COMING THIS FALL! Spyderco will be releasing the 2013 Forum Contest Wall Calendar!

One of the tragic effects of commercial fishing efforts is the entanglement of whales in fishing nets and related rigging. As the entangled whales struggle to break free, the lines and nets are pulled taut, often resulting in serious injury and sometimes death. Fortunately, there are a number of wildlife conservation groups that specialize in rescuing these magnificent animals, but until a few years ago, their efforts were hampered because they did not have the proper tools for the job.

Douglas Coughran AM is the Senior Wildlife Officer, Marine Wildlife Operations, Department of Environment and Conservation, Nature Protection Branch, Western Australia. His teams specialize in saving entangled whales by approaching them with small inflatable rafts. Since the whales can approach 40 feet in length and weigh several tons, the teams use a 10-foot rescue pole with a blade at the end to cut away the lines entangling the frightened creature. Safely maneuvering a sharp blade at the end of a 10-foot pole in choppy seas is an incredibly demanding task. To ensure that his teams had the best possible tool for this job, Coughran contacted knifemaker Jim Steele to develop a design.

Steele knew that cutting tangled, water-soaked lines was a task best suited for a serrated edge and suggested that Coughran approach Spyderco, the pioneer in modern serration technology. In 2005, Coughran contacted Spyderco and explained his mission and his specialized needs. Spyderco embraced the project and created a custom-designed, SpyderEdge hawkbill blade with a blunt, rounded tip based on Steele’s design. Upon completion of the initial prototype, we sent the blade to Coughran to demonstrate it at Australia’s National Workshop for Large Whale Disentanglement. The Whale Rescue Blade was tested on 40mm and 50mm rope with extremely impressive results. Two days later, Coughran’s team received notification that a 10-meter Humpback whale had become entangled and immobilized by two sets of pot gear. They responded with the Whale Rescue Blade in hand, meticulously addressing the rope wraps and freeing the whale with five key cuts.

Since that initial rescue, Spyderco’s Whale Rescue blade has been used numerous times to save the lives of endangered marine life. Currently, dozens of Whale Rescue Blades are in service in Australia, France, Canada, South Africa, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the U.S.

The cutting power of our Whale Blade also attracted the attention of U.S. military units working with NASA. During testing of space capsule parachute systems, engineers needed a tool that could be used to quickly and efficiently cut the parachute static line in the event of a chute deployment failure. They contacted Spyderco with the hope that we could provide a tool that could cut the special static cord, which was made from a proprietary material many times more cut resistant than Kevlar. We sent them a Whale Rescue Blade to test and it worked perfectly, becoming a permanent part of their specialized kit.

Spyderco’s Salt Series features folding and fixed-blade knives made from H-1® steel, an extraordinary material developed in Japan. H-1 is extremely unique among blade materials because it is completely rustproof, it is an austenitic steel, and it is exceptionally tough. Traditional steels are produced by adding carbon to iron. The addition of carbon changes the molecular matrix of the metal, giving it the ability to be altered through a variety of heat-based processes to produce hard, extremely durable things like knife blades. Unfortunately, traditional carbon-based steels also have a significant flaw: they are vulnerable to rust.

Rust occurs when the carbon in steel reacts with chloride. To avoid this, H-1 uses 0.10% nitrogen instead of carbon to give the material its steel-like qualities. Nitrogen does not react with chloride, making H-1 blades completely impervious to rust, even when submerged in salt water for extended periods of time.

H-1 is also an austenitic steel. Unlike traditional martensitic steels, H-1 does not go through a traditional heat treating process. Instead, it is “work hardened” through the mechanical processes of shaping and grinding the steel. The areas “worked” the most—like the bevels and cutting edges—become the hardest. The result is a blade with differential hardness that provides an exceptional balance of strength, flexibility and cutting performance, just like a coveted Japanese clay-tempered sword. To ensure that they are completely immune to rust, all other components of Spyderco’s Salt knives are also manufactured from 100% corrosion-proof materials. The perfect choice for use in maritime environments, Salt knives are also ideal for deep concealment where corrosion due to perspiration is a concern.Spyderco’s Salt Series features folding and fixed-blade knives made from H-1® steel, an extraordinary material developed in Japan. H-1 is extremely unique among blade materials because it is completely rustproof, it is an austenitic steel, and it is exceptionally tough. Traditional steels are produced by adding carbon to iron. The addition of carbon changes the molecular matrix of the metal, giving it the ability to be altered through a variety of heat-based processes to produce hard, extremely durable things like knife blades. Unfortunately, traditional carbon-based steels also have a significant flaw: they are vulnerable to rust. Rust occurs when the carbon in steel reacts with chloride. To avoid this, H-1 uses 0.10% nitrogen instead of carbon to give the material its steel-like qualities. Nitrogen does not react with chloride, making H-1 blades completely impervious to rust, even when submerged in salt water for extended periods of time. H-1 is also an austenitic steel. Unlike traditional martensitic steels, H-1 does not go through a traditional heat treating process. Instead, it is “work hardened” through the mechanical processes of shaping and grinding the steel. The areas “worked” the most—like the bevels and cutting edges—become the hardest. The result is a blade with differential hardness that provides an exceptional balance of strength, flexibility and cutting performance, just like a coveted Japanese clay-tempered sword. To ensure that they are completely immune to rust, all other components of Spyderco’s Salt knives are also manufactured from 100% corrosion-proof materials. The perfect choice for use in maritime environments, Salt knives are also ideal for deep concealment where corrosion due to perspiration is a concern.

What does that stand for?
Spyderco Acronyms

AFI: Aficionado (someone who is into knives)

ABS: A common amorphous thermoplastic polymer with high impact strength. Used in many industries, Spyderco uses it for the base of the 204 Tri-Angle Sharpmaker.

C.Q.I.: Constant Quality Improvement—a process Spyderco applies to product design and manufacture in which changes and refinements are continually made to existing models, improving ergonomics, materials or manufacturing techniques.

DLC: DLC (Diamond-like carbon) is a mixture of sp2 (graphite) & sp3 (diamond) used to coat blades and parts to make them non-reflective.

EDC: An acronym for “everyday carry,” indicating a knife that is carried and used daily.

ELU: An acronym for “end-line user,” the consumer who uses Spyderco knives and sharpeners.

EMT: Acronym for Emergency Medical Technician.

FB: Fixed Blade

FRCP: (Fiberglass Reinforced Co-Polymer) A tough, chemical and heat-resistant material that is extremely lightweight and versatile. An injection-molded co-polyester reinforced with glass fiber, it is unique in that it can be made translucent or transparent and tinted with various colors.

FRN: (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) A nylon polymer mixed with glass fiber that can be injection molded. Lightweight and extremely strong, it is used in the manufacture of formed, textured knife handles.

LEO: Acronym for Law Enforcement Officer.

L/R: Left/Right knife clip that is manufactured to affix to either side the knife positioning the folder for use by left- and right-handed people.

MIM: An acronym for Metal Injection Molding—a process in which a powdered metal is mixed with a binder and injected into a mold to create a detailed molded part.

MOLLE: An acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment - the current system of load-bearing equipment used by military and law enforcement personnel. It consists of a grid of nylon webbing that allows the modular ttachment of pouches and other equipment to achieve customized mission-specific configurations.

NKP: Non-Knife Person

P: PlainEdge Blade

PS: Combination Edge Blade (plain/serrated)

R.I.L.: An acronym for Reeve Integral Lock - a folding knife lock mechanism developed by Chris Reeve that uses a split metal handle scale as the foundation of the lock bar. Its operation is similar to the Michael Walker LinerLock.

S: SpyderEdge Blade (serrated)

SFO: Spyderco Factory Outlet

UKPK: United Kingdom Pen Knife

Spyderco Glossary

Many Spyderco knives have adjustable clips that allow you to configure them for different carry positions. Some, like our Salt Series folders, are adjustable for left or right-side tip-up carry. Others offer the flexibility of four-position carry: tip-up or tip-down on the left and right sides. Because Spyderco provides our customers with the option of configuring their knives to meet their personal preferences, we do not apply thread-locking compound (i.e. “Loc-Tite®”) to our clip screws at the factory. To help prevent the clip screws of your knife from loosening over time, we recommend that you apply thread-locking compound to them once you have determined your preferred carry position. Thread-locking compound is available at most hardware, auto supply, and home improvement stores.

Hold the closed knife over a towel or pad on a table and place your thumb over the head of the barrel bolt. Insert a coin into the slot on the other side of the barrel bolt and, while maintaining firm pressure, turn counterclockwise to loosen it. Remove the bolt assembly completely to move the clip to the opposite side. Place the clip into the recess in the handle and insert the body of the barrel bolt (the larger piece with the internal threads) through the clip hole into the handle. Apply a drop of Loc-Tite or similar product to the threads of the screw and screw it into the barrel bolt body. Using the method described above, tighten the barrel nut with the coin.

With the proper tools and knowledge, you can easily configure the carry of your Spyderco knife to best meet your needs, preferences, and tactics.

Spyderco EDGE-U-CATION
820 SPYDERCO WAY
GOLDEN, CO 80402
800-525-7770(t)
303-279-8383(t)
303-278-2229(f)
www.spyderco.com
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