The K390 Delica has always been a monster of pocket knife (click on the name to go to my old review of the Delica with buffed sprint alloy). The thin blade mixed with the super tool steel allow (K390) alloy has proven to be amazing for hardchore. From their Seki Japan plant, Spyderco is producing many different K390 model, folders and fixed blades. The Stretch 2 being highly regarded as one of their best design.
So here you got an incredibly tough, strong and wear resistant blade on scales produced by Lynch. A typical Sal Glesser design: performance first !
But Lynchnw has taken that game to another league with their scale:
“A few years ago Casey put out a very limited run of the LynchNW MOD 1 Delica 4 and some scale sets. This is our newest Delica MOD 2 Titanium Scale Kit, modifying your choice of Delica 4 Knife with a set of Custom Titanium scales, featuring a forward finger choil, blade profiled scale holes, smooth bellied profile, a custom titanium back-spacer, enlarged lanyard hole, and a custom designed deep carry titanium clip. ” To quote Lynchnw.com site.”
What bring these new scales apart of adding titanium for the pure neo industrial look of it ? It bring many things:
A finger choil. A real one.
A longer handle and your pinkie will thank you for that.
A slim package which is soft on your pocket trousers.
Seven holes which are showing the edge of your knife when it’s closed.
See how cute is it ?
So here we got a very friendly city pocket knife which is not screaming “I’m a sword from Hell !!” like my new beloved Hellboy Chief or this AFCK in M2.
It looks like a lady and gentleman knife. But beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
This one share the same core engine as a Police 4: K390 at 65HRC in a thin geometry ! It is a Metropolice knife.
The Amphibian Milestone in CPM Magnacut iq PARA MILITARY® 2 SALT® BLACK G-10 CPM MAGNACUT® BLACK BLADE – C81GMCBK2 which is much too long to fit in a title.
This is not my first Paramillie 2, I usually wear the 52100 carbon fiber version but I have used many many version in S90V, CPM Cruwear and S30V. The 52100 is actually the exact opposite of this new version. Announced at the 2023 Amsterdam Minimeet, a Paramillie impervious to the element. Better: a nautical version ready to stand tall in frond of the salty waves of the ocean’s breakers. Then the wait began.
And here it is, in all its glory ! Delivered with Larrin Thomas dreamlike alloy: the CPM Magnacut ! A steel which hits a lot of sweet spots. Like some sort of totally rustfree CPM M4: strong, resilient and able to withstand thin edges without chipping. So why adding a DLC on that alloy ? Overkill can be fun, can’t it be ?
Here are 3 versions. The 52100, the CPM Cruwear and CPM Magnacut from right to left. Three excellences in their own way all designed by Sal and Eric Glesser. CPM Magnacut is a story of love. Quoting his metallurgist of designer: “The carbide structure of MagnaCut is much finer than the common powder metallurgy stainless steels such as CPM-154, M390, Elmax, S35VN, etc. The only stainless PM steel I have imaged which is competitive in terms of carbide/nitride size is Vanax. MagnaCut is even somewhat finer than CPM-4V and Vanadis 4 Extra, the non-stainless steels that MagnaCut was modeled after. This is an excellent result and should lead to excellent properties.”
Quoting Spyderco: “This tour-de-force expression of the Para Military 2 showcases a full-flat-ground blade crafted from CPM MagnaCut—a state-of-the-art particle metallurgy steel that offers an exceptional balance of edge retention, toughness, and superior corrosion resistance. Cloaked in a non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, the PlainEdge blade is housed in a handle featuring peel-ply-textured black G-10 scales machined with the signature Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern of Spyderco’s US-made Salt Series knives. To complement its blade steel and finish, the knife’s nested stainless steel liners, four-position pocket clip, and all other hardware are also made from ultra- corrosion-resistant materials and black coated.”
That new Salty Paramillie is destined to be an amphibian workhorse, an hippocampus !! All hardware is black coated but the stop pin which is silver and made of “fearlessly corrosion-resistant marine-grade materials“. The handle (as efficient it is to be non slippery) is destined to be a pocket shredder as it is carved to be used with wet oily hands. Your trousers will suffer !! Unless, like myself you are a compulsive user of sandpaper. And even then, it will be hard on pocket’s lips.
The Diamond Like Coating is not only protecting a blade which doesn’t need any protection, it gives a strong Mall Ninja vibe also. Usually coating brings some king of lubrification to the matter separation. I’m not impressed so far, even on sausages. The geometry is perfect on my PM Salty. Thin as a razor though.
One thing I had to change was the clip. It was replaced by a Flytanium Universal Titanium Clip which is short and deep carry. Also I have moved the clip for a Tip Up carry which suit the Paramillie better in my book.
Of course de-shouldering the edge is the first step to convex that I do on new knives. Especially I have read that Magnacut loves leather stropping.
And this is true ! The edge turned quick into a über razor state.
It zipped through meat like a lightsaber into banta meat.
So now the game is on. The Salty Magnacut Paramillie is ready to kick all other knives from my pockets and be used on the long run. Let see what this cutlery apogee era knife has to propose on the long run !
Behind the code “SC28FP2WK390” is hidden one of the gem designed inhouse by Sal Glesser. The Dragonflies are legion. (All those green texts are actually links)
Quoting Spyderco: “The Dragonfly 2 is one of the most size-efficient folding knives ever created, especially when expressed with a straight-edged Wharncliffe-style blade. When that blade is crafted from tough, wear-resistant K390 tool steel, the result is a compact, powerhouse cutting tool that will take and hold an exceptional edge.
Like the standard Dragonfly 2, this knife also features a user-friendly back lock, and a reversible deep-pocket wire clip, but its linerless FRN handle is molded in the signature blue color of Spyderco’s K390 family of knives.”
The Dragonflies are very small locking knives which has been made in many many ways: stainless steel handle, Salt rustproof serie and many Sprint Run is now offered in Wharncliffe blade shape with one of the best super tool steel available K390. Such a strong steel on a small thin tool is a must try. Wharncliffe blades offers such a great performance. I have reviewed it many times. Backlocks or Lockbacks are known to be the strongest lock available and by design you are chocking the blade by the hum and the choil and you are applying your cutting force directly to it and not to the handle, preserving the mechanism for harder chores.
The handle despite being reduced is for 4 fingers grasp. This is a tour-de-force in term of design.
My Pingo’s blade is thicker and as a splint joint it has proven to be a really great companion. The Dragonfly is destined to propose a more aggressive solution in term of matter separator in a smaller package.
The Wharncliffe design is king in the plate as only the point get in contact and the edge is preserve from hard contact with ceramic. So this little knife can be used as a very small steak knife.
Actually my friend Jur told me: “The older you will get the smaller knives you will prefer. He was right.”
All in all the Dragonfly in K390 is a very nice combinaison. A very compact thin tool equipped with a strong blade ? This is a great Lady or Gentleman companion.
Article written by Nemo Sandman – Edited the 12th of December 2022. All rights (pictures and text) reserved.
Have you ever asked yourself why they are so many Spyderco Sprint Run released (out of the blue most of the time) with gorgeous carbon fibers handle and impressive CPM S90V blades ? Because Sal Glesser loves both materials.
CF is for him a reminiscence of love of motorsports and S90V is a stainless steel which has proven to be in another league in terms of high performance and reliability.
So, long story shorts: Full Flat Grind +Carbon Fibers+ S90V = Sal Glesser’s favorite combo !
And to quote my friend Spydercollector:
“When the Bushcraft fixed blade was first announced, Sal also planned to do a so-called NASA version; a version of the Bushcraft knife with all high-tech materials. I believe NASA is a protected name, but Endeavour still evokes the high-tech approach most people associate with the famous space agency. The Endeavour features a full flat grind S90V blade and full sculpted carbon fiber handles. It was a beautiful knife with a grip that had me looking around for stuff to cut.”
Here is the Proficient: it is designed by wilderness expert Chris Claycomb of Bushcraft UK, the Proficient functions perfectly with traditional bushcraft skills and cutting methods. Carefully contoured and polished to eliminate hot spots and ensure maximum comfort during prolonged use.
Bushcraft knives have specific parameters such as having blades between 4-6 inches. Spyderco’s is typical of the genre with a 4-inch blade (no handguard) that’s fully-tanged.
Bushcrafters don’t seek the characteristics of stainless over the performance of high-carbon edge retention and this is why traditional Bushcraft knives are produced using tool steel. O-1’s high carbon content offers long-term cutting retention but sharpens easily when laying on a new edge. The knife carries on a belt or strap encased in a leather sheath. Blueprinted for wilderness chores, it slices, chops, whittles and processes game in traditional Bushcraft style.
To quote Spyderco: “The Spyderco Proficient takes the concept of the traditional “do-all” bushcraft knife and elevates it to new levels of performance with state-of-the-art materials and manufacturing methods. Designed by wilderness expert Chris Claycomb of Bushcraft UK, the Proficient functions perfectly with traditional bushcraft skills and cutting methods while offering superior durability, edge retention, cutting performance, and corrosion resistance Instead of traditional carbon steel and an axe-like “Scandi” (Scandinavian) grind, the Proficient’s blade is crafted from vanadium-rich CPM®S90V particle-metallurgy stainless steel and boasts a full-flat grind for low-friction cutting performance.“
This concept of stainless steel with black polished handle is, ten years later, now endorsed by the excellent Casström No. 10 Swedish Forest Knife Black Micarta, 14C28N Flat Grind for example.
I had tried and discovered CPMS90V when it was called CPM420V thanks to Darrel Ralph (RIP) and his beautiful Apogee folder. Its blade was so wear resistant, without diamonds, only a back stand could turn it from dull to sharp. It was a bear to sharp. It still is but now we got as End Line User access to industrial diamonds.
I have written a lot about S90V. This alloy has proven it can be tough enough as a stainless steel to be used in any all terrain tools; especially since it is available on Manly folders which got the reputation of using a very fine thin geometry on their blades. Modern Bushcrafters (like the Benchmade Puukko) are focused on toughness with the use of the very tough CPM 3V.
What brings CPMS90V ? 1- It is stainless ! Even if you (and I) love the patina on a great carbon steel blade, to hold a reliable stainless steel blade is very easing the mind when working near water, rain, sea. 2- It is really hard to get dull even when used on tricky material like brown cardboard (full of silice).
Also the full flat grind is a must in a matter separator specialized in wood works. As much as I love Scandi Grind found on Woodlore clones (first designed by Ray Mears). I have found that especially in the wonderful Spyderco Sprig full flat ground knives can be really efficient on hard wood. (BTW when the writing appears in green: it is a link !! and I have tested them here.)
The Sprig was really an impressive tool in term of pure geometry. Designed as a hunting fishing knife, it was a wood eater, a real beaver of a knife, cutting deep and with ease. Guess what? It the same profile on the Proficient especially after some convexing which should be arriving sooner than later and will be in a second article. So far that contour handle is a charm to use and I will be using it for the second article. The old O1 Bushcrafter got enough heft for light chopping, the Proficient is made for powerful push cuts. This is going to be another experience. The Proficient is not a big knife, actually once in its sheath, it can disappear in the front pocket of my Denim. No need to have dangling at my belt.
So what do we got ? Imagine the plateforme of the Bushcrafter (link) a solid companion, a reliable 4×4 and you just turn it into some Urus from Lamborghini: stellar alloy and lighter tougher handle. What not to love ? The Proficient is Sal Glesser’s gambit, taking a risk because the Bushcraft community loves carbon steel and wooden/natural handle. Also that jewel got a price. And people in bushcraft are not wall street sharks. They use Opinel, Mora and at great max some 100 euros fixed blades. (Unless they want to afford an original Woodlore….) So the stealth wealth of that Nasa Bushcrafter was not for everyone. Like a Lambo actually. But real performance got a price.
Article written by Nemo Sandman – Edited the 12th of December 2022. All rights (pictures and text) reserved.
Prologue: “Seeing what I believe.” On one of the social networks an happy owner of a new Spydiechef in LC200N steel (like the UKPK) was displaying some pictures of his new acquisition. And there go the comments, mostly to congratulate him and share experiences… when I have noticed some young guy’s: “Too bad this knife is provided with a steel softer than the wooden board it is displayed on.” I thought to myself: could LC200N have a reputation of being soft ? Immediately I have checked the Rockwell of Spyderco’s LC200N found on various sites and apart the LC200N Mule being at 56 HRC, it is known to be currently at 58 HRC. So I have asked to young guy (very proud of its REX45 collection) what LC200N knife he has had such a bad experience with, sharing with him my own mostly excelelnt experience with LC200N I own. After a very long passive-aggressive answer from him (we know how people are such a d1ck with a keyboard under their fingers…) about how he was so knowledgable by just watching videos on youtube he then wrote me that he had never owned any knife in LC200N. So eventually this guy was pissing on the parade with zero knowledge of the subject. It is typically the kind of behavior we can notice on the social networks those days. Some so called “experts” don’t believe what they see but only they only see what they believe. The armchairs specialists are long disappeared and here comes the arrogance of the “believers”. This is the plague of our time: not being your own source. Not checking twice. And not experiencing first hand what is put as a statement. This is some kind of Reign of Assumptions with its digital garden where flourish fake informations in all subjects. This is not something to be taken lightly. And the only cure is being your own source then read, check and cross opinions.
Anyway… Is LC200N as soft as wood ? Certainly not. It is even much better than H1 in terms of edge holding. (H1 being the other steel on the Salt Serie). But H1 is excellent on serration blade, as it is getting harder during the serrating process like 67HRC. (H1 being a work hardened steel, the process that grinds the SE blades hardens the edge to 67, while the PE blades are 58.) Also you can’t have flat ground blade with H1 but you can with LC200N. So far, LC200N as 58HRC has amazed me. Of course it is not in the range of Maxamet or 20CV but it is worry free good edge holding and not chipping edge’s steel.
Also I have notice how people believe cutting wood is the ultimate edge holding challenge. Nope. Cutting clean piece of wood is not challenging in my own experience. I have found different grain of steel react on different grain of wood. M2HSS (Speedstar steel) gave me soft surface on chestnut cuts for example. The challenging media to cut through are brown cardboard for example because of sand in it. Cardboard and also great way to refresh an edge by stropping the blade on it. You can have a look at my journey in Tuscany with the Spydiechef.
Back on the UKPK. I have “unshouldered” my edge to get to a gentle convex, keeping the manufactured edge with its microserrations. I always do that when I love a knife as my favorite way to refresh my edge is using an old barber leather bought in Tuscany on a garage sale 15 years ago.
The blade stays “lock” in open position when stropping and this is much better that previous version of the UKPK like I have stated in the first glimpse. The razor’s level of sharpness is easily restored and the thin blade goes steadily into all material it has encountered. One great enemy of a fine edge is the plate under the meal. Many times I have given an angle to my knife to avoid touching the ceramic at a 90° angle. With the UKPK I have not given a shoot. I have use it as my steak knife like they were no tomorrow. Also the the yellow knife has been friendly approved by the rest of the family who has used it also on plates and stuff without any sign of pity. The edge near the point has rolled but nothing I could not fix in less than 5 seconds on a ceramic rod. Eventually the rest of the blade was mostly as razor as before. On short blades mostly the point and the very first part of the blade are used on board/plate cutting. It is also a part I have less convexed to keep some useful thickness there. Of course cutting lemons and any acid food will never bring any sign of patina on LC200N and many times I have fold it dirty when it was not just quickly rinsed under the tap. The UKPK also offers a very pointy blade which proves to be very useful in many task. LC200N being very forgiving it is sturdy enough for not having any concern about it. Of course I won’t use a slipjoint like a bushcrafter or even the great Wolfspyder but still, old timers used to go in the wood only with Swiss Army Knives or Pradel slipjoints folders and were able to use them for many camp tasks. The choil and hump of the UKPK’blade working as quillions you can apply a lot of force directly to the blade as I have also been whittling with it.
The thin spine makes it not really confortable for thumb pushing cuts though. In that game of pushcuts the Yojimbo 2 is king with its 4mm spine. But the UKPK goes deep in its cut without much pressure on the spine. Also when the blade is stuck in the wood it has no tendencies to fold on your finger like previous version of it. This is a great relief. The yellow handle looks like plastic but those FRN slabs are very rigid. There is no play and it gives you a felling of confidence in your tool. Also the “pro-sheeple” general look helps a lot when using the UKPK in public. So far it has developed zero plays which is enjoyable.
Quick draw: a friend has challenged me to open the knife using my major finger. At first I thought it would not be possible unless being Check Norris. Eventually:
But this is in Spyderdrop that the UKPK is steadily open: holding the knife by the hole and with a flick of the wrist. So it is a slipjoint with a very fast draw opening. The previous Spyderco Splijoint as fast as this one is my Pingo which can be open by inertia as the momentum of the thick blade helps a lot.
So far the UKPK has proven to be a fun knife to use. It is easy to deploy and reliable on the tasks. It can be a primary knife in the city and secondary knife in the woods and its lightness makes it easy to keep in the pocket. It will also find a place to be clipped on any swimsuit and that what makes it so unique. Fishermen will be very glad also as it is so easy to clean and to spot. The opening of the 3 screws montage on this UPKP (some other G10 UKPK got a longer spring/backspacer and 4 screws) make it a breeze to rinse. It is a Gentleman/Lady knife with an all terrain attitude and a very reliable positive semi locking system which can sustain a lot of power cuts. Really a unique gem !
“Originally developed in response to restrictive knife laws in England that prohibited the carry of one-hand-opening lock-blade knives, the UK Penknife was the trailblazer of Spyderco’s unique SLIPIT™ line of knives. Now this iconic knife makes history again as the first non-locking member of our ultra-corrosion-resistant Salt® Series.
Its full-flat-ground, leaf-shaped blade is precision machined from nitrogen-enriched LC200N steel and housed in a high-visibility yellow FRN handle. A reversible deep-pocket wire clip and fully accessible Trademark Round Hole ensure that this fearlessly corrosion-resistant cutting tool is both left and right-hand friendly.”
OK that’s Spyderco’s original topo. Eventually it is the best way to describe it. I have had a UKPK as a gift at Amsterdam Minimeet. I think it was in GIN-1 steel and the blade was in another shape. But long story short the spring was so weak it was not pleasant to use. What a great surprise on this Salt UKPK: at least the slipjoint locking system is much stronger than ever make it really a pleasure to use. Of course, unlike on his little brothers: the Urban and the Squeak the UKPK is a four finger grip slipjoint folder with the index on the choil, used as the main security.
The choil on the UKPK (like the Military C36) is reminiscence of San Francisco Gambler’s boots daggers in the 19th century which means on the force during a cut is transfered to the blade directly not the handle and pivot. It is the Roman folding knife system where the handle was more considered as a sheath more than a handle.
The blade is thin and Spyderco provide one of the highest performance in cutting experience out of the box. My UKPK cut like a razor. The performance on this one, geometry wise, are on par with Manly’s thin blades and even Opinel’s. It is not made for Midford’s fans. There is a lot of European flavour in that leave shaped blade which looks a lot like the Caly3. It is some kind of UK Caly actually.
The Blade is long and pointy and requires less force to do the job as seen on my plastic bottle butt test. It has cut right in the middle steadily right in the thicker part of the matter. With your major finger on the choil you can shock up the blade for delicate works. Really it is versatile and polyvalent. Actually it cancel my need for a slipjoint Native. 3 inches blade on a 10cm handle, when Imperial meets metrics. LC200N is a space steel which has shown great properties and not only in the stainless department. The users of the Spydiechef, like myself have found how steady the edge was kept and how easy it was to keep it fresh. LC200N has shown how it was forgiving (not chipping on mine) and ready to work long hours. A true workhorse steel !
Colour wise the yellow and black handle on the UKPK is very friendly. It looks like a scuba diving accessory. This is a knife made for going on the ocean. A real all terrain friendly companion. There is even a serrated version for the mariners with many rope and fibrous matter cutting tasks. The Salt collection is made for that: having a dirty knife in a sea salty socked pocket and not minding at all. At 48 grammes (1,7oz) this is thought a travelling companion. The deep carry wire clip is a must even to wear it inside the watch pocket of denims.
There is no play in my UKPK. The spring retention is great. The jimpings are really positive under the pulp of the fingers. It is a serious contender to the hyper polyvalent Native Salt which has got one major issue in my book: its clip and a little more toyish and “boxy” handle. I know this really subjective but the UKPK handle feels more qualitative. So here we got an all terrain slipjoint with strong mechanism and thin pointy blade. A knife impervious to the elements which can be clipped to a swimming suit and take care of oysters easily. Really the UKPK Salt is one of the best Made In Golden folder and the first Scuba Diving Slipjoint. It is even a slipjoint which makes you forget it has no lock. Highly recommended.
“It’s been a long road Getting from there to here It’s been a long time But my time is finally near…”
Yes, it has been 22 years (since 1999) that we have been waiting for the Native Chief to be produced.
Sal Glesser said:
In 2008: “We only made one prototype. The model never went into production.”
In 2017: “The Native “Chief” has been on hold for some 15 – 20 years. I imagine we can get it to queue if there is demand. I’ll watch the thread. The Shaman is designed to be 3.5″ blade length which is legal in more places that the Chief’s 4.0″ blade.”
In 2018 “Working on the refinements for the 3rd prototype. We work on roughly 20-30 designs at any given time…. We’ll use a Golden back lock.” Then… “I’ve been carrying a “Chief prototype. A 20 year old “sal” design with modern “Eric” mods.” had written Sal Glesser in March 2019.
As shown on Eric Glesser video “Native Chief Breakdown”, the prototype looks a lot like the finale version.
Here is also a video from Wouter (Spydercollector) presenting the production sample:
Also, knowing the Vanilla version released in 2019, all made in their new facility in Golden Colorado Earth, was in S30V, waiting for a Sprint Run was mandatory in my case. I got my eye on the Rex45 Chief before even to be able to get the Tree Rex Shaman. Rex45 seems to me a great steel for such a “toothpick”. Last year I had the chance to get a Tree Rex and my experience with that alloy made the wait of the Chief even longer. You can read my thoughts about CPM REX45 here:
To quote Spyderco’s site: “Crucible® CPM® REX® 45 is a super-high-speed particle metallurgy tool steel enriched with large volumes of cobalt, tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium. Its high cobalt content increases the steel’s attainable hardness and enhances the positive properties of the steel’s other alloys. The addition of vanadium promotes the formation of vanadium carbides, which provide high wear resistance, fine grain size and increased toughness.“
CPM Rex45 is just great: no chipping, pleasant to keep ultra sharp with only some leather + compound stropping: a great super steel. Just be careful with its dust with 10% of toxic cobalt, better be safe than sorry.
OK, my Chief was expected for the first of April, hence the name “Joker”. The slim shade and the burnt orange color scales also inspired me… (Certainly not the Joachim’s or Jared’s crappy interpretations, much more Ledger and Bolland.)
Back to the knife: stretching in length the Native is a beautiful result. Since the Native model people were asking for a longer version and a shorter version, they have been heard.
Right out of the box, the Chief felt very angular: sharp edges on the scales, gritty G10, and a lot of hot spot on the choil/ricasso and the blade spine. My Mandy City felt the exact opposite and it cost me a third of the Chief Price. So I was a little disappointed. It was not love at the first sight. Luckily , I know my Spyderco for a looooong loooong time and get my sandpaper ready.
I have send it under the tap to avoid any G10 dust which are really toxic for the lungs. Now the handle is suiting my taste.
The last experience I got with thick all-G10 construction knife in the Spyderco Family was the great Manix 2 Lockback (sold for 99 euros !) which was a great hard working folder.
The G10 slabs are much more thick than with the steel liners construction. Quoting Sal: “Actually Eric and Tom went over this model with the engineers for quite a while before making the decision to make it liner-less. We’ve done a lot of experimenting lately and you can see a lot in the many different designs and options. It surprises me that some would think to make decisions on values without any experience. if we screwed it up, we’ll fix it, but we don’t screw up often considering the many envelopes we’re willing to push.”
Compared to the Police:
You can compared thick G10 and thinG10+Liners.
As with the steel liner’s knives, there is zero flex and zero play, horizontal or vertical. It is like a vault. (My old Benchmade AFCK BM800HSS got titanium liners and flexes a lot.) G10 is a really solid material. They even makes stealthy fixed knives with G10 blades… A steel liner could also bend and warp, not a thick G10 slab IMHO. Also the Cold Steel Recon folders are steel linerless and Cold Steel’s Recons are known for their sturdiness. I got an XL Recon and the lack of liner is really not an issue. The blade, helped by two bronze phosphorous washers, chutes free when unlock which is very reliable and easy to learn to put back the knife in the pocket. It is done smoothly and fast. It is a very secure way to close your knife.
Let’s not forget: a one hand opening knife needs to be a one hand closing knife. The best example is using a knife at the top of a ladder: you want to be able to get the knife back in the pocket easily and safely.
I’m not a huge fan of the hour glass clips founded on the Native 5 and the Delica/Endura/Paramillie/Para3. It has been immediately replaced mine with a Blade4sell small titanium clip. Let’s do a family photo:
On the Shaman (“made to be a fairly heavy duty folder. Simple, but stout.” according to Sal), the Chief, the Native and the Lil’ Native my favorite clip is that last one.
The Native family is the no “hump” clan of the Spyderco Catalog. The Chief is co signed by Eric and Sal.
Back to the Orange Chief, I was not really pleased also by its edge geometry. I felt it thick behind the edge. Even if the knife was razor sharp out of the box, it could not pass my plastic bottle test which consist in cutting the butt of a soda bottle by the center which is thicker. The thin Manly City was able to do it right out of the box, as were able my Swayback, my PPT or even my Delica too for example… The champions being the Michael Walker and the Nilakka. It is a matter of “deshouldering”, convexing the edge as always.
Diamonds are super steel best friends.
And now it is able to pass the test. 🙂 But let’s do it again for good measure.
Once thinned with diamonds, I usually strop it for a nice shining results. So far I need more elbow grease but it slowly get better and better.
Also the choil was very sharp to my taste. A little diamond filing and it was much more finger friendly.
So far, the Chief is a slim knife but destined to be very polyvalent. When the Shaman is very outdoors oriented, the Chief finds its place also in the kitchen. It takes time to built a natural patina on Rex45 but it will come later after some fruits and hot meats.
The orange scales make it very table’s friendly too, despite its very pointy shape which could make sheeples nervous.
In a plate nothing force you to keep the edge perpendicular to the surface. I have found REX45 being hard to dull on plates anyway. It is a very easy going steel.
Another easy going steel is K390 found in the Police Model. You can see it is a tad longer than the Chief with also a thinner stock blade.
The Chief is elegant and certainly one of the most beautiful design in the Spyderco scuderia. Their backlock is so solid, the handle will break before it. Sal Glesser knows that making a longer version of the Native was not as simple as a sketch on a drawing board. You can watch the video at the end of this article about that.
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”. 😀
Thanks to Geoffrey from Normandeep.fr , I have the opportunity to test various knives of his collection. The Leaf Storm is one of them. And it was a thick bird and have bought second hand…
They are a rattle when closed and the culprit was easy to find. The previous owner has pushed to much on the lock slab… First step: I remove the screws on the G10 side. They are long and goes into the titanium liner on the other side.
It is a very simple construction made in Golden Colorado.
The lock bar has been forced outward and has not enough tension anymore. The detent ball is even not working anymore.
By gently pressing inward I was able to give more tension to the lock. Much better !
Some nano oil drops for good measure.
And voilà. I have not put any blue lock tite, leaving Geoffrey free to do it, as it can stain the jade G10 too…
What a beautiful little critter ! It has been design by American Kevin Wilkins started as a graphic designer and art student then an art director. He moved to Berlin in the early 90s where the knife bug really sank in. By 1995 he worked out how to make his hobby a livelihood and one of his favorite designs he called the Leaf Storm, dixit Spyderco card.
It is small lady and gentleman knife that fits and carries in the watch-pocket of a pair of denim jeans. Let’s compare it with one of the best little big knife Spyderco is producing.
My Lil’Native (featuring JD’s edge) got the same size and I carry it in my watch pocket. Main difference could be the hollow grind versus the full flat grind but not for me. What I miss the most is the choil…
Because as both knives got the same blade length, the Native give the opportunity to chock up the knife and have plenty of space for 4 fingers.
The Leaf Storm got no protection with its large ricasso and could be an issue if it is sharp. And it is sharp. My pinkie could be cut easily.
With the hammer grip, this is my index knife which is now the next candidate for a flesh wound… In my own opinion, the Leafstorm is an eye candy and a collector knife, as it is rare now, been discontinuited but the action is not smooth and gritty and the ergos not to my taste, I rather go with my little Walker C22CFPE or my Lil’Native. There is even some lock sticking as there is no steel interface… It is a little on the crude side compare to smooth Lil’Native. Golden factory has made a lot of progress since the release of the LeafStorm. Designing little folders is not an easy task and esthetics are not mandatory. The LeafStorm is a beauty but not palm friendly.
Did you know that John Rambo was inpired by a Season In Hell by Arthur Rimbaud. Also David Morrell, First Blood’s author, was looking for a name for his heroe and his wife brought him some apple: Rambo’s Apples. Anyway, Rimbaud was not born in Bowie, Arizona like John Rambo but in Charleville, a city dear to my heart, in the Ardennes and for fans of Nine Princes in Amber from Zelazny. So let’s see why that knife could be a Rimbaud’s knife.
As you can notice, they are dust… No, I mean you can notice the “Drunken” texture designed for a high performance grip: a wave pattern. There is a poem from Arthur Rimbaud named “Le Bateau Îvre” -“The Drunken Boat”. This poem is famous because, at least in French, its verses are built like waves and you can feel in your guts, the fear of a sailor on a boat going out of control in the middle of a tempest. (“The poem describes the drifting and sinking of a boat lost at sea in a fragmented first-person narrative saturated with vivid imagery and symbolism.” dixit Wikipedia. ” Rimbaud, then aged 16, wrote the poem in the summer of 1871 at his childhood home in Charleville in Northern France. Rimbaud included the poem in a letter he sent to Paul Verlaine in September 1871 to introduce himself to Verlaine. Shortly afterwards, he joined Verlaine in Paris and became his lover. Rimbaud was inspired to write the poem after reading Jules Verne‘s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which had recently been published in book form, and which is known to have been the source of many of the poem’s allusions and images. Another Verne novel, The Adventures of Captain Hatteras, was likely an additional source of inspiration.” More there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Bateau_ivre). Rambo was a very young poet genius but the second half of his life he was a “blade runner”, also a weapon’s and spices’ retailer in the Red Sea and Abyssinie Africa, a true adventurer. Again you can read is incredible life here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rimbaud
But there is more link with John Rambo’s character freedom and survival: “After studying several languages (german, italian, spanish), he went on to travel extensively in Europe, mostly on foot. In May 1876 he enlisted as a soldier in the Dutch Colonial Army to get free passage to Java in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Four months later he deserted and fled into the jungle. He managed to return incognito to France by ship; as a deserter he would have faced a Dutch firing squad had he been caught.”
So back to the Dmitry Sinkevich’s Drunken, and its poetic pattern, name and … price. As you can notice, this is not huge folder but it deliver a tremendous blade length for its size. The blade is shape is beautifully flat ground and is gently bevelled on the spine. Another oozing qualities knife and of course it is justifying its high price. This is not a flash batch like the Bombshell but a regular Spyderco release. Again I need to thank Geoffrey from Normandeep.fr who has sent me his own Drunken for me to have a taste. Actually I was very surprised in a good way. It is a light (the titanium scale is “webbed” to reduce weight) and solid knife with a tanked RIL mechanism equiped with a steel interface, absolutely well balanced, alive in your hand. It’s a looker, you can gaze for hours: a true gem made in Taichung.
The big issue with that near to perfect knife is the clip. I have noticed it when I found myself not able to insert the clip in my trouser.
As you can see, the lip of the pocket is getting caught between the hole in “step” in the titanium scale and the clip.
Unless I’m helping it with my index finger by lifting the clip… which is also pointy… I can’t clip it. Another issue pointed by our friend Alexandre Constantinoff in the Spyderco Fan Club France on Facebook is…
The one-screw-clip got some serious lateral play. And that’s for a knife that price is a shame especially coming from Spyderco which are the first to promote clips for more than 30 years.
As you can see Geoffrey’s Drunken got its clip already already marked and he told me he will find a solution to suit his need.
Here is the Drunken with two very similar Spyderco releases: the PPT on the left and the Spydiechef. The PPT Sprint Run share a S90V Blade and a Carbon Fiber/Titanium handle and unusual clip and the Spydiechef is really a brother in design.
They are a lot in common with those two, don’t you think ? From the side of the hole to the shape of the blade and the handle…
Actually you can notice the Spydiecheff clip is perfect, it goes far from the cut slab and the deep carry wire clip is perhaps the best clip in the Spyderco line.
So the Drunken in use is also very pleasant. The action is not especially smooth but you feel the solid lock with a loud KLAK once engaged. Then the handle is even more confortable than the one of the Spydiechef, less blocky with its facets and bevels. The large pivot screw is great for shocking up the knife and the angle of the blade is providing a lot of power and control in the cuts. If the clip’s issue was forgotten, we could have here one of the best Spyderco ever release with zero compromise in terms of pleasure to use. Just that pointy shaggy ugly clip which ruins the experience and that’s a real problem for a knife at that price. But, oh, what a beautiful geometrically handle…
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