Product Review

Spyderco's black-bladed Native Lightweight has long been the cutting tool of choice of savvy tactical knife users. With the introduction of the fifth-generation Native 5, however, that bar has just been raised. The black-bladed Native 5 Lightweight combines all the improvements that define this advanced design with the ultra-lightweight advantages of an injection-molded fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle and a low-profile black finish on the blade and other metal hardware. The knife's full-flat-ground blade is machined from niobium-enriched CPM S35VN powder metallurgy stainless steel and is cloaked in a durable, non-reflective Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. For maximum versatility, it has a true CombinationEdge that offers a plain cutting edge near the tip and serrations near the base of the blade. This combination will power through fibrous materials and provide scalpel-like control, all with the same blade. An improved back lock mechanism-one of the defining features of the Native 5 design-locks the blade securely in the open position. The lock is housed in a linerless FRN handle with a deeply molded Bi-Directional Texturing pattern for maximum grip security. Four sets of threaded inserts in the handle provide a full range of mounting options for a reinforced hourglass clip design. Together with the blade's Trademark Round Hole and back lock mechanism, the black-coated four-position clip makes both carry and operation of this extremely capable knife completely ambidextrous.