Spyderco C186TIP Slysz Folding Bowie Review

February 5, 2015
Spyderco C186TIP Slysz Folding Bowie
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
95
Construction & Materials
10
Ease of Use
7
Steel Quality & Edge Retention
10
Durability
10

The Good

  • Nearly unbreakable blade
  • Great craftsmanship
  • Good overall durability

The Bad

  • Can’t be opened with left hand
  • Expensive
THE VERDICT

The Spyderco Slysz Folding Bowie is a fine example of what happens when you take premium materials, a classic design and excellent craftsmanship: you get a knife, which you seek out and keep for a lifetime. With that being said, I could see spending $500 but the fact that it's nearly impossible to open with my left hand concerns me. This design blunder is only made bigger by the retail price. But if that were not a concern, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better folding knife of this breed.

FULL REVIEW

Construction And Materials
The blade of the Spyderco Slysz Folding Bowie is made of Carpenter CTS-XHP powdered steel with D2 tool steel at its roots, which makes it nearly unbreakable. This blade is sandwiched between two slabs of solid titanium, something rare in an industry where titanium handle scales get cored-out and machined down to save on cost. In short, this knife is unstoppable.

Ease Of Use
For a knife of this caliber, the Spyderco Slysz Folding Bowie should be ambidextrous—but for anyone using the knife in their left hand, they’ll find the opening operation to be difficult due to the handle and framelock design that eliminates the possibility for a notch (which is present on the right side). Otherwise, it’s a good fit for any hand size and is balanced quite well for both precision and heavy work.

Steel Quality / Edge Retention
Carpenter steels were designed to put in work, so there’s no surprise that the CTS-XHP steel on the Slysz Bowie still looks and acts like its brand new. With a hardness of 61-62 HRC, you shouldn’t have any issues with durability – even if you smash the spine of the blade with a rock.

Durability
Seriously? The Spyderco Slysz Folding Bowie is one of the most durable knives I have ever tested. Seriously.

Value
It’s hard to justify spending $500 on a production knife when you can have a custom knife made to your specifications for around the same price. But a true knife enthusiast should seek this knife out and get it into their pocket. I would recommend shopping around, as you can find it for as low as $349 if you Google it.

 


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