Serge Panchenko was born in the Ukraine and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was eight years old. A natural tinkerer with a passion for working with his hands, he began making knives in 2007 shortly after attending his first knife show.

Panchenko makes all types and styles of custom knives and strives to make each one a perfect balance of artistic expression and practical function. In addition to hand-crafted, one-at-a-time custom knives, he also makes handmade lanterns, beads, and other items, as well as “mid-tech” knife designs that combine partially finished, custom-machined parts with his hand-finished attention to detail. One of his most popular mid-tech designs is the Dog Tag folder—a small but amazingly capable folding knife that is the shape of a military dog tag when closed. Since Spyderco specializes in uniquely functional compact cutting tools, the Dog Tag Folder was a natural choice for a collaborative effort with Panchenko.

The Dog Tag Folder is a unique departure from Spyderco’s typical folding knife construction methods. Its single-sided handle is fabricated from solid titanium and accurately replicates the size and shape of a military dog tag. The center of the handle scale is machined to create an integral spring bar that houses a steel ball bearing for the blade’s detent mechanism. At the top of the handle is a titanium back strap that defines the blade’s limits of travel in both the open and closed positions and provides protection from the edge when the knife is closed.

The “business end” of the Dog Tag is a sheepfoot-style blade made from premium CPM® S30V® particle metallurgy stainless steel. To protect the edge when closed, the blade is chisel ground with a single flat bevel on the front side—an unusual feature for a Spyderco knife. Our Trademark Round Hole™ in the blade allows easy opening, and a subtle swedge (unsharpened bevel) and a decorative fuller (groove) near the spine add a touch of style. The blade’s pivot is also accentuated by a round titanium disk that provides stability and structural strength as well as an aesthetic touch.

A non-locking folder, the Dog Tag’s blade is held in place in the open position by a detent mechanism. A ball bearing in the handle scale’s integral spring arm indexes holes in the tang of the blade to hold it both closed and open. Since the blade does not lock, care should be taken during use to apply cutting pressure only in a direction that maintains the knife’s open position.

Released in 2014, the Dog Tag is available with two different finish options. One combines a stonewash finish on the blade, a green anodized handle scale, and blue anodizing on the back strap and pivot pin disk. The other will be a stealthy all-black motif in which the blade, handle scale, and all other hardware are coated with a durable titanium carbonitride finish.

The Spyderco Dog Tag Folder is an extremely novel yet capable cutting tool that redefines the concept of the everyday carry knife. We are confident that it will serve you well.

Photo taken from Serge Panchenko's website http://sergeknives.com/

SPYDERCO HEADQUARTERS BREAKS GROUND ON A NEW EXPANSION

Spyderco moved into our existing headquarters in 1998. The move brought our corporate offices and the manufacturing facility together into one building, increased our efficiency and provided us with plenty of room to grow. Fast forward to 2014. It’s time to expand. Spyderco is excited to have broken ground on a facility expansion in early August. The dirt is moving and the expansion is expected to be completed next spring with Mother Nature’s cooperation.

SPYDERCO EXCLUSIVES NOW AVAILABLE

Spyderco Exclusives - A Spyderco Exclusive is a run of a special knife model, or other Spyderco product that we manufacture at the request of a wholesale customer. They are typically an existing knife model found in our product line (past or present), but manufactured again using a new/different configuration from what we have previously offered. The differences can be changes to the handle color, different manufacturing materials, blade steels or coatings.

How many knives are produced is determined by the minimum materials needed to create the model and the number of pieces the customer wishes to order. The owner of an exclusive reserves the right to re-order the knife as long as it is under contract and the owner also determine how it is sold to the retail customer. Spyderco exclusives are a win-win for collectors and many unusual Spyderco knives have resulted from this program. New and upcoming exclusive runs are listed below. Contact the exclusive holder directly if you would like additional information about how to get these rare knives.

Spyderco’s nineteenth Mule Team Project installment features PSF 27, a tool steel produced using the Spray Forming Process. Spray forming—also known as spray casting or spray deposition—begins by melting an alloy steel in an induction furnace. The molten steel is then poured through a ceramic nozzle and broken up into droplets by an array of gas jets. The droplets are accelerated by the jets to impact onto a collection surface while still in a semi-solid condition. There they build up to form a spray-formed billet, assuming the shape of the substrate surface. The small size and rapid cooling of the droplets minimizes alloy segregation to produce an extremely fine-grained homogenous steel.

PSF 27 combines the advantages of the Spray Forming Process with an alloy composition (1.55% carbon, 12.00% chromium, 0.75% molybdenum, 1.00% vanadium) that is basically equivalent to D2 tool steel. The synergy of these alloys and the Spray Forming Process results in a steel that offers increased toughness, wear resistance, crack resistance, and higher hardness. It is also more predictable and dimensionally stable during the heat-treatment process. Available through Spyderco Factory Outlet Only: www.Spyderco.com 800-525-7770 X107 SFO@spyderco.com

The original Swick was developed for fast deployment, lightweight carry, and an incredibly secure ergonomic grip. The new Swick 3 is the result of Spyderco’s Constant Quality Improvement (C.Q.I.) process and provides an outstanding grip while offering even greater versatility and strength. Designed by Sal Glesser, the Swick series features a large index-finger hole—a feature developed by custom knifemaker Fred Perrin. Placing your index finger through the hole locks the knife securely into your grip and greatly reduces the possibility of it being dropped or dislodged during use. It also allows you to keep the knife in your hand while freeing your fingers to perform other tasks. The Swick3’s enhanced finger-hole design is larger and is complemented by jimping on the adjacent top and bottom surfaces of the tang. These refined ergonomics make the Swick 3 even more versatile and secure during use.

The Swick 3 is crafted from a solid piece of premium CPM S30V steel and is skeletonized to reduce weight without sacrificing strength. The blade features a full-flat-ground wharncliffe profile and a handsome tumbled finish. Although it is perfectly functional as is, the Swick3 now features pin holes for easy attachment of handle scales or paracord wrap. It is purposely sold without a sheath or scales to allow you to customize it to meet your personal needs. Made in the USA from premium US materials, the Swick 3 proudly features Spyderco’s Trademark Round Hole. Available through Spyderco Factory Outlet only: www.Spyderco.com 800-525-7770 X107 SFO@spyderco.com