If you are an outdoor adventurer, then you might find yourself in search of a brand new knife to aid you in your quest through the wild.
Whether you are going camping in the wilderness with limited supplies or you are preparing for a survival situation, you are likely going to need a knife to help you along the way.
A knife can often make the difference between life and death. No matter if you are hunting for food, sharpening sticks, or fending off a wild animal, it is always handy to have a blade on your person just in case.
When you venture out into the wild, you never know what you are going to be faced with, and it can’t hurt to be prepared for any situation.
Spyderco is a great brand to have a look at when you are in search of a knife, and they have a wide variety of options available online. There are so many different blades to choose from, which is why we have created this list of the five best Spyderco knives, so you can choose from a selection of the best.
They are often made of different materials, and some may be better for performing certain tasks, but we will explain all of the specifications of each of our top picks for you to read about.
In a Rush to Find the Best Spyderco Knife?
We can understand why you might be shopping in a hurry. Whether you are preparing for the apocalypse or you are going on a wild adventure pretty soon, you might want to have a knife with you just in case.
Our top pick for this list is the Spyderco Harpy folding knife, which is perfect for either of these reasons. It has excellent cutting power and is more than capable of providing you with everything that you would need.
This knife is designed to be durable and long-lasting, even under heavy-duty use, and you won’t need to worry about it breaking any time soon.
The only thing that is recommended with this product if you are using it for difficult tasks often is that you take the time to sharpen the blade when necessary. This will ensure that the blade lasts even longer and that you can use it as precisely and safely as you can.
OUR TOP PICK
The Spyderco Harpy folding knife was the very first knife to integrate the dynamics of the Hawkbill blade profile with the cutting power of the fully serrated SpyderEdge.
Essentially, this knife has the power and capability of two knives, all in one product. It is both powerful and efficient, and it also has hollow-ground VG-10 stainless steel blade cuts with an authority that is far beyond the size of the knife.
This knife also has a solid-steel handle that is extremely strong and is able to provide the perfect surface for engraving.
The steel actually contains a minimum of 12.5% chromium, which makes sure that the steel is resistant to corrosion. However, the knife is not stain-proof, so this doesn’t mean that it will look pristine forever.
The knife also comes with bevels that are ground with a concave radius, and these bevels can extend to the full width of the blade, or just a portion of its width, depending on what you need.
It uses a two-step serration pattern that consists of one large and two small serrations, and the pattern increases the cutting edge’s surface by up to 24%. The blade itself is 2.75 inches long.
Pros
- This knife combines two knives into one with new technology
- The knife is both powerful and efficient and is usable for a variety of purposes
- The handle of this knife is made from solid steel, making it strong and durable
- The steel is resistant to corrosion, making it last longer
- The blade pattern increases the cutting edge’s surface by up to 24%
Cons
- This knife is not stain proof
EDITORS CHOICE
This Salt series folding knife is able to tackle rust with ease by using nitrogen-based blade steels, like H-1 and LC200N.
This actually results in a more diverse selection of knives that are highly resistant to corrosion, allowing them to be more durable.
It features a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle, which is a polymer that is mixed with glass fiber before being injection molded into formed and textured lightweight and high-strength knife handles.
It also comes with bevels that are ground with a concave radius, and these bevels can either extend to the full width of the blade or just a portion of it.
It uses a two-step serration pattern that consists of one large and two small serrations, and the pattern increases the cutting edge’s surface area by up to 24%.
The length of the blade is 3.68 inches. Ultimately, this knife has impressive strength and can be used for just about anything.
Pros
- This folding knife is able to tackle rust with ease due to nitrogen-based blade steels
- This knife is also highly resistant to corrosion, which allows it to be more durable
- It features a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle that is both lightweight and strong
- The serration pattern increases the cutting edge’s surface by up to 24%
- The length of the blade is an impressive 3.68 inches
- This knife has impressive strength that can handle most tasks
Cons
- This knife can be hazardous when used underwater as it is easier for the latch to open by itself
BEST VALUE
This Endura 4 knife is one of Spyderco’s best-selling products that they have available. It features a four-position clip, a high strength locking mechanism, and a trademark round hole, as do all of the folding knives from the Endura series.
When selecting this product, you will have the option to choose between a variety of different handle colors, depending on which one you think suits you the best.
Most knives come in just one color option, so this is a nice additional feature in terms of customizability. There are a total of eight different colors to choose from.
Additionally, this knife is both lightweight and really durable, as it is fabricated using fiberglass reinforced nylon.
This material is actually a polymer that has been mixed with fiberglass that is then molded and formed into this sleek and textured handle. This material allows the knife to be lightweight and, therefore, easily portable.
It is also a very strong material, which makes it unlikely for the blade to snap, like some other cheaper knife alternatives. This knife is highly likely to last for a very long time.
This knife also features a blade ground with flat bevels that extend all the way from the spine of the knife to the cutting edge.
This will help to reduce any drag that could otherwise occur while you are using the knife for cutting, and it also helps to decrease the overall weight of the knife.
It even has a secure grip that has non-slip properties, and the added texture helps you to grip the knife properly and safely.
Pros
- There are eight different colors to choose from
- The knife is both lightweight and durable
- This knife is likely to be long-lasting due to the materials used
- The flat bevels help to reduce any drag while cutting
- You can easily grip the handle with its non-slip feature
Cons
- None that we could find
RUNNER UP
As with some other Spyderco products, you can choose between multiple handle color options for this knife.
It also features superior blade steel that has a refined cutting edge and a larger 13mm opening hole.
The knife is lightweight, and the dual skeletonized stainless steel liners inside the handle strengthen the knife without adding extra weight.
This product is going to be sturdy and long-lasting, and the blade’s spine is slip-resistant.
There are phosphor bronze washers that smooth out the open/close action, and the clip has an upgraded four-way tip. The handle also allows for a firm and secure grip due to its textured surface.
Pros
- Multiple handle colors available
- Superior blade steel has been used
- The knife is lightweight
- Dual skeletonized stainless steel liners inside the handle strengthen the knife
- Uses and upgraded four-way tip
Cons
- Many product reviews say that the rounded hole is really sharp, which has led to injuries
RUNNER UP
The Tenacious folding knife offers high performance in all aspects of use, and the blade itself is 3.39 inches in length.
The stainless steel blade is also coated in a non-reflective black coating, and it is ground flat from the spine to the cutting edge for non-stop cutting.
It also has a G-10 black laminate handle that has been ergonomically designed with fatigue-free cutting in mind.
The knife is simple and easy to use, and it even includes a walker liner lock and a four-way pocket clip.
Pros
- The knife offers high performance
- It is simple and easy to use
- Has non-reflective coating
- Ergonomic design for fatigue-free cutting
- Ground flat from sprint to cutting edge for non-stop cutting
Cons
- Unlike most other Spyderco products, this one is manufactured in China
Best Spyderco Knife Buying Guide
How to Choose the Best Spyderco Knife
Now you have read through our list of the top five Spyderco knives; you might be left wondering what specifications and features that you should be looking out for.
To help you with this, we have created a buyer’s guide that will tell you everything that you need to know.
Locking Ability
Ideally, you are going to need a folding knife that has some sort of locking mechanism in place. Any folding knife that does not have this feature can cause an injury risk, as it can flip open on its own if it is in your bag or in your pocket.
Having a knife with a lock will prevent this, and the knife will be much safer to use. The last thing that you want is to trip over and accidentally stab yourself, especially if you are out in the wild.
There are a few different types of locking systems that Spyderco uses with their products, like liner locks, frame locks, back locks, axis locks, and compression locks. You can look at what each of these is good for in order to figure out if it will impact your decision making.
Materials Used
It is no secret that the best knives will be made from high-quality and durable materials, and this is what you want to look for in a knife. Spyderco uses a variety of materials for manufacturing the different knives that they have available, but they are typically sturdy and of great quality.
The material of the handle is very important, and this will also usually determine how heavy the knife is. Composite handles are typically the most common due to the fact that they are well-balanced in terms of strength, comfort, and affordability.
In higher-end and more expensive knives, carbon fiber is a popular material for handle construction as they are super strong but also lightweight.
In terms of the blade, there are a large variety of different types of steel that are used for making different knives. It can be difficult to choose a steel preference if you aren’t entirely sure what you are looking for, but Spyderco is a well-known and trusted brand, and you can be assured that all of their knives are going to be high-quality.
However, the more that you are willing to pay, the higher the quality knife that you are likely to receive. All of Spyderco’s knives offer different levels of performance, depending on the type of steel that is used.
For entry-level knives, you are typically going to be looking at 420HC steel, but this isn’t a material that is commonly used in Spyderco knives. Their Salt series, which is featured in our list, uses a newer type of nitrogen-infused steel.
This material is 100% rustproof, which is a great feature to have as it offers more protection for the knife, meaning that it is likely to last longer. However, every material has strengths and weaknesses, and a weakness of this type is that it doesn’t offer the same level of edge retention as some of their other steel types do.
A type of steel that is used that belongs in the middle-ground in terms of budget and performance is VG-10 steel. This type of steel offers impressive edge retention, and it is also really durable.
When you look at the cost, it isn’t much more expensive than their budget-level steels, so it is relatively cost-effective.