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Spyderco byte July 2019
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PARATA™


C231GP
MSRP: $275.00
ORIGIN: Japan
Meaning “prepared” or “ready” in Latin, parata is a fitting name for one of Spyderco’s most dramatic new designs. Our fourth collaboration with the talented Paul Alexander, the Parata delivers impressive performance in a refreshingly unorthodox package and marks the production debut of Spyderco’s patented Stop Lock™ mechanism.
The most eye-catching feature of the Parata is its stunning VG-10 stainless steel blade, which sports a broad profile and very pronounced belly reminiscent of a classic skinning knife. Measuring just over 1.5 inches at its widest point, the PlainEdge™ blade has a high flat grind that gives it exceptional edge geometry and low-friction cutting performance. Its unique shape also creates an index-finger choil and a highly functional integral guard that effectively protects the user’s hand while blending seamlessly with the knife’s refined ergonomics and style. Its Trademark Round Hole™ clearly announces the knife’s Spyderco pedigree and is fully accessible from both sides, allowing swift, positive, one-handed opening with either hand.
The Parata’s blade is linked to a sleek, linerless G-10 handle with Spyderco’s innovative Stop Lock™—a high-strength, extremely user-friendly lock mechanism. Deceptively simple in both design and operation, it consists of a spring-loaded toggle that pivots on a pin at the front end of the toggle arm. The front surface of the arm serves as the stop pin, limiting the arc of rotation of the blade and creating one of the three points of the locking triangle. The bottom surface of the arm cams against an upward-facing ramp on the blade’s tang. As dual springs nested in the handle scales rotate the toggle arm down, the cam wedges against the tang to achieve a secure lock-up. To release the lock, simply lift the rear end of the toggle, which is equipped with bilateral studs for easy, ambidextrous operation.
Although the Stop Lock was developed and patented several years ago, the Parata is the first production knife to showcase this unique technology. Its streamlined mechanism is the perfect complement to the Parata’s sleek design, and the location and operation of the lock effectively guard against unintentional lock release during use.

The Stop Lock mechanism is housed between textured G-10 scales that are gracefully curved for a secure, ergonomic grip. The linerless scales are joined by stainless steel standoffs to create an easy-to-clean, open-backed construction style that is extremely lightweight.

To balance discreet carry and immediate access, the Parata’s handle includes a reversible deep-pocket wire clip that supports left or right-side tip-up carry and a lined lanyard hole for the easy attachment of fobs and lanyards. These features complement the knife’s symmetrical design to make all aspects of its carry and operation completely ambidextrous.

The Parata is a truly remarkable folding knife that reflects the impressive design and engineering talents of Paul Alexander and proudly introduces Spyderco’s latest innovation in lock technology. We hope you are as excited about it as we are!
OVERALL: 8.01 in / 203 mm
BLADE: 3.41 in / 87 mm
EDGE: 3.10 in / 79 mm
WEIGHT: 3.0 oz / 85 g
GRIND: Full-Flat
ORIGIN: Japan

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: Paul Alexander


Paul Alexander is truly unique among knife designers. Like many knife enthusiasts and collectors, the urge to design his own knives simmered inside him for a long time. However, when he finally gave in to that desire, he had a lot more going for him than the average knife fan. A recognized expert in the design of automotive systems and a specialist in state-of-the-art industrial materials, Alexander has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering and well over 100 U.S. patents to his credit. To say he had a “head start” on the design process is an understatement.

Alexander’s interest in knives goes back to his childhood, when he first started collecting them. As both his collection and his fascination with knives steadily grew, he began attending knife and gun shows, visiting the shops of custom knifemakers, and participating in Internet knife forums—including the Spyderco forum. Inspired by several design-related discussions there, he ultimately decided to take the plunge and applied his professional design and engineering skills to his lifelong interest in knives. The results were innovative, impressive, and distinctly different from the norm—exactly the qualities that Spyderco looks for in a collaboration.

Alexander’s first Spyderco design collaboration was the Ouroboros™, which was released in 2016. Named after an ancient Greek symbol depicting a serpent eating its own tail, it featured a broad, leaf-shaped blade, a Compression Lock™ mechanism, and an unorthodox yet highly functional design that immediately caught the eye of the knife community. It was followed in 2017 by the Sliverax™, which shared much of the same design spirit as the Ouroboros, but in a flipper-style folder.

According to Alexander, he favors designs that combine graceful, organic curves with ergonomics that naturally lock the knife’s handle into the user’s hand. To maximize safety during use and enhance edge geometry, he also prefers broad blade profiles that create integral guards much like classic chef’s knife patterns. Similarly, his designs tend to be quite narrow at the front end of the handle, emphasizing the opposing grip of the index finger and thumb.
The newly-released Parata definitely follows these concepts and shares a lot of “design DNA” with the Ouroboros and Sliverax; however, Alexander’s creativity and breadth as a designer are by no means limited to that theme. His unique Ikuchi™ folder is clearly proof of that. Unlike the broad blades and complex curves of his other designs, the Ikuchi is exceptionally narrow and its profile is a single simplistic arc. Its trailing-point blade is completely contained within the handle when the knife is closed and its sole opening method is a textured “wheel-like” flipper on the blade’s tang. Stroking this section of the tang with the tip of your index finger provides leverage to swiftly pivot the blade into the open position. It may also be opened by stroking the wheel-like flipper with the side of your thumb, just like using a cigarette lighter.

The ultra-slim Ikuchi was released in early 2019 and very quickly became one of the most in-demand models Spyderco has ever produced. Distinctly different, yet amazingly functional and practical, it is a clear reflection of Paul Alexander’s talent and versatility as a knife designer. Spyderco is extremely proud to have him in our stable of collaborators and can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

INSIDER


This month Spyderco celebrated our world-class Crew and their families by combining our annual company picnic with “Bring-Your-Kid-to-Work Day.” While the kids were busy with arts and crafts projects, BaliYo® lessons, drone demonstrations, and learning about their parents’ roles at Spyderco, our resident chefs fired up the grills to cook mountains of their signature carne asada and salmon. Other members of the Crew then chimed in with dozens of different side dishes to create an incredible pot-luck feast for all to enjoy.

After lunch, the kids enjoyed a water slide, a climbing wall, and even more games and activities. The adults, however, had a special game of their own. As brave members of Spyderco’s Management Team took turns sitting in the dunk tank, the Crew lined up and did their best to send the managers plummeting into the water. Some got lucky, some did not, but everyone had a blast.

Thanks to all the Spyderco Crew and their families for making this year’s picnic a truly unforgettable experience!!!

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Spyderco, Inc.
820 Spyderco Way
Golden, CO 80403

800-525-7770 (T - Toll-Free)
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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