Spyderco Tatanka C180G

Now I’m a fan of what I call ‘monster folders’ that bring a full sized knife to the party but in a reasonably compact carry package. I have a few of these beasts in my collection, but Spyderco’s Tatanka (Lakota Sioux for Bison) seems to be the ‘big dog’!

Huge

First impressions are of its sheer size, as it’s huge; closed it’s 6.5” and a whopping 11.55” open, equally it tips the scale at hefty 9.2oz. Yes, it’s a big lump of VG10 steel but balances surprisingly well! So let’s start at the tip!

The plain edge blade is 5.5” long and an impressive 4mm thick and is described as a Sabre Grind that shows a more pointed shape, with a large false edge near the tip that retains full width for approximately 4/5ths of its total length. It’s wickedly sharp, so just watch your pinkies as you get used to handling it, as its larger dimensions do demand a bit more respect! As usual there’s the classic hump with a large opening hole with the rear face being jimped for added thumb purchase. Underneath is a big finger choil.

The handle uses a skeletonised, VG10 frame with black, G10 handles. The shape is simple, with a demi guard at the front with a bit of body that tapers down to a long curved tail with a lanyard hole. A four position, clothing clip is fitted and it came set up for a tip up, right hand use, which is by far the best way for we righties.

Power Lock

At first glance, the Tatanka seems to have a standard, mid-positioned lock back system with a safety cut out, but is a tad more involved! Called the PowerLock™ it offers just that bit more security, which is obviously needed. There’s a secondary cam component that when the blade is opened, the tang contacts a pin in the handle to stop its rotation. At the same time, the spring-powered lever in the back of the handle rotates the cam around its pivot, causing a finger at the bottom to wedge against a concave surface on the top of the tang. This action creates an incredibly secure lock-up, yet allows easy deployment and closing.

The Tatanka can be easily opened one-handed, but Spyderco state that it’s best to close it with two, and I would agree, as if you just trip the lock, the blade will swing down looking for blood… In use I found the handle a bit long, but it needs to be when its folded to cover all the edge. The choil and jimped section offers a solid, choked-up hold if required with plenty of room to move back for a more conventional grip. As I said, though heavy at a shade over 9oz, the Tatanka is well balanced in the hand and you do not feel all that weight!

PRICE: £235.95 incl. VAT
CONTACT: Edgar Brothers Ltd,01625 613177, www.spyderco.com