Spyderco’s Yojimbo: From the Aztecs to Your Pocket

I recently have been carrying around this Spyderco knife called the Yojimbo 2. The Yojimbo 2 is based off the Spyderco Yojimbo. The original Yojimbo was designed by Michael Janich, and he decided to make a refined version of that popular fighting knife, which is now known as the Yojimbo 2. This knife is very different looking compared to the usual knives I carry, and that difference has its roots in an ancient culture.

From the Aztecs to my pocket

The knife has a Wharncliffe style blade, which gives the knife a perfectly straight cutting edge and a spine that tapers to meet the point. The Wharncliffe style blade can be traced back to the Aztecs, but the first time it formally earned the name “Wharncliffe” was in the early Nineteenth Century, when an English noble named Lord Wharncliffe and a friend re-envisioned and produced the design. (Some knife scholars also say the Wharncliffe is based off a Viking Sax, which is a fixed-blade knife that kind of resembles a Wharncliffe.) Spyderco’s Michael Janich of the Spyderco Yojimbo has re-envisioned the Wharncliffe again as a self-defense blade.

Evaluation

With its straight cutting edge and spine that tapers down to the point of the knife, this makes for a very refined and sharp point, great for stabbing and cutting. Right out of the box, this knife is equipped with a razor-sharp hollow ground edge that can shave like a Gillette. The knife is very light, weighing in at a little over 4 oz. with its total length measuring a little over 7 inches. The steel is CPM S30V, which is a strong and very high-end steel. This steel sharpens and cuts like a dream.

The knife comes with G-10 scales and Spyderco’s patented compression lock. Instead of a normal frame or liner lock, the compression lock secures from the spine side of the knife instead of the blade side. This knife is also made in the greatest country in the world (the United States of America, obviously).

Recommendation

The standout feature of this knife is its feel and balance in your hand. When you pick it up you notice it neither too heavy nor too light. I have been carrying it for about two weeks and I’m impressed with its day-to-day utility and the way it holds an edge no matter what I test that edge on.

The Yojimbo also comes with a pocket clip that fits nice and tight in the pocket and doesn’t move a bit. This knife stands out as an everyday carry (EDC) blade. This knife is a great example how American companies make great and high-quality products. Spyderco did an amazing job by making this knife high-quality, usable for anyone, and an example of their motto, “Integrity is being good even if no one is watching.” Spyderco.com