Spyderco Vallotton Review

[lava_lamp]

Spyderco Vallotton Review

Introduction

The Spyderco Vallotton is a collaboration named after its designer, custom knife maker Butch Vallotton. Mr. Vallotton is best known for automatic knives crafted with Italian stiletto styling. The Spyderco Vallotton is a mid-sized knife, 8.687” overall, with a 3.75” blade -- a little longer than the Para-Military 2 and Manix 2, as shown. The MSRP is $299.95 and the knife is made in Taiwan.

Blade

The Vallotton’s blade is fairly unique: thick-spined and hollow ground from CPM S30v stainless. It’s tanto styled tip reminds me of Rick Hinderer’s “Spanto” XM-18 design. The Vallotton, however, retains more of a pointy stiletto-inspired shape than the XM-18. It came typically Spyderco sharp.

Opening the blade is accomplished through the mandatory Spyderhole or dual thumb studs. When opened, the thumb-studs nest in slots milled into the steel liners, acting as a blade stop. While I have seen thumb-stud blade stops before, I have never seen a company take the extra step of carving a resting place in the liners.

Handle

The stiletto-styled handle is made with beautiful polished G10 scales and stainless steel bolsters fit together seamlessly. Thick steel liners are polished and skeletonized. This reduces weight, but it still weighs in at a hefty 6.2 ounces. Lock-up is tight and accomplished via a liner lock. The bronzed pocket clip is removable and reversible left/right but tip-up only. The handle is thicker than most Spydies and feels good in the hand, though the protruding liner lock could create hot spots in heavy cutting.

Conclusions

The Vallotton is a nice-looking knife with superb fit and finish. It feels good in the hand and is heavier duty than its good looks would imply. With Spyderco's warranty, it should last a lifetime.

 

[emperorwang]

This one is on my current short wish list. It's absolutely gorgeous but looks thick and heavy duty. All the youtube reviews I've seen so far attest that it's heavier duty than it looks. Beautiful piece, and I'm not even a spyderco guy.

 

[eloreno]

Great review, great knife. It didn't do much for me when I first saw it, but I bought one anyway. And I am glad I did.
I believe the scales are polished G10, not micarta.

 

[vic2367]

one of my next purcheses ,

 

[Yo Mama]

I just don't get the pricing, especially when it's made over seas. What I'm noticing from the coverage on Shot Show this year is that may be a trend with the new lineup.

 

[lava_lamp]

 

[Shanester66]

Just got it...beautiful blade...I think the liner lock could have been a bit more contoured but that aside...awesome!

 

[Finnegan]

Well...

 

[TheSharpLife74]

It is tip up or tip down. That's what the holes are for on the bolsters.

 

[TheGent]

Butch is a great designer. Gerber has a few designed by him and that is how I first dicovered B.V. I like the Spyderco, but I'm more of a thumbstud guy. I see it has both, but there is just something about the hole. I'd by the Gerber Vallotton if it didn't have that damn FAST lock mechanism. That lock says fail all over it.

 

[Mark_42]

Looks good except for that stupid thumb hole. I wish Spyderco would take a hint from Benchmade's Griptillian series and offer a choice of hole or thumb stud. Their obsession with their leaf w/ hole blade style makes them far too easy to ignore.

 

[lava_lamp]

Looks good except for that stupid thumb hole. I wish Spyderco would take a hint from Benchmade's Griptillian series and offer a choice of hole or thumb stud. Their obsession with their leaf w/ hole blade style makes them far too easy to ignore.

I dunno. It's a bit like making a John Deer tractor in red. The hole is part of what makes a Spyderco knife a Spyderco.

 

[Alann45]

Looks good except for that stupid thumb hole. I wish Spyderco would take a hint from Benchmade's Griptillian series and offer a choice of hole or thumb stud. Their obsession with their leaf w/ hole blade style makes them far too easy to ignore.

On the majority of Spydies it looks fine (assuming you don't hate holes in general ) and works as well or better than a stud, but on this gorgeous knife it does sort of look odd.
To me it detracts from the lines/flow/overall look. It certainly does not detract from the function.
I asked Butch at the Blade show what he thought and he agreed, but it had to have the hole and he told me he did the best he could.

This knife is just so darn nice, I could not resist it. I decided to just believe the hole gives it character .

I dunno. It's a bit like making a John Deer tractor in red. The hole is part of what makes a Spyderco knife a Spyderco.

Yep. When you put the hole (albeit a small hole) on the fixed blades, you might as well just accept the fact that if its a Spyderco it is going to have a hole.

 

[Reignman]

I just don't get the pricing, especially when it's made over seas. What I'm noticing from the coverage on Shot Show this year is that may be a trend with the new lineup.

Ever held one? Beautiful women are made over seas, they any less perfect

 

[Mark_42]

On the majority of Spydies it looks fine (assuming you don't hate holes in general ) and works as well or better than a stud, but on this gorgeous knife it does sort of look odd.
To me it detracts from the lines/flow/overall look. It certainly does not detract from the function.
I asked Butch at the Blade show what he thought and he agreed, but it had to have the hole and he told me he did the best he could.

This knife is just so darn nice, I could not resist it. I decided to just believe the hole gives it character ..

I don't have a problem with thumb holes, all my Griptillians are the hole versions, but with Spyderco's neurotic obsession with a signature look. Because of their misguided preoccupation, the Vallotton winds up looking like a pretty girl with a goiter. :barf:

Mark

 

[Mossyhorn]

What a fine review. That knife is definitely worth having.

 

[Mark_42]

I dunno. It's a bit like making a John Deer tractor in red. The hole is part of what makes a Spyderco knife a Spyderco.

It's more than that. While John Deer may just stick with their green and yellow colors, their equipment ranges from weed whackers to combines. Aside from color there's no "look" that screams John Deer!

I don't understand Spyderco's insistance on a signature look since it seems to be a counterproductive business decision. They seem to be telling me that they don't have an internal design team, or if they do, they have no confidence in them. Other knife companies get along just fine without a signature look and that can easily be a big plus. Personally I really look forward each year to seeing Benchmade and Kershaw/ZT's exciting new designs and start planning my purchases early. Varied designs = multiple lusts. OTOH, I tend to ignore Spyderco's new offerings because I'm pretty sure I already know what they're going to look like: Leaf shaped blade with a hole, oversized ricasso and a poor cutting edge to overall length ratio. I already have a few Spydercos that look like that, why would I want more, particularly since I'm really bored with that look.

The Spydie hole in the Vallotton is out of place and suggests that either the management has little respect for the designer, or just wants to prove they can exert control.

Mark

 

[TomTerrific]

This one is on my current short wish list. It's absolutely gorgeous but looks thick and heavy duty. All the youtube reviews I've seen so far attest that it's heavier duty than it looks. Beautiful piece, and I'm not even a spyderco guy.

I've had one for about a year, I think, and it is heavy. It has a much larger presence in my pocket than my Adamas.

Don't like the hole either. Will be getting rid of it when the opportunity arises.

 

[Mark_42]

Bulkier than an Adamas!? Wow! I've been thinking about getting an Adamas. Like it?

Mark

 

[lava_lamp]

I tend to ignore Spyderco's new offerings because I'm pretty sure I already know what they're going to look like: Leaf shaped blade with a hole, oversized ricasso and a poor cutting edge to overall length ratio.

While I wouldn't put it quite like that, I agree in part with what you say. There are too many similar knives in the Spyderco lineup. There are quite a few unique ones, though. Click on my reviews link and check out some of the Spyderco knives. They DO make more than leaf shaped blades, though again, I agree that they make too many of those.