Now obviously the Native 5 isn't what you'd call a new release so I admit this won't be the most groundbreaking review! :p Still, I wanted to post my thoughts as no other locker has been able to compete with this for pocket time since I picked it up over a year ago! In fact my satisfaction with this knife is one of the main reasons that I haven't been posting regular knife reviews lately, as I've been happy just using my Native 5. Call me crazy! :) I have recently been pretty excited by the new Stretch 2 in Brown G10 so if I can manage to get my hands on one of those I'll be casting my beady eye over it, but for now here is what I've made of the Native 5...
Here are the stats from Spyderco:
length overall: 6.875 " (175 mm)
length closed: 4 " (102 mm)
blade length: 3 " (76 mm)
cutting edge: 2.438 " (62 mm)
blade thickness: .125 " (3 mm)
blade steel CPM: S35VN
handle material: G-10
weight: 3.7 oz. (105 g)
In terms of fit and finish this is the usual excellent quality from Golden...and I'd actually go as far to say that the Native 5 is the most tightly finished Spyderco that I've handled so far, surpassing in places the notoriously well finished Taichung Spydies. I'd previously read a lot about how well refined the back lock was on the Native 5 and with the knife in my hand it certainly hasn't disappointed. I'm used to having a little vertical play in a back lock but there is absolutely none whatsoever here. Snaps open tight as a drum and is still rock solid after over a year of use. With a firm application of pressure to the lock release the blade drops freely and effortlessly on its pivot. This back lock really is a joy to use! :) The pivot can grit up some after heavy (mucky!) use but a quick wash and a squirt of tuf-glide soon gets the action back to ice-skating smoothness again.
No Boye dent...
The fit of the liners and lock bar is so spot-on that you could be forgiven for thinking that they were one solid piece of metal. Beautifully smooth...
A very nice feature of the lock bar is the area of jimping at the tip. This lines up with the blade's upper jimping when the knife is locked open...
...it really helps the blade and handle feel like a single piece and, this may sound strange, but in the hand the Native reminds me a little of the Street Beat. In fact the Street Beat was part of why I ended up finally trying this knife. One of the reasons I held off buying a Native for so long was the lack of the classic Spyderco thumb ramp...I'm a huge fan of the Caly and all of its assorted offspring so viewed the flat top of the Native's blade with wary suspicion. Then one day it dawned on me that since I get on so well with the 'ramp-less' Street Beat design, maybe I should give the Native a shot.
I do love a thumb ramp, but then it's also nice to choke up on the blade completely unimpeded :) ...
All the security you really need comes from a nice deep lower choil with the same nicely executed 'Goldilocks' jimping...not too rough, not too smooth, just right...
If I had to describe how the Native 5 feels in the hand with a single word, I'd say 'solid'. It has the ergos and control of a knife like the Caly 3 or the UKPK, but with an added, utilitarian 'brawn'. This maybe comes from the wide-ish handle (only 1mm thinner than the Manix 2), or perhaps just from how sturdy the whole package feels when locked open. Something about the feel of this knife certainly inspires confidence anyway and I find myself throwing it around a lot more than other blades that I tend to baby.
Comparison shots in-hand (clockwise from top left - Native 5, Manix 2, Pingo, Urban):
Size comparison next to the Manix 2:
Size comparison between a couple of slippies, the Urban (top) and the Pingo (bottom):
The G10 handle scales are nice and grippy with a smooth chamfer to aid access to the Spydie-hole. The handle also accommodates a decently sized lanyard hole that will take a single pass of 550 cord...
...not quite as spacious as the larger barrel found on the Para 2 or Manix 2 etc. that will take a double pass of 550...
The Native's four way pocket clip is the solid hour-glass version. I'm still torn over the pocket clip issue...I love how sturdy and hard-using these hour-glass clips are (and it certainly feels appropriate on the rugged little Native 5) however for knives this short and relatively low profile the wire-clip is always going to win out in terms of discreet pocket carry...
The Native 5 sticking out like a sore thumb between the wire-clipped Pingo (left) and the Urban (right):
I had hoped that the new lightweight version of the Native 5 would use a wire clip but alas, it wasn't to be. Being a back-lock, blade retention in the pocket is no problem. The blade self-close is nice and strong with the blade snapping reassuringly firmly back into the handle. You won't be flipping this one open in a hurry but the thumb folding action is still super smooth one-handed.
This is how far the blade has to be out of the handle before overcoming the self-close:
So then, how is the Native at a knife's number one job? Well to do all its slicey, cutty, choppy stuff it relies on a nice healthy slab of CPM-S35VN...
...this was my first experience of S35VN and to be completely honest it's felt pretty much like S30V to me. It sharpens pretty much the same, retains it's edge pretty much the same and I haven't had any issues with rolling or chipping (again pretty much identical to my experiences with S30V). There may be some difference I'm just not detecting, but in my own day to day use I'd be happy with either the 30V or the 35VN and just can't tell the difference. Maybe I'm not the steel connoisseur that I thought I was! :D
Throughout my use I've kept the edge at 30 degrees inclusive which has held up well for me.
Out and about...
All in all this is a very solid mid-sized EDC blade and has unexpectedly become my go-to locker. If you like Spyderco's 'choily' ergos this melts into the hand in that familiar Spyderco way, albeit without that thumb ramp. You could certainly call me a knife 'collector' or 'fanatic' :rolleyes: and I do appreciate some blades more for aesthetic reasons (I'm sure many here can relate to this!) but the Native 5 has certainly earned its way into a small pool of my kit that I regard as my primary tools, separate from my many cases of collector-itis!
Well I'm sure I've forgotten something important as usual, but hopefully someone finds this post useful! Just in case it wasn't clear...I approve of the Native 5 :)
Cheers for now,
Uke.
:) Excellent review and great pics! Nicely done.
