Approximate Spyderco Age?

[Modern Slip Joints]

While I only find pocket knives in the local thrift store that I even want to own about evey two years I just bought six together. They included my first Spydy hole. It's a backlock, 4 7/8" closed with a 3 3/4" clip point blade. The blade is etched with James A. Keating's signature. The tangs are marked Spyderco over CPM S30V and on the reverse Golden Colorado over U.S.A. Earth. Maybe a member knows something like it was made after CPM S30V became common but while Colorado was still on Earth which I presume was before the Democrats got a strangle hold on the state.

[Railsplitter]

Sounds like the C63 Chinook. A search on the Spyderco forum revealed a release date of Fall of 2000.

[Modern Slip Joints]

Sounds like the C63 Chinook. A search on the Spyderco forum revealed a release date of Fall of 2000.

Thank-you Railsplitter.

After learning it is a Chinook I found member MITCH RAPP's picture of his CPM S30V James Keating Chinook II that he posted in the Modern Tactical Knives sub-forum 6/27/14. He wrote by that time he'd had his about 10 years or since about 2004. The handle of his Chinook looks the same as mine as does its blade bevel and upswept edge. The one difference is the spine on mine extends almost straight horizontal for a 1/2" beyond the Spydy hole before sweeping down into the clip and false edge. In contrast the spine on his sweeps down close to the Spydy hole. Mine has a more old fashioned clip point.

It did not occur to me that mine could be seen as tactical so I didn't think of asking in the Modern Tacticle Knives sub-forum. I rarely read there. The blade in mine is tight between the liners so it does not open easily one handed. That's fine. I'll probably forget to not use my second hand any way. Besides, for $8 who'd nit pick it?

[Railsplitter]

I believe I saw something about a Chinook 2 when I did my search. Maybe that is what you have, or not. I didn’t see any pictures in my search. Only text.

Either way, if you got yours for $8, you stole it! It can’t not be worth far more than that.

Excellent score!