Spyderco’s new Southard folding knife, their first ever flipper, is a collaborative design between the company and knifemaker Brad Southard. I am a fan of Spyderco, titanium frame lock knives, and flipper folding knives, so I had to give the Southard a try.
I normally prefer to use and carry pocket knives for an extended period of time before reviewing them, but I am so thoroughly impressed with the Southard that I just can’t wait that long.
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The knife featured in this review was purchased from BladeHQ for close to its full retail price. I have ordered quite a few knives from BladeHQ in the past, and have had nothing but great experiences.
First Impressions
The Southard is absolutely amazing, from top to bottom.
There is no shortage of descriptors for the Southard knife. It’s beautiful. Elegant. Interesting. Unique. Superbly balanced. It’s practically a work of art.
While waiting for the knife to arrive, I had wondered about whether I made a bad call. Spyderco makes great folding knives, but there’s always a risk with new design explorations. Would Spyderco’s first flipper knife be a faulty flop?
The styling also had me a little worried as well. Mud-brown G-10 scales with stonewashed titanium? In the back of my mind it seemed that Spyderco was maybe trying a little too hard to be trendy.
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After it had finally arrived, one minute with the Southard and all my concerns, worries, and predictions proved to be for naught.
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Stonewashed Titanium Finish
It’s difficult to capture the subtleties of the stonewashed titanium finish, but hopefully I did the Southard justice.
On the back side of the knife you can see the single-position pocket clip, lanyard loop, G-10 fame lock overtravel stop, and the curvature of the handle.
Handle and Grip
The jimping (grooves) on the back of the blade is subtle and easy on the hands. Some users might prefer more aggressive jimping, but I honestly feel that deeper or sharper grooves would be out of place on a knife this size.
The textured G-10 handle scale is a bit rough, but should soften slightly with more usage. It offers a solid and comfortable grip without tearing up my hands.
Blade Quality
The hollow-ground ~3.5″ blade is made from CTS 204P stainless steel. A quick Google search shows that this is a Carpenter alloy that’s designed to be highly wear and corrosion resistant.
Like Elmax, CTS 204P is produced using powder metallurgy. CTS 204P is sometimes described as offering slightly better edge retention than Elmax, while being a tad more difficult to sharpen.
I can’t tell right away how CTS 204P fares against other premium alloys, such as Elmax. But what I can tell for sure, both from the material data sheet and initial cutting tests, is that the Southard blade is made with one of the finest knife steels available.
This isn’t a complaint, but at 0.157″ thick, the blade is a bit stouter than I’m used to with folding knives. That’s about 5/32″.
Knife Opening and Closing
The Southard can be opened and closed with one hand.
The flipper mechanism started off a tad slow, but settled in rather quickly. I’m still just getting used to the knife, but I don’t have any difficulty deploying the blade, which glides open by means of a ball-bearing pivot system. The flipper nub is also nicely rounded and easy on the fingers.
Spyderco knives are well recognized for having large holes instead of thumb studs to aid in blade deployment. The Spydie hole on the Southard seems to be more for decoration than function, but it can be used to deploy the blade if you don’t want to use the flipper. Personally I find the flipper to be far more reliable and comfortable to use.
Blade lock-up is excellent, and I can find nothing to complain about. There’s no play or wobble in any direction.
Closing the knife is also quick and easy, with a small G-10 insert preventing you from bending the titanium frame lock bar too far.
Aesthetics
Here you can see some more of Spyderco and Bard Southard’s attention to details. The frame lock cutout is grooved and sports the same attractive finish as the rest of the titanium handle. All outer edges are smooth and rounded for improved comfort.
The Southard sports hourglass-shaped spacers and a flush-mounted bushing that’s more than wide enough for standard paracord.
Size and Comparison
It is my opinion that the Spyderco Southard will be an excellent EDC/everyday carry knife. It’s somewhat of a big knife (~3.5″ blade), but at the same time it’s also light and compact, if that makes sense.
Here’s what the Southard looks like next to my Preon 2 LED flashlight (check out my review of the Preon 2). The Southard is definitely pocketable.
The removable pocket clip is placed for tip-up carry.
I hope you can see why I consider the Southard to be compact for a knife its size. It’s not dwarfed by the Zero Tolerance 0550, but it is appreciably smaller.
And in case you wanted to see some more flippers, here is the Southard nested between a Zero Tolerance 0350 on the left, and Hinder-design Zero Tolerance 0560 on the right.
Although the Southard’s G-10 scale looks tan in many of the photos, it is actually a medium-dark brown. I didn’t think I would like the color, but it quickly grew for me.
Verdict
I have owned the Spyderco Southard folding knife for exactly one day now, but I can already tell it will give me many years of reliable service. It is exquisitely designed, but at the same time it feels strong and sturdy.
This is Spyderco’s first flipper knife, and I sure hope it’s not their last.
Recommended for: everyday carry
Not recommended for: users who need a thinner blade for making long deep cuts
Buy Now(via BladeHQ)
Buy Now(via Amazon)
More Info(via Spyderco)
MSRP is $400, street price is about $250. It has dipped below $200, on Amazon.
One final comment – the Southard is manufactured in Taichung, Taiwan. While I typically prefer USA-made and Japanese-made knives whenever possible, the phenomenal construction of this knife has deeply impressed me.
Specifications
| Spyderco Southard (C156GBN) | |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Flipper, Spydie Hole |
| Overall Length | 7.96″ Open 4.5″ Closed |
| Blade Thickness | 0.157″ |
| Blade Length | 3.46″ |
| Weight | 4.1 oz. |
| Blade Material | CTS 204P |
| Blade Style | Plain Edge |
| Lock Style | Frame Lock |
| Handle Material | G-10 and Ti |
| Pocket Clip? | Yes, Non-Reversible |
| Made in | Taiwan |
| Street Price | $250 |
bryan
~250 for a Taiwan knife? No thanks.
Greg
Taiwan made knives are actually considered to be very well made. In some cases better than your typical US made knife. In reality, you can have a nicely made knife from anywhere, even places like China, as long as you maintain a high enough control over quality. While it’s nice to have a knife with “Made in USA” engraved on it, Taiwan made knives are typically made just as well.
Pete
$250 for a pocket knife is nuts.
I’m sure it’s gorgeous, but I can’t imagine spending that much on something I’m likely to drop out of a pocket, misplace, or lose. My pocket knives aren’t disposable, far from it, but this would be the most expensive thing I carry every day. Pricier than my phone and nice watch, both of which spend more time in use then my knife.
Stuart
$250 knives are definitely not for everyone. I probably wouldn’t have bought the Southard if there wasn’t such a high demand for higher-value knife reviews.
That said, this is a titanium-bodied framelock with a super-premium blade alloy. It’s a high performance knife that there’s certainly a market for. It is quite frankly one of the finest knives I have ever used, at any price point. And not in terms of looks, but with respect to ease of use, cutting performance, and build quality.
My second favorite knife is the $40 Kershaw Leek, and beyond that there are too many 3rd place candidates.
I have more knife reviews in the works, with many priced in the $20-$100 price range.
John
I agree with the comments that $250 street ($400 msrp) is RIDICULOUS for a Taiwan-made pocket knife. I have no problem paying that, and more, for a custom knife made by a craftsman in the US. I also have no problem paying somewhat less than that for quality Japanese knives. I find no reason to spend that much for something made in Taiwan. Cold Steel makes some excellent knives in Taiwan. However, they are priced accordingly.
I simply cannot understand how Spyderco justifies that cost for a Taiwan-made knife. I don’t buy the “materials” argument. I also cannot buy the “name” argument. The Chris Reeves small Sebenza is a similar knife made from similar materials. It also has a arguably stronger name behind it. The plain small Sebenzas also retail for roughly $300-350. Yup, they’re made in US…..
No excuse for Sypderco here….
lumberjake
I think too many folks associate Taiwan with mainland China. Not to get into geo politics but the Taiwanese like to think of themselves as just that, and not Chinese, despite whatever China claims. People don’t realize that taiwan has been in the manufacturing business a long time. Like the Japanese, they had a reputation for making cheap, lower quality stuff but, like Japan, that has changed over time and they produce very high quality items. Nowadays, things made in Japan brag about it much like German products. Taiwan can’t shake their bad rep which is lame because they produce very high quality and are paid much higher than Chinese.Spyderco chooses Taiwan because they consistently produce extremely well built knives and its not dirt cheap labour like China.
Chris
The price is a tad bit high, especially for the average person. However, $250 isn’t all that uncommon for a very high quality production knife and many people are more than willing to spend this much on a knife that will outlast its owner. As a knife collector who owns many Spyderco knives, I can testify that the knives produced for Spyderco in Taiwan exceed the quality of their Chinese, Italian, and yes, even U.S. produced models. This knife is on par with any U.S., German, Japanese knife as far as quality. Also the steel for this model is imported from the U.S. to Taiwan. So in conclusion, in a world where people pay into the thousands for a bottle of wine which last no more than a week once opened, I think paying a couple hundred for a quality knife that will last many lifetimes isn’t that big of a deal. To each his own.
Hugh
The Spyderco Southard is an outstanding production folder made with the finest materials, designed by a respected and sought after custom knifemaker. If it wasn’t a production it would take three times the price to replicate. With a little care taken with maintenance and use it will last several lifetimes. If it was an American production sadly it would be twice the price. I for one appreciate that if one has a passion for quality that I can buy it for such a reasonable price. I recognize and buy quality no matter where it’s made. Remember it was foreign competition that put American automakers back in the top tier. Who made the steel, who invented the caged bearing system, who invented G-10, who first thought to use it for knife handle scales, who designed the knife and what company brought it to market.
Bryab
I cannot stand this American arrogance. I am an American, born and raised, but “Made In USA” doesn’t mean shit to me. There are plent of products “Made In USA” that are crap and plenty made elsewhere that are quality. If the product is of quality (and every Taichung spyderco I own is insanely well built) then who cares where it was made? “$250 for a Taiwan knife?”…. Relating origin to value is an arrogant and ignorant way of assessing the world. My Taichung Spydercos EASILY rival the build quality of my Sebenza, are made with the same high-end materials, yet cost $100 less. So if a company can have a high quality product made in another country for less (essentially due to currency exchange rate) and everybody wins then what is the problem? We get a fine product at a good price and that’s NOT due to sweatshop labor. The Southard would EASILY cost $350 or more if it had a “Made In USA” stamp on it.
Les Garten
I didn’t know there was a knife section here! I bought 2 Spyderco’s last week. An Endura 4 and a Delica 4 both in SuperBlue steel. I had been looking at that ZT 560 you posted but tests have shown the steel to be absolutely horrible. It is suggested that the knife is being ruined during the final edge grinding and being over heated and losing temper. This is being reported everywhere. So I had struck that off my list. The 350 blade I don’t care for.
I have also settled on getting a Southard after seeing the rave reviews for it. It is also just over .5 oz more than my Endura, so that’s real nice.
Getting near to my 6th decade of life I find it strange that we are now heaping praise on Taiwan for their manufacturing prowess. This is very much like what was said about Japan in the 50’s. But in the 60’s, people stopped laughing when GI’s returned from Viet Nam wearing Seiko’s and bring home Akai and Sansui stereo gear. People quit laughing at Japanese cars when the Datsun 240Z premiered in the US.
Don’t downplay China as well. I have purchased pieces of stereo gear that would cost $10,000 in the US direct from China for $1000.
The only thing holding China back is that they have been used to selling into a captive market that couldn’t do anything about QC issues, and they are having to up their game to deal with perfectionist Westerners. They are getting it though. They are also allowing their citizens to become Capitalists. the Giant is awakening.
Back to the knife in question, this is in every review by well known and well respected reviewers a hell of a knife. Definitely my next purchase. In my old age I have had to learn to live with a lot of change as we all all have(I haven’t gone on a homicidal rampage killing Justin Bieber or Paris Hilton), so living with Taiwan or China stamped on stuff and possibly liking it is just another milepost.
My rant’s aren’t about China or Taiwan, they are directed towards these shores and how we are doing things. How do the folks that sell a Hinderer XM-24 for $900 not make people mad as hell?
Derrel
Amen!
My Southard, Sage1, Sage2 etc. are works of art and a bargain at street prices.
David Patrick
I have owned my Southard for 2 years now. I own approximately 25 folding knives. Of course, each knife has a niche depending what your needs are. If you want to purchase an all-around, high quality, sharp looking knife, this is the one I would recommend. The alloy is phenomenal, providing excellent edge retention with minimal chance for nicks. Sharpening this knife does take some patience and time; I have a Tormek whetstone which will sharpen virtually anything. I have to think, based on my moderate knowledge of the various knife alloys on the market, the Southards’ CTS-204P would be much more challenging to correctly sharpen with hand-held sharpening devices. By the way, the Taichung Tiawan manufacturing facilities are as good as any in the world. If you can find a poorly made knife from Spyderco’s manufacturing facility in Taichung, I would love to hear about it. This knife will last a lifetime, the price could be even higher. Matter of fact, the price has gone up two times within 2 years. You won’t regret this purchase.
RC WARD
I will never understand how a knife like that is better than a 25 or 30 dollar Kershaw knife, nice knife but not worth the extra dough