Spyderco Forums

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.


I was expecting a big knife, and this is a big knife.



Now it's understood that Sal has the Midas touch at making things that have no right being ergonomic into melt-in-your-hand symphonies of tool pop stardom, but how pray tell could something as long as a tibia bone be made comfortable. Thats gotta be impossible, I thought.



I was wrong. What was uncomfortable was twisting my wrist to get the entirety of the knife in this shot.



The Powerlock has one of the most satisfying lock up sounds of all my knives, it's roughly a cross between the sound of the passenger door of a Porsche 911 closing as your partner drops you off at the Oscars and Roger Federer serving a tennis ball at 230 mph.



This knife is so capable it can actually function WITHOUT A PIVOT SCREW. But I'm hoping it doesn't have to. Having contacted W&R they suggested I send the knife in to see if they could find a screw that fit, as its discontinuation means they don't have a screw on hand specifically for this model. I'm not comfortable sending it in from over the border in the Canadian tundra, and was hoping somebody might know the thread size etc, and/or know of a source that could supply the correct screw.



I can't wait to put this knife through its paces, preferably in a safe and secure way.

What we may need is a Tatanka II run with better steel. Maybe with Magnacut.

Whoa!

I would take a trip to the hardware store…find a thread pitch that works WITHOUT USING TOOLS, and then get the length needed in stainless and some locktite. You did say tundra though, so you may not have a store with a good selection of fasteners…

I'l let Charlynn see the thread. You might give her a call.

sal

I want one.

The Tatanka is from Japan, so it will most likely be a metric screw. Maybe a pivot screw off a larger Japanese model like the Police 4 might fit the bill here? Do you have any larger Japanese models to compare it to?

I have a smaller version on the drawing board.

sal

Sending it in is not a problem. Getting it back can be tricky if you want all that drop shutty action. If you ask them to crank the pivot up so there is no way of opening it without using two hands, then it will make it home just fine.

sal wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:57 pm

I have a smaller version on the drawing board.

sal

Very nice thought. Now, all lights green and 3 years into the future.

sal wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:57 pm

I have a smaller version on the drawing board.

sal

Sal, would you care for sharing one or two more details of what you have in mind?

Especially interesting would be if you plan on sticking with the power lock also on the "smaller version" ?!

Ive always wanted a Tatanka and its always at the top of my list for models I would like to see again.

Excited to hear that Sal has a smaller version on the drawing board but, I sure hope its not too much smaller.

I was recently looking at these on eBay and the asking prices are hilarious. Some people need a reality check. I wanted to play with the lock but $600+/- is just silly.

sal wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:52 pm

I'l let Charlynn see the thread. You might give her a call.

sal

Thanks Sal, I’ll call in later today/tomorrow.

RadioactiveSpyder wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:56 pm

The Tatanka is from Japan, so it will most likely be a metric screw. Maybe a pivot screw off a larger Japanese model like the Police 4 might fit the bill here? Do you have any larger Japanese models to compare it to?

Hmm…I’ll take a look at my Roc…thanks

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 pm

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.

Did you get it off of Ebay? I'd like one too!

Naperville wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:06 pm

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 pm

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.

Did you get it off of Ebay? I'd like one too!

I scored it from a local gentleman for a price that did not require any organ donations. Ebay is on fire.

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:28 pm

Naperville wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:06 pm

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 pm

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.

Did you get it off of Ebay? I'd like one too!

I scored it from a local gentleman for a price that did not require any organ donations. Ebay is on fire.

I looked at the prices on Ebay for a mint Tatanka, $600+. Too steep for me right now.

What we really need is a Spyderco Tatanka II or Spyderco Native Chief XL.

Naperville wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:43 pm

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:28 pm

Naperville wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:06 pm

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 pm

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.

Did you get it off of Ebay? I'd like one too!

I scored it from a local gentleman for a price that did not require any organ donations. Ebay is on fire.

I looked at the prices on Ebay for a mint Tatanka, $600+. Too steep for me right now.

What we really need is a Spyderco Tatanka II or Spyderco Native Chief XL.

We need all the bigness. I want something larger than the police and chief. We could call it the chief of police.

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:28 pm

Naperville wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:06 pm

Cheddarnut wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:43 pm

SO...I recently received the mother of all Spyderco knives. No, not the Matriarch...ok...so maybe the father of all Spyderco knives... The Tatanka.

Did you get it off of Ebay? I'd like one too!

I scored it from a local gentleman for a price that did not require any organ donations. Ebay is on fire.

You bought a USED ONE. The clip and handle is all worn and scratched.

sal wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 21, 2022 11:57 pm

I have a smaller version on the drawing board.

sal

Oh?

I’m in. I loved my now-sold Tatanka, but never did it win pocket-time when my choice was, as always, another Spydie. A Police-sized Tatanka would win the day or week.

Powerlock, or is that overkill?