Spyderco
C90GBNPE2
Stretch2 – ZDP-189 / Brown G-10

Despite the many advantages of Spyderco’s lightweight knives, some users prefer the greater heft and strength of a more robust handle construction. The new Stretch 2 delivers this in style by expressing this proven design with full skeletonized stainless steel liners, a stainless steel backspacer, textured brown G-10 scales, and a lined lanyard hole. Like its lightweight counterpart, it also features an ultra-high-carbon ZDP-189 blade, a stout back lock mechanism with a Boye Dent, and a versatile four-position hourglass clip.

ZDP-189 blade steel is the hottest, hardest and highest performing blade steel in the knife industry today. 3% of its component ingredient is pure carbon making the steel harder and in turn extending its edge retention. At press, Spyderco was one of a handful of cutlers around the world working with ZDP-189 blades, offering it on several models including their C90 Stretch folder. The C90 Stretch started as a pet-project lockback knife design. Spyderco’s owner and chief designer, Sal Glesser, made it for his personal use, incorporating features he wanted. He wanted high performance blade steel with edge retention super-powers for outdoor cutting: things like wood, rope and anything encountered in the wild. It had to work equally well indoors on cardboard, mail and fingernails. He sized it so it wouldn’t scare non–knife people and made it look slick on the off chance he’d someday have to wear a suit. The handle is peel-ply carbon fiber, with a four-way clip, left/right-hand and tip-up/tip-down. Blade is full flat ground, solid ZDP-189. The C90GBNPE2 exemplifies all that is Spyderco, function, high performance, advanced materials and workmanship in an out-of-the-ordinary package.

Discontinued by manufacturer, limited quantities available.