Spyderco Voted Best Overall 2020 Lineup

Presented by: Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpeners

Spyderco is the KnifeNews Readers’ Choice for Best Overall 2020 Lineup! The Colorado colossus capably clinched the category, coming up over competitors like Benchmade, SOG, We Knife Co., and Zero Tolerance.

Spyderco embodies a spirit of innovation and experimentation. It’s never afraid to take risks, try something strange, test new waters. Thus, when looking back at Spyderco’s year in knives, it seems less thanks to any one particular model than the company’s overarching spirit that it took home the big prize (again!).

Spyderco is almost always among the first manufacturers to get out products in new steels, and in 2020 they rolled out models made from S45VN. But they took it a step further this year with the advent of SPY27, a collaboration with Crucible Steels that is only available from the Golden, CO-based company. It’s still early days for SPY27, but early impressions seem to be positive, and seeing this steel-obsessed company create its own recipe is an exciting development in and of itself.

Then, of course, there are the models. Released in stages according to the new Product Guide system, Spyderco kept up their characteristic pace of innovation and renovation this year. We saw the latest Marcin Slysz collab, the SwayBack, arrive, and new collaborator Kazuyuki Sakurai join the team with the playful, unique Pochi.

One of 2020’s major production trends has been culinary cutlery. We’re seeing more and more manufacturers bring out knives meant for work in the kitchen and around food. Spyderco was an early innovator in this realm, and this year we saw the expansion of their Murray Carter kitchen knife line with the Wakiita series (one of which has already won a 2020 RCA).

This is the third year in a row that Spyderco took home the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Overall Lineup. With their willingness to experiment, drive for metallurgical innovation, and polymathic embrace of all categories of cutlery, it’s easy to see why.

This award announcement concludes the 2020 KnifeNews Readers’ Choice Awards! We’d like to extend our gratitude to our sponsor, Work Sharp, for making this project possible once again; a big congratulations to all our winners; and, of course, a huge thank you to our readers, without whom these awards, and KnifeNews itself, would not be possible. Thank you for your continued readership and support through this difficult year.

AWARDS SCHEDULE

Monday, November 30th: Best New Tactical Fixed Blade (WINNER: Spyderco Nightstick)

Tuesday, December 1st: Best New EDC Fixed Blade (WINNER: Mora Eldris LightDuty)

Wednesday, December 2nd: Best New Outdoors Fixed Blade (WINNER: Benchmade 202 Leuku)

Thursday, December 3rd: Best New Kitchen/Culinary Knife (WINNER: Spyderco Wakiita Gyuto)

Friday, December 4th: Best New Slipjoint/Non-Locking Knife (WINNER: Fox Knives Nauta)

Monday, December 7th: Best New High-End Knife (MSRP of $300 or more) (WINNER: Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 31)

Tuesday, December 8th: Best New Value Folder (MSRP of $100 or less) (WINNER: Cold Steel SR1 Lite)

Wednesday, December 9th: Best New Folder (WINNER: Benchmade 945 Mini Osborne)

Thursday, December 10th: Best Knife Upgrade (WINNER: Buck 110 Folding Hunter in Paul Bos S30V)

Friday, December 11th: Best Overall Lineup (WINNER: Spyderco)