Customer Reviews

Spyderco Persistence C136GP Plain Edge Knife, Black

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Looking for a good value in an everyday carry knife? This is it.

The Spyderco Persistence is an outstanding entry-level choice for those who are looking for a sturdy, dependable pocket knife. The 8Cr13MoV blade (a decent Chinese stainless steel tempered at the Rc56 to Rc58 range) retains a good edge and resists corrosion well. The full flat grind makes this knife a good slicer. Be careful, it comes scary sharp right out of the box. The G-10 handle, as well as the jimping along the spine and lock liner, provide a good grip and tactile feedback to the user. It also has a sturdy pocket clip that does not interfere with the user's grip (in my opinion). The clip can be moved for four different carry styles (left/right hand, tip up/down). Fit and finish are good, especially considering it's one of their lowest price (and overseas manufactured) models. But then you would expect nothing less from Spyderco.

The Persistence is only a slightly smaller version of the Spyderco Tenacious model but just as wicked. The primary difference between the Persistence and it's older sibling is in size and weight.

Tenacious:
7 3/4" - length overall
4 7/16" - length closed
3 3/8" - blade length
4 oz. - weight

Persistence:
6 13/16" - length overall
4 1/8" - length closed
2 3/4" - blade length
3.3 oz. - weight

The difference may not look like much on paper but it is significant in your hand. I'm a big fan of the Tenacious but find myself carrying the Persistence more often simply because of size. Much will depend on what your needs are and what you are used to. For those who have only carried their grandfather's pocket knife even the Persistence will seem large at first. But more than likely you'll love the feel of it in your hand.

For the money the Persistence is an outstanding value from a quality knife maker.

2011 UPDATE: Spyderco has now added two new members to this series of knives. For those needing something larger than the Tenacious there is the Spyderco Resilience. The smallest of the group is the Spyderco Ambitious. All four knives in the series have the same features mentioned in this review (i.e. 8Cr13MoV, jimping, liner lock, moveable clip, etc). All are a good value.

I've wanted this knife for some time now and recently decided to buy it despite two points of concern that have often been brought up by consumer reviews: the first concern being the poor quality of screws used in the knife and the second being the stiffness of deployment. I had previously read that many people had stripped the screws on the Persistence using a mini torx bit. If you look closely at the screws, you can tell that they are hex screws. I removed the screws for the pocket clip with an allen wrench without incident. But when I was re-installing the clip for tip up carry (despite using an allen wrench) one of the screws stripped. The screws seem extremely soft and do strip very easily. Great care must be taken when tightening the screws. That being said, I had no problem with the speed of knife deployment at all. The Persistence actually opens quicker than my Benchmade mini griptilian, which is more than double the price. The blade came sharp and looks great. If I had paid 50-60 dollars for this knife, I would expect hardware of better quality. But for 30 bucks, the Persistence is a great value for the money.

This knife is great for everyday carry. The blade is made of high quality steel that's easy to sharpen, the blade length is long enough to do everyday tasks while still legal to carry, and the handle feels great. The clip is a good size and can be removed or changed in position on the handle. The only complaint I have about the knife is the weight, it's a little on the heavy side for the blade length, but that's a minor thing. If you carry the knife for a week you'll get use to the minor weight difference. Overall this is great deal.

This knife is every bit as good as its larger sibling, the Spyderco Tenatious, except of course, the blade is approximately 2.75" as opposed to the 3.25" that the Tenatious offers. Otherwise, the two knives are identical in every way. In fact, I'd argue that the Persistence is even more useful, because it can be legally carried in more places than the Tenatious, specifically because of the shorter blade length. Another advantage of the Persistence's smaller stature is it's lighter weight and the smaller amount of space it takes up in my pocket. I highly recommend the Persistence. It can do absolutely everything that the Tenatious can do, looks just as cool, is made of exactly the same materials as the Tenatious(G10 handles, 8Cr13MoV steel, stainless steel, 4-way positionable clip,secure liner lock, etc...), weighs less, and elicits a much calmer reaction from others when I deploy it for any given task. The blade IS smaller, yes. However, that's a comparison, not a negative observation.

I was planning to use this knife for everyday carry but it ended up being a little too large for my liking. The overall length and blade length numbers are about what I was looking for but the width of the knife make is a little to large. With it clipped to my pocket it was difficult to get my hand into my pocket. This seems like this may be a common problem with Spyderco's due to their thumb hole opening design. This was disappointing as I like feel of the Spyderco and it is razor sharp.

I have since started carrying the SOG Flash I which is very good knife but is not as sharp or does not feel as solid as the Spyderco. I might give the Spyderco Ambitious a try however.

Overall if the size does not bother you I think it is an excellent knife for the money!

I received three of these knives in Sep 2011 from Amazon and two of them had quality/machining problems with the pivot washer/spacer causing deployment to eventually become slow after a short time (oiling did not help). The Persistance is a great knife - probably one of the best values in it's price range. The size is perfect for every-day-carry and deployment is buttery smooth if you get a good one.

I was all ready to get the Spyderco Tenacious but then I watched the YouTube videos for the Tenacious and the Persistence. All I wanted was a good EDC and the Persistence fills the bill perfectly. Not too big (actually a little bigger than expected), plenty strong, around $30, comfortable, solid and sharp!

I bought this knife around a month ago. So far it has seen all types of use including food prep, opening boxes, and some others. I ordered it here on Amazon, on a Monday and received it in the same week Friday with standard shipping. It comes razor sharp straight out of the box and has a very nice tight lock up. The pocket clip is solid and the jimping on the top of the blade is very functional. Out of the box it was somewhat slow so I took apart the pivot screw and washed it with some alcohol and put some blue loctite on it, now its fairly fast and was simple to take down and put back together. All in all its a solid 3 inch EDC blade, and for the $30 price point I would Highly recommend it.

The Persistence is a a very solid choice for a locking pocket knife. I collect folders as a hobby so I have a decent number to choose from and have never been disappointed when I have this one in my pocket.

Pros:
*Overall price for what you get
*Good ergos (functional jimping/thumb rest, medium textured G-10)
*Blade is not too big nor too small
*Substantial liners

Cons:
*Blade steel is on the softer side, but that also means it's easier to sharpen
*Rides a wee bit high in the pocket when clipped (about an inch tip-down, lil less tip-up)

I bought this knife after purchasing a Spyderco Tenacious G-10 Handle Folding Plain Edge Knife. The Tenacious is too long to take into DC, where I work. The Persistance is legal to carry so I keep it on me during the day.

This has all of the great qualities of the Tenacious- great blade, nice handle, quick release. I am sure that everyone on here has already detailed them all. However, the Tenacious is just a better size. The thumb hole is better positioned, and it just feels like it fits in my hand better. I would say that if you can carry the Tenacious, get that one over this. Both are good value, and Spyderco makes amazing products. You will be happy with either.