A Review of Four Superior Spyderco Knives

Something that is interesting about Spyderco is that they pioneered many of the commonly found features of modern day folding knives, such as the pocket clip, serrations, and the opening hole. The very first Spyderco folding knife was released in 1981 by the Glessers. Since that first knife being released, Spyderco has grown to become one of the leaders in the knife industry. Spyderco knives are known for being innovative and reliable. With hundreds of options to choose from, the list does seem overwhelming. Today I have compiled a list of the four best knives they have to offer, these knives are the best sellers, the most popular, and the fan favorites. Let’s begin.

 

The Tenacious:

One of the most popular Spyderco knives is the Tenacious. Not only is this one of Spyderco’s best-selling knives, this is one of the best-selling folding pocket knife around. This knife is an extremely cheap option at 40 dollars, but it is still super reliable. You don’t have to worry about losing quality for the cheaper cost. The knife is actually named after how reliable it is.

The blade on this knife 8Cr13Mov stainless steel that is 3.39 inches long. The blade has a leaf shape to it and has a flat grind all the way from handle to tip. This blade is crazy sharp, so sharp that one of the only negative aspects on this knife is that people tend to cut themselves when they don’t realize just how sharp it is. The blade is easy to sharpen, and unfortunately does dull quickly when being used often. This blade can stand up to heavier duty tasks because of the length and stress resistance of it.

The handle is made out of a G-10 laminate that has been milled, so that you can use this knife for long periods of time and it will still feel comfortable. Inside of this handle are skeletonized steel liners that help to increase the handles strength, but they won’t add too much extra weight. Attached to the handle is a four-way pocket grip that allows you to move the blade in either direction. The handle also features a liner lock that secures your blade when in open position. Most of the weight on this knife lies in the handle, so it may take a little bit of using before you feel truly comfortable using this knife.

Overall, this knife is 7.76 inches long, which is the perfect length for an everyday carry knife. The blade has an oversized Spyderco Round Hole. This knife truly does stand up too much more expensive knives and would be a great option for you.

Pros of the Tenacious:

• This is one of the most popular folding pocket knife around the world.
• The blade on this knife is extremely
• This blade can stand up to some heavier duty tasks.
• The handle has skeleton steel liners to increase durability but not add too much extra weight.
• The handle is a comfortable handle to hold, so you can use this knife for long periods of time.
• Has a four-way pocket clip.

Cons of the Tenacious:

• The liner lock system is not a favorite mechanism to most people.
• The blade on this knife does dull fairly quickly.
• The majority of the weight lies in the handle, which can be hard to get used to at first.

 

The Para Military 2

The Para Military 2 has come with a few changes since the classic version.

The blade length on this knife is 3.438 inches long made out of CPM S30V steel. This is steel is very resistant to corrosion. One of the big differences between the original version and this version is that this blade is much sharper. In fact, it has the same benefits of a serrated blade without actually being serrated it is so sharp. The blade keeps its edge for long periods of time even during heavy use. Another one of the differences between this version and the original is the blade length is longer on this version. The blade features a full flat grind.

The handle on this knife is made out of G-10. The G-10 is textured to provide you with a great grip. This handle is thinner than the original handle, which has improved the ergonomics immensely. Because it is thinner, it has removed any of the uncomfortable angles that the first version had, so this is a more comfortable knife to hold, especially when it is closed. It sports a four-way pocket clip, making this an ambidextrous friendly knife. Because of this versatile clip, you can keep the knife in your pocket, boot, or on your hip. This pocket clip also rests deeper in the pocket than the original version of this knife did. The handle also boasts a Compression Lock. The deployment thumb hole is 14mm making it an easy knife to open even while wearing gloves or other gear.

This is a fantastic knife that police, military, and security personnel use every day. This knife is also an ideal outdoors knife and can take on a heavy duty task with ease. The knife has a large lanyard hole, which gives you a large variety of ways to carry it. Overall, the knife is 8.281 inches long when open and 4.812 inches long when closed. This knife weighs 3.9 ounces.

Pros of the Para Military 2:

• This is the improved version of this originally knife.
• The blade steel is very resistant to corrosion.
• This blade is extremely sharp and stays sharp for long periods of time.
• Can stand up to heavier duty tasks, which makes it great for an outdoors knife.
• The handle of this version has been thinned out, removing any uncomfortable angles that it once had.
• Boasts a four-way pocket clip.

Cons of the Para Military 2:

• Some people use their everyday carry knives in the kitchen, but this knife is not good for kitchen use.
• The thumb hole edges can rough up your finger and be uncomfortable.

 

The Delica 4

This knife was created in Japan, and when you get a knife from Japan, you know that you are getting something that is high quality. This is a very utilitarian knife that can stand up to almost any everyday task. In fact, this knife excels in the kitchen. The Delica 4 is the fourth generation Delica, so every kink has been ironed out and you will receive a perfected knife.

The blade is made out of VG-10 steel that is flat ground and coated in a black titanium carbonitride. The blade on this knife is 2.875 inches long with a very strong tip. This blade is extremely sharp and with the slight curve it is fantastic for cutting, slicing, or dicing through almost whatever. Unfortunately, when the blade gets too sharp, it can become brittle, which makes it easier to break. So with heavier duty tasks, you should be careful with the blade. The blade’s steel is extremely easy to re-sharpen when needed. The knife has phosphor bronze washers that help to smooth out the open/close action.

The handle on the Delica 4 is made out of fiberglass reinforced nylon. This nylon comes in an array of different bright colors, which definitely adds to the aesthetic of this knife. It is then molded with Bi-Directional Texturing, which adds fantastic grip even when the knife is wet. Along with the Bi-Directional Texturing, the handle features cross-hatched jimping along the spine to improve your grip even more. Inside of the handle is dual skeletonized stainless steel liners that help make the knife much stronger and more durable without adding to much weight or throwing off the balance of this knife. The handle material won’t break during use and can stand up to a lot of rough housing. The handle features a four-way pocket clip, which means you can carry it tip up or tip down, plus left handedly or right handedly.

The overall length of this knife is 7.125 inches long when open or 4.25 inches when closed. The Delica 4 weighs 2.5 ounces, which makes it a fantastic lightweight knife perfect for not weighing you down when it is in your pocket.

Pros of the Delica 4:

• Created in Japan, so you can trust that it will be a high quality knife.
• This knife excels in the kitchen.
• The blade is extremely sharp and can easily be re-sharpened.
• The handle comes in a variety of different colors.
• The Bi-Directional Texturing gives you excellent grip even when wet.
• The handle material is very durable and won’t break during use.
• The liners are skeleton liners, which improve the durability of the knife without making it a heavy knife.
• Has a four-way pocket clip.
• A very light option.

Cons of the Delica 4:

• The knife tends to be too sharp and can result in brittle-ness, so you do have to use caution during heavy duty tasks.
• The blade does have some play to it.

 

The Dragonfly 2

The Dragonfly has been around since 1994. In fact, it was the first Spyderco to have the finger choil on it. After it received such high reviews and was such a fan favorite, they spruced it up, or did a Constant Quality Improvement on it, and thus the Dragonfly 2 was born.

The blade on this knife is made out of VG-10 steel and is 2.25 inches long. This is not only a lighter steel to use, but it is a very sharp steel to use. It seems like a very small knife, but because of this sharpness, it can take on bigger tasks that you don’t except it to.

The handle on this knife is made out of FRN which allows this small knife to feel heftier and more reliable while holding it. The handle also features a Bi-Directional Texturing on the handle giving you excellent grip in almost any situation. This handle has reversible pocket clip. The handle itself is slightly curved, which makes the handle much more comfortable to use especially for long periods of time and your wrist won’t become exhausted by using it.

The overall length of this knife is 5.563 inches long, which is why it is considered to be a big knife in a small knife’s shell. Many people enjoy the small size, because it is lightweight and doesn’t take up too much room; however, because of the small size, it tends to get lost in pockets or bags.

Pros of the Dragonfly 2:

• The steel is a light steel, which keeps the weight of the knife low.
• The steel is extremely sharp, which enables this knife to take on heavier duty tasks that you wouldn’t normally expect out of such a small knife.
• The handle material makes this knife feel heftier than it normally would, because of the small size.
• The Bi-Directional Texturing provides stellar grip during almost any situation you encounter with this knife.
• The handle features a slight curve, which makes this an easy knife to use for extended periods of time without getting tired.
• This is a big knife in a small knife’s shell.

Cons of the Dragonfly 2:

• Because the knife is so small, it has a tendency to get lost in big pockets or bags.
• This is a very small, light knife and some people prefer a much heftier knife.

 

Conclusion:

Spyderco is a very reliable brand, with innovative and ground breaking designs. They have completely redefined a typical pocket knife being the first to use features such as the opening hole, the pocket clip, and having a serrated edge option. They are a leader in the knife industry and have had many collaborations to design their knives, so it is no surprise how superior their knives are. This list of four superior Spyderco knives: The Tenacious, the Para Military 2, the Delica 4, and the Dragonfly 2 are their top knives. Any of these would be a great addition to your knife collection and for you to use as your everyday carry knife. These are the knives that won’t fail in you in the moments that you need them.