Reviews and Ratings for Spyderco/LionSteel Max SpyOpera Folding Knife 2.88" M390 Satin Plain Blade, Brown Canvas Micarta Handles - C255CMP

Name: Spyderco/LionSteel Max SpyOpera Folding Knife 2.88" M390 Satin Plain Blade, Brown Canvas Micarta Handles
Brand: Spyderco Knives
SKU: SP255CMP
Price: 196.88 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.714 (7 reviews)

(7 reviews)

4.7 out of 5 stars

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Spyderco/LionSteel Max SpyOpera Folding Knife 2.88 inch M390 Satin Plain Blade, Brown Canvas Micarta Handles

Price: $196.88

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Dmt
The Bronx, NY

Apr 20, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

CQI--Updated SpyOpera

Beautiful overall proportions, great ergonomics. Nicely rounded spine and edges. Feels very nice in the hand (M/L golf glove size). Please take note, the pictures are different then the knife I received. There was an update to this knife--the clip can now be moved to either side. With this new functionality, the aesthetic has changed. There is now a cutout to accommodate the pocket clip if you wish to move it and a larger accompanying pocket clip screw. The previous model shown is only right handed, tip up carry. The hardware for retaining the pocket clip is the larger screw seen in the pictures but this larger screw is now on both sides. So no 3 small screws in a row look. To further clarify, on the previous iteration, there were 4 screws on the clip side. On this current model, the third small screw on the clip side has been deleted. In other words, there are 3 screws each on both sides (2 small and one large). The spacing between the screws has been slightly shifted to achieve even spacing due to the deleted screw on the clip side. The aesthetic is changed but is still beautiful in my opinion. This is a thoughtful attempt to accommodate those who want to move the pocket clip to the other side while retaining an organic look. I could see how one might say it is slightly less "Italian." The prevous iteration in the pictures was maybe 40%/60% Spyderco/lionSTEEL respectively and this current SpyOpera is now 50% Spyderco and 50% lionSTEEL.

Jared
Nebraska

Jan 07, 2021

Pros: Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality

Cons: None

Approaching Ideal

I get frustrated with knives that use pocket clips. It's usually a big warning sign that it's too chunky. I also get annoyed with bolsters that limit the useable space of a blade. Not so here. Low profile in the pocket, no bolster, comfy handle, good steel. I've run into several knives with shorter blades than this one that are mystifyingly larger, thicker, and heavier knives. This one gets that ratio of useful/carriable/sturdy just about right.

Jason
Alexandria, Va

Nov 07, 2020

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Soooo Smooth

A gentleman folder as far as I’m concerned. Quit possible the smoothest back-lock I’ve owned.

T-Ruth
Whitehall, Mt

Apr 05, 2021

Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Italian quality craftsmansjip

This is a beautiful knife. The fit & finish is a joy. Will no doubt decrease the sales of all the other stamped out vanilla they pedal once word gets around. Finally a spyderco that's worth more than half what they're charging!

Anon
VA

Mar 11, 2022

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Beautiful knife

My only complaint is that the knife came to me with some rather dirty lubricant in the pivot. Also, I didn’t see this mentioned anywhere, but upon taking the knife apart to clean and relubricate the pivot I discovered it uses some kind of brass or bronze caged ball bearings. That should probably be added to the product specs.

Mark
Santa Clara, CA

Jan 31, 2024

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

This Knife Gets The Most Pocket Time of My Collection

I owned a Lionsteel slipjoint and it was just okay. I own a couple Spydercos and they're fine. I have Benchmade knives and even a large Sabenza, but of all my knives this one sees the most actual use. Why? Reason #1 it is legal in most places. It's under 3 inches long and, with a lockback, it can't be considered a gravity knife (some cops will consider an axis lock or a compression lock to be a gravity knife). Reason #2 it has the best steel for a small blade for utility tasks. M390 holds and edge a long time and won't rust. Can you use this as a prybar? No way! Would you want to? No. For its task, it is perfect. Reason #3 its materials are perfect. I forgot to take it out of a pair of trousers and it went through the wash. Because it's micarta, titanium and M390, it was fine after. A little oil and it was up and running. I'd like to see by M4 Crooked River do that. Finally, reason #4 is that it is the beautiful work of Lionsteel but the even more beautiful customer service of Spyderco. I have read horror stories about trying to get LS knives serviced, but since this is a Spyderco product, I do not worry about such things. It really is the best of both worlds. Of course, if I go hiking, I swap this for my magnacut Sabenza but, for day to day, this one does everything I need and can go everywhere I would want.

Samuel
Norton, MA

Aug 30, 2021

Pros: Weight, Overall Quality

Cons: Pocket Clip

A mixed experience

I'm moderately disappointed by this beautiful knife, so I'll point out the bad first: First things first, the awful wire clip broke within two days. It has cut open one package and was pocket-carried on and off for a weekend. I suspect a defect in the wire in the clip because it snapped so cleanly. I'm now grumpily looking into my options for a replacement clip. The knife is a lovely size, but the ergonomics of the hole in the blade only allow one comfortable opening position for my (large) hands, and now that I've had to remove the clip, that option no longer has a secure grip because of how far I need to choke up on the knife. I have other knives this size that are much easier to open - I think the hole is just set too far down the closed blade, not close enough to the pivot. Great for looks, but rough for larger hands. The knife also came a bit duller from the factory than I'd expect based on my experience with previous Spyderco knives, but I can't speak to LionSteel. I was hoping I'd get a bit longer before having to go through the fun of sharpening an m390 blade. Lastly, the pivot screw is not accessible without removing the scales. This is good for looks, but the pivot (and thus centering) gets very sloppy if not perfectly tightened. Now that the bad is out of the way, the good: The knife is downright beautiful. The micarta scales are elegant and have a beautiful walnut brown color in person. They provide a nice balance of texture and smoothness. The hardware is high quality and adds to the appeal. There are no sharp edges except for the intended edge, and the chamfering is top-notch. The lockup is solid and well-designed. It is easy to unlock when desired, and difficult to unlock accidentally. Though a medium-small knife, it fits well in the hand once open and has a very functional blade profile for a number of tasks. Lastly, though I haven't put this particular blade to the test, I have had excellent experiences with m390 in pocket knives, so I have high hopes for the edge retention and durability of this blade. In summary: A mixed experience with this particular unit because of defects, some design issues for my large hands, but overall a lovely knife I expect to get good use out of.

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