Spyderco byte August 2019

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PROVINCE™

FB45GP

MSRP: $400.00
ORIGIN: Taiwan

Jim Ankerson is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a lifelong knife enthusiast. Unlike most knife fans who are content to collect cutting tools, he is obsessed with understanding the finer points of actual knife performance. To fuel that understanding, he began testing knives more than 30 years ago and has gradually developed his own demanding series of knife-test protocols and performance standards. As his knowledge and experience grew, Ankerson also began sharing the results of his testing and his unique insights on knife design on various Internet forums. That hard-won wisdom soon attracted a community of followers—and the attention of Spyderco founder Sal Glesser.

Based on his military experience and the knowledge he gained from his years of knife testing, Ankerson had an idea for a strong, versatile, and lightweight fixed-blade knife that was an improvement on traditional Bowie Knife patterns. To validate the concept and bring his design to life, he approached Darrin Sanders, a full-time knifemaker from Louisiana. Sanders grew up using knives in his father’s grocery store and while working on offshore supply vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. He is also an accomplished outdoorsman who shares Ankerson’s penchant for quantifying knife performance through hard, real-world testing.

Starting with Ankerson’s vision and borrowing liberally from Sanders’ “Camp Bowie” pattern, the two created a hybrid design that they felt offered excellent versatility and performance. To test that theory, they put it through their own demanding series of tests. Pleased with the results, Ankerson proudly shared the design with Spyderco’s leaders at the Blade Show in Atlanta. We were also impressed with its clean lines and no-nonsense functionality and decided to take the handmade sample “on tour,” displaying it at select trade shows with other concept models and prototypes to gauge customer interest. The feedback from Spyderco enthusiasts was overwhelmingly positive, so we decided to pursue a formal collaboration. The Province was born.

The heart of the Province is unquestionably its dramatic Bowie-style blade, which is precision machined from CPM^® 4V^® tool steel. CPM 4V is an advanced alloy specifically developed for applications requiring a superior combination of strength, wear resistance, and toughness. It is enriched with generous amounts of molybdenum and vanadium and is also a product of Crucible^® Industries' particle metallurgy process, which ensures a uniform distribution of the steel's alloys and a fine, homogenous microstructure.

The Province’s stout, clip-point blade is .154-inch (3.9mm) thick and features a high flat grind and a full-thickness spine that balance strength, light weight, and low-friction edge geometry for optimal performance. A swedge (unsharpened bevel) on the spine of the blade ensures an acute, utilitarian point that is also strong and well centered.

For maximum strength and a deft balance, the Province’s handle features a full tang flanked by smooth, contoured G-10 scales. The handsomely finished scales are 3-D machined to create a hand-filling palm swell and are secured with three sets of stainless steel Torx^®screws. A flared “pinky hook” provides excellent grip security when the knife is used for chopping and a lined lanyard hole allows the easy attachment of safety lines and lanyards.

The Province comes complete with a beautifully crafted friction-fit leather sheath. A leather loop on the back of the sheath allows convenient strong-side or crossdraw carry on all widths of belts. Its high-ride positioning holds the knife close to the body, allowing freedom of movement and minimizing bouncing while ensuring a smooth draw.

For users who prefer a more tactical style of carry, a custom-molded Boltaron® sheath is also available as an optional accessory. This durable snap-fit sheath has a symmetrical design and two-layer “pancake” construction secured by a series of eyelets. This allows Spyderco’s versatile G-Clip™ mount to be attached to either side of the sheath to support a full range of carry positions. The eyelets can also be used to lash the sheath to military MOLLE gear and other platforms.

The Province is an extremely capable working knife that reflects the deep insights and hard-earned experience of its designers. If you’re looking for a serious fixed blade you can trust, look no further.

OVERALL: 12.33 in / 313 mm
BLADE: 6.79 in / 172 mm
EDGE: 6.75 in / 171 mm
WEIGHT: 12 oz / 340 g
GRIND: High-Flat
ORIGIN: Taiwan

POCKET CLIPS: A Deeper Look

When Spyderco founder Sal Glesser put a pocket clip on his first folding knife design nearly 40 years ago, the world changed. What knife enthusiasts now take for granted was, at the time, a revolutionary innovation. Rather than carrying a knife in the bottom of your pocket or in a bulky belt pouch, it could now ride comfortably at the top of your pocket where it is instantly accessible, yet separate from the other pocket contents.

Although the original stainless steel pocket clip became one of the defining features of our CLIPIT® family of knives, our innovation didn’t stop there. We continued to expand upon the concept and, over the years, have developed and offered many different clip styles on our knives. Indisputably the first, we are also arguably still the best when it comes to understanding the finer points of pocket clip design.

Like most things in life, pocket clip design involves compromises between competing objectives. Understanding the factors that affect those objectives and prioritizing them based on your personal preferences is therefore the key to choosing a clip (and knife) style that works best for you.

Accessibility versus Discreetness

The primary advantage of a pocket clip is that it keeps a knife more accessible than if it were carried loosely at the bottom of the pocket. If you need it, you can get to it quickly and easily. The trade-off is that the clip, and typically a portion of the knife itself, becomes visible to others. For some people, that’s a concern.

Most Spyderco clips are designed to carry knives in such a way that they can be easily accessed, drawn, and opened fluidly with one hand. To do that, the height of the knife’s carry in the pocket must be adequate for users with average-sized hands to achieve a full, secure grip as they draw it. For example, with a knife configured for tip-up carry, the clip position should allow the knife to ride high enough that the grip achieved on the draw positions the hand close to the blade’s Trademark Round Hole™. This allows enough range of motion of the thumb for a traditional thumb opening without the need for grip adjustment.

If discretion is more important to you than ready access, you may prefer a deep-pocket clip. This style of clip is attached close to the top or bottom edge of the handle and shaped to allow the knife to ride as deeply as possible within the pocket. Spyderco’s deep-pocket carry clips also tend to be wire clips, which allow the pants material to show through and are less recognizable as knife clips than solid stainless steel or titanium clips. Collectively, these design qualities allow the knife to be carried more discreetly, but do make it more challenging to draw.

Size Does Matter

Another factor that has a significant impact on the style and placement of a pocket clip is the size of the knife itself. Again, let’s consider a CLIPIT configured for tip-up carry. No matter how large the knife is, your hand can only grip so much “real estate” on the handle during the draw. That’s because your thumb reaches inside your pocket as you draw while the rest of your hand remains outside. As soon as the web of your thumb stops against the top of the pocket, that’s as deep as your hand will go. The depth of the grip you have on the knife at that point is “what you get” when you draw.

If you have a shorter knife, the depth of your grip should give you enough range of motion of your thumb to flow immediately to a thumb opening. However, with a longer knife configured for tip-up carry, you may find the grip you achieve when you draw leaves your hand too far toward the butt end of the handle to perform a thumb opening. To open the knife one handed, you must reposition it in your hand to give your thumb enough range of motion to deploy the blade fully. Obviously, if the clip was mounted farther from the butt end of the handle, it would ride higher and make it easier for you to achieve a deeper grip on the draw; however, the knife would also be more visible. As always, there are trade-offs to everything.

At this point, many savvy readers are probably thinking, “No problem. Just mount the clip for tip-down carry.” That’s certainly one way to solve the problem. In fact, all of Spyderco’s early CLIPIT models were actually configured for tip-down carry only. This style of carry presents the pivot-pin end of the handle at the top of the pocket, so your hand naturally grasps it closer to the Round Hole. Gripping that end of the handle positions your hand so your thumb has a full range of motion when opening the blade. The drawstroke for tip-down-carry knives also remains pretty consistent regardless of model, including larger, longer knives. So what’s the downside? With tip-down carry, you must either adjust your grip on the handle before you can initiate the opening or draw the knife by pinching the top of the handle between your thumb and index finger. Both of these are fine motor skills that require more practice and are more tenuous in high-stress situations.

Other Factors

In addition to the factors we’ve already explored, there are a number of other things that influence our decisions when it comes to putting specific clips on specific knives. Some are purely functional. For example, if we’re designing a knife with an Emerson Opening Feature, it has to be configurable for tip-up carry. Otherwise, that feature is useless.

Other factors may be purely aesthetic. When we take the designs of custom knifemakers and express them as factory-made collaborations, we try to replicate them as faithfully as possible. Often, that means accurately recreating their custom clip patterns and mounting locations to maintain the spirit of their signature designs.

“The” Answer is “Your” Answer

So what’s the ultimate answer when it comes to clip design, carry position, and carry height? It’s whatever works best for your personal needs. Understanding all of these factors is helpful, but it’s even more important to consider them in the context of your hand size, the size and shape of the knife you want to carry, and the way you dress. We’ll give you plenty of great options and the information you need to choose wisely. The choice, however, is still up to you.

SPYDERCO APP NOW AVAILABLE FOR
ANDROID DEVICES

Spyderco’s groundbreaking Smartphone app is now available for Android devices! Like the iPhone version released previously, it offers a variety of useful functions that all true Spyderco fans will appreciate, including advanced new-product notifications, an interactive steel chart, a wish list, a “My Collection” tracker, and a “heads up” function that warns you when you’re approaching major airports where knife carry is restricted. The ultimate Spyderco experience is now available at your fingertips. Visit the app store to download yours today!

BALIYO WING NOW SHIPPING

The BaliYo family has a new addition—the Wing! This all-new expression of the BaliYo showcases an extra-wide handle design with longitudinal slots on each side. These enhanced design features make the handles easier to grip, separate, and manipulate—especially for novice flippers. Like its gray central pen body, the Wing’s blue handles are molded from tough, high-impact plastic and have stainless steel rings molded into the ends to provide weight and momentum for optimal balance.

Take your flipping skills to the next level with the BaliYo Wing!

TEAM SPYDERCO TACKLES THE
TOUGH MUDDER

In early August, an elite team of Spyderco Crew members participated in the challenging Tough Mudder race at Sterling Ranch in Littleton, Colorado. These hardcore athletes tested their physical limits, teamwork, and mental toughness on a grueling 10-mile course punctuated with 25 demanding obstacles. Every member of the team finished the race and clearly demonstrated exceptional stamina and determination. We are extremely proud of our athletes and congratulate them on their awesome accomplishment!

USUAL SUSPECTS NETWORK SHOW

The Spyderco Crew is gearing up to exhibit at the upcoming Usual Suspects Network (USN) Gathering in Las Vegas. The 11th annual Gathering will be held August 29-31, 2019 at Trader’s Cove in the Planet Hollywood Hotel. If you’re looking for an opportunity to enjoy the knife community at its best, join us there!

Spyderco, Inc.
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403

800-525-7770 (T - Toll-Free)
303-279-8383 (T)
303-278-2229 (F)

SPYDERCO.com

Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved. All product names, art and text herein are the property of Spyderco, Inc. and may not be reproduced in part or whole without the sole written permission of Spyderco, Inc.

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Spyderco, Inc. · 820 Spyderco Way · Golden, Colorado 80403 · USA