REASONS TO BUY
Large
Rugged
Multiple pocket clip options
REASONS TO AVOID
No assisted opening
Spyderco Tenacious G-10 Review
A basic, large, well made pocket knife for users with large hands and space in their pockets
Spyderco Tenacious G-10
Credit: Spyderco
RELATED: Best Pocket Knife
Our Verdict
The Spyderco Tenacious G-10 is a solid performer, edged out only by sophisticated products costing much more. For the money, this knife is a great performer. In the crowded field of top-rated pocket knives, this model stands out in that it doesn't stand out. It is solid, simple, and ready for your application. It is sturdy, long-lasting, and won't quit until you do. The materials will last a lifetime of day-to-day tasks. We recommend this for outdoor adventure and for everyday use, provided you have the space to carry it.
Editor's Note: We updated this review for Spyderco Tenacious G-10 on August 25, 2022, with an unbiased assessment of value and suggestions for directly comparable products that may better suit your needs or budget.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Spyderco Tenacious G-10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  | | ||
| Price | $83 List $64.40 at Amazon | $100 List $50.76 at Amazon | $30 List $34.95 at REI | $19.97 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $10.00 List $10.66 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Large, rugged, multiple pocket clip options | Beautifully constructed, assisted open, good value | Serrated blade portion, carabiner carry option, lightweight, good blade steel | Small, portable, well-constructed | Inexpensive, functional, heavily featured |
| Cons | No assisted opening | Slender handle makes it hard to apply even pressure, thin blade is fragile | Rudimentary construction, primitive lockback | Not made for heavy-duty use | Unremarkable construction, low quality steel, bulky |
| Bottom Line | A basic, large, well made pocket knife for users with large hands and space in their pockets | A slender, svelte pocket knife with great materials and a reasonable value | The best knife we have tested for rock, ice, and alpine climbing | A tiny, multi-function pocket knife | A fully-featured tactical pocket knife at an unbeatable price, but it lacks high quality construction |
| Rating Categories | Spyderco Tenacious... | Kershaw Leek | Petzl Spatha | Victorinox Classic... | Albatross EDC Tactical |
| Blade and Edge Integrity (30%) | |||||
| Ergonomics (20%) | |||||
| Portability (20%) | |||||
| Construction Quality (20%) | |||||
| Other Features (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Spyderco Tenacious... | Kershaw Leek | Petzl Spatha | Victorinox Classic... | Albatross EDC Tactical |
| Weight | 4.1 oz | 3.1 oz | 1.5 oz | 0.8 oz | 3.8 oz |
| Blade Length | 3.4 in | 2.9 in | 2.7 in | 1.4 in | 2.5 in |
| Blade Material | 8Cr13MoV stainless steel | Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel | Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel | Proprietary Stainless (between 440A and 420) | 440 stainless steel |
| Handle Material | G-10 laminate | 410 stainless steel | Nylon | Plastic | Stainless steel |
| Blade Style | Drop point, hybrid straight/serrated | Drop point, straight | Drop Point, hybrid straight/serrated | Drop point, straight | Drop point, straight |
| Blade locks closed? | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Opening Style | Ambidextrous thumb hole | Assisted, ambidextrous thumb stud; back-of-knife finger tab | Ambidextrous thumb hole; ridged traction ring | Fingernail | Assisted, flipper |
| Lock Mechanism | Liner lock | Frame lock | Lock back | None | Liner lock |
| Carry Style | Pocket clip | Pocket clip and lanyard hole | Carabiner hole | Keyring | Pocket clip |
| Closed Length | 4.5 in | 4.0 in | 4.2 in | 2.3 in | 3.9 in |
| Overall Length | 7.8 in | 7.0 in | 7.0 in | 3.8 in | 6.5 in |
| Thickness (w/o pocket clip) | 0.5 in | 0.3 in | 0.5 in | 0.4 in | 0.4 in |
| Other Features or Functions | None | None | None | Scissors, nail file, small screwdriver, tweezers, toothpick, key ring | Seatbelt cutter, glass breaker |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
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
The Spyderco Tenacious is a solid, full-size pocket knife. One of the salient characteristics is the customizability of the pocket clip. In this photo, the pocket clip is hidden, but one can see the dual trios of holes for moving the clip to some of the other possible positions.
Credit: Jediah Porter
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.
Whittling is on the moderate end of heavy use. The big blade and big handle are ready for an adult's hands to whittle.
Credit: Jediah Porter
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.
The pocket clipped Spyderco Tenacious, ready for serious tasks.
Credit: Jediah Porter
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.
In an average male adult hand, the Spyderco more than fills the fist. For the burliest of tasks, this size is beneficial.
Credit: Jediah Porter
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.
—
Jediah Porter
You Might Also Like
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More