Spyderco Moran History and Chronology

[Kissaki]

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Spyderco's first fixed blade, FB01, the Bill Moran Featherweight. In commemoration, here's a brief history and chronology of the Spyderco Moran models. Information was compiled from Spyderco and dealer catalogs, forum posts (many from Sal), Web site archives, and other sources. If you have any corrections or additions, please add them to this thread.

History

If you were into knives during the last three decades of the 20th century, the name Bill Moran needed no introduction. Moran was a self-taught knife maker responsible for rediscovering and popularizing the art of forging Damascus steel. He was also a former president of the Knifemakers' Guild, founder of the American Bladesmith Society, and a prodigious teacher who delighted in sharing his skills and knowledge. Moran's custom knives were a rare combination of beauty and function; and people knew it. There was a twenty year waiting list to get one of his forged blades and his art knives were collected by celebrities, royalty, and museums.

During the mid-1990s, one of Moran's friends approached Sal Glesser about the possibility of Spyderco making a production version a Moran knife. Sal obviously knew who Moran was; he even got to spend time with the famous knife maker in Wyoming, at an American Bladesmithing Society Hammer-In back in the 1980s. Sal and his company's reputation were also well known within the knife industry; a number of top, custom knife makers had already partnered with Sal on folder collaborations. Moran thought Spyderco was one of the few companies around that could reproduce and manufacture a very special one of his designs.

The knife Moran had in mind was his personal every day carry. Over a twenty year period, Moran had been refining the design of a general purpose, fixed blade knife that could pretty much do everything. It was his constant companion in the shop, at home, and out in the field. Moran had made a lot of knives during his lifetime, and felt this one had that Goldilocks "just right" combination of perfect size, weight, and versatility.

The opportunity to produce a Moran for the masses was too good for Sal to pass up, so an agreement was made, and work began on the project. The general specifications for the knife were a 3 7/8" blade with an upswept, trailing point tip; a favorite blade style of Moran's. A relatively new Japanese steel called VG-10 would be used, with a mirror polish and full convex grind; two other Moran mainstays. The knife would be half tang construction attached to an injection molded, contoured FRN handle with Kraton inlays for a more secure grip. The overall length would be 8" and it would tip the scales at a very svelte 3 ounces. It was a unique knife, like nothing else on the market, and Spyderco even filed a patent for the design.

To house the knife, Moran designed a horizontal, cross-draw leather belt sheath. He felt it offered more comfort than a vertical sheath while sitting in a chair or car, while providing quick, one-hand access. The sheath would be made of premium leather, fully stitched, with no rivets.

The Bill Moran Featherweight came on the market at the end of 1995; model FB01, for fixed blade, number one. The first 50 knives were reserved for Spyderco Collectors Club members with the serial number on the ricasso. Moran's signature on the blade, and the serial number, were gold colored; unnumbered blades had black signatures. The regular production knives didn't start to become widely available until the following year. Mail-order dealer Cutlery Shoppe first listed FB01 in their Fall 1996 catalog; retail was $160 with a discounted price of $127.95.

While Moran designed the knife for general utility, hunters quickly recognized its potential as a field knife. FB01 was widely praised for its razor sharp edge holding, light weight, balance and handling. However, the knife didn't sell as well as expected. By January 1998, online retailers were listing the Moran as discontinued, marking down existing inventory to under $90. People who knew knives appreciated the Moran, but the general public, used to lower priced Gerbers and Bucks, weren't buying.

Sal knew he had a winner and didn't want to give up on the design. He needed to figure out how to make the knife more affordable, without compromising performance and ergonomics. The convex grind, mirror polish, and leather sheath really pushed the manufacturing cost up, and were reluctantly put on the chopping block. (Spyderco may have already been trying to reduce costs, as the 1997 catalog stated FB01 came with a Kydex sheath. This may have been both a cost saving measure and a customer-driven change, as Sal mentioned in a forum post that the majority of Moran owners didn't really care for the leather sheath.)

By mid-1998, after less than 1,000 of the first generation knives were produced, the second generation FB01 arrived. It featured the same steel, only with a full flat grind and a satin finish, the same handle, and a Kydex sheath with Tek-Loks that allowed the knife to be carried in a variety of horizontal and vertical positions. With an MSRP of $89.95 (street price of around $60), Spyderco hit a sweet spot, and sales perked up. In a 2000 forum post, Sal mentioned the Moran was enjoying a slow but steady increase in sales.

The success of the revised model and customer demand for a version with more of a general purpose blade, prompted Bill Moran to work up a drop point design. The prototype was unveiled at the 2000 Blade Show, it was exactly like FB01, but with a different blade shape. FB02 hit the market in the fall of 2000, just in time for hunting season. Hunters were especially happy, since many felt the drop point offered a little more blade strength and better control when processing game. The sheath initially came with small, lower-profile Tek-Loks, but there was customer feedback about not being able to fit the sheath on larger belts and problems in configuring for crossdraw carry. This prompted a change back to the bigger Tek-Loks that had previously been used. MSRP for both Morans was $94.34, with a street price of around $66.

Nothing really changed with the Morans until 2008, when the catalog pictured a small brand identification hole appearing in the blade (production likely started in 2007). This was part of Spyderco's plan to add a trademark round hole to all of their fixed blade knives, making them readily identifiable at a glance. In addition, the catalog mentioned the sheath now used G-Clips instead of Tek-Loks.

The next year, the 2009 catalog stated the Morans came with a Boltaron sheath; photos show a different design than the old Kydex model. The catalog also mentioned the knives had lanyard holes. This could have been a typo or a matter of semantics where the blade hole was considered a forward lanyard hole. The catalog photos didn't show handle lanyard holes and it would be at least a year before they were added. But the biggest news for 2009, was a sprint run of FB02s with the FRN handle done in orange and standard black Kraton inlays. 1,200 model FB02OR knives were produced; they had relatively slow sales, taking several years to sell out of dealer stocks.

In 2010, the drop point Moran joined the military. In several fascinating forum posts, Michael Janich related how in 2009, an Air National Guard unit was looking for a replacement knife for their survival vests. The vest was built around a Gerber river knife (Expedition I), which had been discontinued. Gerber wouldn't produce any more knives for the unit, which might not have been an entirely bad thing, since the knife had proved unreliable in the field. Spyderco was consulted about a possible replacement and Janich determined FB02 would meet the Guard's needs. A knife and prototype mounting system were sent to ANG officers and survival instructors. After testing, they gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up, finding the knife more functional and durable than the Gerber. Since a G-Clip wouldn't properly attach to the vest knife pouch, Janich designed a special Boltaron mounting panel that securely mated the sheath to a vest. Because the knife would serve in a tactical, survival role, a black blade and a handle lanyard hole that could accommodate 550 paracord were essential. Model FB02PBBM was the final product. It shipped in a box with a standard Boltaron sheath, the mounting panel, and an instruction sheet on how to attach the sheath to a vest. According to a non-Spyderco source, 225 knives were produced as part of the contract. A small number of overstocks eventually made their way into collectors' hands.

The ANG knives were part of a larger run of non-reflective, black Carbonitride coated FB02s, made in case there was additional military demand. These knives, with G-Clips instead of the vest attachment panel, were offered to the general public and first appeared in the 2011 catalog as model FB02BB. They were listed through the 2014 catalog and then discontinued when stock ran out and demand didn't justify more being manufactured.

Spyderco thought the lanyard hole was a good feature, and decided to incorporate it into all subsequent Moran models. In the 2011 catalog, FB01 and FB02 both appear with lanyard holes. Production likely started some time in 2010.

The last change to the venerable Morans shows up in the 2012 and later catalogs. It's relatively cosmetic and probably of interest only to collectors. If you look at an older FB01 or FB02, and point the blade tip to the left, you'll see Bill Moran's signature is etched on the left side of the blade. In the 2012 catalog, the signature starts appearing on the right side of the blade with the Spyderco bug on the left side. (I don't have information on when the bug first showed up on the Morans, but based on other Spyderco fixed blades, it was likely around the time the blade hole was added.)

And that is a brief history of the Spyderco Moran. FB01 has appeared in every Spyderco catalog published since the knife debuted twenty five years ago. The same elegant, minimalist design. The same steel. The same handle (with the exception of a hole). The same size. That's remarkable longevity, especially in these days of flavor of the day super steels and fleeting design fads. The Moran is one of those rare, timeless knives that just works. Sal once said he keeps the Moran in the product lineup as a tribute to Bill Moran, even though sales volume might not warrant it. That says something about Sal, Spyderco, Bill Moran, and the knife itself. Happy birthday, FB01. May your image continue to grace the pages of Spyderco catalogs for another twenty five years.

Chronology

1995 - FB01 is introduced at the end of 1995 (leather sheath, mirror finish, convex grind). Less than 1,000 produced with the first 50 serial numbered and the Bill Moran signature colored gold.
1997 - Kydex sheath mentioned in the catalog description, replacing the original leather sheath.
1998 - Second generation FB01 released (flat grind, satin finish blade, Kydex sheath). Mirror polish still appears in the catalog description, though.
1999 – Catalog description mentions the mirror polish and leather cross-draw sheath, although they're no longer features.
2000 - Catalog description mentions the sheath is now Concealex and includes a photo of the sheath with a Tek-Lok.
2001 - FB02 drop point blade model appears in the catalog (late 2000 production).
2002 - Kydex sheath mentioned in the catalog description.
2004 - SKU change with P for plain edge, added to model numbers - FB01P, FB02P.
2006 - William Francis Moran, Jr. passes (May 1, 1925 – February 12, 2006).
2008 - Blade brand identification hole appears in the catalog photo. G-Clip mentioned in the description.
2009 - FB02OR orange handle sprint run (1,200 units). Boltaron sheath mentioned in the catalog description.
2010 - FB02PBBM (Air National Guard contract, black blade knife, custom sheath attachment plate - 225 produced).
2011 - Handle lanyard hole appears in the catalog photos. FB02BB (black blade) introduced in the catalog (through 2014 catalog).
2012 - Catalog photo with Moran signature moved to the right side of blade (to present).

Spyderco Moran Trivia

FB01 was Spyderco's first VG-10 knife. It also gave Spyderco the distinction of being the first U.S. manufacturer to offer a product in the Japanese steel.

As a testament to the Moran's design, there have only been a few failures reported since the knife was introduced; Kraton inlays damaged from excessive heat and the tip of an early first generation model snapping off while prying drywall (Sal believed it might have been overhardened during the heat treat). The fact there have been no reported handle failures from real world use, proves that a well-designed, half-tang knife can be relied on.

Bill Moran had retired from making knives by the time the Spyderco project started, and part of the deal Sal negotiated was that he got to keep the prototype that Moran crafted. The pre-FB01 remains a cherished part of Sal's personal collection.

The convex grind used on the knife goes by several names. Moran grind, named for the maker who popularized it. Appleseed grind, since its shape is similar to an apple seed. And hamaguri grind, which is a Japanese word that means “clam.” The grind has a long history in Japan and was traditionally used on katanas and other blades. The shape is reminiscent of the common Orient clam.

The Moran has never been offered with a serrated blade, although in a 2001 forum post, Sal mentioned he had one made up and found it handy for gardening. He asked if there was any interest in a SpyderEdge version, but as of yet, there apparently hasn't been enough demand for a toothy Moran. Sal also queried about interest in a Moran with a guthook back in 2002.

Fallkniven extensively tested a Moran before deciding to use VG-10 steel for its knife line.

While the convex grind of the first generation FB01 provides a sharp, strong edge, its main disadvantage is it takes more work to sharpen compared to other grinds. Without a belt grinder or buffing wheel, the current favored, by-hand method is to use sandpaper and a mouse pad. However, Sal mentioned he used a Sharpmaker on his original FB01 and even with the changed edge angle and grind, the blade was still razor sharp.

After Bill Moran's death, Spyderco continued to pay royalties for his knife design, sending payments to the William F. Moran Jr. Museum in Maryland.

[sal]

Hi Kissaki,

Welcome to our forum and thanx much for the history. Very accurate and a pleasurable trip down memory lane.

sal

[Notsurewhy]

Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing!

[Doc Dan]

Wonderful read. Thanks. I hope more articles will follow.

[Pancake]

Great morning read!! Thank you for your time and effort to make this article.

[Ngati Pom]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Very interesting.

[Cambertree]

Excellent post Kissaki. Thanks and welcome!

[JD Spydo]

I've always been disappointed that the MORAN model was never offered in SE. I've got two of the TEMPERANCE 1 models in SE and I'm here to tell all of you that a Spyderco fixed blade with teeth is truly a blessing.

I've always loved the handle on the MORAN model although I do like the handle on the TEMP 1 just a tad better they are both well designed ergonomic handles.

I would love to see modifications and different variants of the MORAN model.

[Michael Janich]

Hey, Kissaki:

Excellent history! Thank you so much for your in-depth research and clear, engaging writing style!!!

Stay safe,

Mike

[Kissaki]

While researching another history post, I realized I missed mentioning a Spyderco catalog Moran fans should be aware of. The 2013 OpFocus Product Guide contains Spydercos particularly well suited for military, law enforcement, survival, and defensive use. Page 46 has an awesome photo of FB02PBBM (the Air National Guard Moran) mounted on what appears to be the knife pouch of the survival vest, dummy cord attached. The full Moran family, with the exception of the orange handle sprint run, is shown and described on page 50. Pages 56 and 57, have detailed color photos of FB02 showing off the versatility of the sheath and G-Clip; the Moran is pictured in five different carry positions. If you have an interest in Spyderco's tactically oriented products, and missed this catalog, be sure to check it out (https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/2013Sp ... tGuide.pdf). The artwork, copy, and layout are excellent.

K