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Spyderco Terzuola SLIPIT Review -- Part One
Introduction
I received a Spyderco Terzuola SLIPIT as part of a pass around here. Sal Glesser and the fine folks at Spyderco made the knife available and Frank K. organized the pass around. Custom knifemaker Bob Terzuola wrote the book on tactical folders; literally:
The new Bob T. SLIPIT is the fourth knife Terzuola has designed for Spyderco and won the 2009 Blade Magazine award for best collaboration. SLIPIT knives are non-locking blades in the Spyderco vernacular and while the previous SLIPITs were slip-joints, the Bob T. knife is entirely different. It features a “ball joint non locking” system that Terzuola pioneered in custom models. Two steel liners are nested in the carbon fiber handle scales. Each liner has two inset ball bearings near the pivot. As the blade rotates, one set of bearings drops into one of three holes drilled in the tang (closed, half-stop, open) and the other set is either on or just behind the tang as the liners snap in place toward the midpoint of the tang as it opens. It’s conceptually like having two frame lock ball detents on either side. The whole mechanism works like a moderately stiff slipjoint back spring with a solid half-stop.
The Bob T. SLIPIT is made in Taiwan and has an MSRP of $159.95. Our favorite online retailers sell it for about $105.
When the knife was first released, I liked its looks, but didn’t buy one because it was a slipjoint. I thought it would be like the Spyderco T-Mag I owned: a good-looking and well made knife with a flimsy locking mechanism. I was wrong. The Terzuola SLIPIT is the evolution of the slipjoint in the way that Endura is the evolution of the lockback hunter.
Size & Weight
The Terzuola is 7” long, with a 3” blade, a 4” handle, and weighs 2.5 ounces -- about the same as a Delica, Native, or UK Penknife. Its flat profile and light weight carries well in the pocket.
Blade
In contrast to the standard leaf shape of many Spyderco blades, the Terzuola is ground from CPM-S30V is a modified Wharncliffe. It has a top swedge that ends up looking like a spear point blade. The ubiquitous Spyderhole makes for easy opening and generous jimping on the thumb ramp enhances grip. A small finger guard in front of an index finger choil helps lessen the chance of accidental closure.
Introduction
I received a Spyderco Terzuola SLIPIT as part of a pass around here. Sal Glesser and the fine folks at Spyderco made the knife available and Frank K. organized the pass around. Custom knifemaker Bob Terzuola wrote the book on tactical folders; literally:
The new Bob T. SLIPIT is the fourth knife Terzuola has designed for Spyderco and won the 2009 Blade Magazine award for best collaboration. SLIPIT knives are non-locking blades in the Spyderco vernacular and while the previous SLIPITs were slip-joints, the Bob T. knife is entirely different. It features a “ball joint non locking” system that Terzuola pioneered in custom models. Two steel liners are nested in the carbon fiber handle scales. Each liner has two inset ball bearings near the pivot. As the blade rotates, one set of bearings drops into one of three holes drilled in the tang (closed, half-stop, open) and the other set is either on or just behind the tang as the liners snap in place toward the midpoint of the tang as it opens. It’s conceptually like having two frame lock ball detents on either side. The whole mechanism works like a moderately stiff slipjoint back spring with a solid half-stop.
The Bob T. SLIPIT is made in Taiwan and has an MSRP of $159.95. Our favorite online retailers sell it for about $105.
When the knife was first released, I liked its looks, but didn’t buy one because it was a slipjoint. I thought it would be like the Spyderco T-Mag I owned: a good-looking and well made knife with a flimsy locking mechanism. I was wrong. The Terzuola SLIPIT is the evolution of the slipjoint in the way that Endura is the evolution of the lockback hunter.
Size & Weight
The Terzuola is 7” long, with a 3” blade, a 4” handle, and weighs 2.5 ounces -- about the same as a Delica, Native, or UK Penknife. Its flat profile and light weight carries well in the pocket.
Blade
In contrast to the standard leaf shape of many Spyderco blades, the Terzuola is ground from CPM-S30V is a modified Wharncliffe. It has a top swedge that ends up looking like a spear point blade. The ubiquitous Spyderhole makes for easy opening and generous jimping on the thumb ramp enhances grip. A small finger guard in front of an index finger choil helps lessen the chance of accidental closure.
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