This Innovative Titanium Spyderco EDC Knife Completely Reinvents an Iconic Mechanism

The unique design proves there’s still uncharted territory, even with the most time-tested folding blade features.

Closeup of Spyderco PITS 2 Slipit knife on pink-purple background

Published February 6, 2025

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Some EDC knife mechanisms are so classic and time-tested that nobody seems to give them a second thought. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” right?

But what if even the most iconic mechanisms could be reinvented to make them more refined and, perhaps, better overall?

That seems to be the question British designer Mike Read asked himself before creating the Spyderco PITS 2 Slipit. This unconventional knife takes the most iconic non-locking mechanism, the slipjoint, and completely reimagines it.

Spyderco PITS 2 Slipit knife on pink-purple background — In the PITS 2 Slipit, the slipjoint and pivot are integrated into a single, seamless mechanism.

Timeless concept, modern reinvention

For those unfamiliar, a slipjoint (also styled as “slip joint” and “slip-joint”) is a device that employs spring pressure to keep a folding knife blade deployed. While not a “true” lock, the pressure of a slipjoint mechanism keeps the deployed blade from swinging freely when in use. This mechanism is commonly found in Swiss Army Knives, but it has been a crux of the knife world for centuries.

Typically, a slipjoint knife relies on a torsion bar housed in the spine of its handle to “slip” into a detent (or depression) at the bottom of the blade. However, in the PITS 2, short for “Pie in the Sky,” this device is instead integrated into the knife’s pivot and stretches down the center of the handle.

It’s an elegant refinement of a mechanism that has remained largely unchanged since its invention.

Instead of a single torsion bar, this knife boasts two — one on each side of the handle — that “[flex] as the blade is opened to provide pressure for its notched-joint mechanism to bear against the stop pin.”

It’s an elegant refinement of a mechanism that has remained largely unchanged since its invention. Knife and industrial design lovers will also appreciate how the skeletonized handle shows off the mechanism rather than hiding it behind scales.

Spyderco PITS 2 Slipit knife closed on pink-purple background — While the skeletonized handle cuts some weight, its greater purpose is to show off the reimagined Slipit mechanism.

Much more than a novelty

Novelty aside, the PITS 2 Slipit is a Spyderco knife through and through. That means it’s built to a remarkably high standard and features some seriously respectable materials.

For instance, the handle — including the Slipit torsion springs — is made from ultralight, ultra-tough titanium. The blade, which hosts the brand’s signature oversized thumb hole, is made from Böhler M398. This super steel boasts more wear resistance and edge retention than its lauded sibling, M390.

The knife is also 6.45 inches long (ideal for EDC) with a 2.56-inch blade compact enough to skirt even some of the most restrictive blade-length laws while offering plenty of cutting power. As the designer is UK-based, it makes sense that the knife was crafted especially to meet Britain’s extremely strict knife laws.

Preorder Now

Though not yet available, Spyderco’s PITS 2 Slipit can now be preordered on Blade HQ. While the MSRP for this knife is $350, the preorder price brings it down to $263 — quite the steal.