Here’s What Happens When the Mad Scientists at Spyderco Do a Gentleman’s Knife

This is one of the strangest knives the brand has ever produced, and I kind of love it.

Closeup of Spyderco Essenza on pink background

Published January 21, 2025

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Spyderco is known in the EDC world for its exceptionally high-quality cutting tools and unique designs. More often than not, their offerings combine those two aspects.

One of the brand’s latest releases, the Spyderco Essenza, continues that trend. It combines these brand hallmarks with an unusual style, a gentleman’s knife, and I love it for all its quirkiness.

Spyderco Essenza knife on pink background — Spyderco’s signature thumb hole makes the Essenza stand out from its inspiration, the CHNOPS.

Design evolution

The Spyderco Essenza is based on the Raven Knives Design CHNOPS, which Fox Knives produces. However, there are some distinct differences between the original version and this new one.

The biggest change is that the Essenza swaps the original’s flipper deployment for Sypderco’s signature ambidextrous thumb hole.

It’s a design choice that serves a twofold purpose. First, it makes the silhouette far more unique, courtesy of its thumb-hole hump. Second, it makes the design unmistakably a Spyderco knife.

Another change is its size. The Spyderco version is slightly bigger, measuring 7.23 inches with a 3.19-inch blade, whereas the Fox Knives version is 7.09 inches with a 2.95-inch blade.

Spyderco Essenza closed on pink background — The oversized thumb hole and swappable pocket clip make this manual folder ambidextrous.

Form meets function

Some of the materials are different in this version, too. While the CHNOPS is offered with either Böhler M390 steel or Damasteel, the Essenza comes with Böhler N690Co — often compared to VG-10, albeit with a better, easier-to-maintain edge.

The Essenza also has an aluminum handle and a liner lock, which help maintain its gentlemanly appearance without sacrificing its capabilities.

As I said before, it’s an odd knife overall — even for Spyderco, a brand known for sometimes releasing bizarre designs — but it’s highly unique and exceptionally well-made.

Coming soon

Unfortunately, the Spyderco Essenza has yet to be released, and there is no release date. When it does drop, you can buy it from Spyderco for $210.

However, if you preorder from Blade HQ, you can secure a much lower price of $158. While that price might remain after launch, there’s no telling how fast this knife will sell out.