Spyderco Vagabond and stretch knives

American Handgunner, July-August, 2005 by Charles E. Petty

To me there are some jobs a fixed blade knife simply does better, but that means you must have a sheath or some protective package. The Spyderco Vagabond has a very simple solution to that. We're all used to folding the blade into the handle, but some smart person made the sheath fold instead.

The Vagabond has a 3" AUS6 plain-edge blade. The handle is fiberglass reinforced nylon with what Spyderco calls "bi-directional texturing" that provides a consistent slip-resistent grip whether you push or pull on the handle. It's shaped to fit most any hand. But the coolest thing is the integral plastic sheath that pivots from inside the handle to completely cover the blade.

It's deceptively simple and if you first look at it with the blade exposed you might not even notice the blade cover, so neatly does it fit within the handle. The clue is the well-shaped thumb guide you can use to open or close the guard.

Another new Spyderco is the "Stretch" which, in addition to just looking cool, is very versatile. The pocket clip can be positioned for either right or left carry as well point up or point down. The handle is inlaid with Kraton which gives a nice soft feel, and there's an inlaid steel dot which forms a seat for the pocket clip or can be used for engraving initials.

For more information, contact Spyderco Inc., 820 Spyderco Way, Golden, CO 80403, (800) 525-7770, www.spyderco.com.