Model #?

[donna6788]

Hello! I have this Spyderco given to me by an old boyfriend...just found it while I was going through things. I attached a photo and would appreciate if anyone has any information on it!

[Donut]

That's a Q.

Take a look at this wiki article: http://www.spydiewiki.com/index.php?title=C35_Q

There were many different version with many cutout designs. If you scroll to the bottom, you'll see pictures of many of the designs.

[sal]

Hi Donna,

Welcome to our forum.

As mentioned, it was one of the "Q" models. I don't remember the name of the customer.

sal

[MacLaren]

Looks like it could be a Coors beer model :)

[The Deacon]

Looks like it could be a Coors beer model :)

Yep, definitely looks like it could be one of the Coors prototypes.

[jabba359]

Unless they did a completely different second design, it doesn't look like Coors. There is a listing for an unknown company (potentially a Moteng distributor exclusive) that has a mountain range cutout, which I think is the more probable fit for this knife.

With a "flat" handle, this was made sometime between later in 1997-1999. The ones with "3D" handles were made in 1996-earlier 1997.

[Qcrazy]

Hi Donna, I think I remember two different designs for the Coor's knife and this being one of them. I live just down the road from Wilson Peak near Telluride, Colorado. Wilson Peak is the mountain pictured on Coor's products.I could be wrong but I don't think so. Please check out this link :

https://www.outtherecolorado.com/the-st ... light-can/

[donna6788]

Thank you to all that weighed in! I will likely put the knife on Ebay so a collector can enjoy it!

[jabba359]

Hi Donna, I think I remember two different designs for the Coor's knife and this being one of them. I live just down the road from Wilson Peak near Telluride, Colorado. Wilson Peak is the mountain pictured on Coor's products.I could be wrong but I don't think so. Please check out this link :

https://www.outtherecolorado.com/the-st ... light-can/

You might very well be right, as you're one of the more knowledgeable Q experts out there. It still seems strange to me, though. The OP's knife uses a second generation handle. The Coors prototypes I have seen (pictured on the wiki), with the mountains and Coors type, were in an older style handle (lacking the "Spyderco" text and accommodations for the clip, so may have been a pre-production mold). If the story is right, Coors had their lawyers send a "cease and desist" after Spyderco presented them with the prototype proof of concept.

Now, it strikes me as weird that Spyderco would then produce another Coors design a year or two later, which is when they started using the second generation handle seen above, if they had received a legal threat. I suppose it's possible this knife could be the result of being produced before the cease and desist was sent out, and either got a blade swap to an updated handle later or it may have been a prototype blade that didn't originally have a handle (I've seen a few that were just loose blades), but got put in a handle some time later.

[Crux]

DANG, I love this!

[Crux]

I'll trade my first born!

[Crux]

OK, I'll trade both of them. I can round up some nephews and nieces if need be. Do you like dogs? What about cats?

[The Deacon]

Hi Donna, I think I remember two different designs for the Coor's knife and this being one of them. I live just down the road from Wilson Peak near Telluride, Colorado. Wilson Peak is the mountain pictured on Coor's products.I could be wrong but I don't think so. Please check out this link :

https://www.outtherecolorado.com/the-st ... light-can/

You might very well be right, as you're one of the more knowledgeable Q experts out there. It still seems strange to me, though. The OP's knife uses a second generation handle. The Coors prototypes I have seen (pictured on the wiki), with the mountains and Coors type, were in an older style handle (lacking the "Spyderco" text and accommodations for the clip, so may have been a pre-production mold). If the story is right, Coors had their lawyers send a "cease and desist" after Spyderco presented them with the prototype proof of concept.

Now, it strikes me as weird that Spyderco would then produce another Coors design a year or two later, which is when they started using the second generation handle seen above, if they had received a legal threat. I suppose it's possible this knife could be the result of being produced before the cease and desist was sent out, and either got a blade swap to an updated handle later or it may have been a prototype blade that didn't originally have a handle (I've seen a few that were just loose blades), but got put in a handle some time later.

Here are two possible explanations for the handle. I know for a fact that the company that laser cut the blades for Spyderco occasionally kept one or more of a given design. Some of these have show up on eBay over the years and some of those and been installed in handles "donated" by the most common :spyder: version. Q blade swaps are very easy, so a rare design with a damaged handle might also find itself a candidate for a handle transplant.

[Qcrazy]

Deacon may very well be right with the blade swap thoughts. I got many roughs and a few finished blades without scales from an ex-employee of GBC. GBC is the company that Spyderco originally contracted with to cut Q blades. This employee had five gallon buckets of cut and unused blades including many never mentioned prior to Jabba doing all the work listing Q's on spydiewiki.com. I even found a new never assembled T-Rex dinosaur metal model GBC used to show their cutting prowess. Something I had to have since it had a Spyderco connection. I haven't looked at it in years. Here's a few pictures, the assembled picture is similar though not exact..

[sal]

Both of the Coors prototypes had the name; "Coors" in the blade. (both different).

I think Jabba might be right on the customer.

sal

[jabba359]

Whoa, that dinosaur is cool. Thanks for sharing. Is it weird that I want a Jurassic Park Q blade now? :D

[Qcrazy]

Just a bit more information on Q's with no real purpose. Jabba, I'd take a Dino knife too!

When the Q's were introduced it must have been a fast and furious time for Spyderco. Who would have thought a small niche knife would ever garner so much attention. Farming work out prior to getting their own machines probably made things hard to control. From cutting ordered knives to having demo knives made, and standard fare Q's running, it's no wonder information is confusing. I've chased these since I got into Spyderco going so far as to write letters and emails to every company identified, requesting any information that company could provide. I've even procured a couple of knives through company employees that still had the ones that were given to them when new. One company owner was flying into Denver and brought me a knife from his company. Other Q's I've found that had never been listed I'd chase via internet searches and request any company information they had on the knives. Here's an example of that. I found a "Royal" Q that I had never heard of or seen before. I researched on line and found a metal works company in New York that used the same script. I emailed and this is their response.

Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 10:21 AM
Subject: RE: Question about your company.
Dan,
Here is some information about the knives you show pictured. Many years ago, Spyderco was doing a promotion on this “lasered” logo knives. If we remember correctly, they were trying to push the laser idea as it was new for them and wanted to spread the word. We ordered about 100 pcs maybe twice and then they stopped making them. They probably didn’t make too much money on the promos.
Anyways- this is the information that we have on these knives. We still have 1 or 2 employees that have and use the knife, so they certainly were great quality!
Hope this helps. Thank you.
Sincerely,

Director of Customer Service

Website: www.royalprod.com



To: Royal Products
Subject: Question about your company.
Hi, I have a strange question that I hope you might be able to answer. I am a knife collector and came across an unusual Spyderco Q knife just last night. The knife has "Royal" cut into its blade and the script pretty much matches your design. Spyderco did many of these knives for different companies from the mid 1990's to early in 2002. The early knife blades they did were cut by a company called GBC in the Denver area. With your company also being in the metal working field, I am left wondering if this knife was made for your company. If so how many knives were made for you? I am including pictures of the knife hopefully to help jog anyone's memory about this knife. Spyderco did many knives for companies in New York so I thought this was worth the shot in the dark.