Spyderco byte September 2023 - C244PBK NATIVE CHIEF™lightweight
C244PBK NATIVE CHIEF™ lightweight
- MSRP: $205.00
- ORIGIN: USA
The Native Chief Lightweight sets an impressive standard in ultra-lean, easy-to-carry, full-service folding knives. It also represents the latest chapter in one of the most unique product-development cycles in Spyderco’s history.
In simple terms, the Native Chief is an “extended” expression of Spyderco’s iconic Native® model. First released in 1997, the Native had a bit of a rocky start, but ultimately blazed a trail as an affordable, all-purpose, lightweight folding knife. It was also instrumental in introducing Spyderco’s barrel-bolt-style reversible pocket clip, which replaced the integral molded clip of our early lightweight models. A flagship of Spyderco’s American-made product line, the Native offered superior quality and made-in-USA craftsmanship at an extremely affordable price.
As the Native steadily earned a devoted following, fans of the design also expressed interest in a longer version with an even more capable blade and a handle better suited to large hands. In response to that feedback, in 1999 we created a prototype of a design called the Native Chief. Its sleek lines maintained the narrow, pocket-friendly profile of the Native, but stretched its overall length by nearly two inches. In keeping with our uniquely different approach to product development, we displayed the Native Chief at a number of trade shows to elicit customer feedback. We also continued our own in-house development and refinement of the design in an effort to fully realize its potential. A longer blade meant greater leverage against the lock mechanism, so ensuring that the design’s lock was up to the task was an engineering priority.
The “tipping point” for the Native Chief came with the introduction of the fifth-generation evolution of the Native. The culmination of years of meticulous research, development, and testing, the Native 5’s highly evolved back lock redefined the state of the art in the engineering and execution of this elegantly simple mechanism. Machined to exacting tolerances, it offered increased strength, an exceptionally smooth action, an improved self-close function, and unparalleled resistance to wear and tear. It was also the final ingredient needed to make the Native Chief a reality.
The first expression of the Native Chief was based on the G-10-handled Native 5. It extended its overall length nearly one third and increased its blade length by an impressive 39 percent. The full-flat-ground blade is crafted from CPM® S30V® stainless steel and includes a fully accessible Trademark Round Hole™ for swift, positive, one-handed opening with either hand. It also features a 50/50 index-finger choil and opposing sections of non-slip jimping (textured grooves) to allow the option of a secure, forward-positioned grip.
Offering ample real estate for large hands, the Native Chief’s ergonomic handle is built with peel-ply-textured G-10 scales and a solid stainless steel backspacer. This elegantly simple linerless construction creates a superior blend of balance and structural strength while providing solid support for the knife’s highly refined back lock mechanism. The Native Chief’s components are assembled with flat-head Torx® screws to ensure the precise alignment and adjustment of all parts and allow the use of a four-position hourglass pocket clip. Anchored by four sets of threaded inserts, the clip supports tip-up or tip-down carry on both sides of the body and completes the Native Chief’s fully ambidextrous theme. When mounted to the butt end of the knife, the clip also straddles a lanyard hole that allows the easy attachment of fobs, lanyards, and safety lines.
Released in 2019—20 years after the creation of its original prototype—the Native Chief became an instant classic. Not surprisingly, it soon inspired a number of limited-edition Sprint Run™ and Exclusive versions, as well as a demand for a lighter, even “grippier” version. Harkening back to the roots of the original, old-school Natives with fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handles, we began development of the Native Chief Lightweight.
Native Chief Lightweight
The Native Chief Lightweight replaces the machined scales and stainless backspacer of the G-10 version with lightweight FRN. The injection-molded handle’s linerless construction trims the knife’s weight by an impressive 21 percent adds Spyderco’s signature Bi-Directional Texture™ pattern for an ultra-secure grip. It faithfully retains the same precision-machined back lock mechanism and includes four sets of threaded inserts to allow fully configurable mounting of the knife’s four-position pocket clip.
In its standard configuration, the blade of the Native Chief Lightweight is full-flat-ground from CTS® BD1N stainless steel—an enhanced version of CTS BD1. Carpenter® Technology developed CTS BD1 in close cooperation with Spyderco based on the alloy formula of our very first blade steel, Gingami-1. BD1N eliminates the 0.10% vanadium in BD1 and replaces it with 0.10-0.15% nitrogen, as well as increasing the volumes of chromium, manganese, and silicon. These enhancements give BD1N a higher working hardness without compromising its excellent corrosion resistance. They also allow it to support acute, high-performance edge angles and highly polished edges.
Like its G-10 counterpart, the Native Chief Lightweight features a fully accessible Trademark Round Hole and a versatile four-position pocket clip—an important feature on a longer knife. These qualities complement the knife’s symmetrical design to make every aspect of its carry and operation completely ambidextrous. For tactical environments where light discipline is a concern, we will also offer an all-black version that boasts a non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating on the blade and matching black coatings on the pocket clip and handle hardware.
A very worthy “bigger brother” to the venerable Native 5, the Native Chief Lightweight is destined to follow in the footsteps of its progenitor. As announced in Reveal 13, we will be producing a version featuring our proprietary CPM® SPY27® steel. In addition, this highly capable design will no doubt become a canvas for other variations showcasing a variety of blade steels, edge configurations, blade finishes, handle colors, and other distinctive features. No matter which specific version you choose, we are confident it will serve you well.