Spyderco Forums

Enter the 2025 Spyderco Forum Calendar Contest today! Please read this entire announcement before entering. Several submissions were disqualified in years past because of missed details. Seriously, please read carefully.

Contest Overview:
We are again making a 12-month wall calendar using images created by you, our forum members (this will be our 14th year!). We want to see your best VERTICAL shot.

We are again asking you to post your entry in this thread AND upload it along with your information through the link provided below.

The contest starts today, 20-May-2024, and ends at 16:00 MDT Friday, 26-Jul-2024 30-Aug-2024. Winners will be selected by Spyderco and will be posted on the forum by Friday, 09-Aug-2024 13-Sep-2024.

Calendars will be available for purchase this fall through the Spyderco Factory Outlet Store (in person or online at https://spyderco.com).

The Prizes:
If your image is chosen as the Grand Prize Winner, you will receive a C260TIP Stovepipe (MSRP $640), a HAT15 Loden Green Trucker Hat (MSRP $28), and an Addax-18 Backpack (MSRP $171.00)

The Grand Prize Winner will be featured on the cover AND a calendar month page.

Artists who have their image chosen to represent a specific calendar month (a total of 11 winners) will each receive a C28FP2WK390 Dragonfly 2 Lightweight Wharncliffe K390 (MSRP $155.00), three K14 Z-Cuts Green, Black, and Red Pointed (MSRP $30 each), and a HAT15 Loden Green Trucker Hat (MSRP $28)

Each member who enters the contest (and meets all requirements) will receive a 2025 calendar at no charge when the calendar becomes available.

Please enter to WIN - don’t enter just to receive the calendar. We appreciate everyone’s interest and support and look forward to another fantastic calendar!

Again, please read ALL the information below before posting. We know it’s a lot of words, but it’s essential! We’ve also changed how you submit your high-res image, so please pay close attention to the details.

Submission Guidelines:
Please include a 2-5 sentence description of your entry - why you chose the product(s) featured, the history of the image, etc., something to give us a better understanding of your submission.

Please include the product name in your post.

Entry must include a Spyderco product (at least one, but multiple are welcome). Any product Spyderco has ever made is fair game. Your chosen product can be pristine, used, or radically modified.

We encourage you to use your imagination and show us your creativity. Just remember, family-friendly!

Themed images are welcome. Have a favorite season or holiday? Showcase it in your image.

If your camera or image software can manipulate it – we’ll consider it. Be creative!

Remember, Spyderco is the focus of the calendar, so make sure you don’t have a lot of “dead” space. Some scenes are stunning, but if the Spyderco shown is small, it tends to get lost in the scenery.

Leave enough margin around your image to ensure nothing is cut off during the printing process.

Entries must be in a digital format and meet the formatting requirements below.

Only ONE image submission per person. You are permitted to modify your submission after posting. If you decide to modify your entry, you must edit your original submission and re-submit the new image before the contest deadline. Having multiple photo submissions in THIS thread at the end date of the contest will invalidate all your submissions.

If you upload an image that is not in this thread, it will be disqualified.

Posting your image in this thread: It is not necessary or recommended that you post a 300 ppi image to our Forums (heck, it’s not even possible!). A 72 ppi image preview that does not exceed 960 px in width for the forum will be just fine to post in this thread. You may use a photo-sharing site to provide a link to your image so long as all other requirements are met within your post. If you use a photo-sharing site, the image must remain publicly available online until 09-Aug-2024.

When you post your submission in this thread, please ALSO enter your contact information by visiting (EDITED- Contest CLOSED). Once you enter your information, you’ll see a confirmation page that includes a link to our WeTransfer page to upload your image.

We’re asking you to upload your image through our WeTransfer page. Doing so will allow you to upload larger files. PLEASE be sure to include the following details when you upload your file (there is a Message field to include everything you need). Failure to do so could result in your image being disqualified because we won’t have all of the information that we need.

Forum Name
First and Last Name
Mailing/Shipping Address
E-mail Address
Model Name(s) Included in Your Image

The maximum file size for uploading is 100GB. If your final submission is not uploaded (hi-res) AND posted in this thread by the close of the contest, your submission will be forfeited. If you upload (through the link) more than one image, the image last posted in this thread is what will be considered. If the high-res image you submit does not meet the Final Print Guidelines below your entry may be disqualified at our discretion.

There is no requirement for length of membership or number of posts on the forum. All are welcome to enter. Any negative comments related to new members entering the contest may forfeit your entry. This is a fun contest that has brought new members to our community every year. We expect comments to be respectful and on-topic.

FORMATTING Requirements:
The Spyderco 2025 Calendar will be printed in an 8.5” by 10.5” VERTICAL format. Only VERTICALLY formatted images will be considered, and significant cropping/resizing may occur to winning images. All landscape-formatted images will be disqualified.

We recommend keeping the edges and handles of any knives away from the edge of your image to prevent them from being cut off further during production/printing.

Final Print Image Guidelines (ABSOLUTE MINIMUM – Images should be no smaller than this):
Width: 2625 px
Height: 3225 px
Resolution: 300 ppi
(This translates to 8.5” x 10.5” to account for a 1/8” bleed)

Image Preview (for posting on the forum)
Width: 960 px
Resolution: 72 ppi
(This translates to 11”x9” to account for a 1/8” bleed)
Please do NOT try to enlarge an image that is too small. Its resolution will not meet what is needed for print quality.

There are several free tools you can use online to check the size and resolution of your image before submitting it.

Content Restrictions:
The submission must not contain any copyrighted material (unless you own the copyright).

Your submission must be entirely original and created by you.

Images may not contain promotional material—this includes trademarks and logos for non-Spyderco businesses, even those for personal endeavors.

Only family-friendly, tasteful submissions will be considered. Remember, this calendar will be hanging in someone’s home or office.

NOTE: If you upload an image that we feel might violate our content restrictions, we will do our best to contact you and let you know that your image might be disqualified before the end of the contest. However, we cannot guarantee this, so be sure to meet all requirements and review the content restrictions carefully before posting.


Eligibility:
The 2025 Spyderco Calendar Contest is open to all members of the Spyderco.com Forum who are at least 18 years old. Proof of age may be required. There is no requirement tied to the length of membership or number of posts.

Employees, relatives of employees of Spyderco, its partner companies, and manufacturers are not eligible to enter or win.

Obligatory Fine Print:
Submitted images become the exclusive property of Spyderco Inc. By posting your photo in this thread, the user grants unencumbered, free usage and printing use solely to Spyderco Inc.

This contest is subject to all laws and void where prohibited.

Please keep in mind that there are various laws and regulations regarding knives worldwide. If you are selected as a winner and you live in a region that prohibits us from sending the intended prize, we have the right to substitute your prize as we see fit.

We reserve the right to substitute prizes if any unforeseen issues arise with availability.

Hints for success:
Please take a moment to view past calendar contests and get an idea of previous submissions and winners.

Here are a few links to get you started.

2020 Submissions: https://tinyurl.com/2020CalendarSub
2020 Winners: https://tinyurl.com/2020CalendarWin

2021 Submissions: https://tinyurl.com/2021CalendarSubs
2021 Winners: https://tinyurl.com/2021CalendarWinners

2022 Submissions: https://bit.ly/3uRIl31
2022 Winners: https://bit.ly/3ahuZpF

2023 Submissions: https://lil.spyderco.com/2023Entries
2023 Winners: https://lil.spyderco.com/2023Winners

2024 Submissions: https://lil.spyderco.com/2024Entries
2024 Winners: https://lil.spyderco.com/2024Winners


Be mindful of the placement of the Spyderco product. Items that are too close to the edges can be cut off when we format for printing. We also like to see the Spyderco product easily, so close-up shots are encouraged (as opposed to an item being small within a large scene—no matter how beautiful that scene is).

We are consistently in awe of the talent of our forum members, and we’ve seen the level of skill and creativity increase every year. Give us your best! We can’t wait to see this year’s submissions! Good luck to everyone!!

Thank you Taz ! I figured this may be that week ! MG2

Hi Guys !
Great!!!

The most exciting thread of the year! Back to vertical format too, that’s fun.

Funny timing because I was just thinking about the calendar contest this morning. As always, I have plenty of photo ideas, now it’s just a matter of executing!

Always excited for the calendar. I have a picture already picked out but think it might be bad luck posting it on the first day…. Haha. I think it’s a pretty good one too, at least I hope so.

Fun times! Thanks Kristi!

This is my M390 Spits resting on one of the late Neolithic standing stones of Stanton Drew stone circle, a mile or so from where I grew up, and in the shadow of Maes Knoll iron age fort. It's an eery feeling walking amongst the stones, knowing how important this place would have been to your distant ancestors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanton_D ... ne_circles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maes_Knoll

Note: I couldnt get the transfer link to work on Chrome so used Edge.

I figured I would post my picture this year early just to set the bar high for everyone. I took this picture last year of my PM2 Cruwear Micarta while on vacation with my family in upstate New York, right on the Canadian boarder. I do woodworking and while there I was trying to source some lumber for projects. I have made some friends with the local Amish saw mills up there and they sell rough cut lumber at great prices. While there I saw a few old rusted band saw blade they use on logs and figured it would make a great backdrop for my knife as the rust colors really are interesting. Old tools with a new tool, I just hope my PM2 will only patina and never gets that bad.

On a side note when uploading the site said my picture would only be available on WeTransfer for 4 weeks. Not sure if that is an issue. Thanks as always for the contest and good luck everyone.

Great pictures ! MG2

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I know Spyderco is a global company and this forum is a global community, so I want to explain my submission.

I am a US citizen and a patriot, but I am proud to be a citizen of Earth first and foremost. I have spent nearly half of my adult life living in various countries in Asia, including some time in Taichung, Taiwan. I speak a handful of languages and understand that USA is not the center of the universe. With that preface, I hope that there is beauty in this photo no matter where you are from. To me, the US flag represents an ideal. I believe in holding onto ideals and striving for them even if they are not yet realized. To me, the flag represents sacrifice, integrity, and service. It is my experience and my perception that the Spyderco team in Golden and around the world strives to embody those ideals through action. They have donated and volunteered to support soldiers, first responders, and victims of terror and tragedy, and give back to their community locally and globally. No one at Spyderco is perfect at upholding these ideals just as no one else is either. However, the consistent effort to do good when no one is watching will help our local communities, our national communities, and our EARTH community get closer to those ideals together.
The only modification to this Manix 2 Salt Magnacut is the scales. They were white scales made for me by a friend here in the States. I decided to take some time to dye them Red White and Blue on Memorial Day to celebrate the gifts I have been given by those who were willing to sacrifice everything for me even though they have never met me. The photo was taken on Memorial Day afternoon; that makes it special to me.

Sorry for going past the 2-5 sentence recommendation haha! Thanks Kristi and everyone at Spyderco!

RyanY wrote: ↑

Tue May 28, 2024 6:46 am

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I know Spyderco is a global company and this forum is a global community, so I want to explain my submission.

I am a US citizen and a patriot, but I am proud to be a citizen of Earth first and foremost. I have spent nearly half of my adult life living in various countries in Asia, including some time in Taichung, Taiwan. I speak a handful of languages and understand that USA is not the center of the universe. With that preface, I hope that there is beauty in this photo no matter where you are from. To me, the US flag represents an ideal. I believe in holding onto ideals and striving for them even if they are not yet realized. To me, the flag represents sacrifice, integrity, and service. It is my experience and my perception that the Spyderco team in Golden and around the world strives to embody those ideals through action. They have donated and volunteered to support soldiers, first responders, and victims of terror and tragedy, and give back to their community locally and globally. No one at Spyderco is perfect at upholding these ideals just as no one else is either. However, the consistent effort to do good when no one is watching will help our local communities, our national communities, and our EARTH community get closer to those ideals together.

Memorial Day Small Flag (Forum Preview).jpg

The only modification to this Manix 2 Salt Magnacut is the scales. They were white scales made for me by a friend here in the States. I decided to take some time to dye them Red White and Blue on Memorial Day to celebrate the gifts I have been given by those who were willing to sacrifice everything for me even though they have never met me. The photo was taken on Memorial Day afternoon; that makes it special to me.

Sorry for going past the 2-5 sentence recommendation haha! Thanks Kristi and everyone at Spyderco!

Well said Ryan and beautiful picture . Dan

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[https://we.tl/t-5nRTsHAVVR]

https://i.postimg.cc/NMGFL0WW/pumpkin-patch-spydie.avif



The awesome Native 5 in s110V finds itself in the local neighborhood pumpkin patch that has been there for 50 years (or thereabouts). Since childhood, carving a pumpkin with a spyderco has been part of the family tradition.

A Spyderco Delica C11 TIPD surrounded by hooded crows with beaks like knives.
The photo was taken against the background of a hand-painted porcelain wall plate.
The plate comes from the Friedrich Kästner Porcelain Manufactory and was
made around 1900 in Saxony/Germany.
The special Spyderco Delica in the middle of the hooded crows inspired me to take this autumnal photo.

Thanks to Spyderco and good luck to everyone.

Johannes

"The Bottomer". My Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight photographed against the pile of coal in the pit of the abandoned coal mine. I work as a Law Enforcement Officer deep under the ground. I'm not seeing any daylight at all...just like the bottomers, who were the mine workers employed at the lowest level of the mines back in the day. During my 12 years while on duty I was assaulted multiple times, contracted MRSA and got severely sick. By the end of each shift I often feel like I'm coming back to life...to the surface. Thanks for your consideration and best of luck to all of the participants. Pleasure to be here.

Adam

As the great pet detective Ace Ventura once said.. "it's lovely, but I fancy myself an autumn.."
I present for your consideration this homage to fall. The turning of the leaves to reds and golds.
Pictured herein are two fine examples of art and inovation.
First , the Spyderco Southard, spyderco's first flipper in CTS-204P with custom dyed scales running on Skiff rocket bearings. The second is a Spyderco Smock, a button lock flipper in CPM-S30V with Cerberus scales and also running on Skiff rocket bearings. Both are elegantly presented on a slab of olive wood I harvested from an Olive tree the railroad had cut down to make room for managers parking lot.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to an awsome calendar

Hi Guys,

I came into the knife hobby fairly recently, just last year, but I have too many knives already, especially Spydercos (around 20 ish). Since I love taking photographs (Nikon D7500 and Sony RX100 mkIII, and with my trusted Samsung S10+) and love knives, this Calendar Contest was just perfect. I live in a (for Germany anyways) large town, and do not have a garden near my appartment. In Germany, Allotments oder Community Gardens (victory gardens, they were called in the UK during WW2) are a real thing. And since it is in Germany, there even is a law, regarding what to grow and how much space is alloted for growing, leisure and trees/grass.
Anyways, I grow apples, onions, beans, strawberries, blackberries and various herbs and spices or just take a nap and enjoys the scenery. One of my favorite herbs is lemon balm; you can make pesto with it, or drink it as a tea, it always smells very citrusy.
Hence my idea to take the picture with my favorite EDC, the C223CBL, Spyderco Para 3 LW SPY 27 and loads of lemon balm:


I hope you like it!

@VeraX_Knives not exactly sure what you are trying to accomplish here. I've read plenty of your posts on the mule team forum. Sounds like you have some good experiences. I would probably try to avoid this topic and keep focus on what you actually experienced with the knives. Good and bad of course. You will find a lot of open ears that way. This method (politics not allowed on the forum aside) of communication unfortunately just closes minds and ears. I don't want to dissuade you of communicating feedback, but that is not what this is and we know that right? Just a random drop on a calendar contest thread with someone you haven't invested any time getting to know doesn't get us anywhere.

Dear Malte:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum. Great photo!

Stay safe,

Mike

Michael Janich wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:01 am

Dear Malte:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum. Great photo!

Stay safe,

Mike

Thank you. Looking through the photos for the calanders for the last years, this will surely be a hard competition. So many knife enthusiasts, who also happen to be good with their cameras Looking forward to the other entries

So this year my Daughter turned 13 making me feel super old. She has assisted me with my photos every year. This year was no different. She got the most amazing flowers from her mom and said that the dogtag Ti would look great between the flowers. So this year I am dedicating my photo submission to my wonderful daughter who has a passion for Spyderco.