The Spyderco Native Chief is a knife I’ve been waiting to get my hands on for a long time. I first dipped my toes into the world of knife enthusiasm in earnest when I found BladeForums looking for a longer version of the old FRN Spyderco Native. I had been given one and, although I do like the normal sized Native (especially the updated Native 5), I thought that a longer version would be a superior knife. In my head first dive into the rabbit hole that is online knife forums, I eventually found a picture of the Spyderco Native Chief prototype from 1999. There were whispers across the knife community that it was coming, but no one knew when. Then, without warning, this year Spyderco announced that the Native Chief would finally be released; the knife that was promised had come after 20 years!
This article will give you my thoughts on the Spyderco Native Chief. My experience with this knife is facilitated by Rivers Edge Cutlery. Rivers Edge Cutlery recently started a knife pass-around program, wherein they select a group of knife enthusiasts to try out a knife for about a week then send it along to the next person on the list. I was very excited to see that the Native Chief was the first knife in the program, and jumped on the opportunity to get try out this knife. I really appreciate Rivers Edge Cutlery giving me the chance. I took full advantage of my time with the knife, and will provide a thorough and honest Knife Thoughts review of the Spyderco Native Chief.
Materials
The Native Chief has pretty standard materials for a U.S. made Spyderco. The handle is made of linerless black g10. The g10 has a fairly grippy texture, which lands pretty close to the center of Spyderco’s g10 when it comes to texture aggressiveness. The handle feels solid with no flex, despite the lack of liners. In my experience using knives, liners are more of an aesthetic thing than a structural necessity. I’ve used several linerless g10 and FRN handled Spydercos in what most would consider “hard use” with no issues. The blade is CPM S30V. CPM S30V is still a really good steel, and one that Spyderco certainly knows how to correctly heat treat to bring out its highest qualities. Some people might claim that a knife in this price range should have an even more modern steel, as there is a contingent of knife enthusiasts who see CPM S30V as less than current and not a super steel. I personally have used Spyderco’s CPM S30V a lot and am very happy with its mix of edge holding, sharpenability, stain resistance, and toughness (probably, roughly, in that order). It will hold an edge longer than VG10 or 154CM, is more stainless than AUS8 and 8CR13MOV, and won’t chip as easily and is less difficult to sharpen than things like CPM S110V and the like. On this knife in my use, slicing up vegetables for salads and cutting (a whole lot of) cardboard, the steel performed extremely well and more than what I consider a value for this knife’s price. However, I do find it strange that Spyderco went with CPM S30V, like on the older model Natives, rather than CPM S35VN, like on the Native 5. They made the Native Chief’s design more like that of the Native 5, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t go with the Native 5’s steel. I guess that’s a question for Sal!
Specifications
The Native Chief is not a small knife. It boasts a 4.08″ blade and a 5.08″ handle. Despite the 50/50 choil, this long blade makes for a solid cutting edge of 3.58″. In comparison to something like the PM2, this makes for a slightly better edge length to handle length ratio, meaning the Native Chief fits more usable blade into the handle. The blade is .125″ thick, with a full flat grind and distal taper. This means that the blade grind thins both from the spine down to the edge and from the handle toward the tip, making for a thin edge and pointy tip. Despite its ample length, the Native Chief weighs in under 4oz. The main thing to glean from the Native Chief’s specifications is that it packs a respectable blade and edge length considering its handle size and weight.
Design
By design, the Native Chief is an elongated Spyderco native 5. If you place the Native 5 on top of the Native Chief they line up perfectly for most of the design, the blade is just more gently curved toward on the edge and spine and the handle is continued on the same line. With an inch longer blade, the Native Chief has a long and slender blade somewhere between a spear point (like the older versions of the Native) and a leaf shape. It has some straight edge near the handle then a long gentle curve, pretty close to equal between the spine and edge, toward a very acute point. This blade shape has lent itself noticeably well to kitchen tasks. Some people scoff at using a folding knife for food prep, but it any pocket knife is cut out for it it’s the Native Chief. With a nice thinly ground blade, it slices as easily through peppers, tomatoes, and other food stuffs as it does through cardboard. Now, some people have commented on the thinness of the tip on the Native Chief. Admittedly, it does have a quite fine tip due to the distal taper. I do think that for the majority of knife users the tip is fine enough that you’ll be more likely to break the tip than on the average modern knife in this price range. However, this thin tip also allows for more precise cutting and piercing. So, although it might take some more mindful use, I do think when used correctly the tip should not be an issue.
Like the other knives in the Native family, it has a 50/50 finger choil. This means that a scallop is formed for the index finger half with the handle and half with the blade. On the Native 5 the main grip area, without the finger choil, is just short of providing a full 4 finger grip for me. On the other hand, the Native Chief’s main grip area is more than ample for a solid 4 finger grip with room to spare. I like the finger choil especially on a longer knife like this because it allows you to choke up on the blade and have more precise control for finer cutting tasks. I find the handle to be extremely ergonomic overall, and comfortable in all kinds of grips (pinch, hammer, reverse, etc.). I do find the sculpting on both sides of the handle help to orient my index finger in a normal pinch or hammer grip.
The blade is opened, of course, by a Spyder hole. The opening hole on the Native Chief is the same size as that on the Native 5. It certainly works fine, and I don’t think it could be much bigger considering that the blade is not taller on the Native Chief than on the Native 5. The opening is smooth and consistent using the normal thumb opening, and it can easily be middle finger flicked and Spyder dropped. However, I have trouble getting enough purchase to flick the blade open, without using my wrist, using my thumb. I think this is in part due to my thick thumb, and also due to the fact that without a thumb ramp the Native Chief’s Spyder hole sits partially obscured by the handle.
A thumb ramp makes for a slimmer knife… 
but can also mean the opening hole is partially obscured
The Native Chief’s blade is locked open and self closed by the classic Spyderco mid-lock. This lock is just an upgraded back lock and its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use make it one of my most favorite lock types. The mid-lock holds the blade open with absolutely no play in any direction and also pulls the blade closed once unlocked. This means you don’t have to worry about the knife closing in use, or opening accidentally when not in use.
Finally, the Native Chief has a 4 way reversible pocket clip. The clip itself is pretty standard for a U.S. made Spyderco. I tried both tip down and tip up right hand carry, and I have to say that I’m not sure which I prefer. Sometimes on knives as large as the Native Chief I prefer tip down, especially on flippers. Being such a long knife, whichever way you carry it you will have to do some adjusting in your hand when you pull it out of your pocket in order to open it. The good thing is you have both, or rather all 4, options available to you so that you can carry the Native Chief however you like.
Build
The Native Chief is built very similarly to other U.S. made Spyderco knives. It has screw construction and is fully disassemblable. As a pass-around knife mind came to me not brand new and somewhat broken in, but this example has very smooth action. Like I mentioned, it’s not the most easily flickable knife but that’s due to the nature of the mid-lock (it always applies pressure to the tang of the blade during opening/closing) more than the quality of the build. It is easy to open and close one handed with the Spyder hole and has consistent pressure throughout. It locks with no blade play whatsoever, and feels extremely secure in its open state. This knife seems to want to stay a little off center toward the pile, or clip (for right hand carry), side but it’s not rubbing the liners and hasn’t seemed to worsen in the time I’ve had it (see the companion YouTube video to see the exact centering). The blade seems to be ground quite well, both even and consistent. The edge came to me quite sharp even after someone else having and using it for a week, and it just took a few passes on my strop to bring it back to extreme sharpness. The edge also seems pretty even, and the angle seems set thin for aggressive slicing. Overall it’s a very well built knife, as is expected from a top line Spyderco.
Conclusion
The Native Chief is a knife I, and many other knife enthusiasts, have been waiting to see come to fruition for years; it doesn’t disappoint. It is exactly what I hoped it would be, simply an elongated version of Spyderco’s classic Native pattern. It provides more handle for a better grip and more blade for a wider range of suitable cutting tasks. Although the point is probably fragile in comparison to modern knives of more “tactical” or “hard use” designs and the opening hole could be more easily accessed if bigger, these minor gripes are far outshadowed by the good things the Native Chief brings to the table. In my time with this knife I have used it for food prep, opening and breaking down boxes, work usage (cutting paper, opening letters, cutting tape, etc.), and general EDC / every day carry type uses and it has taken everything in stride without breaking a sweat. Considering this is a large made in the U.S.A. knife with high quality materials and build, I think a price tag of ~$160 makes it a good value in today’s modern knife market. I hope to put the Native Chief into my permanent collection at some point, and if you’d like to also you can find it at Rivers Edge Cutlery by following this link. Tell them I sent you!
P.s. When Spyderco announced the Native Chief they also announced the Emphasis (linked here). I see the Emphasis as a budget version of the Native Chief. Due to their similarities, I hoped to write an article comparing the two. However, I might have to do a separate article on the Emphasis alone. Either way, if you like the general design of this knife but don’t care as much about the lock type or high end materials, and would prefer a more budget friendly price point, keep your eyes peeled for a review of the Emphasis (hopefully) in the future.
