Best Spyderco Knives

If your search for a new EDC pocket knife is becoming a little, well … dull, then it might be time to sit down with our side-to-side review of the Best 6 Spyderco Knives of 2023, curated from a collection of the popular brand’s 40 best-selling models.

From every day carry pocket knives to full-featured emergency blades, Spyderco knows how to make them sharp, stylish, and durable. Since their inception nearly a half century ago, Spyderco has made it their mission to provide top of the line folding knives at a price point that would allow all sorts of people to keep one in their pocket.

But let’s cut to the point. Choosing the best Spyderco Knife is no easy task, especially if you have actually seen how thick their catalogue is. To continue our quest to educate the masses, we present you with the following review guide, followed by a set of handy tips that you can use when shopping for EDC knives, boating knives, or of course, anything made by the folks at Spyderco.

Most Popular Spyderco Knife – Spyderco Delica 4

As a gear reviewer, you sometimes can’t ignore the sheer popularity of a particular product. The Delica 4 grabbed our attention for no other reason than the thousands upon thousands of positive reviews that it has garnered over the last couple of years. Once we got our hands on it, however, it became clear what all the fuss was about. This is a versatile VG-10 steel knife (as opposed to the H1 steel that in the Atlantic Salt knife) that is simultaneously strong and lightweight.

It arrives sharp as a tack right out of the box, and Spyderco’s top-notch hardening process means that you can rely on it to keep a blade for months at a time. The bi-directional texturing on the knife’s handle (available in a ton of different colors) is “sticky” enough to prevent accidental dropping but is not too rough to get easily in and out of your pocket, like some of the cheaper survival pocket knives on the market. The only drawback is the blade-lock, which works well, but not quite as well as the compression lock system that you find on their more expensive models.

Best Spyderco Serrated Edge Knife – Spyderco Atlantic Salt

There are a couple of things that make the Spyderco Atlantic one of the best boating knives in existence, and a few more things that make it simple one of the handiest tools to have around for other applications as well. The SALT series of Spyderco Knives eliminates the problem of saltwater-caused rust issues with a groundbreaking, nitrogen-based steel. They’ve got two different varieties of “nitro-steel”, but the Atlantic uses the H1, which is the slightly lesser expensive of the two. Boaters, kayakers, and fishermen will appreciate having a knife that can saw as well as it can cut, whether it is through a snagged trawling line, a tangle fishing net, or the straps of a flotation device in an emergency situation.

The best thing about the Atlantic Knife is no doubt the hollow grind serrated edge, but the fact that they’ve managed to not only improve upon the design of a serrated blade but also manage to shrink it down to this size is what is truly amazing. The Atlantic does share the same primary issue as the Delica 4, which is a blade-lock system that leaves a little something to be desired.

Best Spyderco “Hawksbill” Edge Knife – Spyderco Tasman Salt 2

The TASMAN 2 is the latest release in Spyderco’s SALT series of knives … a cool brand of blades that utilize innovative nitrogen-infused steel that has a greater rust resistance than any other steel, pretty much ever. Like the Atlantic knife that we reviewed above, the Tasman 2 utilizes the H1 nitro-steel, which is just as sharp as more traditional steels like 420HC and undergoes the same Spyderco hardening process that gives them their signature blade retention. The first thing you will notice about the Tasman 2 is the unique “hawkbill” shape. By giving the blade surface a concave shape, the hawkbill knives can “capture” the thing that they are trying to cut.

Usually, this is boat cording or ropes. The concave shape also maximizes the cutting surface area which can lead to remarkably fast and efficient cuts. This is certainly the right knife for anyone who is spending a significant amount of time on the water. The only bad thing about hawkbill knives is that they are more difficult to sharpen.

Best Spyderco Crescent Tip Knife – Spyderco Police

Over the last few decades, the unique shape of the SPYDERCO POLICE has been emulated by dozens of different manufacturers looking to copy its slender profile, long cutting edge, and stainless steel construction. Unsurprisingly, very few have them have come close to creating a comparable blade. The Spyderco Police was designed in the 1980’s for the unique needs of law enforcement professionals.

This means a lightweight but sturdy construction with ablade steel (H10) that can hold up to all sorts of emergency tasks, from slicing seat belts to opening boxes of doughnuts. The medium price point of this particular knife is also a huge selling point … surely one of Spyderco’s better blades under one hundred and fifty bucks. While the stainless steel construction makes for a really strong knife, the added weight makes this a bit too heavy to be some people’s choice for every day carry.

Best Bang for the Buck – Spyderco Resilience

At just under sixty bucks, the RESILIENCE is one of Spyderco’s most affordable knives, which is surprising to us for no other reason than just how awesome this knife actually is. First off, it’s got a 9.4” total length when open, which is one of the longest knives from Spyderco, if not the longest in its class. The slight downgrade in steel to 8Cr13Mov means that you are not getting the same level of sharpness or hardness as in other models (like the Spyderco Kapara, which we will look at next) but it is a great steel for the price and we doubt you are going to notice much of a difference.

If anything, you’re just going to have to sharpen it more often. Users are saying a lot of good things about the G-10 composite handle, which offers just enough grip but is not as aggressively “scaled” as some of the other blades that we looked at. Best feature: a 4-way pocket clip that can be moved around based on the user’s preferences. Worst feature: it’s simply too big for EDC.

Best of the Rest – Spyderco Kapara

It might be one of the more expensive Spyderco knives on our list, but this is one case where we can say with full honesty that it is worth the extra few bucks. This is truly a superb folding knife for anyone that is looking to upgrade from their entry-level model into something with a more professional grade construction. The design is both beautiful and functional. Great pivot-brushing action makes for a knife that is easy to open and close.

The handle is made from a carbon fiber weave that provides both incredible strength and adequate flexibility, or in other words, a nearly indestructible blend of design features that make it far above the nylon or steel handles of other models. While we love compression locks, and the Kapara has a really strong one, it does take some time to break in before it opens easily. But adding a touch of oil and messing with the pivot screw can make it easier for some users.