Spyderco
Recommended 46× on r/BuyItForLife
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Triangle Sharpmaker Diamond Stone Pair
The Spyderco Diamond Stones are the answer. The diamond abrasive material sharpeners faster than the standard ceramic stones that come with the system. The stones are designed to w...
Tenacious Liner Lock Pocket Knife
Yojimbo 2 G-10 Stainless Pocket Knife
Sage 5 Compression Lock Carbon Fiber G-10 S30V Steel
Tenacious Pocket Knife C122GP
The mid-sized Spyderco Tenacious C122GP has a satin finished blade with a plain edge and a black G-10 laminate handle, milled with prolonged fatigue-free cutting in mind. Tucked in...
Para Military 2 Camo C81GPCMO2 Pocket Knife
Tasman Salt 2 Lockback
Spyderco has a knife for those that love the water and need a blade that won't rust and will cut ropes, nets and lines. The 2.91 inch blade made from H 1 steel in a Hawkbill patter...
Bow River Fixed Blade Knife fb46gp
Introducing the Spyderco Bow River - designed by Phil Wilson for outdoor enthusiasts. With a slim, flat-ground blade and sturdy build, it's perfect for hunting and bushcraft. Compl...
Kitchen Paring Knife
K05SBK Kitchen Utility KnifeSpyderco Spyderco's involvement in kitchen knives dates back to the early 1980's and the beginnings of the company’s knife production. After being disco...
Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Kit
This all-in-one set will sharpen virtually anything, from knives and scissors to fish hooks and darts. Keyed slots in the ABS plastic base. Set the stones' sharpening angle at 30°...
Delica 4 Lockback Stainless
An equal partner in the history-making achievements of Endura. The Delica 4 offers the same outstanding qualities as the Endura, but in a more compact package. The Delica 4 Lightwe...
Delica 4 Lockback FRN VG10 Stainless Pocket Knife
Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Spyderco
46 mentions from real owners
- #1Dec 19, 2025
Best Stocking Stuffers?
A good everyday carry pocket knife. Spyderco has both a “man bug” and an”ladybug “ that will fit in anyone’s pocket and last a lifetime A good tire gauge- we all have woken up on a cold winter morning to our car telling us the pressure is low. Even if you use a gas station air pump you can’t trust the readout so a tire gauge is a great thing to have
View on Redditopen_in_new - #2Dec 6, 2025
Best thing to buy for $100
Imagine the differences between a nicely filed fingernail, a quickly clipped fingernail with average clippers, and a nail that's been "trimmed" by just literally tearing the end off with a pair of pliers. Drag-through sharpeners are essentially the plier scenario for a knife. You remove too much material, very unevenly, and it's simply not good for the "health" of a tool you'd want to depend on. The resulting edge is all torn-up and fragile, but feels "toothy" to the touch so it'll cut for sure. Those scraggly "teeth" just don't last very long, so you keep dragging it through again and again and before you know it the knife is a little tiny letter opener shiv thing. The Spyderco Tri-angle Sharpmaker goes on sale somewhat often. It's expensive otherwise. It's far from the absolute best option, but it's one of the most intuitive minimal-effort ways to correctly care for a knife. With a bit of practice you can have your knives looking better than they did out of the box, rather than making them increasingly misshapen and ineffective from sessions with a drag-through sharpener. Most types of knives can be sharpened on flat stones or diamond-coated plates. This method has a slower learning curve but once you get good at it, it's one of the best ways to draw out the working life of a knife. Someone's who's mastered stone sharpening can really minimize how much steel they remove with each sharpening session. The market's currently oversaturated with very cheap, very unpleasant aluminum oxide based stones that wear out way too quickly. All the top recommendations on Amazon typically are the kinds of stones that will discourage a person from learning to use stones.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #3Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
>but sharpening a serrated knife at home is next to impossible Spyderco sharpmaker with a tear drop ceramic.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #4Nov 7, 2025
Which brands/products have gotten better over time?
Spyderco knives are getting better. Their new super steels are nuts.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #5Sep 3, 2025
Best anniversary gifts that actually last
A nice watch if he wears them can be a companion for the rest of your life . I also agree a nice well made pocketknife from a brand like Benchmade or spyderco is a really nice BIFL gift
View on Redditopen_in_new - #6Aug 11, 2025
Didn’t expect to keep using this after my trip, but here we are
Spyderco Para 3
View on Redditopen_in_new - #7Aug 2, 2025
Anyone keep a “BIFL Roster”?
They can, but Benchmade doesn't make it easy. If you live in the US, you have to send the knife in even for the replacement of minor components such as omega springs. They're fine as functional knives, but that rates significantly lower on BIFL-ness than something like a Spyderco with a compression lock (which I see you also have on your list) that would only have to be serviced in case of an actual defect, as opposed to the Axis lock which has a well known, well documented built-in point of failure.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #8Jul 3, 2025
BIFL Quality Knives that Last
Spiderco’s last forever. The best every day carry for me is the PM2 but the delicas are super popular too. A great budget knife is the OKC Rat 2 if you don’t want to dish out $100+. Shop first for the steel, second for the locking mechanism and third for the warranty IMO.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #9Jul 1, 2025
Name your top 5 BIFL items
Duluth pack bison wallet, Lamy fountain pen, Rolex datejust 41, Zojirushi rice cooker, Spiderco pocket knife
View on Redditopen_in_new - #10Jun 6, 2025
What's a high quality BIFL that you carry with you every day and can't leave home without it.
Spyderco Harpy, all stainless steel. Been almost 2 decades now, it's never failed me and has been through a ton of use/abuse.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #11Jun 5, 2025
What’s one item you bought that way outperformed its price?
Spyderco pocket knives. I have several, I’ll only ever truly need one.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #12Jun 3, 2025
What’s one thing you bought once and it’s still going strong years later?
Spyderco stainless steel 40 years on my belt.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #13May 11, 2025
Experts in niche specialties- Are there any products you feel strongly about, for or against?
Love my opinel. And I probably use it more than most people who spend 100+ on a tacticool knife. Don't get me wrong I love my spyderco and boker but my opinel is my daily driver for a reason
View on Redditopen_in_new - #14May 10, 2025
How are the mighty fallen
Yeah there are tons of great knife brands if you want a BIFL pocket knife. If you have the budget, I will always and forever recommend a Chris Reeve Sebenza, they are truly excellent knives and will last your entire life. CRK has a program to refresh your knives for a nominal fee including lock bar and blade replacements, replacement thumbstuds, re-finishing, whatever you need. Sebenzas are around $550ish. I especially recommend the ones with inlays, as they feel even more premium than the standard titanium frames. If you want something that's really fancy, Rockstead or Shirogorov. Shiro is made in Russia, Rockstead in Japan. Rockstead does some of the best blade work in the world, with ZDP-189 and true DLC over mirror finishing... truly impressive stuff. Shirogorov has amazing flippers that will last forever and are so incredibly beautiful, but you're going to pay at least $800 for a Shiro or $1200+ for Rockstead. You're in custom territory at that point. Not everyone has that budget, so the next wrung down would be Microtech, I'd take a look at a SOCOM. I carry a SOCOM all the time, and it's a great GADA type knife. They do everything well, and you can get the Rike made versions around $300ish, those are really impressive for that money. Zero Tolerance, which is the higher end brand of Kershaw makes great knives between $200-$300. Occasionally you can find blowout old stock ZTs and they always make great buys. My last ZT that I bought a few years ago was a ZT 308, which is a titanium framelock, and it ran me around $220. Absolutely awesome knife for that money. Then you have the perennial favorite, which I always recommend to my friends as a best "first good knife" - the Spyderco Paramilitary 2. Seriously, if all you want is a great everyday user and you don't need something that's built like an absolute tank and you pinky promise not to use it as a prybar, just get a PM2. The S30V versions are awesome, but they come in so many colors and steels that it'll make your eyes water. I don't recommend anything with a super high vanadium content on the steel, just stick with something reasonable. If you like crossbar style locks, The Manix 2 from Spyderco is also an awesome bet. All of the same commentary applies, it just has a really wonderful locking mechanism thats maybe a bit better for lefties. Avoid all assisted opening knives like the plague. I know a lot of people are tempted by Kershaw's Speedsafe assisted opening knives but in my experience they're junk. They have a torsion bar inside the scale that breaks all the time. CRKT is also famous for putting out trash-tier AO knives... IMO I'd just avoid all AO knives. The only good AO mechanism is Benchmade's old Nitrous system which they no longer make anymore, which is a shame bc it's really good. Under $100, you're primarily in import territory now. People really like Civivi in that price range but I have no experience with them. They're the el cheapo cost reduced brand of WE I think, and they seem okay. I also recommend Victorinox Swiss Army Knives all the time. The aluminum handle SAKs are kinda great EDCs. I carry one everywhere I go as a spare knife, just because theyre thin and light, and they have scissors which I find infinitely useful. Nothing wrong with a SAK. If you have less than $70, try a Kershaw Iridium. That's a solid knife with a solid lock for that money. I don't love Kershaw as a brand but that's a solid knife for that money. Less than $40, you're really pushing the BIFL thing, but maybe an Opinel might be in that category. These are simple traditional folding knives from France and they're pretty well made for the money. They might not be BIFL but they DO last a long time and they're really cost effective.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #15May 10, 2025
How are the mighty fallen
Right now… if you don’t care about where it’s made the obvious answer is Reate, but ZT if you want US made is the closest you’re going to find to vintage Benchmade. Zero Tolerance has been surprisingly able to keep their prices reasonable for the past several years. Hogue makes great knives for the money, and of course there’s Spyderco doing the thing that Spyderco does. Their prices have gone up but not as crazy as BM. You can also find vintage BMs at reasonable prices on occasion if you know where to look.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #16May 10, 2025
Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products
Saddleback leather. Courtney boots. Chris reeve knives. Surefire flashlights. Omega watches. I don’t like rebuying things I’ll use daily. Nalgene bottles. Goruck bags. Yeti products. Spyderco. SOLGW, Q, tac sol, browning, CZ, many other firearm makers.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #17Apr 12, 2025
Buying my first knife, need recommendations
Spyderco Para 2 is my edc. I've had it you years and it's still razor sharp-I use it all the time. My other favorite is a Spyderco Yojimbo 2. Not nearly as versatile, but it's just so cool. They might be a bit over your price requirement—I'm not sure the conversion rate.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #18Apr 12, 2025
Buying my first knife, need recommendations
Spyderco Delica 4, titanium handle
View on Redditopen_in_new - #19Apr 1, 2025
Microtech Ultratech. A true BIFL knife.
Ot you get a spyderco para3 salt which is legal in all states and won't wear out. What would happen if you try to baton with that, a guarantee you, even the shittiest fixed blade would last longer. And if the handle snaps, you still have a cutting edge worst case.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #20Mar 10, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
Para 2 Cruwear.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #21Mar 10, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
Manix 2
View on Redditopen_in_new - #22Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
They are slicers. They will break if you use it as a work pry tool like a lot of people do for some reason. Benchmade is better for that type of abuse. They both will last for life if you use them what they’re made for Benchmade for heavier work Spyderco for slicing
View on Redditopen_in_new - #23Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
If youre afraid of losing it, get an endura or delica with a bright frn handle.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #24Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
Carried a $40 Tenacious for 7 years now.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #25Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
Mmm had my para 3 for over 5 years already and it's still as sharp and smooth as ever. I put a polished convex edge on mine, looks mint.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #26Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
I have about a half dozen (the benefit of being close to their golden Co outlet). I have really enjoyed them. I also found an endura while out hunting, it was baked quite a bit on the sunny side, perfectly fine on the side toward the ground, cleaned it up/restored it, its one of my EDC knives.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #27Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
That’s my daily carry too, in CPM Magnacut
View on Redditopen_in_new - #28Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
Lots of guys out there with 30 year old enduras and delicas. The problem with spydies is that I always want another
View on Redditopen_in_new - #29Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
I've kept a Spyderco Salsa that doubles as a money clip in my pocket for the last 20 plus years, it's a solid tool.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #30Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
I want a sage but I’ll always love the p3 being American made
View on Redditopen_in_new - #31Mar 9, 2025
Spyderco Knives, take your pick for BIFL
I have a Para 3. Swapped the scales for a textured titanium and blue hardware. Great knife!
View on Redditopen_in_new - #32Mar 8, 2025
Looking for a good BIFL pocket knife.
Pocket knife only? Buck 110/112 series. They are heavy. For something lighter, Spyderco pm2 but it’s more expensive. Benchmade 940 as well but they are expensive for a pocket knife. Kershaw leek is a nice alternative to it. Avoid gerber and buck (either than 110/112), SOG as well Multitool knife? Swiss Army knife by far, they will last a lifetime. Leatherman for heavy use, particularly the higher end ones like the surge or wave or charge
View on Redditopen_in_new - #33Feb 10, 2025
What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?
Vitamix. Robocoupe. Bosch (kitchen appliances). Lee Valley/Veritas. Lie Nielson. Herder chef knives. Mac knives. G and L guitars. Taylor guitars (I'm not a fan of their style/tone, but their QC is best in the acoustic factory guitar scene. PRS guitars (some of the best factory electric guitar QC). Toyota/Lexus. They just work. I have a Honda, which is pretty reliable...but they chitzied on plastic floorpan clips instead of metal. Bottom of my car started going "whoosh" after 54000 miles. Never had an issue on my 1997 Corolla. Spyderco. Victorinox. Leatherman. solid warranty, and decent QC, even with all the Chinese clones. Mitotuyo micrometers. Built different. Tom Bihn bags. Waterfield designs. IMHO significantly better and tougher than Chrome (wore a hole through a corner in 1 month) and Timbuck2. Excellent ergos. Excellent workmanship and materials. Patagonia.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #34Feb 7, 2025
What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?
Here's my list of brands that have earned my loyalty: * **Saddleback leather -** It's pricy, but I've never been disappointed with anything I've purchased there and the quality is rock solid. I've now bought multiple bags, a wallet that I've carried for 10+ years, and a desk pad. * **Patagonia** \- Great company, great products, great warranty. * **Lodge** \- The best value Cast Iron around. Sure, you can find better pans. . . for 5-10x the cost. Lodge delivers an excellent product at a very fair price. * **Spyderco** \- I spent a lot of years casually collecting pocket knives, with well over a hundred pocket knives in my set. Spyderco isn't necessarily the fanciest, and some people don't care for the look, but their excellent quality and the functionality is top notch. * **Victorinox** \- A Swiss Army Knife is still a great knife and I carry one regularly. Their multi-tools are better than Leatherman, and their kitchen knives are rockstars for the price. * **ThermoWorks** \- If you want a good thermometer (and if you cook, you do), this is the brand you should buy. The Thermapen is the gold standard, but the ThermoPop is a great budget option, the SPOT is a great fridge thermometer, and the DOT is an amazing probe thermometer. I've got half a dozen thermometers from ThermoWorks and I wouldn't buy one from anyone else. * **Rockwell Razors** \- Traditional safety razors. I bought their Original 6S Stainless from their first Kickstarter. The first attempt didn't cut it quality-wise. Rockwell made it right by replacing the razors from everyone who received the first batch of sub-par razors. I haven't seen any Kickstarter company that went as far as Rockwell did to take care of their backers. And the final product hit it out of the park. I've bought multiple razors from them since and they're all excellent. I'm probably forgetting a few, but I have trust and faith in the quality of anything I buy from these companies.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #35Feb 6, 2025
What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?
Michelin tires have never let me down. Long-lasting, good traction, no flats, good ride. WeatherTech floor mats have saved my carpets. Pyrex kitchen ware, Civivi and Spyderco knives. Honda and Toyota have been good for me up to 250,000 miles.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #36Feb 4, 2025
Best pocket knife? For camping/survival, boxes, food, carving, cloth, basically anything and everything
if you’re aiming for something that’ll last a long time with minimal maintenance, I’d go for something with a solid steel like S30V or CPM-20CV. Both of these steels hold an edge for a long time, so you won’t be sharpening constantly. I’ve had a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 for years, and it's been solid for everything from light tasks like box cutting to tougher stuff like carving wood and even some heavy-duty camping tasks.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #37Jan 10, 2025
What did you buy not realizing you bought it for life?
Spyderco pocket knife. Bought it more than 30 years ago. More surprised that I haven’t lost it to be honest.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #38Dec 5, 2015
Redditors, what do you regret?
I read your post, thought "Hah. This reminds me of me and my Sage 2." Then I clicked on the link and sure enough, you have the same knife. I use $5 box cutters with replaceable blades when I'm at work and leave the spyderco at home for opening mail and carrying on my day off... On the other hand, a high quality fixed blade, like the ESEE 3 I take camping, feels best after you've beaten it up a little.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #39Dec 3, 2015
BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good
Kershaw/ZT and Spyderco both have knives with the wave feature now, so what you are saying about other knives not having it is untrue. Emerson knives were great in the 90s when everything was a backlock or a liner lock. Since then, a lot has changed in the knife world and there are higher quality knives with better steel and materials, and better fit and finish for less money. Also, if you know you will be out in the boonies why would you want to rely on a folding knife as your only knife? Fixed blades under most circumstances are going to be stronger, and require far less maintenance. A good Esee, Ontario, or Becker will do way more and tolerate abuse far beyond what any folding knife would be able to endure if you really had to push it. And they are way cheaper. If you are stuck on having a folder, then I would argue that Kershaw/ZT, Benchmade and Spyderco all make knives with large handles that are way stronger than the Emerson (Kershaw Knockout, ZT0550... Hell ANYTHING ZT makes, Benchmade Adamas, and Spyderco Tuff all come to mind) and can be had at the same or less of a pricepoint. The Emerson isnt a bad knife, but its way too expensive for what you get... Which is why a lot of people are giving you flack over this recommendation. It may be BIFL, but there is much better stuff out there for the $ that is also Made in 'Murica (ZT and Benchmade are all made in America these days). If you would like to learn more about knives come visit us over in /r/knifeclub . We have a good community over there that loves to discuss knives in a friendly way.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #40Dec 3, 2015
BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good
Spyderco Southard is #1 in my heart, followed by the Paramilitary. Other than that ZT is always a good bet. But seriously, check out the southard, it's good reputation is absolutely deserved. Can't be beat in terms of quality and practicality. And Brad Southard is a genius.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #41Dec 3, 2015
BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good
to address your concerns: >none of these have the wave feature emerson is the fastest knife outta your pocket You can replicate the "wave feature" on any spyderco with the famous zip-tie mod, and kershaw offers many knives with the same wave style openers. >but the further you are out from civilization you typically want a larger and larger blade I agree that larger knives are better for camping/hunting environments, but in that case you should probably get a fixed blade with a good sheath. My opinion is that a good pocket knife allows enough space to get other things in and out of your pocket. My spyderco southard is currently sharing its home with 2 pens, a pencil, and a pair of pliers. >simply put these smaller handled blades don't grip as well they are too short I also agree with you about grip, but I also think that if you find yourself needing that much grip you should consider a fixed blade. >plus i can ride up on the blade of the emerson and there are grooves at the top to make sure my finger doesn't slip Rifling on the choil is very common. Every manufacture I know of offers a knife with it.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #42Dec 3, 2015
BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good
I carry a spyderco paramilitary 2 is s30v daily and it's a champ. If I need something I can beat on I se a old zero tolerance
View on Redditopen_in_new - #43Dec 2, 2015
BIFL : Commander by Emerson Knives the only knife you can completely take apart and the warranty is still good
At this price range, I would definitely go Spyderco or Benchmade. Emerson's have shoodier QC than Kershaw who'se 1/5th the price.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #44Dec 2, 2015
Kitchen knife for personal use
My preference is the spyderco sharpmaker. It's easy to use and maintain a consistent bevel. Flexible since it can hand many sharpening tasks and fairly reliable. This and a good steel is about all you need.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #45Dec 2, 2015
BIFL: tactical knife under $50?
[CRTK 2930 Yukanto Fixed Blade Knife, 4.56", Black designed by James Williams](http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-River-Knife-Tool-2930/dp/B00TACNMEK/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1449032720&sr=8-9) for $50.59. If he is west coast then he may well know James Williams. [Ka-Bar Straight Leather Handled Mark 1 Knife](http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Straight-Leather-Handled-Knife/dp/B005GRFLTM/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1449033943&sr=1-1) for $55.09. This will be a possibility sentimental gift; marked USN. If you can spend double look into the [Spyderco FB23PBBK Aqua Salt Lightweight Plain Edge Knife, Black, 9.33-Inch](http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-FB23PBBK-Lightweight-Plain-9-33-Inch/dp/B00SX51E7M) for $100.57. A few Navy divers I know like this knife as it uses a trick steel that physically cannot rust. Nitrogen is used in place of carbon in the steel.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #46Dec 2, 2015
BIFL: tactical knife under $50?
50 bucks isn't much for a knife that your life may depend on. You could get an Esee izula for close to that. I'd suggest an esee fixed blade or a spyderco pm2 if you want a folder. I wouldn't trust any cheap brand like gerber, sharade, smithwesson.
View on Redditopen_in_new