Spyderco Does Its Best Chris Reeve Impression with a Gorgeous Gentleman’s Knife

This exclusive Michele Pensato design shares numerous elements with the legendary Sebenza to brilliant effect.

Closeup of Spyderco Slym knife on gray gradient background

Published January 29, 2025

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Although this year has only begun, Spyderco came out of the gate swinging for the fences. Visit the brand’s site, and you’ll find a wide selection of what the Glesser-run outfit will release in 2025.

While the New Product Reveal has much to love, one particular EDC knife caught my eye. The Spyderco Slym is a gorgeous gentleman’s knife that draws reasonable comparisons to one of the most legendary folding knives ever.

Spyderco Slym knife on gray gradient background — With sleek lines, impressive materials and outstanding mechanisms, the Slym is a welcome surprise.

Real recognize real

The Chris Reeve Sebenza is an EDC knife that needs no introduction. Since its first release in the late 1980s, it has consistently appeared on best-of lists. It’s also one of my favorite grail-worthy heirloom pocket knives.

Comparing anything to the Sebenza raises lofty expectations. Even so, the Slym boasts numerous aspects that remind me of the legendary Reeve-designed knife.

The most obvious is the R.I.L. (Reeve Integral Lock), an integrated version of the fan-favorite frame lock designed by Chris Reeve himself. The Slym’s titanium handle, with its carbon fiber inlay, also resembles the Sebenza’s.

I’d even say the Böhler M390 drop-point blade shares more in common with the Sebenza’s design than many of Spyderco’s most iconic knives (lovers of the brand’s unmistakable Para 3 and its leaf-shaped blade will understand).

All that said, the Spyderco Slym also isn’t stealing Reeve’s design cues. It’s not even based on a Reeve knife at all.

Spyderco Slym knife closed on gray gradient background — The Reeve Integral Lock is just one of many aspects that draw comparisons to the iconic Sebenza.

A beautiful friendship

The Spyderco Slym is another entry in the fruitful partnership between Sal Glesser’s brand and Italian knife outfit lionSTEEL. It’s a Spyderco-ified version of Italian designer Michele Pensato’s popular Skinny.

This version differs from the Skinny in several noteworthy ways. For instance, it uses Spyderco’s signature Round Hole deployment instead of a nail nick. The Dark Matter Polar FatCarbon inlays are also unique to this knife.

However, they’re quite similar in measurement. The Slym is 7.84 inches long and has a 3.28-inch blade — virtually identical to the Skinny.

I wouldn’t balk if Spyderco continued releasing more unusual, opulent EDC knives alongside the brand’s more typically scrappy blades. The Slym is fantastic.

Coming soon

A part of the huge 2025 New Product Reveal, Spyderco’s Slym isn’t yet released, but it is coming soon. When it does launch, it will be priced at $370.

However, if you preorder it at Blade HQ, you can score a pretty deep discount, bringing the cost down to just $278 (25 percent off).