Kingdom Armory - Full Custom - Spade Framelock
Regular price$1,650.00
- Ships Worldwide
The spade is a favorite around here...and IS in fact Emily's favorite design. Affectionately named after a garden trowel (a spade) because of the huge rounded, but yet still pointy blade. It looks as if you could open your mail, skin a deer, and plant a tree with the same pocket knife here. The ying to the Butcher design's yang, the Spade is all curves and flow..and is in consideration for the second Kingdom Armory- Spyderco collaborative design selection. (I know, I know... its been years, where's the Butcher?? Coming, we promise!)
Although appearing huge in pictures, the Spade is deceptively a medium sized folder that carries very well!
This particular example, was built out as a full hand fabricated custom this week by Dave. Full 6al4V titanium framelock, with matching backspacer and a hand milled billet pocket clip. Wearing Dave's OG dragonskin texturing in the front, and creating a pseudo bolster look... those of you who remember the mini Sams will smile at the throwback. The frame and the clip were also given a 3D contour, a CC'd profile, that when done here in the custom realm is completely done by hand on a slack belt. Years of practice, tons of patience, and layers upon layers of calluses required. Most folks (we won't be forced to use folx) just assume it is done with a Haas running a 3D milling profile at first glance. Nope. Burned fingers required!
The blade was cut and hand hollow ground out of CPM154, sorta of an old school steel but the shop favorite for just about everything. It works! Sintered powder technology, tight grain structure, and willing to take any kind of finish nicely. CPM154 is easy to sharpen, holds an edge, doesn't chip like some of the "super steels"... and is way more corrosion resistant, than said flavor of the day. All of Emily's kitcken knives are made from this steel, and they sit in the sink covered with all sorts of gunk. Never rust. If it wasn't good, it wouldn't be a copy of Swedish RWL-34, which was in turn a copy of Japanese ATS-34. Hitachi ball bearings, the world thanks you!
Nerdy steel fun fact finish, did we yet mention finishes? Satin stonewashed blade finish, provides a clean and classy look that contrasts, yet matches nicely with the aluminum oxide bead blast and tumble finish on all the titanium. Grey with some shine is kind of our gig around here. Have you seen pictures of Dave's hair recently???
Lock up is tight at 30% on face with a clean release form a carbidized lock. Rick Hinderer overtravel and lockbar stablizer installed and used under license, as is the trademarked spyderco hole. The pivot is a stainless barrel with titanium screws, fabricated by Steve Kelly in this new and interesting spanner wrench pattern. Steve should call them 6 shooter pivots. In this installation, they really matched the dragonskin texture well.
Folder will ship in a hand sewing felt slip case, enclosed in a waterproof case.
Dimensions:
OAL 6 5/8" when open
OAL 3 3/4" when closed
Weight: 5.2oz
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