Every year my family takes a week long vacation to visit my mother at her cabin in Maine. We make it a habit of passing through Freeport, Maine on the way up to her house each year. Freeport is not only is the home of L.L. Bean but it’s also the home to one of my favorite knife shops, the Freeport Knife Co.
I am a collector of pocket knives and I carry one almost all the time either in my pants pocket or my turnout gear. It’s a tool I end up using several times a day be it to cut the tags off one of my daughter’s new toys or to free a trapped victim from a seatbelt.
This year I picked up a few new items during my stop over in Freeport and my favorite of the lot is the Spyderco Native.
Spyderco is known for making knives which are a bit “out there.” But their knives are also regarded as some of the best around.
The Native comes in three models, each of which is made in the U.S.A.
The III FRN C78BK –
The FRN C41BK –
And the model I chose, the C41BBK.
The Native features an ergonomic handle which makes it easy to hold in the hand. It’s lightweight which means it’s easy to carry for daily use.
The large thumb hole on the blade makes it easy to open the knife with one hand.
It features two choils (places on the handle which have been cut out to allow placement of fingers.)
The first, where the blade and the handle meet, is meant for your index finger and allows for control over whatever it is your cutting.
The second, is almost directly behind the first and allows for cutting while pushing the blade away from you.
A section of non-sharpened serrations line the blade’s spine and yield an additional slip resistant point for the thumb.
With all three fingers in their proper position the knife becomes an extension of your hand.
The blade itself is made from CPM-S30V steel which is comprised of carbon, vanadium, chromium and molybdenum.
Once opened the blade locks into a fixed position and is unlocked via a locking leaver along the back of the handle.
The knife has a black belt style clip which can be placed on either side of the handle. Or you can remove the clip and attach a lanyard.
I found no issues with using the Native to cut through various items (paper, cardboard, rope, nylon etc.)
The knife’s specifications are as follows:
You can learn more about the Spyderco Native and all the other knives in the Spyderco catalogue on their web site.
M.S.R.P. – $109.00
What I like – lightweight, stylish, serrated blade.
What I don’t like – nothing.