Spyderco Tenacious G-10 Review

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 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 Spyderco uses in the Tenacious G-10 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 this Spyderco knife is utilitarian. The handle is rather squared off, and the blade has clean 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 yet accustomed to carrying a pocket knife clipped in your pants, is that the pocket clip of the Tenacious G-10 can be configured in 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 were more rounded.

Portability

Full-size knives are bulky. The Spyderco is no exception. By our measured dimensions, the Tenacious G-10 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 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. Making a tight, durable knife is fairly easy. So a well-built knife must optimize the other attributes to stand out from the crowd. Using excellent materials and processes in the blade and carefully tuning the portability and ergonomic qualities speak to the underlying construction quality. Finally, doing so at a reasonable weight is crucial. If it is easy to make a sturdy knife, it is harder to do so at a moderate to low weight. Thi Spyderco knife is among the heaviest in our review. Of the modern-constructed knives, few are more substantial than the Tenacious G-10. This suggests quality, both in the initial impression and in a deeper examination.

Other Features

There are no other features on the Spyderco Tenacious G-10. This is simply a single-blade pocket knife.

Should You Buy the Spyderco Tenacious G-10?

The Tenacious G-10 is an excellent, full-size pocket knife at a reasonable price. In fact, it is among the least expensive full-size knives we tested. It is a sturdy pocket knife designed for heavy-duty tasks and comes from a reputable company. Spyderco also makes great knife sharpening systems. For users with big hands and big pockets (literally, not in the financial sense), the Tenacious G-10 is the best value for a full-size knife.

What Other Pocket Knives Should You Consider?

Regarding price, the closest competitor to the Spyderco Tenacious G-10 is the award-winning Kershaw Leek. The Leek is a little more expensive but offers a better blade, assisted opening function, and a better overall value for everyday carry. If you are a die-hard Spyderco fan, we suggest upgrading to the better-performing Spyderco Delica 4.