Spyderco 2016 Catalog: A Guide to What’s New

It’s a new month and Spyderco has unveiled their new catalog. There are eight brand new Spyderco folders in store for 2016 – four custom collaborations and four designed by Sal Glesser and Eric Glesser themselves.

Brand New Spyderco 2016 Models

Spyderco Introvert – VIEW IMAGE
Spyderco fans first got a peek at a prototype of the Introvert flipper back in March of 2014, when its unusual design raised lots of interest and a few eyebrows.  “My goal was to make a folding Swick for EDC,” Introvert designer Chris Knutson, posted in a comment on Spydercollector.  The hole in the blade that captures the first finger doubles as an oversized flipper-tab, and backlock was chosen to be ambidextrous “because flippers so rarely are lefty-friendly,” said Knutson.

Spyderco Snap-It Salt – VIEW IMAGE
The new Snap-It Salt is actually an updated version of a long-discontinued Spyderco.  The original Snap-It was introduced in 1993, when it won BLADE Show’s “Overall Knife of the Year” award.  Instead of a pocketclip, the knife has a shackle on the handle that allows the knife to attach securely where a pocketclip can’t – hanging from a life-vest, for example.

Spyderco Mantra & Mantra 2 – VIEW IMAGE
The 2016 Catalog introduces two new flippers designed by Eric Glesser, the Mantra & Mantra 2.  They share the same handle – only the blade shapes differ.  Both are titanium framelocks with hardened steel lock inserts and Spyderco’s deep carry wire clip.  Both also have flat-ground CPM M4 tool steel blades.  The Mantra is almost like a flipper version of the popular Spyderco Delica, with a similar handle shape, overall size, and thumb ramp on the blade. The Mantra 2’s blade is much more slender, almost like a filet knife, without the thumb ramp or a functional thumb hole. Manufactured in Spyderco’s renounded Taiwan facility, they are both sure to be popular blades.

Spyderco Wolfspyder – VIEW IMAGE

Designed by Ray Mears, founder of the Woodlore School of Wilderness Bushcraft, the Spyderco WolfSpyder was made to be compact and light enough to carry every day but strong and comfortable enough to tackle the woods.  The scandi-ground s30v blade should perform well at woodworking tasks, and Spyderco’s proprietary compression lock ensure that the blade will hold tough. Also, the blade will be manufactured in Spyderco’s Golden, CO facility.

Spyderco Nirvana – VIEW IMAGE

Peter Rassenti’s Nirvana might be the most highly-anticipated custom collaboration in the 2016 catalog. Its ‘integral’ handle, milled from a single slab of titanium with a seamlessly machined “broken glass” pattern, is an achievement in manufacturing technology for Spyderco. And its price tag, coming in at roughly $430 retail, sets another kind of high-water mark for the brand.

Spyderco Lil’ Lum – VIEW IMAGE
This knife is a compact version of Bob Lum’s Chinese folder, a now-discontinued and highly collectible knife. The Spyderco Chinese saw a number of versions over the years, including a sprint run in 2008 and an large version in 2010. Where the original knife had anodized aluminum handles, the Lil’ version comes dressed in black G10 and a 2.5” VG-10 stainless steel blade.

Spyderco Pattada – VIEW IMAGE
The Pattada is the newest knife in Spyderco’s ethnic series. Designed by Sal Glesser, the Spyderco Pattada is his take on a traditional knife from the island of Sardinia, located off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea. It has a distinctive, slender leaf-shaped blade and contoured G10 handles.  And just like a traditional Pattada knife, Spyderco’s version is also made in Italy.

New Versions & Sprint Runs

If you thought that the ultra wear-resistant CPM-S110V blade steel seen on the latest version of the Paramilitary 2 would be moving onto other popular models in the Spyderco lineup, you were right. The Military, Manix 2, and Native 5 will all see a new version with the same “dark blue” G10 and S110V steel.  2016 also marks the 40th anniversary of the Spyderco Native, which will see a number of special versions to commemorate the year.