Spyderco South Fork Fixed Blade

Based on one of knifemaker Phil Wilson’s most popular custom designs, the South Fork delivers nearly the performance of a custom knife in a more affordable package. The blade, done in a trailing point shape for extra wrist extension, is made from CPM-S90V steel. Crafted by way of a powdered metallurgy process, it boasts impressive corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and edge retention. Flat ground, the blade is thick enough for strength, yet tapers to a fine edge to breeze through slicing and skinning. The handle features a full-tang construction with contoured G-10 scales. Like all of Wilson’s design, the South Fork has a finger guard (he was involved in a brutal accident years ago)—not to mention it comes with a polymer sheath for storage on the go.

In 1985, Phil Wilson got hold of a copy of David Boye’s Step-by-Step Knifemaking. Taken by the detailed process of making edged tools, he tried his hand at it—and to great success. An avid outdoorsman himself, knifemaking was a natural extension for Wilson, who enjoys experimenting with different materials and testing each of his designs first hand. Most knives with a Wilson stamp of approval involve thin, flat grinds and distal tapers. These qualities make for excellent balance and utility across many tasks—the likes of which Wilson encounters daily in his residence in California’s Gold Country.