Old Spyder Classics: Hidden IN Plain View

[JD Spydo]

Yes there are some hidden Spyder Classics that many of you new guys and gals aren't yet aware of. There are even a few that avid veteran Spyderco fans don't even know about them. And some of these are some of their better models too.

First and foremost one of my all time hidden favorites is the STainless Handled Rescue models from the late 90s. They were made in models C-14 ( the big one) and C-45 "the smaller stouter one). I've owned both and still do to this day and both are users that I occasionally rotate in my EDC arsenal. As far as I know they were only made with ATS-55 blade steel and were only available in Spyderedge> I had heard that there were a few plain edged versions out there but no one yet has been able to produce one to show me. Now they did make some plain edged stainless handled Mariner models and Deacon here on the Forum even has some of those.

Another Spyder Classic hidden in plain view is the full Spyderedged version of the C-60 Massad Ayoob model. It used to be abundant and show up all the time for sale and trade but now I very rarely ever see one even on the Forums. To me it is the most versatile and best performing Spyderedged blade that they ever made IMO. The belly of that blade is a fierce cutter in either edge but in Spyderedge it's a beast to be reckoned with.

Also the Burgundy ZDP-189 Jess Horn model from the mid 2000s. The early Jess Horn models were a lot of people's favorites but when they finally made one with a supersteel that folder could cut unbelievably.

One last super rare hidden Spyder Classic that I fortunately have a user of>> it is the blue handled, plain edged VG-10 Spyderhawk. Few people even know that this model even exists. I'm personally not as keen on plain edged Hawkbills as much as I am with Spyderedged versions but this PE Hawkbill is truly a beast>> and a super rare beast at that.

If any of you ever get a chance to test out the stainless handled RESCUE models you'll be amazed as to why this didn't become an iconic classic because it is the most ridgid, brutal Spyderedged cutter in their entire line up>> and a rare bird too. What are some hidden Spyder-Classics you all can share with us? And which ones would you all like to see in Sprint Runs?

 

[Sonnemann]

The original C19 Terzuola. It has a simple utility blade shape pretty close to the Pingo of today, with excellent ergonomics and a slim aluminum or G10 handle. I would love to see this knife reissued in G10 or even titanium slabs and a modern steel (though ATS-34 was no slouch.)

 

[JD Spydo]

The original C19 Terzuola. It has a simple utility blade shape pretty close to the Pingo of today, with excellent ergonomics and a slim aluminum or G10 handle. I would love to see this knife reissued in G10 or even titanium slabs and a modern steel (though ATS-34 was no slouch.)

I used to have both the C-19 and it's little brother the C-15 as well. It wasn't one that I liked for EDC use but it was one that I liked to look at in a collection. And when those Terzuola models get on Ebay or any other exchange where they are sold or traded they usually command a hefty price tag.

During that same Era in Spyder History is when the first two G-10 Spyders were released which I find is interesting because of you wanting to see these Terzuola models in G-10 Sprint runs. The two models I'm speaking of are the Blackhawk and it's big Brother the RENEGADE model>> I EDCed a Renegade model for a little over a year and loved it. I would love to see a Sprint run of it with one of the newer blade steels. The one I EDCed had GIN-1 which by today's standards was an ancient blade steel.. I do still like GIN-1 in Spyderedged blades but I find it has a lot to be desired in plain edge.

It was also about the time the first CENTOFANTE models came forth>> I particularly loved the C-50 in both PE & SE.

 

[Joe58]

I sure miss the C03 Hunter. Well, I guess I still carry one on occasion and have a couple salted away.

For me, it's a great utility design and would love it to be recreated with updated materials and blade steel. I like the straight design of the blade as opposed to the big leaf shape which seems in vogue now days.

This was the second Spyderco patten, after a Standard with the punched out clip, I purchased back in the day and still love it.

I'd really like to see a run of the little Jess Horn pocket knife sized ones AG Russell had too.

 

[JD Spydo]

I sure miss the C03 Hunter. Well, I guess I still carry one on occasion and have a couple salted away.

For me, it's a great utility design and would love it to be recreated with updated materials and blade steel. I like the straight design of the blade as opposed to the big leaf shape which seems in vogue now days.

This was the second Spyderco patten, after a Standard with the punched out clip, I purchased back in the day and still love it.

I'd really like to see a run of the little Jess Horn pocket knife sized ones AG Russell had too.

That C-03 Hunter model is about as obscure of a model as there is. It's one of the very few old school Spyders I that I never owned at any time. It might just be a great candidate for a Sprint Run. You could take that model and replace the stainless with a G-10 handle and put one of the newer CPM or Carpenter blade steel. Also the Standard model from that time period was at one time a favorite of mine as well.

Thanks for putting that one up there "Joe58"

 

[DocT]

C03 Hunter. That looks nice and practical.

 

[JD Spydo]

C03 Hunter. That looks nice and practical.

When you think about all of Spyderco's first 20 knife models they made all had great practical EDC purposes designed for a guy who uses a knife on an everyday basis.

the C-01 Worker is one model that I can't see why it wasn't one of the iconic models like the Police, Harpy, Delica ect, ect.??

But this C-03 Hunter just looks so functional to me that it should be considered for a Sprint Run>> actually I think that all of Spyderco's first 20 models should get the honor of being revamped with newer/better handle materials and newer blade steels as well. Most of the new people that have become fans of Spyderco don't even realize just how great some of the older models were and still could be.

Also another model that has classic written all over it and also got ignored is the RENEGADE model. I liked it so much that I EDCed one for almost a year.

 

[GronK]

Also another model that has classic written all over it and also got ignored is the RENEGADE model. I liked it so much that I EDCed one for almost a year.

I've kept my eye open for one of those for years but to no avail. It would be a nice companion to my Blackhawk, shown here with my forum N5.

 

[Joe58]

Wow - the Renegade. Been awhile since I've seen one of those. Don't even see beaters at the gun shows any more.

I agree it's be a pretty cool idea if they would release a nostalgic line of maybe the first 6 or 8 models that they started with using the updated materials. I'd buy maybe 5 of the Hunters. I bet though it'd have to be lottery like forum knives cause of the secondary gougers who would snap them up pretty quickly.

 

[JD Spydo]

Wow - the Renegade. Been awhile since I've seen one of those. Don't even see beaters at the gun shows any more.

I agree it's be a pretty cool idea if they would release a nostalgic line of maybe the first 6 or 8 models that they started with using the updated materials. I'd buy maybe 5 of the Hunters. I bet though it'd have to be lottery like forum knives cause of the secondary gougers who would snap them up pretty quickly.

Well GRONK and Joe58 both I think you two would agree that if they took the RENEGADE and Blackhawk models both ( after all they are Brothers ) and maybe bring them back in a different color G-10 handle and one of the new supersteels like XHP or S90V I doubt if you could keep either one of them on the shelf very long.

Many of these "hidden Spyder Classics have been discontinued long enough that if they reintroduced them with slightly different handles and much better/newer blade steel it would be the same as having brand new models all together.

Another hidden Spyder Classic that I thought was super that was indeed hidden in plain view was the Impala model. You could get it PE with a guthook, combo edge with a guthook and a very regal variant with a handsome plain edge. A new, revamped Impala would truly be a hunters dream blade. I always liked the Impala better than the Wegner myself>> The Wegner was a great Spyder too but the Impala just felt better in my hand.

 

[GronK]

Well GRONK and Joe58 both I think you two would agree that if they took the RENEGADE and Blackhawk models both ( after all they are Brothers ) and maybe bring them back in a different color G-10 handle and one of the new supersteels like XHP or S90V I doubt if you could keep either one of them on the shelf very long.

Many of these "hidden Spyder Classics have been discontinued long enough that if they reintroduced them with slightly different handles and much better/newer blade steel it would be the same as having brand new models all together.

Another hidden Spyder Classic that I thought was super that was indeed hidden in plain view was the Impala model. You could get it PE with a guthook, combo edge with a guthook and a very regal variant with a handsome plain edge. A new, revamped Impala would truly be a hunters dream blade. I always liked the Impala better than the Wegner myself>> The Wegner was a great Spyder too but the Impala just felt better in my hand.

I know that in saying this I am being an old grouch but I'd prefer to see both in PE and exactly as they were with the exception of enough liner to give clip mounting options, screwing into metal. I EDC'd mine for a couple of years and I was always worried the screws would strip out of the handle material. With everyone going to the flat ground blades the severely hollow ground clip point is also something to carry forward.

 

[JD Spydo]

Well GRONK I would have no problem at all for Spyderco to do some new modifications to an old classic model like the Renegade and/or Blackhawk. I EDCed a Renegade for almost a year and even with GIn-1 steel which is considered antiquated now a days with all the newer/better blade steels out there>> And even with that older steel it was still a very handy workable folder.

I believe I heard at one time that both models were target marketed toward bikers in particular and that neither model took off as good as they would have like to have seen them do. But these models are so streamlined and functional they would be an excellent candidate for a Sprint Run.. But sure I would expect some modifications and I would also expect them to be available in PE & SE both.

And if they could do some type of collaboration on marketing with like Harley Davidson I think both those models could take off very well.

 

[Sonnemann]

Made me sad to read on the Spyderco forum. Sal says the pattern/machining for the C-50 Centofante is long gone.

 

[Barman1]

Made me sad to read on the Spyderco forum. Sal says the pattern/machining for the C-50 Centofante is long gone.

I've got a couple C25 and C50 with ATS-34. The C50 is a great convenient sized knife.
Guess we won't be seeing a sprint on this one.

 

[JD Spydo]

Made me sad to read on the Spyderco forum. Sal says the pattern/machining for the C-50 Centofante is long gone.

Greetings Sonneman: It not only made me SAD it just outright took the wind out of my sails. I was wishing with all my heart that someday there could be a Sprint version of the C-50 in PE & SE. I'm so regretful that I traded and sold the 3 of those models I had and I'm so sick I just want to puke. And why they would dispose of the tooling for that great model just blows me away because I always thought that Frank Centofante and Spyderco were kind of close to each other business wise.

When Sal said all of that to me about the Temp 1, The Ayoob and the C-50 he could have kicked me directly in the crotch and it wouldn't have hurt any the worse.

I guess when you own the company or work there everyday you just don't gain the same type of appreciation for those grand knife designs like we do here on these forums do.

All I can say is grab one if you do find one for sale and hold on to it for dear life because those C-50s are going to become as rare as hen's tooth and they may be now for all intent and purpose.

 

[JD Spydo]

I've got a couple C25 and C50 with ATS-34. The C50 is a great convenient sized knife.
Guess we won't be seeing a sprint on this one.

Hey Barman I'm glad you pointed out the C-25 which is the little Brother of the C-50 but both of them are some of the great old Spyderco Classics. It saddens me to see these great old models that I cut my Spyder Teeth on go by way of the buggywhip. Because with all the other Sprint Runs they have done I couldn't think of a better candidate for a Sprint Run than the C-50.

One of the reasons I fell so in love with the C-50 is because one of the very first premium knives I got at a Gun Show here in Kansas City, Missouri was the Benchmade model 640 Boguszewski Spike model. And it is very much alike the C-50. I still own and even EDC my BM model 640 and I actually have it on me as we speak. But I actually prefered the Centofante C-50 because I liked the G-10 handle better than the aircraft aluminum handle that Benchmade has on the Spike.

With a lot of these models disappearing out of what I call the GOLDEN ERA of SPYDERS 1998-2003 it really makes me wonder which direction Spyderco may be going concerning their target markets. Because back in the late 90s/ early 2000s you could get just about any of the premium Spyderco models in SE but now it's getting harder to get anything other than a POLICE or Endura in SE. I hope things turn around because this great company has a heritage like no other knife company I'm aware of.

C-25 & C-50 both are classics hidden in plain view.

 

[Barman1]

Hey Barman I'm glad you pointed out the C-25 which is the little Brother of the C-50 but both of them are some of the great old Spyderco Classics. It saddens me to see these great old models that I cut my Spyder Teeth on go by way of the buggywhip. Because with all the other Sprint Runs they have done I couldn't think of a better candidate for a Sprint Run than the C-50.

One of the reasons I fell so in love with the C-50 is because one of the very first premium knives I got at a Gun Show here in Kansas City, Missouri was the Benchmade model 640 Boguszewski Spike model. And it is very much alike the C-50. I still own and even EDC my BM model 640 and I actually have it on me as we speak. But I actually prefered the Centofante C-50 because I liked the G-10 handle better than the aircraft aluminum handle that Benchmade has on the Spike.

With a lot of these models disappearing out of what I call the GOLDEN ERA of SPYDERS 1998-2003 it really makes me wonder which direction Spyderco may be going concerning their target markets. Because back in the late 90s/ early 2000s you could get just about any of the premium Spyderco models in SE but now it's getting harder to get anything other than a POLICE or Endura in SE. I hope things turn around because this great company has a heritage like no other knife company I'm aware of.

C-25 & C-50 both are classics hidden in plain view.

Next time I drag out the collection I'll get a shot of the two together along with a couple of other Centofantes.
Nice thread, Thanks. :thumbup:

 

[JD Spydo]

Hey Barman I look forward to that for sure>> Another item of interest I want to point out is that there are a lot of very rare Spyders that are hidden classics in which there were very few of them made in Spyderedge. One prime example and one that I owned and loved was the stainless handled Caly Jr during the AUS-8 era. There are a few of the plain edged Stainless Caly Juniors around if you look hard enough but to find one in Spyderedge that's a rare find now a days.

Also my fixed blade Temperance 1 model in Spyderedge is getting about as rare as an honest politician. I'm also finding any of the older Carbon Fiber or G-10 Police models in SE a tough find as well lately.

I know that a lot of you all aren't fans of serrated blades but from a collector's point of view I think a few of these older Hidden Classics in Spyderedge are getting very collectible. The JD Smith and original C-54 Calypso also are a tough find in SE as well. Yes there are a growing number of older Spyders in SE that are getting serious attention from collectors here of late.

 

[Barman1]

Here are a few of my remaining Centofantes. I've got a few Centofante 3s around somewhere just couldn't lay my hands on one for the picture.
Vesuvius
C50
C25
Centofante Memory with a scale I made
Centofante 4

 

[JD Spydo]

Barman you got my "envy meter" going crazy like a guy lying on a polygraph machine The Spyderedged C-50 has been one of my grails for a user to carry for some time now. Hold on to that one because I look for all of those Centofante models to acrue some serious price tags.

The more I look at that C-25 the more I want a set of those as well. Great collection Barman