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The Native Chief is simply a great knife. The blade shape is great for poking and slicing. The linerless G10 handles are both light and sturdy. The lockup is solid and the action is smooth. For the size of the knife, the shape of it is very slim in the pocket, making for a great EDC option in areas where larger knives are allowed.
I bought this after I got a Manix 2 XL and like it better. Don't get me wrong, the Manix 2 XL is great but just a little too big for me. The regular Manix 2 will fit me better. The Native Chief is a perfect fit for me. Has plenty of length for the worst situations and is still very light for it's size and can disappear in my pocket. Not near as wide as the Manix 2 XL. And the flat grind, very simple to resharpen. Also like the lock type for this knife. The only thing I noticed that botherd me was the hole in the blade is partly covered by the handle when closed so if you have big fingers, it might be a little awkward to open fast at first. I got it figured out now. Just had to change my grip a little. But it keeps the profile very slim compared to the Manix 2 XL. which is a big deal for me.
It comes razor sharp and incredibly light for it’s Size. I personally think that it would be a better edc Knife at 3.75-3.8” but since I carry 2 in my pocket It will out. The quality level of this knife easily matches Tai Chung knives without the sharp edges. If you like larger slim Knives’s this is the perfect one.
This is a long blade. The grind on mine was perfect and this is the sharpest Spyderco I’ve ever received out of the box. Spyderco has very good factory edges at that too. The G-10 scales are very fine and grippy. I had to sand the scale under the clip with 1500 grit sandpaper so that I could pull it out of my pocket to my liking. I love the linerless construction with G-10. I have a Manix Backlock similarly constructed that has been super smooth and a beast. The Native Chief is no different. The backlock is super smooth and the blade just seems to want to make short work of the task at hand. As usual, Spyderco ergonomics are fantastic. Given the length of the knife, it’s actually easy to carry. You know you have a knife in your pocket; however, it isn’t uncomfortable or a pocket hog. I can get my hand by it easy. If you’ve ever carried an Endura, this is no different. Speaking of the Endura and/or the Police lightweight, I tend to think of the Chief as a more deluxe version of both those other standard models. You get a long narrow blade, relatively lightweight since there are no steel liners, G-10 scales and a better blade steel. I don’t think you can make a bad choice with either three knives, but carrying and using the Chief feels like a treat.
I was shocked when I held the chief in my hand for the first time. The massive blade which has a very thin grind is a thing of wonder. The ergo’s of the handle with the forward choil, perfect jimping. The blade encompasses many qualities of my other favorite Spydercos. It reminds me of a manix 2 xl but better, it’s also similar to my spyderco Sliverax, and the thin grind is like the spyderco Stretch. Just awesome. It’s overall size with blade deployed is very similar to the Military. Big. The handle is slim and fits great in my pocket so it carries a lot smaller. I already installed a Lynch Northwest deep carry clip, and the fit is perfect, I installed the short clip. I think the chief might be my new favorite. The knife has no liners, which is a marvelous design to keep weight down. Despite no liners, the g10 feels so ridgid and strong it feels as if there are liners. Complimented with a sturdy back lock, I am completely confident in the toughness of this knife. Grand slam by Spyderco, can’t wait for a sprint run of the chief. Highly recommend
Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness
Cons: None
Wow!!
This knife is awesome. It came laser sharp, has super grippy scales, and lock up sounds like a car door slamming shut. Cannot believe how light they were able to get this giant blade. Seriously considering getting another one for safe keeping because this one is gonna be put to work.
Thanks Knife Center. Your service is more than excellent. I have thought about knife designs for many years and waited for exactly this. I have come full circle and prefer the lockback to any other lock type. They last forever . Hard steel lock bar engages hard steel blade with the thick spring-steel rod completely separate and not rubbing against anything. I can roll a lockback out with a spyderco hole as fast as I can flick any liner, compression , or axis lock. Even omega springs break sometimes . Imagine my surprise when I oiled the Native Chief ( both blade pivot and entire moving lock bar ) and found that I can also flick it as fast as my Military or anything else. What about blade strength ? In cross section above the hole you have a small rectangle and in cross section below the hole you have a long pointy triangle. With calipers and simple math the cross section of steel above and below the Spyderco hole is the same as the Military. That is because although the blade stock is slightly thinner the hole is also smaller. The hole is still plenty big for your thumb to grab. The cross section of steel over and below the hole would correspond to a 3/16 steel rod. Try to break a 4 inch 3/16 screwdriver with your bear hands and you will never ever worry about a spyderco blade breaking. You need to be careful with the tip of any knife. The simple beauty , fit and finish takes your breath away. Thanks Spyderco and Knife center.
Pros: Ease of Opening, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality
Cons: Weight, Handle Material
I like the knife very well. But a few flaws do stick out IMO
Pros. Smooth opening as good as a bearing opening flipper. No blade play. Sharp out of package. Comfortable handle for bigger hands. Lightweight for such a large folder. Excellent grip traction on handle. 7. Made in USA. 8. Blade style is great for self defense or EDC use. Cons. 1. No liners. A knife this size should have at minimum came with partial or skeletonized liners. The weight increase would have been minimal and further increased this knife's capability under hard use situations. A small bit of weight from the scales would have increased the strength of this knife. 2, Tip too thin. A minor nitpick. But Spyderco tips are notorious for breaking under hard use or heavy handed users. The good thing is that the piercing and slicing of a thin tip is fantastic. But fragile. So practice caution when using this knife in hard use. There is no forgiveness in the lack of tip strength. So don't pry with tip and you will be ok. 3. The back lock tab should have had a cut out like on the Spyderco Endura to help avoid disengaging in reverse grip. In reverse grip there is the possibility of disengaging the knife if you press down on the lock bar tab release hard enough. Chances are small but in a self defense situation under stress it could happen. And the result could be a missing pinky or badly cut finger. Neutral. Just a personal nitpick. And something I consider neutral. For a near $200 knife Spyderco could have used Micarta, titanium, or something better than G10. G10 is not bad at all. But there are better materials out there for knives that cost less. Of course this nitpick is just my opinion and does not reflect the views of others. I also can't help but wonder if the bronze bushings over time will start to wear into the handles. But so far I have not heard of this happening. This is all the more reason that I think some partial or skeletonized liners would have been a good addition. I rank knives not by brand name, country of origin, prestige or fanboy mentality. But from a list of pros and cons I find with each knife I order. And deduct from the number of cons from pros. So 7 pros and 3 cons with 2 Neutrals = 4 star knife.
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Close-up of hand holding knife, opening or unsheathing knife, and then closing or sheathing knife.
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