What Spyderco knife is this?

One of my early gateway drug Spyderco favorites. I really wish it'd come back in a sprint run with G10 and upgraded blade steel.

Model Name: Hunter
Model Reference: C03
Designer: Sal Glesser
MSRP: $98.95 (1993)
Description: Third knife produced by Spyderco, designed as a Hunting knife, with a bigger belly.

Blade Length: 2 3/4″
Closed Length: 3 15/16″
Overall Length: 6 11/16″
Weight: 3.84oz (early), 3.75oz (later)

Blade Material: GIN-1
Blade Finish: Satin
Blade Grind: Hollow Grind
Handle Material: Stainless Steel
Locking Mechanism: Front Lock (Lock Back)

Years Produced: 1983-1993
Manufacture Location: Seki-City Japan

Variations:
C03P – Plain Edge
C03S – Spyderedge
C03PS – Combo Edge
C03BKPS – Combo Edge FRN Handle
 
This isn't stamped with a blade steel. All the hunter pics I find are stamped with blade steel?
 
I know the steel is Gin-1, year wise 83-93, but I'm guessing mid 80's somewhere. I can't remember if they always shipped in the blue box, that might help ID the year.
 
Mine are all blue box. I think the pretty early made models didn't have the GIN1 stamp, but the later ones do. But I can't swear to that. I've a couple still NIB stashed away and they're blue box. One without, one with, the GIN1 stamp. Dunno.

Good knives. Mine are plain edge which I prefer. But the Spyderco serrated just gets wicked sharp.
 
TravisH said:
My first thought was - early model Stretch.

But the dimensions are different.

Then I saw ...

No wonder! ;)
Click to expand...

Actually, you're exactly right about that; the Hunter was eventually resurrected as the Stretch, with a .75" longer FFG blade, FRN, and a 50/50 choil. I thought it looked like a Stretch as well, but since the Stretch 2 is on the way, that makes the current Stretch the first. The blade profile is very distinctive.
 
Carpenter Steel's BD-1 was made to duplicate GIN-1. My personal experience with GIN-1 has been quite positive. While it ranks below VG-10 in most respects, I find it to have better toughness, making it less likely to chip. It may not have quite the wear resistance, but it holds an edge nearly as well. I'd rank it higher than AUS-8 and a bit below S30V for my uses.
 
Beveled edges on the handle place it sometime after 1986 and the lack of steel marking places it sometime before 1992. So, somewhere in that range. Steel, as others have noted was GIN-1, which Spyderco called "G-2" at the time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top