Recommendation? Spartan Blades Harsey folder

L

Lodd

Joined
Jan 23, 2015
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628
When I first read about Spartan Blades, I immediately lost interest. Something about their marketing chafed. They seemed to drop words like 'special forces' and 'tactical' way too often. They also seemed a bit too expensive at first glance.

But now they've shown me this:

ussf5nwcoast$02-spartan-blades.jpg


ussf5nwcoast$04-spartan-blades.jpg


and I'm really digging it!

However, it is priced at about €570. Ouch!

So I've been doing some research. It seems quite overpriced. There's no sharpening choil and the vendor admits it has lockstick out of the box (until you break it in). It's a bit thick too.

TheApostleP has a youtube video review dating from 2016 where he names some other (engineering) imperfections. Even though his video is quite long-winded, he does make a few good arguments as to why this would be a great knife in the sub $300 range, but how its' current price is way too high.

I think for the €570 it had better be completely perfect. Still, I can't get this mind out of my mind. I love the use of colour in this particular example.

So, I'm wondering, what's your take on this knife? Does anyone have any experience? Did they improve things since 2016?
 
Just a FYI, when you go to the "about us" page on Spartan Blades, it shows the co-founders both served for a long time in the Special Forces (Green Berets). Quite literally, they're special forces and they created the knife company to make knives for military individuals based on their experience. They do have contracts with many SOF's around the world for example The Spartan Blades Harsey Difensa was created "When the Canadian special forces commissioned Spartan Blades and master knifemaker William Harsey to produce a blade for them, we knew we wanted to create something special. Our goal was to craft a knife that would serve their special forces well in the years to come -- both in the northern woods of their homeland and on worldwide deployments alike. The result was the Spartan Harsey Difensa, named after the infamous and hard-fought victory achieved by cooperation between Canadian and U.S. forces."...
They're one of the few companies that have a legitimate claim to use the words "tactical" and "Special Forces".
 
The lack of refinement you mention is the reason I dont own one. I've handled many and I was impressed by the design , NoT the execution.

So close to being a home run because it's a harsey.
 
Gideons said:
Just a FYI, when you go to the "about us" page on Spartan Blades, it shows the co-founders both served for a long time in the Special Forces (Green Berets). Quite literally, they're special forces and they created the knife company to make knives for military individuals based on their experience. They do have contracts with many SOF's around the world for example The Spartan Blades Harsey Difensa was created "When the Canadian special forces commissioned Spartan Blades and master knifemaker William Harsey to produce a blade for them, we knew we wanted to create something special. Our goal was to craft a knife that would serve their special forces well in the years to come -- both in the northern woods of their homeland and on worldwide deployments alike. The result was the Spartan Harsey Difensa, named after the infamous and hard-fought victory achieved by cooperation between Canadian and U.S. forces."...
They're one of the few companies that have a legitimate claim to use the words "tactical" and "Special Forces".
Click to expand...

Well, at least they're legit. But I'm not Special Forces. Maybe just a bit...special :D. That said, this is a decadent piece on manjewelry and I'll make no excuses for it. Not something that wins wars or helps soldiers.

BellaBlades said:
The lack of refinement you mention is the reason I dont own one. I've handled many and I was impressed by the design , NoT the execution.

So close to being a home run because it's a harsey.
Click to expand...

Yeah, when we're talking this kind of money, I might be tempted to commission a custom instead. I mean, at the very least I'd want some internal milling and a sharpening choil. And some better screws for the stand-offs.
 
The Spartan Blades Harsey Folder won "American Made Knife of the Year" at Blade Show in 2016, so I'm confident it is at least a fairly decent knife.

Worth the money? I dunno but I have a Special Edition SHF on the way, so I guess I'll find out soon!
 
Lodd said:
Well, at least they're legit. But I'm not Special Forces. Maybe just a bit...special :D. That said, this is a decadent piece on manjewelry and I'll make no excuses for it. Not something that wins wars or helps soldiers.



Yeah, when we're talking this kind of money, I might be tempted to commission a custom instead. I mean, at the very least I'd want some internal milling and a sharpening choil. And some better screws for the stand-offs.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an Inkosi or Sebenza to me?!
 
I got one like new for 285 that was a good deal but 450 and up ? I don't think its worth that, although I do like their embellished versions like the one you posted.They are well made, but they are a bit overpriced...
 
Yes, the price is a bit steep, especially on the engraved special editions, but make no mistake, they are a whole lot of solid overbuilt knife. A hunk of steel stuffed inside 2 slabs of titanium, and personally I love both of mine!
I would buy 3 more in a heartbeat if money wasn't an issue...

Consider this, retail you can buy a plain one for around $460, similar to a $450 plain Large Sebenza retail.
Add a graphic they're $525-550, (€570 in your case), similar to a $550-575 markup on a Large Sebenza with an inlay or custom graphic... I'd say it's fair market value... while not as refined as a Sebenza, it's not a sloppy finish by any means, at least the ones I've handled, and IMO it is a better design.
If only CRK would produce the SHF using their tolerance standards, it would be a $600+ knife all day...
 
It's big and heavy and a bit thick, but probably just perfect for its intended purpose.
However, I balk when a knife is over five ounces; just not for me.
 
I've always wanted one, but I've never had a titanium lock-frame NOT eventually develop lock-stick.:(
 
I don't think theres any lack of refinement or flaws,except for the slightly oversized space that was cut out for the pocket clip ,theres a slight space on top.Now mine is an earlier version they might have corrected it, I don't see that gap in that posted picture.It reminds me of the hinderer as far as the standoffs go,and ive been tempted at getting an embellished one,even though it would be tough to recoop what you paid
 
I don't understand the pricing of the Harsey. It seems like it should be a $300 folder at best.

That is interesting ano work, albeit not very clean. I'm guessing that's intentional, though.
 
The anodisation and use of colour is what got my attention. I don't think CRK offers something similar.

However, the other comparisons are easy to understand. Pricing & titanium framelock. If those were the main things I was looking for, CRK would come out on top, no contest. CRK makes the value proposition work because, allthough they are quite expensive, they deliver exceptional work in terms of engineering and fit&finish. The same goes for Shirogorov for example.

However, I think you shouldn't ask the same kind of prices as a CRK, but underdeliver on the execution. It just leaves a bad taste. In fact, the more I think about it, the less I like it. (So at least this thread has saved me some money!).

The example I mentioned earlier, of expecting some kind of internal milling (or maybe skeletonisation) to make the knife lighter. This is a feature many cheaper knives have. It just boggles my mind.

I dunno, maybe I'll understand if I ever get to handle the knife IRL.
 
Well, I picked up my new SHF from the post office this afternoon.

Gorgeous knife. Smooth action, lock bar tension really dialled in, no lock stick OOB, excellent fit & finish, spectacular ergos.

I do have a couple of nit-picks. As others have mentioned, kind of a sloppy finish on the secondary bevel as it approaches the tang; Spartan Blades could and should have done a better job tackling the plunge grind--especially at this price-point. A small sharpening choil would have made all the difference. It's a very minor issue but it really stands out because the rest of the knife is so well done.

The only other thing is that I bought a Special Edition model: Chad Nichols damascus, black PVD coated ti slabs with etching and bronze anodized hardware/pocket clip. The black and bronze is pretty classy looking IMO, but the pivot screws and blade stop are plain silver. It just would have been nice if they matched the rest of the bronze accents. Super picky, I know, but there it is.

Overall, no regrets. My XM-18 is more robust and my large Seb 21 is more refined, but the SHF is in the ballpark. I dig the SHF and would recommend it (price considered) to those who already have a Hinderer and a CRK and may be looking for something different.

Hope this helps others who may be on the fence...
 
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I really like their blades, whats holding me down is the large blade, but I would buy one if it was 3.5”
 
Lodd said:
When I first read about Spartan Blades, I immediately lost interest. Something about their marketing chafed. They seemed to drop words like 'special forces' and 'tactical' way too often. They also seemed a bit too expensive at first glance.

But now they've shown me this:

ussf5nwcoast$02-spartan-blades.jpg


ussf5nwcoast$04-spartan-blades.jpg


and I'm really digging it!

However, it is priced at about €570. Ouch!

So I've been doing some research. It seems quite overpriced. There's no sharpening choil and the vendor admits it has lockstick out of the box (until you break it in). It's a bit thick too.

TheApostleP has a youtube video review dating from 2016 where he names some other (engineering) imperfections. Even though his video is quite long-winded, he does make a few good arguments as to why this would be a great knife in the sub $300 range, but how its' current price is way too high.

I think for the €570 it had better be completely perfect. Still, I can't get this mind out of my mind. I love the use of colour in this particular example.

So, I'm wondering, what's your take on this knife? Does anyone have any experience? Did they improve things since 2016?
Click to expand...

I really dig this version. I like the coloration and have an odd fondness for frogs to boot. I love the Harsey design too. It's a very knifey sort of knife. :confused:

It's just too damned thick for me. I'd have to have the blade reground to ever be happy with it and given its retail price that's just a ridiculous concept. I can't justify spending an extra couple hundred on a knife that's already north of 5 bills.
 
Good to hear the different takes on this knife. The blade thickness is another aspect that's been holding me back.
 
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