Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight
Cons: None
Spyderco Persistence S35VN Review
The Spyderco Persistence is a compact EDC folder with a 2.75-inch CPM S35VN blade, full-flat grind, blue fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) handle, liner lock, Round Hole deployment, and four-position reversible pocket clip. At 3.32 oz, it carries lightly while retaining enough handle and blade length for normal daily cutting. Initial Fit, Finish, and Action The knife arrived sharp enough to shave with, though not quite hair-popping sharp. The edge was clean and capable from the box, making smooth, controlled glides through paper. Blade centering is the main fit-and-finish issue. Looking down the closed knife from pivot to tip, the blade favors the left side and runs very close to the liner. It does not contact the liner, wiggle, or feel loose. Lockup feels secure and consistent for a well-made liner-lock folder, but the centering is visibly off. The detent was initially very strong. Spydie-flick deployment was effectively impossible straight from the box. After roughly 50 opening-and-closing cycles, it loosened enough to deploy smoothly using the thumb hole or a finger-and-wrist flick. It still has a secure detent, which should help prevent unintended opening in pocket. Handle, Jimping, and Carry The blue FRN handle is light, rigid enough for its intended role, and provides substantial traction. The bi-directional texturing is very aggressive during extended use. It gives a secure purchase, though it can become uncomfortable when bearing down on the knife or using it for longer cutting sessions. The jimping is aggressive and welcome. It is present both at the base of the blade and on the liner lock, giving the thumb a confident purchase during cutting and making lock disengagement more positive. There is no sharpening choil, which, for me, is always a useful feature when available because it gives more room to sharpen the heel of the edge cleanly. The factory clip was tight. Some users dislike that amount of retention, but it works well for me and keeps the knife secure in pocket. I moved the clip from the factory tip-down position to tip-up carry, opposite the pivot. That arrangement is much more natural for my use, and the four-position clip system is a real practical advantage. Cutting Performance and Use So Far The Persistence has handled cardboard, tape, paracord, and food preparation. It cuts dinner without issue, makes short work of paracord, and has performed as expected on ordinary household cutting tasks. The full-flat grind and leaf-shaped blade make it a smooth slicer. CPM S35VN provides good corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, and stronger edge retention than common budget steels. The practical cutting feel is consistent with a Spyderco-oriented slicing design rather than a heavy-use or pry-oriented folder. Maintenance has been simple so far. Dry debris wipes away with a microfiber cloth. Soap and water remove grease, after which the knife has, so far, returned to a brand new appearance. Strengths • CPM S35VN blade in a compact EDC format • Full-flat grind and leaf-shaped profile cut smoothly through common materials • Lightweight 3.32 oz construction • Effective Round Hole deployment (after break-in) • Four-position reversible clip allows tip-up, tip-down, left-side, or right-side carry • Tight clip retention works well for secure carry • Aggressive, effective jimping on the blade and liner lock • Secure lockup with no blade wiggle observed • Easy cleanup after cardboard, food, and general daily use Limitations • Blade centering is noticeably off toward the left liner • Initial detent was excessively strong and required break-in • FRN texturing is highly aggressive for extended use • No sharpening choil • Liner lock is appropriate for normal cutting but does not make this a hard-use prying or impact tool • S35VN generally benefits from diamond or quality ceramic abrasives when sharpening is eventually needed Price and Value Context I bought this knife on sale for $69.99. Spyderco’s listed MSRP was $148 when I checked. At the sale price, the S35VN blade steel, four-position clip, full-flat grind, and overall cutting performance make the value proposition substantially stronger. At full MSRP, fit-and-finish details such as the off-center blade and unusually strong initial detent would deserve more scrutiny. Comparison: CIVIVI Mini Praxis in D2 I am comparing the Persistence to the Mini Praxis because both are compact, lightweight liner-lock folders meant for the same normal EDC work: packages, cardboard, tape, paracord, and general household cutting. Neither is a hard-use knife or a substitute for a fixed blade. The Mini Praxis is snappier, smoother, and more fun to fidget with. Its flipper and bearing action make one-handed opening and closing easier, and the flipper tab gives a little extra protection when closing. The Persistence is stiffer and more deliberate, especially when closing. That said, the Persistence works better for me left-handed. I am ambidextrous, and the Round Hole is easier to use from either side than the lightly textured Mini Praxis flipper tab. The Persistence also feels more secure in hand. Its blade and liner-lock jimping are much more useful, while the Mini Praxis jimping is barely there. Both hold an edge well, but the Persistence slices better and is easier to use around food or wet work. The S35VN blade, full-flat grind, and leaf-shaped profile move through cardboard, tape, paracord, and food with less resistance. The Mini Praxis remains a strong budget D2 option, especially for mail and occasional packages, but I baby the D2 around moisture. For light package duty, the Mini Praxis saves money and is more entertaining to use. For more cardboard, food, wet conditions, and general cutting where you might want better corrosion resistance and a more capable slicer, I would choose the Persistence. Comparison: Cold Steel Code 4 in CPM S35VN I am comparing the Persistence to the Code 4 because they share the same S35VN steel, but fill very different roles. The Code 4 is the workhorse. It is larger, stronger, more comfortable for extended use, and much more secure when the job gets rough. For prolonged cutting, harder materials, or anything where you may need to lean on the knife, I would choose the Code 4. The Persistence is the better daily carry knife. It takes up far less pocket space, deploys faster, closes more easily, and makes more sense if you are opening and closing a knife repeatedly throughout the day. The Persistence is also a little slicier. Its thinner-feeling leaf-shaped blade works better for cardboard, tape, cordage, food, and quick utility cuts. The Code 4 still cuts well, but its spear-point blade, aluminum handle, and Tri-Ad lock make it feel built for longer, rougher work. The Code 4 can handle everything the Persistence can, plus more. The tradeoff is that it is an absolute unit in pocket. Its deployment is slow, the detent is extreme, and closing it feels like work. It is closer to an “open it and leave it open” knife than something I casually flick open and shut all day. For quick cuts, food in the field, repeated opening and closing, normal workday use, and pocket comfort, I would choose the Persistence. For prolonged work, harder use, popping staples, prying, or fighting off a bear, the Code 4 wins. Bottom Line The Persistence Lightweight S35VN is a strong compact EDC knife with a few clear flaws. Mine came off-center and overly stiff out of the box, and the FRN texture gets rough during extended use. After break-in, it opens well from either hand, carries well tip-up, and cuts very well for its size. The full-flat, leaf-shaped S35VN blade is the main selling point. It slices cardboard, tape, paracord, food, and paper cleanly, handles wet or greasy work without concern, and should stay sharp longer than most budget steels. At $69.99, I think it is a no-brainer buy. It gives you a light, corrosion-resistant, ambidextrous slicer without turning into a pocket brick. At Spyderco’s $148 MSRP, I would inspect centering, action, and fit more closely before calling it a great value. This is not a hard-use folder, pry bar, or survival knife. It is a dependable workday cutter for someone who wants easy carry, ambidextrous deployment, and strong slicing performance. For me, it sits between the Mini Praxis and Code 4. The Mini Praxis is cheaper, smoother, and more fun to fidget with. The Code 4 is tougher and better for longer or rougher work. The Persistence is the one I would reach for when I want a practical pocket knife that cuts well, handles food and wet conditions, and stays out of the way in pocket. This is not a knife that does everything, and it is not trying to be. It is a compact, lightweight EDC folder that excels at clean slicing, normal workday cutting, food, and wet-condition use. The fit-and-finish issues are worth noting, but at the sale price it is serviceable, capable, and a welcome addition to my collection.
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