Spyderco Morphs a Fan-Favorite Folder into a Highly Formidable Outdoor Knife

While Spyderco is best known for its iconic leaf-shaped blades, as found on the legendary Para Military 2 and its EDC-friendly follow-up, the Para 3, that’s far from the only style the brand trades in.

Take the Spyderco Smock, for example. Crafted in conjunction with the blade’s namesake, knifemaker Kevin Smock, this folder bucked Spyderco’s styling trends. Yet it still became a huge hit among the outfit’s fans, yours truly included.

Now, the pair have teamed up again, paring that same design language into a much different knife style in the Spyderco Skoli.

Spyderco

Out of pocket

Whereas the Spyderco Smock was undoubtedly an EDC knife, marked by a folding design and sleek, pocket-friendly silhouette, the Skoli is undoubtedly an outdoor adventure knife. Yet, the stylistic cues the two blades share work well in either environment.

For instance, the Skoli and Smock share similarly slender, long blades, complete with a steep drop-off toward the tip. However, they’re not carbon copies; the Skoli’s edge is straighter toward the handle and curves a little more steeply toward the edge, making for a more versatile overall shape (which is ideal for outdoor work).

Spyderco

Similarly, the handle scales of both knives are somewhat similarly shaped and their textures mimic one another. However, the Skoli’s are G-10 and the texture is more pronounced, offering better overall grip, even in soggy situations (as is common outdoors).

Finally, the Skoli has a small imitation of Spyderco’s signature Round Hole. Although it’s a deployment option on the Smock, it serves more as a paracord attachment point on the Skoli, adding some handy outdoor utility.

Spyderco

Slender slicer

While the slenderness of the Skoli gives the impression of it being an almost overbearing long blade, this is somewhat of a deception. In fact, it’s not what most might call hulking, especially when compared to other outdoor classics.

Altogether, the Skoli measures 9.32 inches. While many military combat fixed blades and similarly aggressive knives measure up to 12 or more inches, the Skoli is much more in line with easy-to-carry, versatile backcountry blades, as was intended by its design.

Spyderco

Yet, even with its more compact style and light 5.2-ounce weight, the knife’s 4.68-inch 9Cr18MoV steel blade is incredibly capable for everything from tough chopping tasks to more detail-oriented work.

It also benefits from a pronounced finger guard, thick spine jimping (which helps with tougher cuts) and a strong full-tang blade design. It also ships with its own contoured polymer sheath for easier storage and transport.

Spyderco

Availability and pricing

The Spyderco Skoli is available for preorder now at Blade HQ for $143 (down from $190). The blacked-out version, however, is slightly more expensive, clocking in at $150 (down from $200).

It will also soon be available on Spyderco’s official site.

Spyderco

Spyderco Skoli

• $190 at Spyderco
• $143 at Blade HQ
  $190 (25% off)

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