Spyderco CENTOFANTE 3 Prestige Folding Utility Pocket Knife with 3.14" VG-10 Stainless Steel Hollow Ground Blade and Lightweight FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C66PBK3

Despite mixed reviews and less of a discount than what you can find on most other Spyderco knives--such as best sellers like Endura4 and Salt Series (there's probably a reason for that, namely collectors/demand)I took a chance. I've always liked Centofante designed knives and this one delivers. It has very good quality steel that arrived extremely sharp. It's almost cliche, but yes, it easily shaved hair off my arm. It arrived much sharper than the Spyderco Native did, which besides not arriving as sharp, seems over rated compared to this less expensive (and foreign made) knife.Unlike the Native, which loses a half inch of it's already shorter blade to it's choil, I like how the Centofante's blade edge is almost continuous from handle to tip and has an effective choil that won't abrade my pants pockets. The blade locks up very tight--you have to really pull on it hard to get a wee bit of wiggle and that occurs only if I'm not holding the handle real tight (don't try that at home, kids) and as a result, the liner lock in the very light weight handle is allowed to flex. That's not likely to happen in 'real world' usage and I think it's an inevitable trade off, due to the knife's light weight. Plus it's more a case of me, pushing it (not abusing) it to see what it's limits might be. Having a steel liner w/o excessive added weight is another plus.So this is a very light weight, pocket friendly knife that has more style than most Spydercos (that's not saying much) but still with all the utility you expect from Spyderco. No it's not screw down construction--it's pinned, but at this price point, that's not unusual and I have a pretty good sense that it'll last a good while. Lots of 'bang for the buck'.No, as said before this review, the handle's not the grippiest, but it's more than ample and safe--it has it's own stylish flair too. I could see that if you're really rough, the snazzy 'Syder' inlay could conceivably come out, but just remember these two words 'crazy glue'! Again unlikely under normal use, but Spyderco has great service and if it came out and you lost it, Spyderco would most certainly send you a replacement--they're great that way.I have a lot of knives, including folders that cost many more times than this one, but I'd have no qualms about carrying this everyday. The blade/edge position in relation to the handle (ergonomics) is very good and holding it in traditional style, it's great for just about any medium strength task--meat, fruit, whittling, I'd even cut roses or saplings--heck it's VG10--a strong steel. I don't expect to get into a knife fight and I'd never bring even this knife to a GUN fight, but nonetheless, you can very quickly, with one hand, change position to 'fighting' and with over 3 inches of edge and the blade already canted forward (outward) a bit, keep most predators well beyond arm's length. It opens fairly quickly, not as fast as the more expensive Spydercos' with bronze phosphor washers, but it's still smooth and fairly fast out of the box--with time, it'll just get faster.The knife looks nice --'classy'--enough that when you cut a price tag off after buying something at the register, the clerk probably won't scream 'POLICE!Anyway, to make a long review longer and risk alienating my wife (lol), the Centofante III offers a great combination of ergonomics, construction quality, style, utility and the VG10 steel is pretty darn good quality stuff--it' been around a while, resists corrosion well, stays pretty and you don't have a 'baby'it. It holds an fine edge well and doesn't require high tech tools or an hour to restore a keen edge--not that it will get dull on you quickly. I also like how when I'm around guys who know knives, they're surprised that this pretty, 'stylin' knife is actually a Spyderco--typically the ugly ducklings of the 'better knives' family!Now I have to stop thinking about buying another one, before all the collectors buy them, only to store them in their boxes and wait for them to appreciate!

I have searched long and hard to find the perfect knife. Well, this is it. The Centafonte III has all the features I've been looking for in an everyday carry knife. It's the perfect length, weight and has an excellent pocket clip. I wear it all day in my front pocket and forget it's there. I don't worry about it falling out. The blade shape is elegant, utilitarian and holds an edge. In terms of price it's a bit spendy but considering all the time and money I've spent trying to find the perfect combination of features, this knife is cheap. There is no doubt I'll have this for years to come. I realize I sound like a Spyderco fanboy, but I've been disappointed with Spyderco before. However, definitely not this time! The only feature I wish the knife had was a partially serrated blade but considering everything else I can live with that.

I'm a great fan of Spyderco knives but I hesitated in ordering this particular model. Reviews here and on Internet forums indicate it's a great slicing knife due to its thin blade but it always came across as a little fragile to me. It's an old school Spyderco--FRN handle, VG10 blade with a hollow sabre grind, pinned construction without any pivot adjustments. Spyderco has been updating many of its models and it appears pinned construction is disappearing and hollow grinds are becoming rare. Despite some trepidation, I ordered the Centofante 3 and now I'm about as happy as can be. I'm so happy with the knife, I've ordered a second one.As indicated in reviews, it is a great slicer. The blade is thin, a little over 3 inches in length. It has this in common with many traditional slipjoint models which have always been well suited to lighter duty jobs. The Centofante gets a little boost in strength from the grind. One of the complaints I've read is that the handle is unlined and is not textured. That's only partially the case. The handle does have a full length steel inset liner on the clip side of the handle and it has two milled "swoops" on the opposite side. The one sided steel liner strengthens the knife and allows the clip to be attached to metal underneath the FRN. While lacking in the texture found on other Spydercos, the Centofante's handle is not particularly slippery. The FRN is a smooth matte finish that seems pretty grippy to me. It's certainly not slippery like smooth steel, aluminum or other metals.What I particularly like about the Centofante is the narrower profile of the knife. A lot of Spyderco knives have a wide profile due to the the need to make the blade wider to accommodate the hole for opening. Once clipped in a pocket, some of these knives can take up a lot of room. Specifically, the Manix comes to mind. It's a great knife but it's often too wide to fit comfortably in my pocket with other items. The Centofante combines both a narrow profile with inherent thinness that simply rides comfortably in just about any of my pants pockets.I really like VG10 in Spyderco knives. It never disappoints. It's corrosion resistant, tough enough for most normal uses and it sharpens easily and holds an edge well. Other steels surpass it in certain areas but VG10 is just a good, well-rounded blade steel. I'm not one to go gaga over what super steel is the in thing of the day. VG10 works for me.No knife is perfect but I gotta give this one 5 stars. I have several favorite Spydercos--the Dragonfly, the Gayle Bradley, the Native and the Delica rank at the top of my list. Now I have to add the Centofante 3 to that group. It's a really good knife.