Ceramic Blade Spyderco

[WBB]

Did Spyderco ever (like 20+ years ago) make a small ceramic blade folder?

 

[koolaubob]

Did Spyderco ever (like 20+ years ago) make a small ceramic blade folder?

As a matter of fact yes, although it was more like 30 to 35 years ago. It was a small folder made in Japan, designed by Tak Fukuta. The model number is TK-01. I really don't know much more about the knife. The Spyderco Book has a little info on the knife.

 

[The Deacon]

They didn't "make" it, or market it as a Spyderco product, but as koolaubob mentioned, they did sell one made by Tak Fugata. There's a photo, and some more information, in this thread on the Spyderco Factory Forum.

 

[rycen]

They also sold a small pair of ceramic shears as well.

 

[The Deacon]

They also sold a small pair of ceramic shears as well.

True. I have a pair. They were made by G Sakai, sold by Spyderco, and were intended for fly fishing.

 

[WBB]

Koolaubob and The Deacon, thanks for the info! It looks like I have one of these. Wasn't sure since it doesn't say Spyderco anywhere but I remember the guy I got if from saying it was by Spyderco. But that was 30ish years ago. But it's an exact match including the pouch shown in the thread above.

 

[The Deacon]

Koolaubob and The Deacon, thanks for the info! It looks like I have one of these. Wasn't sure since it doesn't say Spyderco anywhere but I remember the guy I got if from saying it was by Spyderco. But that was 30ish years ago. But it's an exact match including the pouch shown in the thread above.

Glad to be of help. Some of the confusion over whether the Tak Fugata is, or is not, a Spyderco is that during the 90's Spyderco was a US distributor for them, as well as a number of other Japanese makers, and while Spyderco never advertised them as being Spyderco knives, they sold at least some of them packaged in Spyderco marked boxes. Those G. Sakai ceramic scissors of mine came in a Spyderco box and at least some of the other G. Sakai, Moki, Taiyo, and Hiro branded knives they sold at the time also were packaged in Spyderco boxes. Someone with one of those knives in the original box can easily assume it's a Spyderco, especially if they are not the original owner.

FWIW, the Tak Fugata was not cheap. I have a 1992 Spyderco price list that shows its MSRP was $101.95 and says the scales are magnesium. To put that price in perspective, the MSRP of all stainless Police was $97.95 that year and the SpyderKeys, which are about the same size as the Tak Fugata, ranged from $37.95 for the all stainless version to $64.95 each for the Abalone, Black Lip Pearl, and MOP bolster and scales versions.

 

[WBB]

Mine did not come with the box just the pouch. My dad bought this for me at a gun show and I think I remember him paying $90 for it (30+ years ago). So is it rare and/or valuable?

 

[The Deacon]

Mine did not come with the box just the pouch. My dad bought this for me at a gun show and I think I remember him paying $90 for it (30+ years ago). So is it rare and/or valuable?

I'm guessing they're uncommon, at the very least. I can say for certain I only saw a couple of them during the 8 or 9 years when I was checking eBay Spyderco listings several times a day. But I was checking Spyderco listings, so others may have been listed as well. As for value, that's more often a question of supply and demand than of quality, I've seen some versions of the Q bring higher prices than C27 Jess Horns and C22 Klotzli Walkers. I doubt there's a great deal of interest in the Tak Fugatas, although they may be of interest to Japanese collectors since, IIRC, the maker was a very small shop there and ceased operations when the owner died.

 

[koolaubob]

This has been very interesting to me.
I have four examples of the knife (currently NFS) and consider them some of the rarest and coolest knives in my collection, although not the most valuable.
You guys all rock.
The proper spelling IS "Fukuta", as Sal mentioned.
Aloha, Bob