One of the latest knives from Spyderco that I’ve just had to have is the Spyderco Leaf Storm designed by Kevin Wilkins. Formerly a Graphic Designer from Germany, Kevin Wilkins has become one of the premier new knifemakers to hit the scene, with a full selection of kitchen knives in addition to the usual sporting varieties.

I noted that the pricing for this model was considerably higher than other models utilizing the same materials such as the Chokwe. The Chokwe has identical materials but is manufactured in Taiwan (as opposed to USA for the Leaf Storm), allowing them to build a larger knife for the same price, but not to the same standards. While the Chokwe exhibits no blade play and has excellent lock up, it does has thick washers, indicating that it is not built to the same tolerances.

The Spyderco Leaf Storm is extremely well built, and works well for my as a three and a half finger knife, because I have small hands. I think this knife would not work well for individuals with large hands, however. The translucent natural G-10 handles look very cool and the solid Titanium Lock side is machined very precisely and bead blasted giving it a clean design. The Titanium slab is thinner than the G-10 side, which is something I don’t like about this knife, and my only complaint. While it is a minor issue, it still makes the knife thinner and lighter than I like. This may actually be the reason they elected to use thinner titanium, but I would have rather had matching thickness to the G-10.

The Titanium and G-10 sides are both beveled very nicely, and finish is generally high for a Spyderco. The street price of this knife is around $170US, which is very high, and quite a bit of knives are available at this price point. While I really like this knife and do not regret it’s purchase, I feel that there are a lot better values out there to be had. This knife will mostly appeal to Spyderco Collectors and fans of Kevin Wilkins that cannot afford or are not yet ready to purchase his custom work. For the money, a Spyderco Paramilitary or Military seems a better buy.

Specs:
Overall Length: 6 1/6″
Blade Length: 2 1/2″
Weight: 2.6oz
Handle Material: G-10
Blade Steel: CPM-S30V

I reviewed this one on video a while back, and have finally gotten around to writing up a written review for the non-youtubers out there. My impression of the Caly 3 Carbon Fiber with ZDP-189 Laminate blade has matured a bit with ownership of this knife, but I still really like it.

After further analysis of the finish on the carbon fiber handles of this knife, and comparison with other Spyderco knives using Carbon Fiber, I have decided that Spyderco simply uses 60 grit sanding belts on their Carbon Fiber and leaves it like that for cost reasons. I am used to the Carbon Fiber finishing on custom knives which is smoothed down to a fine 600-1500 grit, giving it a very smooth finish. To me, this almost defeats the purpose of using Carbon Fiber, as its visual qualities are not realized with such a rough finish. The argument the other way is that the rougher CF allows better grip on the knife handle. To each his own I suppose.

Out of the box, this Laminated ZDP-189 steel is deadly sharp, just like all other Spydercos, regardless of steel. The full flat ground Calypso 3 blade is a great size and extremely thin, allowing wicked cutting ability. It deploys quickly because of it’s large spydie hole and easy access, and the wire clip is easy to use not causing undue friction on the pants pockets.

If i had my way, I would have liked to see this knife with smoother CF scales and a full ZDP-189 Blade. The FRN version are also good, as the Calypso 3 is all about quick, light fast cutting ability making lighter handle materials the best choice. The ZDP-189 is more difficult to sharpen than VG-10, and definately holds an edge longer. Whether this is a good thing is a matter of personal preference.

Overall a great choice, and while the minor annoyances are there, the improvements over the standard VG-10/FRN Calypso 3 far outweigh the annoyances.

Specs
Overall Length: 7″
Blade Length: 3″
Closed Length: 4 1/16″
Weight: 3 oz
Blade Steel: ZDP-189 w/420J2 Laminate
Handle Material: Carbon Fiber

Video Review:

I previously reviewed the older generation of C11 Delica, but the Generation 4 delica represents a major revision to this iconic knife from Spydero, and warrants a review. I also happened to receive the knife in a trade, so I figured, might as well!

The majority of the changes come in with the design and execution. Gone is the popular Barrel Bolt used to hold the pocket clip and allow left and right hand positioning of it. The new clip uses three screws like most other clips out there and can be mounted in any of the four positions now. You are no longer forced to carry tip-up.

The Blade shape is also changed with a slight curve to the tip, creating a stronger tip. The delica has always been a bit prone to tip breakage under hard use, this should help alleviate the problem.

The handle has a new pattern to it. Gone is the Volcano Grip that was so popular, and in with the new type of grip, similar to the Calypso Junior. The Bi-Directional grip that prevents slippage forward towards to front of the handle, and prevents slippage backwards toward the rear of the handle. Similar to the way tread is designed on Snowboarding Boots for walking in the snow.

Overall, the changes do make the knife looks quite different to the aficionado, and they add a level of polish and versatility to a knife that is already a great EDC. This should make the knife appeal to even more people. While I personally don’t find this new Delica quite as classic in style, I do feel that the changes improve the usability of the tool.

Blade Length: 2 7/8?
Closed Length: 4 1/4?
Overall Length: 7 1/8?
Weight: 2.5oz

I’ve owned several Butterfly knives, and dollar for value, the Spyderfly is probably one of the best bang for buck Balis that I have seen. It’s unique design makes it a bit of an acquired taste for some, but with my limited flipping ability, the knife still acts like a Bali when I flip it.

The Spyderfly is considerably cheaper than other Balis of comparable quality, and part of the reason is the cast handles. They provide lots of weight and reduce production costs and parts count since they are one-peice, and do not require screws to hold them together. The blade is held to the handle by screws and bushings, and fit and finish is excellent given the price point.

I’m not an experienced bali-flipper, but I felt that this one balanced quite well and felt good in the hand, even with its odd looks. The VG-10 steel recurved dagger blade is razor sharp out of the box, as is typical of all Spyderco Knives I’ve purchased.

Overall the Spyderfly definately feels like a quality peice, and has a great sharp blade. I didn’t really try cutting anything with the Fly, aside from my arm hairs. Based on the quality of the construction, blade steel, and general fit and finish, I think the knife is an excellent value and a must-buy for anyone in the market for a unique Butterfly knife. The Spyderfly has since been discontinued, but is readily available on the secondary market.

Specs:
Blade Length: 4 1/8″
Closed Length: 6″
Overall Length: 9 3/4″
Blade Steel: VG-10
Handle Material: Cast Stainless Steel

This Spydero Millitary was one of the better examples that I had ever handled, with fantastic lockup and a perfectly centered and smooth opening blade. This example also did not have the blade rubbing against the G-10 handles that makes that rubbing sound that I dislike so much.

The beautiful full flat grind gives the knife a lot of appeal, and until recently when the Spyderco Police was changed to a flat grind, the Military was the best choice for a large fully flat ground folder from Spyderco. Now the best choice is really a matter of whether you prefer a lockback or a liner lock.

This D2 Foliage Green military is a sprint run using the desirable D2 steel, which cuts a bit more aggressively, and has a slightly coarser grain structure than the S30V that is typically used. Both are excellent steels, and hold a very good edge.

The D2 used on the Foliage Green Military is CPM-D2, which is a particle metallurgy D2 that has a finer and more consistence grain structure than regular D2 allowing it to take a finer edge and cut better. The steel is semi-stainless as well, making it very corrosion resistance for a tool steel.

Aside from the D2 steel and Green G-10, the knife is the same as the standard Military model. One of the things that bothers me about the Military model is the lack of liners. It makes the knife light, but makes the knife feel more flimsy in my hands.. and more susceptible to torque lock failure. Having said that, the knife does seem quite reliable and my attempts and forcing the lock to fail have not been successful.

Overall, I have found that the more recent Militarys that I have played with and owned to be better built than previous generations of Military. Whether this is because Spyderco has continued to revise their designs or because the production equipment is simply better I do not know, but it is better than it used to be as far as build quality. Still have not made the pocket clip reversible though.

The Military is a fantastic knife at the price point – long 4″ blade, premium steel, and very slim profile and lightweight build making it unnoticeable in your pocket. The perfect EDC.. well, not perfect, but not bad!

Specs:
Steel: CPM-D2
Blade Length: 4″
Overall Lenght: 9 1/2″
Handle Material: Foliage Green G-10

The Spyderco Vesuvius is one of the few FRN handled Spydies to have a smooth contoured handle, which I really like. It is also designed by Frank Centofante, which I was a bit surprised about. The design is much more in-house looking to me, but either way, I love the look and feel!

My Vesuvius with the compression lock did not have any problems, though I did not hard use it. The knife has FRN handles on the outside with stainless liners hidden inside to support the compression lock, which is kind of neat. It has the feel of FRN, with the heft of stainless. Not that the feel of FRN is especially good, but it is much warmer feeling than steel, and cheaper to manufacture.

I really like the silver spider that’s painted onto the FRN handles. It feels painted, rather than an inlaid steel spider, but that’s just an assumption. Pocket clip on this one is reversible for tip up and tip down carry, which also apparently had an impact on lock reliability. Some people experience lock failure only when the pocket clip was installed for tip down carry, which might be because the screws in the liner holding the pocket clip somehow strengthened the compression lock.

Blade on the Vesuvius is ATS-34, with a nice hollow grind and has a swedge on the top. If you look closely at mine, you will notice the grind of the swedge was done poorly, and actually goes too far on the front side, making it actually cut into the primary edge bevel. This doesn’t really affect the usability of the knife, but it is a manufacturing defect that somehow passed QC, and probably shouldn’t have.

Either way, this is a pretty sweet knife, and I really like how polished the knife looks and feels. The compression lock on mine seems to work really well and the weight and balance of the knife is great. Screws are Torx, and nothing is pinned, giving the knife that professional look that older Enduras just didn’t have. Great lines on this one too, Mr. Centofante did a fantastic job.

Blade Steel: ATS-34
Handle Material: FRN
Blade Length: 3 1/8″
Overall Length: 7 5/8″

I haven’t picked up a new Spyderco in a while, but every time I walk into the local knife shop, I see all their Spydercos displayed, and after a while I just can’t help myself. This time it was a Foliage Green Paramilitary that caught my eye, in the limited edition CPM D2 steel configuration. This is a very cool version of the Paramilitary!

This version of the Paramillie is even better, offering the super tough D2 semi-stainless steel and a cool foliage green G-10 handle, this bad boy is sure to hit the spot. It is offered in a limited edition run of 1200 peices I think, if memory serves (sometimes, it doesn’t!).

The full flat grind on the blade gives it a really nice thin edge, great for slicing, and gives it a very nice clean look. And as with all Spydies, the Paramilitary pops hair out of the box. Pocket clip is not reversable on this one, it is attached for right-hand tip-down carry only. It can, of course, be removed.

Lanyard hole is reinforced, and this model is torx-screw contruction. The blade bears Sal Glesser’s signature, and this particular model is made in their Golden, Colorado production facility.

Any paramilitary is a great knife, but this model in the superior D2 Steel with the unique G-10 scales is definately a step above, and gives you a bit more character than a standard issue Paramillie. Definately a great choice for any fan of Spyderco.

Overall Length: 7 7/8″
Blade Length: 3 3/32″
Blade Steel: CPM D2
Weight: 3.75 oz.
Handle Material: G-10

Since I reviewed the Ying Yang cricket I wasn’t going to review this FRN cricket, however this one is plain edged, and different enough I figured I would at least give a short review of it. The Cricket is definately one of the more popular ladies knives available, and due to the blade shape, works very well with textiles.

The pocket clip on the C29 Cricket is the same basic clip used on many Spyderco models, and not painted black, which I found somewhat odd. Not that its a big deal, but Spyderco tends to paint their clips black with the FRN models. FRN is the standard Volcano pattern as you can see from the pictures.

Steel on mine is ATS-55 and made in good ‘ol Seki-City, Japan. I feel that the Seki-City models of Spyderco knives from that era were superior to any of the other production facilities that Spyderco had as far as quality control and consistency. The blades come scary sharp, and pop hairs easily. Might not want to try that with a Cricket though, since the blade shape might cause you to cut yourself!

I think overall, the Cricket is a knife that a lot of people would find handy to keep around. The blade shape is great as a general utility knife to keep handy in a drawer for opening packages, or cutting paper, or what have you. The slight recurve is great for opening envelopes, and the small size makes it sheeple friendly and easy to carry in a pocket or purse.

Blade Steel: ATS-55
Overall Length: 4 1/2?
Blade Length: 1 3/4?
Handle Material: FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon)

Yet another Spyderco, same FRN construction, though this Merlin here is a bit of a rarer knife. The Merlin is basically an FRN version of the Harpy, with slight differences in blade steel, shape and thickness. This Spyderco Merlin is a plain edge model, which is extremely rare as they are no longer made.

I received this knife in a trade, for what, I do not remember.. but soon after I realized that it was a worth a small premium over the standard Spyderedged models as I had received some trade offers from a few hardcore Spyderco Collectors for it.

The FRN construction of this Merlin is no different than the Enduras or Delicas of the same vintage, with and identical handle as the FRN Delica. There is absolutely no difference in their handles that I could detect, aside from the logo on the handle saying “Clipit Merlin” instead of “Clipit Delica”. This model was also new enough to have the David Boye Dent as well.

Overall the Merlin is a neat knife, but unless you’re a collector or want it for cutting rope, or carpet or for use in the garden for cutting roses or something like that, you’re better off spending your money on the cheaper Delica. The Merlin is a specialty knife with limited everyday use for most people.

Specs:
Blade Length: 2 7/8″
Overall Length: 6-7/16″
Blade Steel: ATS-55
Handle Material: Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon

Spyderco does not make a lot of black coated knives in regular runs like most of the big companies out there, and instead released them in small numbers for certain models only. Usualy only a few models are available in black at a time such as the Paramilitary, Native and Delica models. Even with their size, Spyderco has a grassroots feel to it because owner Sal Glasser is still very involved in the knife community.

This knife is identical to a standard endura in every way, except for the black coating on the blade. Spyderco workhorse VG-10 steel is used for the blade, and Fiberglass reinforced nylon for the handle. Pocket clip on all these model is reversable for left side carry via the butt-end barrel bolt that can be removed with either a flat head or a phillips screwdriver.

Construction of the knife is riveted, so adjustments cannot be made. Locking mechanism is a lock back, with David Boye dent to prevent accidental release. Overall a great knife to use and carry with it’s slim profile, and above average lock security. You can’t go wrong with the Endura, whether it is black coated or not.

Specs:
Blade Length: 3-3/4″
Overall Length: 8-1/2″
Blade Steel: VG-10 Stainless, Black Coated
Handle Material: FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon)