Spyderco Balance (Ed Schempp design) [Sprint Run]

Description 

Designed by custom knifemaker Ed Schempp, the appropriately named Balance is a study in symmetry. Closed, it is a compact expression of perfect equilibrium. Open, it is an amazingly ergonomic tool that cuts with the authority of a much larger knife. Originally introduced in 2010 and later discontinued, this remarkable design is back as a limited-edition Sprint Run model. Its downturned blade is full-flat ground from Spyderco’s proprietary CPM SPY27 stainless steel and includes a generous index-finger choil to provide exceptional control during use. The satin-finished blade is paired with a unique handle featuring a stainless steel scale on one side and a stainless liner and peel-ply-textured G-10 scale on the other. The stainless scale is precision machined to create a sturdy Reeve Integral Lock (R.I.L.) mechanism, while the G-10 scale is cobalt blue—one of the signature hues of our CPM SPY27 family. Both scales provide mounting holes for a stainless steel pocket clip that is reversible for left or right-side tip-up carry.

Notes

I'm a huge fan of Ed Schempp's designs for their novel shapes yet utilitarian ergonomics. Schempp models tend to feature two things: a pronounced finger choil and negative blade angle (i.e., the blade points downwards). The choil on this mini-sized knife grants you a full 4-finger sized grip (at least, it does for my large-ish hands) and the negative blade angle is awesome for minimizing the wrist action needed for most cutting tasks. The basic explanation is that the blade almost points in a parallel direction to your arm when holding the knife in a conventional hammer grip, thus aligning the blade with your muscles and allowing for more comfortable and powerful cutting. This concept was also utilized by Massad Ayoob for his collaboration with Spyderco (though, for him it was more about thrusting than draw cutting) and many other great Ed Schempp designs. This is one awesome knife for opening boxes, or just a nice minimalist slim & light carry.

It's cool that this is in SPY27, which was derived from VG-10 (the standard Japanese steel used in Seki City, originally created for fruit tree grafting). It seems a little poetic to me that this American steel made its way back to its ancestral homeland. 

Also, you may have noticed that when closed, the knife looks practically symmetrical! This is completely intentional and it's what gives the knife it's name. If you're interested in Spyderco history, check out the wharncliffe brother of this model called the Equilbrium (C166), which also features a symmetrical design. Be careful though, if you want to start collecting Ed Schempp models, it's a dangerous road because the popular ones are long discontinued and often hold good value on the secondhand market, if you can find them! 

Technical Specifications