U.S.A. — At the 2023 SHOT Show, I had a meeting with my long-time buddy Joyce that does the marketing for Spyderco. She is the perfect marketing person, everyone loves her. During the meeting, she gave me a Spyderco Native 5 FRN Black Blade to test, which I will get into in a moment.
Spyderco has a huge following, especially amongst law enforcement and first responders; for good reason, they love their designs.
Spyderco Native 5 FRN Lockback Folding Pocket Knife
A good buddy of mine that I used to rodeo with used be a Texas Highway Patrolman. A couple of weeks ago I said something to him about Spyderco and he reminded me that he always carried a Spyderco for a backup weapon. And he is no stranger to danger, he received the Rookie of The Year award for apprehending stolen cars so we might ought to listen to him.
But what most people don’t know is the Spyderco started out in the business by manufacturing ceramic sharpening gear. Someday I will do an article on their history. It is some interesting history. But for now, let’s get back to the Spyderco Native 5 FRN.
The Native line was originally released in 1997. Over time the Native line evolved and Spyderco came out with their Native III line in 2003 and their Native IV line in 2005. A tan-handled version was produced exclusively for the Army and Air Force and Spyderco had a monthly drawing and gave away free knives to forward-deployed U.S. military personal.
Over time the Native 5 evolved and featured the newer Spyderco engineering developments. Their back lock offers increased strength and a smooth locking system. AND, is proudly produced in their Golden, Colorado Plant.
It is opened by using the signature Spyderco thumb-hole system. Once open, I feel like I have a firm grip on the knife because of multiple attributes:
- The Spyderco Native 5 FRN Black Blade folder has a definite finger guard.
- The handle has a really aggressive handle texture.
- There is a great finger choil for your pointer finger if you want to choke down on the blade.
- When using the finger choil you’ll really appreciate the aggressive thumb grooves on the back of the spine.
So in a nutshell, due to the finger choil, the thumb grooves on the back of the spine, and the aggressive grip on the handle, if you don’t feel like you have a super firm grip on the Spyderco Native 5 FRN Black Blade knife, then you better buy a tube of super glue because that is the only thing that could give you a better grip!
And as is usual with all Spyderco knives that I have tested, they come from the factory with a wicked sharp edge. It is a thin profiled knife so it would be an excellent EDC folder. One thing different about this Spyderco knife and all of my others, it doesn’t have a shiny stainless-steel blade. It has a black blade. The MSRP on the Spyderco Native 5 FRN is $204.00 and is usual. We will close with the company specs.
Spyderco Native 5 FRN Features:
Spyderco’s black-bladed Native Lightweight has long been the go-to cutting tool for savvy tactical knife users. The fifth-generation Native 5 version of this design raises the bar even further, combining an ultra-lightweight fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle, a low-profile black finish, and an aggressive SpyderEdge cutting edge with the advanced engineering of the Native 5 platform.
This knife’s full-flat-ground blade is machined from CPM® S30V powder metallurgy stainless steel and has a durable, non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. Its SpyderEdge cutting edge provides extreme cutting power, especially on fibrous materials. It also includes an index-finger choil for a forward-positioned grip that allows enhanced control during detailed cutting tasks. A highly evolved back lock mechanism—one of the defining features of the Native 5 design—locks the blade securely in the open position and, along with the blade’s Trademark Round Hole
, allows ambidextrous one-handed opening and closing of the knife.
The linerless injection-molded FRN handle features a deep Bi-Directional Texturing pattern for maximum grip security and includes four sets of threaded stainless steel inserts to mount the reinforced hourglass clip for tip-up or tip-down carry on either side of the knife. Like the blade, this knife’s clip, clip screws, and all other metal hardware are also black coated, making it an ideal cutting tool for environments where light discipline is a concern.
- MSRP — $240.00 (cheaper $$ online)
- Overall Length — 6.95″ (177mm)
- Blade Length — 2.95″ (75mm)
- Steel — CPM S30V
- Closed Length — 4.00″ (102mm)
- Edge Length — 2.42″ (61mm)
- Weight — 2.5oz (71g)
- Blade Thickness — 0.125″ (3.2mm)
- Handle — FRN
- Clip Position — Ambi
- Tip Carry Position — Tip-Up/Down
- Lock Type — Back Lock
- Grind — Full-Flat
- Origin — United States
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoor writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening #ad for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
