Tenacious - Black Blade

First off, I've purchased the plane edge satin steel version and the Black version of this knife. I purchased it here off of Amazon over 11 years ago (the plain version). I own dozens upon dozens of knives. In my pictures, I have the Black version. Its pictured with a Spyderco Ambitious, a Spyderco Sage 2, a Spyderco Stretch, a Kershaw skyline, and an Ontario Rat II, for reference. It's a hobby bug you can catch. Something about the designs, the materials, the fit and finish. How smooth it opened and closes. The lines of the shape. It's an art, most definitely. I'd like to start by saying that the build quality of this knife for the price, there is not many that compare. I know since then, there has been many budget-friendly companies with their D2 steals and whatnot. I still stand behind that. This is a knife you purchase to try out Spyderco. All of this has been mentioned, the g10 of the handle is a material that will help you get better purchase on it the handle when your heads are wet or compromised. It is a good handle material. The blade steel 8cr13mov, very decent for a blade steel. Decent for the blade snobby crowd. I admit I can get a bit snobby. Not too bad though. It will hold an edge quite well and will sharpen quite well. Theres a trade off usually with steels. If a blade steel holds its edge incredibly well, it should be just as hard to sharpen. It may also chip because of how hard the steel may be. With this knife, you can just let the knife be a knife. You can put it through its paces and it will come on out on top. You don't have to baby it, you don't have to overlook it. You can just take it and use it and not feel too bad. And it will take what you throw at it and more, with common sense in mind (knives are not pry bars). In summary, if you're looking for a value folding knife, this knife still holds up, absolutely! If you're looking for a knife to try spider go out, go for it. If you like the way it looks, go for it. Worst case scenario, there is a return policy. This opinion is coming from a person who has handled hundreds of a folding knives. Once that cost into the thousands of dollars. I tell you this is a great knife. I still love it. This is one of the few knives I would recommend as a gift to someone who will be actually using the knife, putting it through its paces so to speak. Definitely definitely recommend it. Thank you for reading. Please, let me know if I have been of help.

I'm a knife guy. There. I said it. I have always carried a pocketknife, for as long as I can remember from childhood forward. About 20 years ago I first heard about Spyderco knives. I started looking into them and couldn't understand why their knives were selling at what I considered to be premium prices. So I ordered one. Once I had it in my hands - I understood completely. The durability, intelligent design, ergonomics, attention to detail in fit and finish, the premium steels, the warranty, the light weight, the speed of deployment - all of these factors added up to a completely different knife experience than I had previously known. I carried Spyderco knives every day for years. In recent years the prices on their primary lines has gone up, as prices tend to do. Some years ago they designed and crafted the Byrd line of knives - great designs, good steel, but in no way the same fit and finish. I own several Byrd knives, and while they're good knives, they're not Spydercos. Now we have an additional option of Spyderco knives crafted in China (rather than Japan or Golden CO). These knives are every bit Spyderco quality, just most often with more common (and far easier to machine) blade steels. This Tenacious is every bit the quality you would expect for a knife twice this price. The edge was razor-sharp out of the box, and I am in no way kidding. One of the running jokes about Spyderco knives for years has been that certain models seem almost bloodthirsty - you tend to get cut on them surprisingly easily. This one qualifies - I didn't have thing 12 hours and managed to lay open the side of my finger in a momentary lapse of attention. Barring losing one of these, they really are the last knife you'll ever have to buy. I would give this knife ten stars if the system would permit it.

So far I’m incredibly happy with the knife. It came sharp as sin and ready to work. The make is clean and the bevel lines are everything you want and more. I have been using it out on the ranch it is a beast. The size is a bit bigger than my normal knives but it doesn’t bother me. The design is smart and well done. Want to buy the USA spyderco but the cash will not allow. Get this and be happy, simple as that

I've had a passion for knives for many years, right or wrong. One would probably lament the amount of money and time I have devoted to such a strange hobby. If I was a reasonable man about knives and wanted to choose one (1) folding knife to serve as my EDC (every day carry), this would be that knife. Value? Buck for buck, no folding pocket knife will outperform and out-value (for lack of a better word) the performance and value of the Spyderco Tenacious. As the years have gone by, I simply continue to marvel at this knife's greatness. I have a folder that costs $250.00 right now on the open market, and most days I find the Spyderco Tenacious in my pocket. Why? The performance and value of this beast just blows my mind. This knife can actually outperform many knives that cost over $100.00!! It's slick, robust, smooth as butter, sharp as hell and easy to carry. The design of the blade is very useful and classic Spyderco while the handle is G10 and very ergonomic. Perhaps the best thing about it is the price. You can get this knife for $40-$45 right now. A few years ago, you could get it for as low as $37.00, but I think those days are gone. The steel is 8CR13MOV, which is a Chinese steel very similar to AUS-8. Is it the best steel on the market? No, but Spyderco's treatment of 8CR13MOV is very impressive. It holds its edge fairly well, and is VERY EASY to sharpen to a razor's edge. I have actually grown quite fond of this steel because it's so easy to sharpen. All you have to do is give about 5-10 strokes with a ceramic rod, and it's a razor blade again. I have also been pleasantly surprised at this steel's corrosive resistance, something I was somewhat concerned about. Now, you will have to provide some care to any knife's steel or corrosion will result, but some mineral oil or a wipe down with Tuff-Cloth will be all you need to do with this knife, as long as you keep it dry after use. After exposure to water, I would try to rub it down if possible, but I haven't always done that, and the knife is still holding up well. The liner lock is actually surprisingly strong. I have had many liner lock knives, and some I can just tell that the liner lock won't hold up to heavy usage, but with the Spyderco Tenacious, I have confidence in this lock. That doesn't mean I'm going to be stupid with it, but this lock should hold up pretty well as long as you are reasonably cautious. By contrast, I have been cut by the Kershaw Blur after the liner lock failed in that knife, not that I don't like the Blur, but the liner lock just isn't that secure, at least not as secure as the Tenacious. With any liner lock or any folder, one must always be cautious about lock failure. The ergonomics on this knife are very impressive. This knife fits my hand like a glove, and it holds up so well to heavy usage. I have bought knives like CRKT No Time Off and other heavy duty knives that are almost twice as expensive as the Tenacious, and the I always find myself going back to my Tenacious because it's so comfortable, strong and easy to use. Like I said, I have many knives, many folding knives and many Spydercos, but if I wanted to sell all of my knives and get my money back and keep one (1) knife that could do EDC and heavy duty tasks, the Spyderco Tenacious would be that knife, hands down!! Many people will tell you that the Tenacious is out of style and now there are better options like the Byrd Raven 2 or people will tell you that the Ontario RAT-1 is better, but I'm here to tell you that I have all those knives, and the Spyderco Tenacious is the knife that I trust the most of the bunch. Does that mean it's better than a Spyderco Manix 2 G10 with S30V? No, the Manix 2 has better steel and a stronger lock, but it costs about $60.00 more than the Tenacious, too. What I am saying is that the Spyderco Tenacious is a silky-smooth, robust, beast of a knife and is THE BEST VALUE for the money on the market today, and it's been that way for a long, long time! The Spyderco Tenacious gets my highest recommendation as an EDC folding knife. I love it!!! Overall score: 93/100.

Although I've been collecting knives for a few years and carrying a pocket knife for more than 50, this is my first Spyderco. I originally posted this review in September 2011 but, after more than two months, much of what I felt about the Tenacious has changed and I've made some extensive edits. What hasn't changed is my being bothered by the fact that this model is made in China. I'm not a fanatic about buying only products made in the U.S., but tend to stay away from much of what is made in China. Anyway, nobody put a gun to my head to buy this knife and I have to admit that the quality is quite good for the price. Spyderco seems to be doing a first class job of overseeing their Chinese source, which is more than I can say for some other brands. One thing that did change was my concern about the "hole". The Tenacious is the only knife that I own that uses this opening method. It took me a little while, but I've become very comfortable with it. I may be the only person who doesn't use his thumb to open the knife. I find it easier and faster to use my index finger to "flip" the blade open. A classic case of doing what works. I did loosen the pivot bolt about ½ turn and now the blade just flies open with a flick of my finger. No problem with accidental opening whatsoever and closing is a one-hand operation as well. The blade steel is 8Cr13Mov which I've come to feel is of mid-level quality. It takes a nice edge but doesn't hold it nearly as long as something like ZDP189. Given the price point, I have no complaints. The G10 scales are grippy and I like the pocket clip. I wish that more manufacturers would design knives that allow for four-way clip positioning, but not many knives are designed to handle that. At some 4 ounces, this knife feels heavier than it looks and you really know that it's in your pocket. The blade is quite thick and the serrations are extremely sharp. Oddly, I didn't find the plain portion of the edge to be as sharp as expected from Spyderco. Although I wasn't sure that I would like the combo blade, it turns out that I do. Cutting heavy rope and plastic ties is a breeze with the serrated portion. Made in China or not, the knife exudes quality. Even the packaging was better than expected. I initially had some doubts about keeping the Tenacious. However, after 2+ months of use, there is no way that I'm going to sell it. It's now nearing the end of December and I'm making one more edit.... I like this knife so much that I'm giving one as a Christmas gift. Call me crazy, but I've been working on polishing the blade on mine to a mirror-like finish with 3M micron paper. It's a long process to do by hand but I've been doing it a little at a time. Probably silly to waste time on this with a $30 knife that will actually be used, but it looks quite a bit different from the stock finish.

This knife is very well made, and looks like a much more expensive knife (parts, blade, finish and markings are higher-end quality - and you must see to appreciate). The fully serrated blade will be a great all purpose user and would also do as a very imposing self-defender (if needed). And, it's extremely sharp (as mentioned in other reviews). I can add, that tried to cut some 65 lb braided fishing line, and broke the cardinal rule of using any knife, I cut the line pulling toward me. When I did, it certainly cut the line, and also went about 1/4 thru my opposite hand thumb (which I was splicing braided line to mono). And, this did so with light cutting pressure. *************This knife is a circular saw.. So, for use as a workman's knife, you should attach a small and secure lanyard utilizing the lanyard hole, to wrap around your pinky if you plan on doing lots of sawing, or stab puncturing boxes etc. If one were not careful with this knife, a sweaty hand could slip forward whilst sawing something, and... off goes a few of your fingers.. Or, if you punched into a box, or bag of fertilizer and hit something hard, one could picture your thrust hand slipping forward onto the blade of knife. This thing will easily go right through your hands/fingers like butter and I cannot imagine what wood-sawing force and a slip would do (OMG). Hence, the serrations on this knife are not really all that handle or choil protected from your fingers (if your hand were to slip forward). So, I would NOT use this knife as your average folding pocket knife, or kitchen knife. Hence, it will cut things that you normally wouldn't try and cut. Sypderco did a great job with the serrations here, but a fool will really hurt himself playing around with this knife. I have to wonder if this knife is really for show and to defend your life, moreso, than it is for someone who uses a knife a lot.. If they do, they should heed a special warning (tie a pinky lanyard with paracord, and/or wear some good chain-saw gloves for lots of use. So, again, this fully serrated Spyderco is super sharp, and sharper than I thought, and must be respected, and maybe moreso than other knives. I also bought a Gerber, Firestorm, which I do like a lot. It too is extremely sharp, and this Syperco knife was nearly 1/2 the price. Therefore, if you want an inexpensive, and high quality knife, look no further. An exceptional knife, and great looking too for the price. This is no Cubscout, or Boyscout knife. Enjoy - (with caution)

This is my first spyderco knife and its really blown me away. I know this is the entry level of spyderco knife but its still great for what it is. The action is smooth and had a satisfying click/snap when the blade locks into place. Now im not that knowledgeable about steel types but from what ive read, s35vn is a good upgrade from the older 8cr13mov blade steel. It also came with a razor sharp factory edge. Its not heavy by any means but it does have a nice weight to it. I went for the blue color variant to match my other edc gear and im really satisfied with it. Unfortunately i have dropped it already but surprisingly the scratches it got were very faint. I think thats a good testament to the durability & quality of this knife. For what its worth i think this a great value knife that im sure will last a long time with proper care & maintenance.

Well, it’s sharp!!!! Love the knife, opens a bit stiff the first few tries but then is smooth. It is shaving sharp right out of the box! Tried the flick open method a few times, sadly got ahead of myself, and accidentally closed it partly on the tip of my middle finger, let’s just say it cut like butter. Lol!! Lessons learned I guess. Great knife, my first Spyderco, and despite it getting a fresh taste of my finger, I still plan on buying more!