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Spartan Blades and William Harsey Jr. Create SHF 3.25

October 1, 2020

Spartan Blades and William Harsey Jr. are releasing a sequel to the SHF (Spartan-Harsey Folder), a smaller model called, appropriately, the SHF 3.25. The SHF 3.25 brings the same straightforward design into a size class more amenable to every day carry.

The original SHF came out in 2016. It was one of several collaborations between Spartan and Harsey, a true veteran of the knife scene. The partners’ driving philosophy was simple: use Spartan’s machining ability and modern, high-end materials to bring out the best of a simple, but truly useful, folding knife. They consciously avoided chasing industry trends, although there were many elements of the SHF (like those premium materials) that were trend-adjacent. The SHF ended up winning American Made Knife of the Year at Blade Show and becoming a flagship product for Spartan.

Now, Spartan and Harsey have returned to SHF with the intent of scaling it down. “People have been requesting this very size and length for some time now, so we are pretty excited about it,” says Spartan’s Curtis Iovito. The original SHF had a 4.25-inch blade – a massive amount of edge real estate for a folder. The SHF 3.25 shaves a full inch off that blade length, allowing the design’s classical drop point to be more nimble and maneuverable for day-to-day cutting chores. “This smaller folder will be a little more ‘Work and Office’ friendly,” notes Iovito. “You know what they say, ‘If you don’t have a knife on you it’s hard to use it!'” Spartan used S35VN on the original SHF, but the 3.25 is getting promoted to S45VN.

The handle shape is also retained. It’s very much a Harsey handle, with judicious use of finger grooves and a narrow, but not too narrow, overall profile. However, there have been subtle, significant changes here as well. “Not only is this knife half the weight [2.94 oz.] of the larger SHF but we have eliminated five parts on the knife as compared to the larger one,” Iovito explains. “Additionally, the symmetrical pivot screw not acts as a lock bar stabilizer.”

One of the signatures of Spartan Blades is the variety of graphic handle options they provide for their knives. The SHF 3.25 may see such variations in the future, but for now the standard model will be all that’s available. Spartan has set the price for the SHF 3.25 at $395. It is expected to be available later today on Spartan’s website, at 4PM EST.

Knife in Featured Image: Spartan Blades SHF 3.25

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