Spyderco Tenacious Limited Run - REVIEW

[BR101]

 
Specifications:
Overall Length: 7.75"
Blade Length: 3.375"
Cutting Edge: 3.375"
Blade Thickness: 0.125"
Hole Diameter: 0.5"
Blade Steel: 8CR13MOV
Handle Material: G-10
Closed Length: 4.438"
Weight: 4 oz.

Today I am reviewing the Limited run Spyderco Tenacious C122GPBL. I got this knife yesterday and since have been cutting just about everything in sight.

I must admit first off, I have been into knives for about a year now and reviewing them for the last three months or so. This is the first Spyderco knife I toyed with. My two biggest objectives in choosing a Spyderco was cost and being capable of almost any EDC system. The Tenacious has been a model that Spyderco rolled over many years and it's cost, size and weight is what sold me on giving Spyderco a try.
 

 
Starting off with the business end. The Tenacious has a 3.375" slab of 8Cr13Mov steel with a thickness of a little over 3mm. From my understanding (correct me please if I'm wrong) 8Cr13Mov is very similar to AUS8. It sharpens easily and holds a nice edge. The blade has a full flat ground leaf shape with a very sharp edge and a really nice belly that is great for everyday cutting task. The main thing I had little doubt in was the ability to deploy this knife fast. I was unsure of the "hole deploy" method. After using in the last day or so I must say, deploying the blade is easy with a flick of your thumb or index finger. Some people have even done the "zip-tie mod" so it could wave open out of the pocket. Out of the box it was extremely sharp, I've used it to break down about a dozen cardboard boxes, about 12 feet of 1/2" rope and than I cleaned it up to use it for trimming some fat off my steak. After all that it still has a very sharp edge!
 

 
The jimping and thumb ramp on the Spyderco Tenacious is just plain awesome. I'm able to get a secure grip with no slippage of my thumb when slicing up stuff. 
 

 

 

 
Sandwiched between the liners and the blade are bronze phosphor washers. These allow the blade to open nice and smooth. The liner lock is tough as nails. When the blade is deployed there is absolutely no wiggle in any direction. Also another attention to detail are the drilled out liners to keep the weight down. And being a stand off pillar design is super nice too for ease of cleaning and such. And closed up the blade sits centered.
 

 

 

 
The Tenacious handle is constructed using G10. The G10 isn't as aggressive as my *Link Removed* Benchmade 915 Triage, but it's still good enough to get a firm grip even if you're wearing gloves. And it's not so abrasive that it will tear up your pants pocket or hands. The pocket clip is pretty good. I would have liked to see a deep riding pocket clip but this one works pretty good. In tip up fashion only a little over 1/2" sticks out of the pocket. The knife will accommodate left or right hand tip-up or tip-down for your liking.
 

 
My final conclusion on the Spyderco Tenacious: For the price it definitely ranks up there with one of my favorite budget blades. And being a limited run blue color is definitely nice on the eyes I think. As I said before I was skeptical if I'd like the "hole deploy" method or not. I totally dig it. It's not as bad as I pictured it'd be. My only gripe is out of the box there was a little drag in the deployment of the blade. But not to worry, with a small slight turn of the pivot screw it eliminated the drag and now it opens smooth as silk with absolutely no wiggle. I will be carrying this more often and will report back if there is any issues I run into with it.
 


*Link Removed*

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Nice review!  The Tenacious is a great knife.    It's definitely a "gateway" knife to "better" (more expensive) Spydies, and other knives.    

After having my original PE Tenacious for almost a year, I broke down and ended up buying three more Spydies, an Endura 4, Stretch 2, and Dragonfly 2, all within a few months.  I've since gifted my DF2 to my wife and my Tenacious to my father in law, because the Endura and Stretch meet 95% of my needs for a dedicated folder.  Been seriously jonesing for a ZDP Endura 4, and a Manix2 XL though...   

[nelly1974]

Excellent review

[Northern Geek]

Nice review and great pictures!

[powernoodle]

The serrated edge is tasty too.

[jekostas]

Lovely review. 

Just for future info, 8Cr13CoMoV is very similar to AUS-8 with the following differences:

AUS-8 has greater corrosion resistance.
8Cr13CoMoV can be hardened further than AUS-8 without becoming brittle.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Lovely review. 

Just for future info, 8Cr13CoMoV is very similar to AUS-8 with the following differences:

AUS-8 has greater corrosion resistance.
8Cr13CoMoV can be hardened further than AUS-8 without becoming brittle.

I would think that's why Spyderco chose it for their value line, and for the Byrds.  Having a greater hardness without compromising the ability to beat the crap out of the blade is what makes the Tenacious and it siblings such great knives, IMHO.

[Northern Geek]

I have to say that it looks really nice in blue as well.. 

[jekostas]

I would think that's why Spyderco chose it for their value line, and for the Byrds.  Having a greater hardness without compromising the ability to beat the crap out of the blade is what makes the Tenacious and it siblings such great knives, IMHO.

Actually, Spyderco didn't choose 8Cr13MoV, it just kind of worked out that way.  It was a steel originally developed by Spyderco and their Chinese OEM, and they wanted something similar to 440C.  When the first finished blades came out, the steel tested differently (small carbide vs. large carbide, different sharpening characteristics) and it worked so well they decided to keep using it.  The original Byrd prototypes like the Harrier were engraved 440C.

So yeah, 8Cr13MoV was kind of an accident.  Of course now it's used by Spyderco, Kershaw, SOG, CRKT and numerous other companies for Chinese made knives because it's proven easy to produce and reliable in usage.

Edit:  Derp, sorry, 8Cr13MoV doesn't have Cobalt in it, excuse the extra few letters in my previous post.

[enki_ck]

Thank you jekostas for this post. Very informative.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Thank you jekostas for this post. Very informative.

Indeed!  Thanks for the info.   

I guess like in science, in industry and/or engineering, some of the best things happen out of sheer accident.   

Regardless, I've had very good luck so far with 8Cr13MoV knives. 

As for the naming scheme, I'm assuming the Cr is for Chromium, the Mo for Molybdenum, and the V is for Vanadium; correct?

[derekmac]

Thanks for the review! I've been wanting a Spyderco for a while now, but never pulled the trigger. This looks like it could be a good first.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[jerseydevil]

Thanks for the review! I've been wanting a Spyderco for a while now, but never pulled the trigger. This looks like it could be a good first.

That it is.  Good knife for the money, and a nice way to see if you get along with Spyderco patterns.  As for 8Cr13MoV, I've had very good results with it.  Easy to sharpen, takes and keeps a decent edge.  Not a "super" steel, but just fine in my book.  All of my Enlans use it, and they are some of my favorite working folders. 

[Landrew]

(Image removed from quote.)
The serrated edge is tasty too.

Hell of a bread-knife I'll bet.

[jekostas]

As for the naming scheme, I'm assuming the Cr is for Chromium, the Mo for Molybdenum, and the V is for Vanadium; correct?

Yes.  8Cr13MoV means 0.8% Carbon, 13% Chromium, Molybdenum and Vanadium are all present.

[Landrew]

So what's with the cheap-looking handles? Is this like $5.00 Starbucks coffee in a paper cup?

[Nikos]

So what's with the cheap-looking handles? Is this like $5.00 Starbucks coffee in a paper cup?

Blue G-10... Yeah, I wouldn't call it a "paper cup"...

[BR101]

 Yeah the handles are G10. It's not super aggressive like my 915 triage handles but it's not bad for what your paying.

Looks like the sale on these is over at BladeHQ. Looks like there now $39.95. Still not bad for the price IMO.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

As for the naming scheme, I'm assuming the Cr is for Chromium, the Mo for Molybdenum, and the V is for Vanadium; correct?

Yes.  8Cr13MoV means 0.8% Carbon, 13% Chromium, Molybdenum and Vanadium are all present.

Okay, that makes sense to me... I know a little bit about metallurgy from working as a bicycle mechanic.  The best steel tubed frames all use "chromoly" steel, with chromium and vanadium, to give them spring and flexibility and resist metal fatigue under stress.  I have had some high end chromoly steel frames crack on me though, but usually at a lug or a weld, where the heat from the bonding process compromised the integrity of the steel.  Some of the best custom frame builders that use chromoly anneal and then heat treat the entire frame once it's welded together to solve the problem in the steel that the welding creates.

Anyway, to get to the point, the "chromoly" steel in bikes gives it a lot of toughness because it can flex and soak up stress instead of fatiguing or breaking.  Kinda cool to know that 8Cr13MoV has those same characteristics.  My opinion of it just went up a few notches!