THE PHOENIX™ HAS RISEN, AGAIN
The late Howard Jay Viele epitomized the Japanese warrior spirit. Quiet, polite, and unassuming on the outside, he was, in fact, a Godan (fifth-degree black belt) in karate and an extremely capable martial artist both with and without weapons. He was also an incredibly talented knifemaker and designer with a style all his own.
Howard’s journey as a knifemaker began in 1973, shortly after earning the rank of Sandan (third-degree black belt). Fascinated with the weaponry associated with the traditional martial arts, he decided to try making a knife from scratch. At that time, there were precious few resources available on the knifemaking process, so he tackled it by trial and error. With steadfast determination and endless patience, he taught himself the craft and ultimately developed his own distinctive approach to custom knifemaking.
Howard joined the Knifemakers Guild in 1976 and later became a member of the Deutsche Messermacher Gilde (German Knifemakers’ Guild) as well. As he developed friendships with other custom makers, his knowledge of knifemaking and its methods steadily grew, but he remained true to his own personal vision and style of craftsmanship. In his shop in Westwood, New Jersey, he focused on turning out exquisitely crafted LinerLock and frame lock (aka Reeve Integral Lock/R.I.L.) folding knives for discriminating customers all over the world. Howard’s signature style focused on sleek, functional lines and was punctuated by his distinctive maker’s marks—a series of three holes parallel to the spine of the blade and the tri-lobed mitsu-tomoe, a symbol seen in most Buddhist and Shinto temples in Japan. Similar in spirit to the Chinese yin-yang, the mitsu-tomoe represents the earth, the heavens, and humankind in the threefold division of Shinto cosmology. It is also associated with the Shinto war deity Hachiman and was worn by the lead character of the classic Akira Kurosawa film, The Seven Samurai.
Viele’s consummate skills as a custom knifemaker ultimately attracted the keen eye of Spyderco founder Sal Glesser, who recruited Howard as a collaborator in 1996 to create the C42 Howard Viele. Made in Japan, this LinerLock folder faithfully captured the spirit and detail of Howard’s coveted custom knives and put him in the spotlight of the growing community of Spyderco enthusiasts. Based on their positive feedback, Howard followed in 2005 with the C97 Howard Viele II. Although it maintained the same basic design profile, the C97 was smaller than the C42 and featured a unique, asymmetrical handle design with a G-10 scale on one side and black Micarta® on the other.
Howard’s most distinctive contribution as a Spyderco collaborator was without a doubt the C114 Phoenix, which combined his signature style with our patented Ball Bearing Lock™ mechanism. Painstakingly crafted in Japan, the original Phoenix featured a hollow-ground VG-10 stainless steel blade, a pronounced forefinger choil, full titanium liners, and beautifully contoured white scales. Although early prototypes and product descriptions featured ivory Micarta scales, actual production knives showcased bright white G-10. The signature three holes near the blade’s spine were mirrored by three holes in the pocket clip, which offered right-side, tip-up carry.
Hands down one of the most dynamic and collectible folding knives we’ve ever produced, the Phoenix was the natural choice for an homage to Howard following his passing in 2019. In the spirit of its name, the Phoenix is now back as a limited-edition Sprint Run™. Every detail of this remarkable design is faithfully recreated in the current version, including its high-strength Ball Bearing Lock, satin-finished titanium liners, and deeply hollow-ground VG-10 stainless steel blade. To set it apart from the original, its masterfully contoured G-10 scales are a vibrant red instead of white. True to Howard’s spirit, his three-holed maker’s mark and mitsu-tomoe symbol are proudly included as a signature of his work.
Howard Viele was a great friend whose contributions to the knifemaking community and Spyderco’s history will endure far beyond his lifetime. We are proud to resurrect his Phoenix design as a tribute to his memory, and to inspire the current generation of Spyderco fans to appreciate him and his work as much as we do.