It’s that time of year again.
The guillotine is falling on a few of our favorite knife models as companies begin announcing the knives being sent to the glue factory next year.
Spyderco was the first to release its list on the Spyderco Forum. You can see the full list of knives being discontinued for 2018 at the bottom, but I’ll be writing an obituary for a few of the most notable models being put out to pasture first.
It’s important to note that some of these knives may come back in updated iterations, so don’t be surprised to see the Nirvana 2 with different materials and a more streamline design. Also others have already received updates like the Salt 1 series, so it’s kind of a moot point.
Spyderco Nirvana
As Neil Young once sang, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” The Nirvana was a short-lived, having only been released for 2016. Despite only seeing light for a couple of years, the knife burned bright and got a lot of people excited.
The Nirvana was Spyderco’s first integral folder from custom knifemaker Peter Rassenti. Its handle was made from a single piece of titanium and featured the Reeve Integral Lock mechanism. The 3.76-inch blade was made from S90V steel while the overall design was sexy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVQCCk6AZWC/
So where did the Nirvana go wrong? It ran into production problems since titanium is such a difficult material to work with. A few people had complaints about the larger size and a lackluster design.
Spyderco made a leap of faith with this knife, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see another integral knife (or even a smaller Nirvana 2).
Spyderco Domino & Dice
The Domino and Dice were of the same ilk — the Domino coming first and the Dice a 15 percent smaller version of the best-seller. Still, both were excellent EDC flippers with great designs. Like most higher end Spydercos, the price was a bit high on these, but they both featured blades made of CTS-XHP and carbon fiber laminate/titanium handles.
The Domino had a 3.13-inch blade while the Dice had a 2.52-inch blade. It seems like flippers may be undergoing a redesign after some controversy surrounding the washers found in the Spyderco Advocate. I’m not sure it’s related since the Spyderco team said other flippers weren’t affected but it’s very possible we’ll see these two models come back soon.
Spyderco Pingo
Denmark had some pretty messed up knife laws. Before a welcomed change to the law in 2016, Danes could essentially only carry nonlocking folders that needed two hands to open. So, two of the most renowned knifemakers from Denmark (Jens Anso and Jesper Voxnaes) teamed up to create the Pingo.
The knife enters the pantheon of unusual knives from Spyderco, but this one had a purpose. The nonlocking knife had a 2.35-inch N690Co steel blade that was kind of a modified sheepsfoot. Instead of the Round Hole, it had a nonfunctional hole to keep with the Spyderco look.
With the laws relaxed, the Pingo and the Spy-DK (a cross between the Pingo and the UK Penknife) are not really needed. Still, the Pingo was really popular here in the United States for some odd reason and will be missed.
Spyderco Southard
All the collaborations with Brad Southard got the axe from Spyderco this year. That may mean the contract with Southard ended or the other theory that all the flippers are getting reworked. The other Southard design called the Positron was kind of a second iteration of the Positron but seemed to have missed the mark on what made the first so enjoyable.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVaDlMCFJ2A/
The Southard was the first Spyderco flipper if I’m not mistaken, so it had a ton of hype. Its 3.46-inch blade had CTS 204P steel and the handle was G-10/titanium. You’d often find aftermarket scales for this knife.
One of the worst things about the knife was the pocket clip, and it even made our list of worst pocket clips for puncturing holes in your pocket. It’ll likely remain an EDC for many people for years to come though.
Spyderco PITS
Nonlocking knives are fun to carry but aren’t very practical when you need to do something a bit more involved. Mike Read changed that with his PITS (Pie in the Sky) nonlocking folder. It was made with the British knife laws in mind. The PITS wasn’t just the toughest nonlocking Spyderco but may have been the toughest nonlocking folder ever, thanks to its slip joint mechanism.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEuEieVtZJI/
Here’s more from the description:
Long machined slots at the top of each handle scale create integral spring arms that are connected by a hardened pin. When the blade is open, this pin applies pressure on the tang of the blade to stabilize it in the open position.
Yes, the MSRP was $399.95, but it was a good-looking knife and great for EDC. At one point, it came in a classic titanium coloration, so maybe it’ll come back in some other design.
Spyderco Titanium Military
Finally, there’s the Military. Sure, the Military is a flagship model for the iconic brand and you can still pick it up in Black G-10, Midnight Blue G-10 with S110V steel, Camo G-10, and with black blades, but the titanium version was exceptionally popular.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUZqUqNBsTs/
Both the titanium and fluted titanium are going away. It’s possible these versions sold more than the G-10 ones, leaving many to speculate that Spyderco may be coming back with a Ti-Millie 2.
All 2018 Discontinued Spydercos
C26PYL Snap-It Salt PLN
C36TIFP Military Model Fluted Ti
C36TIP Military Model Ti
C41TIFP5 Native 5 Fluted Ti
C79PSBK Assist Rescue Black FRN
C88PBBK Salt 1 PLN Black Blade Black FRN
C88PYL Salt 1 PLN Yellow FRN
C88SBBK Salt 1 SPY Black Blade Black FRN
C88SYL Salt 1 SPY Yellow FRN
C106PBK Tasman Salt PLN Black FRN
C106PYL Tasman Salt PLN Yellow FRN
C106SBK Tasman Salt SPY Black FRN
C106SYL Tasman Salt SPY Yellow FRN
C156GPBBK Southard Black Blade
C156GPBN Southard Brown
C163PBK Pingo Black
C163POR Pingo Orange
C163TIP Pingo Ti (Sprint)
C167GP Friction Folder
C171TIBLP Mike Draper Folder
C172CFTIP Domino
C179PBK SpyDK Black
C181GTIP Lil’ LionSpy
C182CFTIP Dice
C184GPOR Firefly
C188ALTIBBKP Dog Tag Black Aluminum
C192TIBLP PITS Blue Ti
C193TIP Squarehead
C194CFTIP Myrtle
C195CFP Positron
C196CFTIP Mamba
C198TIP Tighe Stick
C199TIP Nirvana
C201TIBLP Vrango
C206GP Introvert
FB05P2 Temperance 2
FB15P Street Beat Micarta
FB28GBNP Puukko
FB30GP South Fork
FB34GP Reverse
H01 Szabohawk
LSSSP3T Ladybug SS Tattoo
October 25, 2017 at 12:55 am
they seem good knifes.