Spyderco Story: The New Shape of Sharp

by Kenneth T. Delavigne

Like the knives it produces, Spyderco is an unusual company. A relative newcomer to the world of knifemaking, the small, Golden, Colorado-based business launched in 1976 did things differently from the start - and managed to take the knife world by storm in just a few decades. In this book, discover the history and inner workings of the company whose design innovations have redefined the shape of the modern folding knife and taken high-performance cutting to a new level. Find out how these odd-shaped knives with the hole and the hump in the blade have made opening and carry more efficient, as well as how individual models have met the specialized needs of EMTs, police officers, hunters, soldiers, survivalists and more. Spyderco aficionado Ken Delavigne covers each product in detail - from Clipit folders and fixed-blade knives to custom collaborations to sharpeners - describing how it was developed and why, what real-life problem it solved and the design elements that make it unique. In addition, he explores the technical frontiers where Spyderco has made so many inroads and previews what's on the drawing board for the new millennium. Finally, he offers insight into the uncommon business philosophy and management style that have allowed Spyderco to achieve such legendary success.

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kyle Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been interested in Spyderco knives as well as their company. So it was with great excitement that I began this book which details their history, the design stories behind the knives, and the inner workings of the company and their contributions to the knife industry. Unfortunately, I was a bit let down. The author provided various photos of some of the knives that he was talking about, but not others (instead describing the shape or mechanisms). Since the author had access to prototypes, the entire factory and workers, as well as opportunities to meet collectors, it seems inexplicable that he didn't include pictures of all the models that he surely had access to.

I also felt that he could have gone more in-depth on the development of the different models and history behind them and the company. When the author did get to covering the company and employees, it seems he lacked substantial material and ended up repeating himself quite often and pushing his personal infatuation for W. Edwards Demming's management philosophy. The book could have been so much better, especially considering the almost unlimited access he had to all involved in Spyderco, but instead the book barely went below the surface. I only justify giving it three stars because it did have some decent material on a well-loved subject of mine, Spyderco.