Spyderco Tenacious G-10 Review
Cons: No assisted opening
Manufacturer: Spyderco
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
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Spyderco Tenacious G-10 | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $78 List | $160.00 at REI | $130.00 at REI | $68.14 at Amazon | $84.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Large, rugged, multiple pocket clip options | Great blade, classy wooden handle | Incredible blade quality, assisted open, perfect combination of compactness/functionality | Beautifully constructed, assisted open, good value | Big blade, excellent steel, four pocket clip positions |
Cons | No assisted opening | Expensive, no assisted opening function | Pricey, blade lock mechanism not intuitive | Slender handle makes it hard to apply even pressure, thin blade is fragile | Bulky pocket carry, slim handle in use |
Bottom Line | A simple, full-size pocket knife suitable for anyone looking for a sturdy product for big tasks | A compact yet "full size” pocket knife for day to day use and all but the heaviest of tasks | A high end construction of a knife carefully tuned to optimize portability and function | This thin knife disappears in your pocket, tackles most tasks, and is easy on your wallet | A long-time classic, enduring for its solid design, significant customization options, and continuous improvements |
Rating Categories | Spyderco Tenacious G-10 | Benchmade 15031-2 North Fork | Benchmade Mini-Barrage 585 | Kershaw Leek | Spyderco Delica 4 |
Blade And Edge Integrity (30%) | |||||
Ergonomics (20%) | |||||
Portability (20%) | |||||
Construction Quality (20%) | |||||
Other Features (10%) | |||||
Specs | Spyderco Tenacious... | Benchmade 15031-2... | Benchmade... | Kershaw Leek | Spyderco Delica 4 |
Weight (ounces) | 4.1 oz | 3.2 oz | 3.4 oz | 3.1 oz | 2.3 oz |
Blade Style | Drop point, hybrid straight/serrated | Drop point, straight | Drop point, straight | Drop point, straight | Clip point, straight |
Blade locks closed? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Opening Style | Ambidextrous Thumb hole | Ambidextrous thumb-stud | Assisted, ambidextrous thumb stud | Assisted, ambidextrous thumb stud. And back-of-knife finger tab. | Ambidextrous Thumb hole |
Lock Mechanism | Liner lock | Proprietary (Axis) | Proprietary (Axis) | Frame lock | Lock back |
Carry Style, in addition to loose in pocket | Pocket Clip | Pocket Clip | Pocket Clip and lanyard hole | Pocket Clip | Pocket Clip and lanyard hole |
Blade Material | 8Cr13MoV stainless steel | CPM-S30V stainless steel | 154CM Steel | Sandvik 14C28N | VG-10 Stainless Steel |
Handle Material | G-10 laminate | Stabilized wood | Plastic | 410 stainless steel | Plastic |
Blade Length (inches) | 3.4 in | 2.9 in | 2.9 in | 2.9 in | 2.5 in |
Closed Length (inches) | 4.5 in | 3.9 in | 4.0 in | 4.0 in | 4.1 in |
Overall Length | 7.8 in | 6.9 in | 6.9 in | 7.0 in | 7.0 in |
Thickness (w/o pocket clip) (inches) | .5 in | .5 in | .6 in | .3 in | .4 in |
Other Features or Functions | None | None | None | None | None |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Spyderco Tenacious G-10 is a full-size, utilitarian blade with some unique attributes that deserve your attention.
Performance Comparison
Blade Integrity
In assessing blade and edge integrity, we have to look at a whole range of things. First, of course, is the initial sharpness. No knife will pass muster if it comes from the manufacturer dull. The Spyderco can shave you. That's good. Next, the blade material informs edge integrity and sharpening characteristics, to some degree. The 8Cr13Mov steel that Spyderco uses in the Tenacious knife is highly regarded, but not the best in the business.
For shoppers with a modicum of knife knowledge, the 8Cr13Mov steel is a Chinese interpretation of the famous AUS8 steel you may have heard of. Finally, the performance of the blade material is informed by the hardening process used. The best steel, unhardened or hardened poorly, is useless. Poor steel, hardened well, can perform quite well. Each knife manufacturer is relatively tight-lipped about its hardening process, and only the most die-hard knife users and reviewers, with special instrumentation, can deduce the worth of the hardening process. Rest assured that Spyderco's hardening process is high quality. What we end up with, then, is a blade that sits right in the middle of our test roster.
Ergonomics
In most ways, the form of the Spyderco is utilitarian. The handle is rather squared off, and the blade has clean, squared off back edges. The size is decidedly "full," optimized for heavy tasks and big hands. The sprung "liner lock" works fine. The best ergonomic attribute, especially for those who are not accustomed yet to carrying a pocket knife clipped in your pants, is the fact that the pocket clip of the Tenacious can be configured any one of four different ways. It can be hung in your pocket tip up or down, with the blade opening with your left or right thumb, in any combination of these two variables. Whether you don't yet have a strong preference for carrying orientation or you have a preference and cannot find a knife configured how you like, this customizability is welcome.
No other knives in our test have all four configuration options. We wish the handle of the Tenacious was more rounded.
Portability
Full-size knives are bulky. The Spyderco is no exception. By our measured dimensions, the Tenacious is roughly average among the full-size knives. It is a little thinner than the others, but the opposite dimension -let's call it depth- is much greater. It sits, therefore, fairly low profile in your pocket. The aforementioned customizability of the pocket clip ensures that you can carry it exactly how you like. Regardless of the carry options, the bulk of the Tenacious will always hamstring it concerning portability.
Construction Quality
All the knives we tested are well built. To make a tight, durable knife is fairly easy. To stand out, a well-built knife must optimize the other attributes. Using excellent materials and processes in the blade, as well as carefully tuning the portability and ergonomic qualities speak to the underlying construction quality. Finally, doing so at a reasonable weight is crucial. If it easy to make a sturdy knife, it is harder to do so at a moderate to low weight. The Spyderco is among heaviest knives in our review. Of the modern-constructed knives, few are more substantial than the Tenacious. This suggests quality, both in initial impression and in a deeper examination.
Other Features
There are no other features on the Spyderco Tenacious. This is simply a single-blade pocket knife.
Value
Regarding price, the closest competitor is the Best Buy Kershaw Leek. The Leek is just a little more expensive, but offers a better blade and assisted opening function. Of the two, for every day carry by average users, the Leek edges ahead in value. However, the Tenacious is among the least expensive full-size knives we tested. For users with big hands, big pockets (literally. Not in the financial sense), and heavy tasks to tackle the Spyderco is the best value in a full-size form.
Conclusion
Spyderco makes well-regarded pocket knives. They also make great knife sharpening systems. The Tenacious is an excellent, full-size pocket knife at a reasonable price. On our weighted, overall scoring rubric, the Tenacious comes out right around the middle. This is a good thing, as we have an excellent sub-selection of the best knives on the market.
— Jediah Porter