Spyderco byte December 2023 - Featured Product: STRETCH 2 XL, Lightweight Salt

Spyderco byte December 2023 - Featured Product: STRETCH 2 XL, Lightweight Salt​

C258PYL / SYL

• STRETCH™ 2 XL
• Lightweight Salt®
• MSRP: $186.50
• ORIGIN: Japan

Spyderco’s quest to provide outdoor enthusiasts with a folding knife optimized for field dressing game goes all the way back to 1983 and our third knife design. Designed by Spyderco co-founder, Sal Glesser, the C03 Hunter™ was the beginning of a steady evolution that has spanned four decades and a variety of model names, including the Pro-Hunter™, Pro-Venator™, Pro-Grip™, Stretch™, Stretch 2, and most recently, the Stretch 2 XL. Along the way, Sal’s design enhancements have also gradually repurposed the designs to be less specialized and more suitable as all-purpose cutting tools.

The latest addition to this proud lineage, the Stretch 2 XL, was based on its immediate predecessor, the Stretch 2. More specifically, it was modeled after the “straight-spined” version of the Stretch 2, which traded the classic drop-point blade profile that had traditionally defined our hunting-oriented knives for a “modified clip point.” This equally iconic blade shape features a long, straight spine, a well-centered point, and minimal “belly” to the edge.

Nine percent longer overall than the Stretch 2, the XL packs 16 percent more length into its full-flat-ground blade, which measures just under four inches. A fully accessible Trademark Round Hole™ allows easy, ambidextrous, one-handed opening, and a textured 50/50 choil (finger groove) and thumb ramp allow a forward, “choked-up” grip for enhanced control during detail work.

While many Spyderco models are first released with G-10 scales and later produced as lightweights, the Stretch 2 XL reversed that order. It was first introduced in early 2022 as a lightweight and then joined later that year by a version featuring skeletonized full stainless steel liners, peel-ply-textured gray G-10 scales, and a blade crafted from CPM CRU-WEAR.

In its lightweight form, the Stretch 2 XL is actually 29 percent lighter than the Stretch 2, which has stainless steel liners. The XL’s lean, linerless handle is injection-molded from tough fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) and features Spyderco’s signature Bi-Directional Texture™ pattern for a secure, non-slip grip. It also houses the knife’s sturdy back lock mechanism and four sets of threaded inserts for attachment of a four-position pocket clip, providing a choice of left or right-side, tip-up or tip-down carry.

The basic version of the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight features a VG-10 stainless steel blade in a choice of all three edge configurations: PlainEdge™, CombinationEdge™, or fully serrated SpyderEdge™. The blade’s sleek, full-flat grind provides outstanding edge geometry and low-friction cutting performance. It also helps keep the knife’s overall weight to a minimum. Paired with the weight-saving advantages of its linerless FRN handle, the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight offers extra-large-sized cutting performance in a package that weighs a mere 2.7 ounces (77 grams).

GETTING SALTY​

In addition to its light weight, the linerless construction of the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight means that the knife has fewer metal parts and is therefore less vulnerable to corrosion. These qualities made it a perfect candidate for inclusion in our elite Salt® Series of knives specifically designed for use in and around the water.

The largest folding knife in our Salt lineup, the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight Salt showcases a hollow-ground blade crafted from ultra-corrosion-resistant H-2 steel. The successor to our groundbreaking H-1 steel, H-2 offers a remarkable combination of toughness and the highest degree of corrosion resistance of our three Salt Series blade materials.

Available in a choice of PlainEdge or fully serrated SpyderEdge formats, the Salt version of the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight features a vibrant yellow injection-molded FRN handle to ensure maximum visibility under water or in low-light conditions. The handle’s non-slip Bi-Directional Texture™ pattern provides optimal grip security, even with wet or cold hands. Its fully configurable four-position hourglass clip allows the knife to be easily configured for left or right-side carry with either a tip-up or tip-down orientation. The handle also includes a generously sized lanyard hole for the easy attachment of fobs, lanyards, or security lines. Together these features complement the knife’s completely symmetrical design to make every aspect of its carry, deployment, and operation completely ambidextrous. Best of all, even with its heftier hollow-ground blade, the Stretch 2 XL Lightweight still weighs a mere 3.0 ounces (84 grams) and is remarkably comfortable to carry for its size.

The Stretch 2 XL Lightweight Salt is a vivid reflection of one of the richest histories in the Spyderco product line. It is also one of the most capable folders in our Salt Series. If you want extreme performance in an ultra-corrosion-resistant, ultra-lightweight package, look no further.