GearPatrol: This Is the Pocket Knife You Design When You Have a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Say what you will about Spyderco — presumably something good — it’s a brand whose knives by and large carry a pretty recognizable look, highlighted by the trademark circular thumbhole, ever-present pocket clip and typically a round, full-bellied blade.

Then there’s this new design by Paul Alexander. The man has a lifelong love of knives plus a distinct point of view thanks to a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Those factors combine into a silhouette that can safely be referred to as “bizarro Spyderco.”

It’s called the Nand, and it brings a wild new look to the brand. Here’s what you need to know.

We can only imagine that Ph.D. provides a framework to understand what is possible and functional in a pocket knife, as opposed to just cool looking like the ones we used to doodle in the back of the class, which would have been unfeasible or at least impractical to bring to life.

Actually understanding mechanics frees one’s mind to dream up something like the Nand, which Spyderco includes in its SLIPIT family because, yes, this is a non-locking folder.

Funky.  I am going to be writing more about this one in the January Knife News column.

Read the whole thing at GearPatrol.com

https://www.gearpatrol.com/outdoors/spyderco-nand-pocket-knife/