In nature, a harrier is a bird of prey that hunts by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds. To military historians, a Harrier was one of a family of revolutionary jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) operations. To knife enthusiasts, however, the Harrier is an even more rare and elusive species. It was the very first member of Spyderco's byrd line of value-priced folding knives.
Introduced in 2004, the byrd Harrier was designed as an everyday carry folding knife that boasted all the defining features of a Spyderco CLIPIT in a much more affordable format. It featured an upswept blade ground from AUS-6 stainless steel, Micarta scales, bolsters, and a right-side, tip-down pocket clip. Spyderco's first attempt to have a knife manufactured in China, the Harrier, unfortunately, suffered from inconsistent quality and many did not meet Spyderco's demanding standards. While some did pass their quality control inspection and were released into the market, the vast majority of them were actually destroyed. The few still out there in private collections are now coveted collector's items.
Although Spyderco was understandably disappointed with their first effort to create a byrd knife, they persevered. Fifteen years later, the byrd line now thrives alongside its Spyderco brethren and continues to earn loyal followers worldwide. To celebrate that success and their own tenacity, hey thought the time was right to resurrect the Harrier concept with a much more worthy knife. Meet the Harrier 2.
While the Harrier 2 shares the name of its predecessor, in reality, it has a very different identity and style of construction. Designed as a practical, functional, and budget-friendly cutting tool, its medium size makes it ideal for convenient everyday carry. In fact, like the Spyderco Endela, the Harrier 2's "in-between" size effectively splits the difference between the byrd line's best-selling Cara Cara 2 and the Meadowlark 2.
The business end of the knife features a satin-finished 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade that is full-flat ground for optimal edge geometry. Available in both plain (this model) and partially serrated formats, it has a textured thumb ramp and index-finger choil to support a forward, "choked up" grip and proudly sports byrd's signature "comet-shaped" hole for easy, ambidextrous, one-handed opening.
The Harrier 2's ergonomic handle is built with textured FRN scales and a stainless steel backspacer. It also includes minimalist stainless steel liners nested into the interior surfaces of the scales. The liners provide enhanced structural strength and a foundation for the knife's four-position pocket clip while keeping the handle thin and pocket-friendly. Assembled with screw-together construction for the precise alignment and tensioning of all parts, the handle also has a beautifully finished sanded back and a sturdy back lock mechanism with a Boye Dent to help prevent unintentional lock release during use.
An exciting addition to the growing byrd line of knives, the Harrier 2 not only fulfills the true potential of its namesake but defines a new standard of design and quality for this budget-conscious brand.
Byrd Knives, Harrier 2 Series, 8Cr Blade Steel, Zytel Handle Material, Folding Knives, Folding Knives Lockbacks
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