Spyderco C41 Native 5 40th Anniversary Video

Spyderco is almost as old as I am, so I got to carry this knife for the first time on my 40th birthday. The C41CF40TH Native 5 is an impressive commemorative folding knife. Somehow, it’s both flashy and understated at the same time.

Blade

The blade is made from Thor pattern Damascus steel, from Damasteel. I find it a very interesting pattern; a vivid painting of expressive black lines on a light grey background. To me, that makes it a very cool and somewhat discreet Damascus pattern. As a bonus, all attendees of the 2016 Amsterdam Meet got a ‘hole’ cut from the steel that was used for the 40^th anniversary Native 5.  And yes, that included me. 😉

Handle

The handle is a work of art too. Not only is it a beautiful linerless carbon fiber, Spyderco took the extra step to add a fluted pattern to the 3D sculpted handle. It is amazing to examine in real life. It’s also a very nice ergonomic handle pattern. Again, a somewhat understated added feature to celebrate Spyderco’s 40^th anniversary.

Collection

And yes, this is one of those knives in my collection that spends more time in my cabinet than my pocket. I do carry it sometimes, and it makes for an amazing discussion piece.

See more details of the C41CF40TH on Spyderco’s website and on SpydieWiki. You can also see more photos of this knife in my earlier post on this 40^th anniversary Native and the 25^th anniversary Delica.

Spyderco 2016 Production Sample – Native 5 40th Anniversary

In a way, the Native 5 40^th Anniversary knife has been teased about for a few years by the Spydercrew. We have seen a few concept models with fluted carbon fiber handles before. I’m very happy that now we’ll finally have a go at a (limited) production knife with this type of handle! The knife felt very light in the hand, and the Native 5’s great ergos were enhanced by the contoured handle. The blade is stunning. I’m usually not big on Damascus blades, but this one looked great. The pattern seemed very well defined to me, and it actually seemed to have a few different shades of color when I tilted the blade in the light. The laser engraving looks nice and sharp too. It’s a stunner, and I’m happy I got my pre-order in. I advise you to do the same ASAP. This will probably become a highly collectible spydie in the future!

Specifications
Overall Length: 17,7 cm / 6.95 inches
Blade Length: 7,6 cm / 2.98 inches
Blade Thickness: 3,1 mm / 0.12 inches
Weight: 77 grams / 2.7 ounces