Spyderco byte January 2025 - Edge-U-Cation®- What is a Spyderco Lightweight?
In a recent thread on the Spyderco Internet Forum, one of our members asked, “What makes a lightweight knife?” The real answer to that question is multi-faceted and deeply reflective of Spyderco’s role in the development of knives with injection-molded handles. As such, it’s also a great theme for this month’s Edge-U-Cation feature.
First, let’s cut to the chase and offer the “simple” answer: A lightweight knife, in Spyderco’s use of the term, is a folding knife that includes injection-molded components as a substantial structural part of its handle construction. When this term is specifically used in the knife’s product name, it is done to differentiate it from expressions of the same model made with a different handle material.
With that basic definition established, we’ll examine the various types of lightweight knives Spyderco has manufactured and the subtle nuances of their construction. But before we do, in true Spyderco fashion, let’s provide a bit of historical perspective.
The History of Injection-Molded Knife Handles
The use of molded materials on the handles of folding knives dates back to at least the early 1900’s (perhaps even the late 1800’s) and the use of celluloid scales. As synthetic materials and molding methods evolved, so did their use on knife handles. However, the use of molded plastics was still primarily restricted to the manufacture of scales that were attached to a handle constructed from metal components.
The first use of injection-molded nylon to create the actual structure of a knife handle appears to have been the Hackman Camp Knife—a folding knife patterned after the Filipino balisong. Known in Finland as Linkkupuukko, or "latch-knife," according to the book SOG Knives by renowned military knife historian Michael W. Silvey, this knife was issued to members of the CIA during the Vietnam War. Produced in both red and black, its two handle pieces were injection molded from solid nylon and when opened provided the physical structure of the knife’s handle.
In 1981, Pete Gerber of Gerber knives commissioned legendary knife designer Blackie Collins to create the LST (Light, Smooth, Tough). Based on Gerber’s best-selling Folding Sportsman I design, the LST was first produced with a linerless Micarta® handle. In 1983, it became the first conventional lock-blade folding knife to use a one-piece, injection-molded handle. Initially, the handle was molded from DuPont™ Rynite®—a PET thermoplastic polyester resin—but was later switched to Zytel® in 1985.
Generically known as FRN (fiberglass-reinforced nylon), Zytel is tough, extremely lightweight, and can be molded into intricate shapes, forms, and textures to create ready-to-assemble finished parts. It can also be molded in a rainbow of different colors. Although the molding process requires a significant initial investment in tooling, in the long run it is much more cost effective than machining handles from solid stock. For the cutlery industry, the introduction of FRN handles was a watershed event.
Spyderco’s First Injection-Molded Handles
When Spyderco co-founder Sal Glesser defined the form of the modern folding knife in 1981, one of its key characteristics was a pocket clip. This game-changing feature allowed the knife to ride conveniently at the top of the pocket where it was instantly accessible and allowed full use of the rest of the pocket’s real estate.
In 1990, when Sal created the first-generation Endura® and Delica® Lightweights, he once again defined the state of the art in folding knives by combining lightweight, injection-molded handle construction with the carry convenience of an integral pocket clip. These groundbreaking designs had one-piece FRN handles that included molded clips configured for right-side, tip-up carry. The side of the handle opposite the clip featured our Volcano Grip™ texture pattern for a secure, non-slip grip. A revolutionary development in folding knife engineering, the original integral-clip patterns occasionally return in the form of Sprint Run® limited editions, like the Catcherman™.
Other One-Piece Molded Handles
Despite their revolutionary impact on the knife industry, lightweight handles with integral clips had several disadvantages. They offered only a single carry position and could only have a molded texture on one side. These factors, along with the limited strength of molded clips, prompted Spyderco to revise the design of its injection-molded handles in 1998.
The second-generation lightweight handles still featured one-piece construction, but instead of an integral clip, they featured a metal one. Commonly known as a “barrel-bolt” clip because of its attachment hardware, this style of clip attached to the butt end of the handle and was reversible for left or right-side tip-up carry. Its base nested into a molded recess in the handle and was secured by threaded “barrel-bolt” hardware that could be tightened with a coin and had a hollow center that served as a lanyard hole.
In addition to the strength and versatility of its steel clip, this style of handle also allowed the Volcano Grip texture pattern to be molded into both sides. This greatly enhanced the user’s grip on the handle and made the knife’s design completely symmetrical and ambidextrous. This style of handle can still be found on a few current Spyderco designs, like the Atlantic Salt™ and Rescue 79mm™. Variations of this one-piece style of molded handle can also be seen in the Dragonfly™ 2 and in the clipless Ladybug® and Manbug®.
Continued Evolution of Lightweight Designs
As Spyderco’s product line continued to evolve, so did the sophistication and engineering of our lightweight handles. The introduction of our Bi-Directional Texture™ pattern took full advantage of the ability of FRN (and later FRCP—fiberglass-reinforced co-polymer) to be molded into intricate shapes. Now expressed in several different patterns, its theme of opposing angled surfaces significantly enhances grip security.
Similarly, as we expanded our scope of folding knife lock mechanisms, the style and construction of our lightweight handles followed suit to best support the design characteristics and intended use of each model.
In summary, the term “lightweight” or the use of injection-molded handle components on a Spyderco folder isn’t just about how the knife tips the scale. It’s about taking full advantage of the remarkable properties of FRN and FRCP, as well our decades of experience as an industry leader in their use.