari skin ! Zero play, vertically or horizontally. Build like a tank.
Let’s flip it.
The flipping action is not the best out of the box despite its the Double Crown ball bearing system. It perhaps needs a drop of oil ? Edit: with a drop of teflon oil (for bikes) it works fine now.
Any way the flipper is not the main way to open it.
There is a notch in the blade which is totally useable to open it one hand. I’m able to notch drop opening my Nano.
The flipper is removable and it is called the “ReF” (Removable Flipper system). “The Removable Flipper system let the user decide if the flipper tab has to be part of the blade or not. The tab can be installed when in need, or removed and replaced with the second “cap” screw.”
I intend to keep the flipper also works as a little guard.
Zero issue also to close the knife. “The titanium frame locking bar is reinforced with a hardened steel insert so that the titanium part doesn’t get worn by the rotation of the blade in time.”
Nice touch and a tech totally mastered by Maniago !
Out of the box it is sharp.
Magnacut loves leather and it will soon be stropped. See the edit at the end of this article.
Now about the clip.
The clip is gorgeous and very solid. “The clip comes out a single piece of Titanium CNC milled. It is reversible, so it can be fixed on the opposite side for left hand users.”
But it is very hard to clip and unclip on my denim thick pocket. This is almost tedious. Not a big deal but for a serial clipper like myself the Nano will prefer thinner frabric to get clipped too. Anyway, as a small knife it can go easily the pocket without being clipped. The clip does not ruin the ergonomy and this is also important to notice. There is no hotspot once closed or open. Edit: I was skeptical about the thinner “edges” on the handle, as a square handle proposes more flat side like on a Native for example. But no, the handle is confortable even when cutting in hard material.
The handle is exquisite with a lot of attention to the details. It looks and it is a premium folder. It is exquisite ! And for the price (I got mine discounted at La Coutellerie Tournagell for less than 200 euros) it is a steal ! That kind of top notch manufacturing in my favorite USA brand would be much expensive, even made in Taiwan. The Nano is a bargain for the very high quality it is offering.
The blade spine is rounded like a Chris Reeve Sebenza ! So confortable for pushcuts using your thumb.
Testing on a piece of hard wood, the geometry is excellent and it goes deep right of the box. Magnacut being strong and easy to maintain sharp, it is a wood worker knife by essence.
The Nano offers also a lot of blade, a tiny bit more than my Native for great handle/blade ratio.
So this was a first glimpse to my 35th SICAC found which has just jump out of its box. It is a short knife with a lot of cutting power and an exquisite design and realization. Kuddos to Lionsteel and Pauletta Gianni for this absolute ge of a knife. Mine is blue. “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”. And I feel like “Felice di stare lassù !”
Edit: I have decided to deshoulder the edge and start to turn it into a convex edge as usual on my knives.
Using a DC4 from Fallkniven and protecting the blade with gaffer.
And it goes through the bottle butt ! Right in the thickest part.
To Quote Prince in his song 1999: “I got a lion in my pocket and baby he’s ready to roar, yeah hey.”
Edit: There is a video of CBRX which I highly recommend to discover the insides secrets of the Nano. Very informative !
Do you want to drive an Electric Ferrari Dino ? Like Maranello would provide some Danny Wilde’s Persuaders car with the last computerized engine ? Maranello, no. Maniago, si !
shows is all. You can make a vintage lockback folder with a ball bearing driven pivot. And suddenly your understand the Spy Opera is a nostalgia flick opening knife.
The Spy Opera is a version of Lionsteel Opera “spyderized” which means: adding a spyderhole, a clip, a topnotch hype steel… It’s the difference between a BMW Series 3 and a BMW M3. Also the price has been multiplied by 3 compared to the modest Lionsteel Opera in this rendition. Taxes for importing to US a European made knife is not stranger to the high prices.
At the first glimpse, the micarta handle, the decorating screws, the beveled and rounded lockbar and spacer: this is a looker, but is the Spy Opera a keeper. In my case, no, as it belong to my friend Geoffrey from Normandeep.com (a diver’s shop in Normandy near Omaha Beach) who was gentle enough to send to me some of his personal knives we wanted to review. Thank you Geoffrey ! He told me he has bought this knife and was not expecting to be surprised by that quality. He’s true. The action is stellar. certainly the smoothest lockback I have ever used. Just a little smoother than the Native V or the Siren. Now we know why: a ball bearing instead of washers.
A great detail about that knife is the total absence of any vertical bladeplay. This is the plague of lockbacks in my book and the Maniago folder is rock solid.
Ball bearing are great for fidgeting and smooth action but could be tricky in sandy or muddy environment. But the Spyopera is destined to be some gentleman folder for the US residents and typically a hunting folder for the Italian.
That shape of blade, that long handle, it is typically what my friend Valter would love for hunting and skinning. He would be especially keen of that M390 blade as hare’s skinning is especially hard on blade. For that take a look at the Walker C22 in ZDP189 or his Native in CPM110V he has used for many hunting seasons.
Follow the link for the articles with Valter and his hunting dogs:
Holding the knife with the blade shocked his its way to use and the ergos of this knife are just perfect for that. The rounded handle is contributing to avoid the boxy feel you can have with a Native Lightweight for example. Our hands love rounded shape and once you get used to it its is very hard to go back.
Now the handle won’t be easy to clean. Some parts are pinned and not screwed together. Example found on the forums:
So, the need for short folding hunter’s knives with high retention blade is real for hare’s hunter and I can really the design of the SpyOpera shining in that niche.
The sharpness is OK but if it was not Geoffrey’s knife, I would have thinned the edge much more. I have tested on the butt of a 1,5 liter Coke’s bottle and it has been stuck twice, not able to pass that test (which is not that easy as the plastic collapses under the pushcut). With a little deshouldering of the edge using diamonds, it would be a lightsaber. I have donc that with the Urban shown or my Para3 in M390. Out of the box the factory edge is just OK but again this is not my knife so I won’t touch it. Of course zero bladeplay while using the Spy Opera harder on a cutting board during that test.
So who is its designer Massimo Salice Sanna AKA Max ?
“Massimo Salice Sanna: after starting make knives in 1993 as a hobby, soon his passion became a real job and day-to-day activity. Well known for his accurate touch and the eye for details, he is considered one of the first knifemakers in Italy: he was noticed and therefore chosen by LionSteel for his precision and attention to design and mechanical features of the knives he makes. The Opera model was born in 2006, followed by other product families – Daghetta, Mini and Skinner. Currently, new designs and projects are under way to be put into production soon.” Says Lionsteel’s site.
Max Opera pictured with another Made In Maniago M390 folder with rounded spine and liners: the Clap. designed by Bob Terzuola.
Once thing I do not like, and this is purely personal and is the absence of Ricasso. I know I often calls it a “choil” as Spyderco Ricassi are often half mooned like a choil but ou understand this is the place you can put safely your index finger on the blade, as the start of the edge. In Sal Glesser’s designs they act like a lower quillon with the hump of the spyderhole acting like a upper quillon. Sal has reproduced the quillons of a boot dagger on his folding designs: the Military being the first example.
This design found of the Military (or the Slipjoint Urban pictured) transfers the force directly to the blade, without impacting the pivot which still is the most fragile part of a folding knife, the weakest link ! When you cut with a Millie, it is like using an antique folding knife where the handle was mostly a folding scabbard and the knife was hold like a razor. You cannot do that with Spy Opera when the slipoints designs by Sal like the Urban for example bring you that great security of holding the knife by its blade. But again the lockback is so sturdy on this Maniago’s knife you can confortably rest your thumb on the hump and your index finger on the micarta’s handles.
So the Spy Opera is a fidgeting, beautiful jewel, high quality Italian design gentleman (and lady) locking folding knife. It is easy in and out of the pocket. The attention to details is stunning. It is flawless. It got a real 70’s flavor. It is like a Ford T turned into a Hot Road to me: lovely but not for everyone. Good thing is: you can really fall in love with it as your main EDC.
Edit: thanks to JD for the heads up=> I meant “Hare” not “Heir”. 😀
My first (black) Pingo was almost 6 years ago. Since, Pascal has reviewed his (orange) Pingo… in his entertaining review Pingo Star !
I got the opportunity to get a very rare beast: a blue Pingo with K390 steel blade and studs to mask the tiny trademark hole and protect it from lint.
First I have noticed is the very firm and strong spring in this one, much stronger than my previous version. It is not the easiest opener with stud which is good as it keeps up its legal character: this is a two hands opening knife which can be open with a painful thumb. 😀
Now about the steel K390 is known to me as a friendly steel. I call it an hyper steel !
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
C Si Mn Cr Mo V W Co
2.47 0.55 0.40 4.20 3.80 9.00 1.00 2.00
The numbers are talking for themselves !!
This is not a stainless steel with carbides forms from Vanadium, Tungsten and Chrome (which is not used for stainless purpose here)…
It will get a patina very quick on daily use (especially eating and cutting meat) and this patina will protect the steel even better. It will show some character in its legality.
What a beautiful tool ! It will be a beater as he name will be Bluebeat !
“Gazing into the heavens on a night as clear as ice We held our breath As a new jewel glistens in the Belt of Orion Out to the west And parked up on the ridge between all the different lands I feel I’ve always been here Do we go back to the city, back to the lights To the unforgiven world or on into the night Where there’s always something new to fall in love with Searching after something new to fall in love with There’s always got to be something new to fall in love with…”
“I am the Pie in the sky
Looking at you
I can read your mind…”
This knife used to have the MSRP of a small Sebenza but as it’s been discontinuited I got the chance to buy one at a fraction of its original price. And really, I’m glad to be a later adopter of that wonderful and unique attempt to make a hardchore non locking knife.
The PITS is the acronym of Pie In The Sky. It’s a folder based on Mike Read’s knives. He is a knifemaker in the UK. So, this knife has been specifically designed for EDC in the United Kingdom. In brief, her Majesty’s laws say you can carry any knife if you have a “good reason”, but just in cases there isn’t a good reason you can still carry a folding knife with a blade of less than 3 inches without a lock. The UK designed small Wolfspyder with it compression lock is not UK law friendly but the Urban is ! Also the slipjoint Manly Comrade won’t because of its longer blade… but the PITS will !
This knife is an eye candy. It has a powerful full-flat ground N690Co steel clip point blade and a stunning precision-machined skeletonized blue anodized titanium handle that aids in providing a very positive texture for grip.
The handle features integral split spring arms to form the knife’s unique slip-joint mechanism. Titanium has got that elasticity that Chris Reeve was one of the first to explore for his Integral Locks. Here you have another variation of the use of that incredible metal here used as a strong spring.
The very good thing I will repeat again and again is that Mike Read has designed this knife to be a tough, hard-use folder and, yes, this is not easy and also this is a good thing.
Not many non-locking knives are destined to be used hard. The Manly Comrade is an exception for example… but here, the PITS is really shining in another department: in the one hand opening and closing realm (making it illegal in Danemark too BTW) . There are no mid steps like on the Comrade as the action is smooth until the blade is fully opened or closed – making even Spyderdrops possible !
Then you got the choice to apply your thumb on the bar and it’s cleverly secure. Zero play in any direction. Also there a quillon after the choil where your index can rest; meaning, held in the proper manner, the blade cannot close on your precious finger.
Something you ask to a hard working tool is the ease of cleaning. The handle is fully open by construction and thanks to the holes in the titanium slap, it’s very easy to clean and rinse your blade – also there is a lanyard hole !
N690Co, heat treated (certainly with cryo) in Maniago, is a just a great steel for an EDC. I always considered it as some kind of European VG10. It can get back to razor sharpness very easily and it stays sharp long enough between touches up. It’s not brittle and I got the same sense of all-terrain steel (like VG10 on Fallkniven knives) as when I had done hard testing of other fixed blades made in Maniago. N690co is very stainless. It’s the kind of steel to use around the kitchen and even close to the sea with no after thought; just rinse it!
Also the geometry on the PITS being very thin and with its belly, the first cuts in wood were really deep. The blade did not move/unlock even when stuck in the wood fibers. So this is a very secure non-locking knife. Immediately, you bond with it and want to use it.
The handle is generous even in reverse grip and it fits in the hand very well for such a small knife. This is in hammer grip a four fingers knife, which is welcome for hard cuts.
I have found it very confortable with zero hotspots when held tight.
Also the full titanium handle gives a near to perfect balance. The PITS is light and fast in the hand, it is alive. To close the blade it’s better to push the spine with the thumb as the notch is not easy to pass.
The PITS Folder includes Spyderco’s best clip: the deep carry wire clip for reversible tip-up carry. It almost disappears in my pocket.
SO here we have got a non threatening tool, with a beautiful blue handle. It cannot make non knives people unconfortable at all. Also titanium being not easily detected by metal detectors, the PITS should not make them beep easily…. No, I mean you can cut live wire with as titanium does not conduct electricity… oh well, I only have bad recommandations tonight.
So here we have got the Pie In The Sky, a knife which is going to kick my Urban out of my pocket when I go for a walk in the city. It’s very pleasant to have a tool engineered to be a user. Next step is to remove the sharp edges on the blade spine and give a little convexed edge to this baby…
More to come soon.
“…I am the maker of rules
Dealing with fools
I can cheat you blind
And I don’t need to see any more
To know that I can read your mind, I can read your mind …”
The Alan Parson’s Project lyrics is an idea from our editor: Pascal. 🙂
Not long after the original Squeak SC154PBK came out I got one. I carried and used it for a few months and enjoyed its performance. The blade was thin enough at the edge to cut well, the steel (Böehler N690Co) held its edge and was easy to resharpen. The handle was comfortable and I am a fan of the wire clip. The back spring was strong enough to keep the knife open and closed as needed, but not to stiff to impede easy one hand manipulation. The overall fit and finish was excellent. Well done Spyderco Maniago!
For me and my urban life style I have found that five centimeters of sharp is enough for my usual cutting tasks. The Squeak fit the role of urban cutter to a tee!
During the last Spyderco Meet in Amsterdam I enjoyed handling Nemo’s titanium and Elmax sprint run version of the Squeak. When Nemo suggested I try it out for a few months, I was delighted! Having carried this one for a while now, on its own as well as alternating with my FRN version, and I must say: I am impressed!
It seem even thinner at the edge and making it cut with little effort than my FRN version. I was unable to find any difference between the steels. I have found that it is difficult to tell steels apart in use. It is much easier to tell them apart by much effort they are to sharpen. Besides, I have a Spyderco Urban in Elmax from the same factory that I have carried and used for months that held its edge well.
The titanium handle was nicely rounded and, after having been in a pants pocket for a while, pleasantly warm to the touch. The smoothness of the titanium helped it slip in and out of the pocket just a little easier than the FRN model, without fear of it falling out by its self.
On Nemo’s Squeak the back spring is a little stronger due to titanium being stiffer than FRN, making the walk and talk more pronounced and the blade slightly harder to open with one hand. By-the-way, both the FRN and the titanium version can be opened with the Spydie drop! A sharp flick of the wrist does the trick!
Fit and finish is of a very high level. This knife exudes quality. All in all an excellent upgrade of the standard Squeak. Well done Spyderco!
The author: JD is a good friend and a regular contributor to the NKR. He also known for his precise skills in sharpening and is a real encyclopedia about knives. His carrying preferences goes for small folders. All Pictures and text copyrighted by JD.
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