Knife Review: Spyderco Chaparral Blue Stepped Folding Knife

The Spyderco Chaparral Blue Stepped Folding Knife

Spyderco was founded in 1976 by Sal and Gail Glesser. Initially, the company focused on selling their first product, the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, primarily at fairs and trade shows around the country.

In 1981, the Glessers put down roots in Golden, Colorado and introduced the first Spyderco folding knife. That knife pioneered the concept of a round hole in the blade for one-handed opening, a clip on the handle for carry at the top of the pocket, and the option of a serrated edge for aggressive cutting performance. Those features revolutionized the knife industry and literally defend the form of the modern folding knife.

Since then, Spyderco has steadily grown to become one of the leaders in the cutlery industry. In addition to a worldwide distribution network and manufacturing resources in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Italy, and China, their innovation has also earned them an impressive portfolio of patents, trademarks, and industry awards. More importantly, it has allowed them to earn the trust and loyalty of countless thousands of dedicated knife users around the world—an audience to whom they are extremely grateful.

Spyderco pioneered many features that are now common in folding knives, including the pocket clip, serrations, and the opening hole. Spyderco has collaborated with 30 custom knife makers, athletes, and self-defense instructors for designs and innovated the usage of 20 different blade materials.

Today we will be discussing the Spyderco Chaparral Blue Stepped folding knife. This knife is on clearance right now while supplies last. This means that you better hurry over to BladeOps and purchase yours today.

The Blade:

The blade on the Chaparral is made out of CTS-XHP stainless steel. This steel is a great option when you have a knife that is going to need a high-performance steel. This steel is what is known as an alloy, which is just a metal that has been mixed with other metals. This steel is specifically made up of carbon, silicon, nickel, vanadium, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, and iron.

For a stainless steel, it actually has a lot of carbon, which means that it is going to be hard, tough, as well as keep its look for long periods of time. However, the harder the steel gets, the more brittle it is going to be. With this one, we do have a pretty good balance between hardness and toughness, which does allow the blade to take on the toughest of tasks. Just know that the steel might begin to chip in the most extreme of situations.

• High carbon stainless steel.
• Keep its look for long periods of time.
• Pretty low maintenance.
• Good balance between hardness and toughness.
• Reliable and great for high performance knives such as the Chaparral.

The blade has been finished with a satin finish. This is the most common blade finish that you are going to find in the industry. It gives the blade a very classic look, which you know will never go out of style. The finish is created when the blade is sanded in one direction repeatedly with an increasing level of a fine abrasive. The fine abrasive that is most commonly used is a very fine sandpaper. This shows off the bevels of the blade, while also showcasing the fine lines of the steel incredibly well.

Some of the other benefits that the satin finish has is that it does help increase the corrosion resistance levels slightly. It also falls in the middle of the spectrum in terms of luster, which does mean that it will reduces some of the glares and reflections that you are going to come across.

• Gives the blade a traditional look.
• Shows off the fine lines of the steel.
• Cuts down on some glares and reflections.
• Increases corrosion resistance slightly.

The blade has been carved into a drop point blade shape, which is one of the two most popular finishes in the cutlery industry. The shape is created by having the spine of the edge go from the handle to the point in a slow curving manner. This creates a lowered point, which is what is going to give you so much control over your cuts and slices. This is also where the blade shape gets its name from, because it is lowered, or “dropped”.

The point is not only lowered, but also wide, which is what is going to give you the extreme strength from this knife. The broad tip allows the knife to take on tougher tasks, which is what makes the drop point blade shape a great option for a survival or tactical knife. Because the tip is broader, it is able to withstand things that the other blade shapes would not be able to.

The drop pint knife is also very versatile, because of the large belly that makes slicing a breeze. The larger the belly, the easier it is going to be to slice.

The drop point blade shape really only has one drawback, which is because of the broad point, it is not going to be super capable of piercing and stabbing. This usually isn’t’ too big of a drawback, because you do get so much extra strength from the broadness of the tip.

• The tip is lowered, which is going to give you more control over your cuts.
• The tip is broad, which gives you strength.
• The broad tip does mean that it is not going to have as many piercing capabilities.
• The belly is big enough that slicing is going to be a breeze.

This is a plain edged blade, which is going to equip you to take on a wider variety of tasks. The plain edge is also going to be easier to sharpen.

The Handle:

The handle is made out of titanium. Titanium is a metal alloy that is considered a lightweight alloy. This is a heavier metal than aluminum, but it is still considered a lightweight alloy. However, with the extra weight comes a lot of extra strength. This makes the added weight worth it. Titanium also offers the best corrosion resistance out of any metal.

Titanium is one of the rare metals that has a warm feel to it, which means that if you live in a colder environment, it is not going to make you suffer. This is a sturdy material. Unfortunately, the extras sturdiness and strength does make it harder to machine, which is going to make it a more expensive metal and handle.

• Titanium is strong, light and corrosion resistant.
• Titanium is more expensive than aluminum.
• Titanium is prone to scratches.
• Titanium is not going to offer as much grip as you would be able to find with a different handle material.

The titanium on the handle has been finished with blue geometric shapes. The blue is an icy blue that pairs extremely well with the bright silver. These shapes add a touch of artistic flair that you aren’t going to find with many other knife handles. However, it is not so over-the-top that it is going to look tacky or even steal the show. It has the perfect amount of flair to it.

• Finished with a blue, artistic flair.

The handle is pretty simple other than the blue finish. The spine of the handle extends straight until the very end where it curves down to the butt. The belly is also simple, although it does have a slight finger guard that is there to offer some protection. Right after the finger guard is a slight finger groove that is going to add some comfort to the knife. After this, the handle does bulge out slightly, which again, is to add some comfort and some grip since the titanium does not have texture. The butt is a little bit pointed and there is no lanyard hole.

• Simple handle is designed for comfort and grip.
• Slight finger guard for safety.
• Slight finger groove for comfort.
• There is not a lanyard hole on this knife.

The Pocket Clip:

This knife does feature an ambidextrous pocket clip which allows for tip up carry only, however, it is eligible for either left or right handed carry. This is going to make the knife a little bit safer because you can carry it in a way that is most comfortable to you.

The clip is a wire clip, which works to cut down on weight significantly. The clip is silver, which matches the blade and parts of the handle. It is kept in place by a single silver screw that does match the rest of the hardware on the knife. It is not a deep carry clip, but because the handle is so short, this knife will stay deep in your pocket.

• Tip up carry only.
• Eligible for either left or right handed carry.
• Wire clip cuts down on weight.
• Silver hardware and clip.
• Not deep carry, but it will ride low in your pocket because of small size.

The Mechanism:

This knife features Spyderco trademark round hole opening. It is a manual opening knife, which does mean that it is going to be legal in more states and cities than an automatic. OF course, always know your local knife laws before purchasing any knife as BladeOps I not responsible.

A manual folding knife is a little bit harder to bring into play because you cannot open it as smoothly or quickly as you would with an automatic. That being said, it is going to be easier to maintain because you don’t have to worry about the spring that controls most of the opening function.

When Spyderco discusses their round hole, they say, “One of the most common questions we get from people new to Spyderco knives is “Why the Round Hole?” The Round Hole allows the blade of a folding knife to be swiftly and easily opened with only one hand. This revolutionary feature was granted a U.S. utility patent in 1981 and literally helped define the form of the modern folding knife. Unlike thumb studs, disks, and other one-hand-opening attachments, the hole offers a larger surface area for greater reliability and does not interfere with the cutting action of the blade. An iconic symbol of our brand, the Trademark Round Hole™ also serves as a user-friendly alternative to a traditional nail nick in our two-hand-opening folders and a proud expression of our brand identity in our fixed-blade knives.”

• The Round Hole is ambidextrous because it can be accessed from either side of the blade.
• The Round Hole does not get in the way when you are trying to use the knife. This is an advantage over a thumb stud.

The Specs:

The blade on this measures in at 2.8 inches long with a handle that measures in at 3.6 inches long. This creates an overall length of 6.4 inches when the knife is opened. This is definitely a smaller knife, that only weighs in at 2.7 ounces.

Conclusion:

The Spyderco Chaparral Blue Stepped Titanium folder knife is one of many new folders released by Spyderco this year. This knife features blue stepped solid titanium handle scales--a uniquely complex process that involves anodizing the handle scales in a brilliant blue and then machining them once more to produce the 3-D stepped pattern of alternating colored layers. This model features a full flat ground CTS-XHP stainless steel which is exclusive on the entire Spyderco Chaparral series. The Chaparral utilizes Spyderco's Back Lock mechanism--a locking system positioned on the back of the handle that uses a rocker arm that pivots in the center. This knife is part of Spyderco's Gentlemen's Folder which showcases elegantly slim pocket knives coupled with state-of-the-art handle materials and treatments. This model, the C152STIBLP, features a blue stepped titanium handle, a satin finished drop point blade, Spyderco's trademark round hole opening feature and an ambidextrous pocket clip which allows for tip up carry only but is eligible for left or right hand carry options.

This knife is still in stock today, but supplies are going fast. Hurry over to BladeOps to purchase yours today.