Bill Moran is recognized as the grandfather of American custom knifemaking and the founding father of the American Bladesmith Society. He started pounding steel, making knives more than fifty years ago. If you're lucky enough to find a custom-made Moran to buy, expect to shell out five-figures, minimum. His work and designs are that revered.
Spyderco is privileged to offer a production fixed-blade collaboration patterned in Bill Moran's ageless tradition. We've made it available in two distinct blade shapes. The FB02 (pictured) has a drop-point shape while the FB01 (see related item below) has an upswept Bowie-style blade. Both blades are flat-ground VG-10 and carry Bill's signature. They are tapered, starting thick where the blade joins the handle, thinning down the spine to a fine, uniformly ground tip. In the hand the knife conveys a unique feeling of balance, called by some a sweet spot. The sweet spot is due to the blade and handle being comparable in weight. This balance transfers into a feeling of steady control over the cutting edge. The FRN handle three-dimensionally fills out the palm and is inlayed with a panel of non-sliding Kraton. Highly recommended for hunting and camping both models come in a molded Boltaron sheath with multi-position G-Clip fastening system.