Wrong on both counts! Keep reading and I'll tell you why.
Here are pictures of my Native FRN (all done against a one inch grid for size reference):
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Here is a link to a good video review of the Native by 0100. Here is another one by Cajun Blaze. Those should get you a better visual "grip" on what this thing looks like from all angles.
Short Form: The FRN actually makes this a "tougher" hard use knife than some with steel liners and the pins mean you never have to play with a pivot screw. The steel holds an edge forever... in short, low maintenance, hard use knife!
Size: Medium size at 7" exactly. Cutting edge is only 2.65" thanks to the finger choil, though, so if you need something with a really nice cutting/edge to handle ratio, look elsewhere.
Usage Rating: Heavy use, without question. The blade stock is thick at 3mm and keeps that thickness for a good portion of the blade. This is a blade that I've hammered through small logs. The back lock is plenty strong. The grip... what can you say about the grip in this thing? I think the literature from Spyderco pretty much nails it. "Engineered for the human hand, the Native's ergonomic design maximizes cutting ability while minimizing discomfort and fatigue." The way this thing fits to the hand, plus its thickness and texturing, make this something you can hold and use for a long time with no blisters or hot spots.
And now to the FRN. I used to think that all knives with no metal liners were inherently weak. Man, was I wrong on that score. I've seen an FRN Native run over with a freaking car. Whereas metal would bend permanently, FRN yields and goes right back to its original shape. I've beaten this knife in ways that would have virtually assured the development of blade play in knives with liners, and it doesn't wobble a millimeter. You have to understand, this thick plastic is strong like bamboo-- it's ability to yield a bit makes it that much more formidable.
Can you do the same things to this knife you'd do to a Spyderco Military? Maybe not, but for the money you pay, you needn't be at all shy about putting some hurt on this blade.
Steel Quality: High end. S30V is widely revered for a reason. While it is a bit "toothy" with its large carbide structures, that is no problem in a utility knife. That super mirror polish you'd want on a cooking knife isn't necessary for the applications this blade was designed for. It will still take a hair-shaving edge and keep it for a couple of months at a time. Corrosion resistance is fantastic (again, adding to the low maintenance allure of the blade), and sharpening is relatively easy (though not ridiculously so, like it is with Sandvik 14c28n or VG-10).
The steel was the main reason I got this knife. First blade with S30V and one of the cheapest you can get. It absolutely doesn't disappoint.
Deployment Method: One-handed ambidextrous. This design is a little older, so it lacks an oversized spyderhole or the "hump" that makes many spyderco blades so easy to open. All that said, there is a reason designs weather the years. This blade is plenty easy to open with either hand, and the back lock and reversible pocket clip (tip-up left or right side) make this friendly no matter what your strong hand is.
Performance Aspects:
1. Slicing - This knife is a fairly good slicer. It doesn't compete with most really narrow, full flat-ground blades, but the moderate hollow grind does an acceptable job and the relatively constant curvature of the cutting edge also helps. This type of grind was probably used, at least in part, to keep costs low. The awesome ergonomics on this knife also improve what might be "meh" performance based on blade geometry alone.
2. Piercing - The Native is an awesome piercing knife. Some have certainly groused about the thin tip, but I think its narrow profile makes it an even better piercer and the concerns about a "delicate tip" are unfounded. I've driven the tip through canvas, heavy plastic, and even nailed it into wood and it is none the worse for wear. What I keep seeing when people break the tip is that they use it for prying. Prying will break the tip off just about any knife. It isn't what knives are used for, so I don't really factor that into my reviews.
3. Push-Cutting - This is a thick blade, so push cutting isn't spectacular.
Retention Method:
1. Functionality - The hourglass clip Spyderco uses ain't pretty and it ain't discreet... but it works perfectly. With the "pinch point" nicely placed over the smooth logo, it is the perfect amount of tension to keep this blade clipped to your pocket without getting it out turning into a wrestling match. The hefty chunk that protrudes from your pocket when clipped makes taking the knife out easier, as well.
2. Discretion Factor - The barrel screw used for this clip is an elegantly simple solution to the problem of how to anchor the clip on a linerless knife. The problem is that this clip (along with the relatively thick handle of the knife) really make this thing protrude. There is no chance in hell that anyone will ever think you are doing anything other than carrying a knife.
Aside: It is also worth mentioning that, on the whole, this is a kind of aggressive-looking knife. The contoured grip, finger choil, and thinned tip kind of make the whole blade look tactical. I find myself only carrying this one on the weekends, because even though I think it is firmly in the utility knife category, its looks could bother "non-knife" folks.
3. Versatility - It's left and right side tip up only. Good enough, but not the delightful "however the hell you want it" of the Delica and Endura series.
Fit and Finish:
I was actually disappointed here. This was my first Spydie from Golden, CO. I expected masterful workmanship. What I got was fairly "meh". Don't get me wrong - the knife deploys, locks, and unlocks perfectly - but the FRN handles are only roughly finished inside, and the pins which hold it together look battered. This is by no stretch a pretty knife.
But then again, it kind of goes back to what I said in the beginning - this is a hard use knife. Not meant to go in a show room.
Ease of Maintenance:
If there's a selling point for the knife, it is under this category. The pin construction means that you don't have to screw around with the pivot. No bi-monthly adjustments, or messing with blue loc-tite, or anything like that. This blade was perfectly centered when I got it, and it remains that way (even after it got run over!!!).
That's the real strength of the FRN. Even if it gets dropped or smashed, that yielding, but incredibly tough plastic just keeps its shape, no matter what. Also, since it is plastic, you don't have to oil the pivot to keep the action smooth.
Like, ever.
I mean, you could, but you'd be wasting time. I've not oiled that knife for two years of hard use, and I can still flick it open with my weak hand.
You can wash the blade with no worry. There's no steel liners to rust, and the S30V steel has fantastic corrosion resistance (not to mention fantastic edge retention).
Conclusion:
This is a working man's knife. It's affordable. It works well. You can beat the daylights out of it. You can get away with sharpening it two or three times in a year of regular use. In short, you can ignore this knife's needs and get great performance anyway. Sal Glesser designed this knife with "big box" stores in mind. It's a design aimed at people who needed good cutting tools but aren't willing to jump through all the hoops us "knife knuts" love so much.
If I'm right about what Glesser was aiming for, he hit the bullseye with the Native.
Short Form: The FRN actually makes this a "tougher" hard use knife than some with steel liners and the pins mean you never have to play with a pivot screw. The steel holds an edge forever... in short, low maintenance, hard use knife!
Size: Medium size at 7" exactly. Cutting edge is only 2.65" thanks to the finger choil, though, so if you need something with a really nice cutting/edge to handle ratio, look elsewhere.
Usage Rating: Heavy use, without question. The blade stock is thick at 3mm and keeps that thickness for a good portion of the blade. This is a blade that I've hammered through small logs. The back lock is plenty strong. The grip... what can you say about the grip in this thing? I think the literature from Spyderco pretty much nails it. "Engineered for the human hand, the Native's ergonomic design maximizes cutting ability while minimizing discomfort and fatigue." The way this thing fits to the hand, plus its thickness and texturing, make this something you can hold and use for a long time with no blisters or hot spots.
And now to the FRN. I used to think that all knives with no metal liners were inherently weak. Man, was I wrong on that score. I've seen an FRN Native run over with a freaking car. Whereas metal would bend permanently, FRN yields and goes right back to its original shape. I've beaten this knife in ways that would have virtually assured the development of blade play in knives with liners, and it doesn't wobble a millimeter. You have to understand, this thick plastic is strong like bamboo-- it's ability to yield a bit makes it that much more formidable.
Can you do the same things to this knife you'd do to a Spyderco Military? Maybe not, but for the money you pay, you needn't be at all shy about putting some hurt on this blade.
Steel Quality: High end. S30V is widely revered for a reason. While it is a bit "toothy" with its large carbide structures, that is no problem in a utility knife. That super mirror polish you'd want on a cooking knife isn't necessary for the applications this blade was designed for. It will still take a hair-shaving edge and keep it for a couple of months at a time. Corrosion resistance is fantastic (again, adding to the low maintenance allure of the blade), and sharpening is relatively easy (though not ridiculously so, like it is with Sandvik 14c28n or VG-10).
The steel was the main reason I got this knife. First blade with S30V and one of the cheapest you can get. It absolutely doesn't disappoint.
Deployment Method: One-handed ambidextrous. This design is a little older, so it lacks an oversized spyderhole or the "hump" that makes many spyderco blades so easy to open. All that said, there is a reason designs weather the years. This blade is plenty easy to open with either hand, and the back lock and reversible pocket clip (tip-up left or right side) make this friendly no matter what your strong hand is.
Performance Aspects:
1. Slicing - This knife is a fairly good slicer. It doesn't compete with most really narrow, full flat-ground blades, but the moderate hollow grind does an acceptable job and the relatively constant curvature of the cutting edge also helps. This type of grind was probably used, at least in part, to keep costs low. The awesome ergonomics on this knife also improve what might be "meh" performance based on blade geometry alone.
2. Piercing - The Native is an awesome piercing knife. Some have certainly groused about the thin tip, but I think its narrow profile makes it an even better piercer and the concerns about a "delicate tip" are unfounded. I've driven the tip through canvas, heavy plastic, and even nailed it into wood and it is none the worse for wear. What I keep seeing when people break the tip is that they use it for prying. Prying will break the tip off just about any knife. It isn't what knives are used for, so I don't really factor that into my reviews.
3. Push-Cutting - This is a thick blade, so push cutting isn't spectacular.
Retention Method:
1. Functionality - The hourglass clip Spyderco uses ain't pretty and it ain't discreet... but it works perfectly. With the "pinch point" nicely placed over the smooth logo, it is the perfect amount of tension to keep this blade clipped to your pocket without getting it out turning into a wrestling match. The hefty chunk that protrudes from your pocket when clipped makes taking the knife out easier, as well.
2. Discretion Factor - The barrel screw used for this clip is an elegantly simple solution to the problem of how to anchor the clip on a linerless knife. The problem is that this clip (along with the relatively thick handle of the knife) really make this thing protrude. There is no chance in hell that anyone will ever think you are doing anything other than carrying a knife.
Aside: It is also worth mentioning that, on the whole, this is a kind of aggressive-looking knife. The contoured grip, finger choil, and thinned tip kind of make the whole blade look tactical. I find myself only carrying this one on the weekends, because even though I think it is firmly in the utility knife category, its looks could bother "non-knife" folks.
3. Versatility - It's left and right side tip up only. Good enough, but not the delightful "however the hell you want it" of the Delica and Endura series.
Fit and Finish:
I was actually disappointed here. This was my first Spydie from Golden, CO. I expected masterful workmanship. What I got was fairly "meh". Don't get me wrong - the knife deploys, locks, and unlocks perfectly - but the FRN handles are only roughly finished inside, and the pins which hold it together look battered. This is by no stretch a pretty knife.
But then again, it kind of goes back to what I said in the beginning - this is a hard use knife. Not meant to go in a show room.
Ease of Maintenance:
If there's a selling point for the knife, it is under this category. The pin construction means that you don't have to screw around with the pivot. No bi-monthly adjustments, or messing with blue loc-tite, or anything like that. This blade was perfectly centered when I got it, and it remains that way (even after it got run over!!!).
That's the real strength of the FRN. Even if it gets dropped or smashed, that yielding, but incredibly tough plastic just keeps its shape, no matter what. Also, since it is plastic, you don't have to oil the pivot to keep the action smooth.
Like, ever.
I mean, you could, but you'd be wasting time. I've not oiled that knife for two years of hard use, and I can still flick it open with my weak hand.
You can wash the blade with no worry. There's no steel liners to rust, and the S30V steel has fantastic corrosion resistance (not to mention fantastic edge retention).
Conclusion:
This is a working man's knife. It's affordable. It works well. You can beat the daylights out of it. You can get away with sharpening it two or three times in a year of regular use. In short, you can ignore this knife's needs and get great performance anyway. Sal Glesser designed this knife with "big box" stores in mind. It's a design aimed at people who needed good cutting tools but aren't willing to jump through all the hoops us "knife knuts" love so much.
If I'm right about what Glesser was aiming for, he hit the bullseye with the Native.
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