What Spyderco for extreme snowy weather?

[Doc Dan]

I guess the Spyderco folk will know about this now! No power and no phones.

What would you think is the best Spyderco knife for such a situation in case of need? I have been in winter storms and had to use a knife. For me, something with a 3.75" to 4" blade, stainless, but not specifically rust proof. Perhaps an Enuff 2 or a Moran? I would have said the Aqua Salt, but alas, it is no more.

[Evil D]

Salts are awesome for more than just sea water. This is when I really favor my Autonomy 1/2, because they're extremely easy to operate with heavy gloves on, and are super low maintenance since they're Salts. They were always my go-to when I was doing towing, out in snow storms pulling people out of ditches all day, it was very common to have to finish cutting off busted bumper covers or cut branches back when people really went far into ditches and brush.

If an automatic is not a legal option then I'd go for whichever model Salt you can operate easiest with gloves on, which I think is mostly just back locks and compression locks (surely there's a frame lock Salt I'm not thinking of?). Today if I didn't choose an Autonomy I'd probably choose a Military 2 Salt.

[aicolainen]

Unless you have a very specific winter related cutting task in mind, snow doesn't affect knife preferences much.
The main driver of priorities is still what you expect to cut.

Now, there are a couple of things to keep in mind, some quite obvious - others maybe less so.

- In snowy weather we tend to wear water resistant or even waterproof outer layers, this often in combination with rather warm temperatures (just below freezing) and relatively high humidity, will make the micro climate underneath your outer layers perfectly conditioned for growing rust on a pocket knife. In such conditions I always carry stainless folding knives, and preferably a Salt. This is mostly true when it's cold and not snowing as well, just because the added layers of clothing will reduce air circulation and make your inner layers damp no matter how breathable they are.

- Knife manipulation with gloves and/or cold hands with reduced dexterity. This is a big one for me.
I have long, slender hands so I normally prefer smaller knives with a short grip, but in winter I often carry larger knives that are easier to manipulate and provide a full grip with gloves.
Maybe controversial, but I also find mid back locks to be easiest and (IMO) safest to operate with cold, numb fingers.

- Handle material and traction. Where there is snow, there's always a risk of a surface becoming slippery, but in my experience it's not as big of a problem as one might expect. It's almost the other way around. My worst experience to date was carrying my Waterway on a winter backpacking trip. Expecting it to be very suited for this type of use, I was surprised to find that snow clogged up in the coarse grip and got stuck. This not only made the handle slippery, but very impractical to use. Heat from my hand would melt the surface layer, making my gloves wet and cold, and wet snow binds to dry snow which in turn meant that the clogging problem just accumulated with use.
So yeah.. I'd steer away from very coarse handles and I'd also avoid metal based handles, just because of thermal conductivity, and that traction is probably less than ideal for most of them. There's probably a reason why smooth wood handles (and in later times smooth micarta) is a mainstay among enthusiasts (hunters, bushcrafters etc.) and cultures (Sami people) that use their knives a lot in snow and cold environments.

- Most of the above, except handle material and traction, is primarily focused on folding knives.
Fixed blades definitively have their place in winter and snow, but I carry- and use them differently. I very rarely belt carry a fixed blade in winter conditions. For one, I rarely need a fixed blade when outside unless I'm doing something outdoor related, in which case I'll have a backpack and carry my fixed blade in or outside the pack.
The other reason is that I find it very cumbersome and impractical to access and especially re-sheathing a fixed blade when the sheath is obstructed by thick layers of clothing and I'm less able to feel my way around with (cold) hands covered by gloves.
I basically use the same fixed blades year round. Stainless for sure, but hanging on my backpack seems to be a less harsh environment than close to my body, so any stainless seems to do the job in my experience.


My son gutting fish with Endura or Endela TRL, both fine for winter use


Fällkniven F1 is a good option for ice fishing. While overkill for gutting, it's nice to have a sturdy fixed blade for knocking out the surface ice that can form quite quickly in low temperatures. In very cold temperatures it can become quite thick very fast so I sometimes have to use my knife as a chisel, hammering it into the ice with a wooden baton or the flat side of an axe if I have one

[Evil D]

Unless you have a very specific winter related cutting task in mind, snow doesn't affect knife preferences much.

My immediate thought is always about opening and operating the locks with gloves on, and the potential for increased moisture if you're really working in snow. Personally I think I have worse corrosion problems from hot weather and body sweat so for me gloved operation is the biggest concern. I do sometimes wear gloves in warmer weather but they're usually thinner and don't hinder dexterity as much as winter gloves. So it's not specifically snow, it's being cold and wearing gloves.

[aicolainen]

Unless you have a very specific winter related cutting task in mind, snow doesn't affect knife preferences much.

My immediate thought is always about opening and operating the locks with gloves on, and the potential for increased moisture if you're really working in snow. Personally I think I have worse corrosion problems from hot weather and body sweat so for me gloved operation is the biggest concern. I do sometimes wear gloves in warmer weather but they're usually thinner and don't hinder dexterity as much as winter gloves. So it's not specifically snow, it's being cold and wearing gloves.

I absolutely agree regarding cold weather.
The question was specifically for extreme snow. I guess the extreme part of it is subjective and depends on everyone's reference for normal snowy weather.
Anyways, snowy weather around here is usually associated with milder winter days, whereas really cold days are usually bright and dry, with clear skies. Both cold compared to summer though. So with cold being a somewhat implicit prerequisite for snow, I assumed the OP was already familiar with cold weather and trying to address any possible requirement deviation between a knife suitable for use in normal winter weather compared to winter weather with heavy snowfall. And as stated; in my opinion, snow doesn't affect preferences much (if you have already addresses the cold). To avoid confusion I should probably have included that last bit in my first reply.

[Wartstein]

First and foremost: I hope all is well at Spydercos place and generally for all folks in Colorado wherever the extreme weather hits and the situation under control!

/ My small contribution to the topic (I do carry Spydercos in snowy conditions quite a bit, but I usually don´t actually have to use them much then) concerning folders:

- "Snow" most of the times means gloves or even mittens, and wearing such operating a backlock works best for me, followed by a good linerlock, than CBBL, comp.lock "last" (a bit depending on cutout and size of the locktab, true also for linerlocks)

- On the flipside and talked about lately elsewhere: I had snow clogging up in the lock interface of backlocks leading to the lock not fully engaging.
I assume this could happen with (all) other lock types too, but I probably just don´t have enough experience with those in snowy conditions (a lot less than with backlocks) - ?

- As @aicolainen points out: Almost naturally larger handles are the better option when wearing thick gloves or mittens

- Special use case:
In snowy conditions I tend to prefer straight spines over curved ones .
This is because straight spines make for better scrapers, and "snow" often means touring skis in my case:
Scraping can be needed for removing snow that sticks to the surface of (ski-) climbing skins or for removing excess ski wax from the running surface.

-

[bearfacedkiller]

I spend significantly more time in the snow than most people. I can’t think of how snow would affect my decision except for wanting a knife I can use with gloves on.

[WilliamMunny]

My Salt MagnaCut Manix 2 comes to mind. Stainless and bright yellow so if i drop it in snow I can find it.

[Wandering_About]

Gotta be honest other than being able to use with gloves and stainless, I don't carry anything special when it's snowy (or even an all out blizzard). My most carried Spydies in winter are still the Para 3 or PM2.

In bitter cold I do tend to shy a bit from ultra high carbide steels, but so far none of them have shattered on me (I've carried and used 15V at -10 or -20 F, though just cutting stuff, not "hard use/abuse").

[vivi]

for extremely snowy days I always go fixed blade. Much easier to use than a folder with thick gloves on.

I also prefer hidden tangs in case I use the knife ungloved.

Something grippy with a nice guard since dexterity is reduced and grips can be less secure in adverse conditions.

Tough steel that won't chip easily in cold conditions, which makes steel more brittle.

I choose aqua salts out of spydercos line-ups. I've used them to help start fires, cut rope and other outdoors tasks in deep snows. no they're not currently available, but if you really want one just watch ebay etc.

[abbazaba]

Large think gloves = large folder IME. The Military was the first Spyderco to mind.

I used to love my Freeman 451 for this... A large thick handle with an easy flipper and button lock was great for thick gloves, and it carried with a proud thick piece of handle sticking out of pocket. Unfortunately, it was ground like an axe and I sold it.

[PanChango]

Something that is large and easy to use with numb tired hands and/or gloves. I had been carrying an older s30v Military. Recently it has been a SE Stretch 2 XL Salt.

[vivi]

Found some old photos of when my satin Aqua Salt was brand new and I was testing it out batoning and prying wood for a fire in cold weather.

Surprised at how popular folding responses are in this thread.

[bobnikon]

Jumpmaster 2. Nuff said.

[Wartstein]

...
Surprised at how popular folding responses are in this thread.

In the rather rare occasions when I actually plan on using a knife in snowy conditions for more than the occasional quick cut:
Totally agree, always fixed blade! (Usually at least Waterway or Mora Companion, for heavier work Esee Laser Strike, Boker Plus Rold or even a Skrama 240).

My response was rather aimed at the "just in case" folder in pocker when ski touring or the like.

[Danke]

Snow tested.

[Mushroom]

No power and no phones - Are we stuck inside? I wouldn't change what knife I carry.

Or is the question assuming we are outside in the snow?

Even then, I rarely change my typical EDC just because of snow. If I knew I would need to be working with the knife out in the snow, I would undoubtedly want a fixed blade. Aqua Salt and Waterway are two that come to mind.

[Jimandchris2]

The wind is kicking my butt. My power was out for 4 hours. Not bad, safety first. Dragonfly 2 Salt and Army issued Gerber 06.

[Danke]

There's as many kinds of snow as there are knives. It's not always minus forty blowing wind blizzard conditions. In all my snow shots I didn't even need gloves to be outside.

I am sure the Scandinavian folks will be along to comment on this.

[Red Leader]

PM2 Salt



But I’m sure any number would do.
‘A’ knife is usually better than no knife.