The Spitfire 2

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Dec 27, 2018
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Almost as soon as the high-end Spitfire was released the next generation was being planned. The Spitfire 2 would build on the strong elements of the original and also improve certain aspects of it. The slick lanyard release would carry over, but the entire blade lock assembly would be re-engineered. The first gen Spitfire also had a design flaw baked into it that the design engineer realized after it was released. With the blade locked open there are only two points of contact holding it in place, but it needed a third to properly lock without play. A blade stop was added as the third point of contact, and a re-designed lock latch made from a single stamped piece of steel would replace the 5 individual parts in the original Spitfire. This new design was cheaper, stronger and would have more than twice the tolerance allowance of a liner lock. The three prototypes here are the initial revision with the new lock. These knives proved that G10 and Micarta are not strong enough to keep the blade stop from getting sloppy so the second revision would have gotten steel liners. This was all happening right at the lead up to the closure, so these prototypes are where the project ended. These knives also have fixed lanyard loops. The quick release loop of the original Spitfire would have been added back in. These knives are 4” closed – a full inch longer than the original. The issue this raises is that the tip of the longer blade travels farther then the shorter blade when pressed down the same amount to release the lanyard, so the frame would need to be tweaked to allow for the deeper motion. The 3 prototypes here include a black G10 tactical version, a burgundy linen Micarta gentleman’s knife with no pocket clip and an outdoorsy version with a large loop designed for a carabiner. That last knife probably would have been available in a variety of anodized aluminum colors. While the original Spitfire was a single design, the Spitfire 2 had the potential to become a family of products with the possibility of another ATS-34 version in the mix.

wXL7PPE.jpg

8SUIyyR.jpg

5DBjFYY.jpg

SrqJuVX.jpg

lSy9GFW.jpg

OW08zeR.jpg


These last couple of images are original CAD files from the designer.
5NH2GqU.jpg

jltGzoZ.jpg
 
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Almost as soon as the high-end Spitfire was released the next generation was being planned. The Spitfire 2 would build on the strong elements of the original and also improve certain aspects of it. The slick lanyard release would carry over, but the entire blade lock assembly would be re-engineered. The first gen Spitfire also had a design flaw baked into it that the design engineer realized after it was released. With the blade locked open there are only two points of contact holding it in place, but it needed a third to properly lock without play. A blade stop was added as the third point of contact, and a re-designed lock latch made from a single stamped piece of steel would replace the 5 individual parts in the original Spitfire. This new design was cheaper, stronger and would have more than twice the tolerance allowance of a liner lock. The three prototypes here are the initial revision with the new lock. These knives proved that G10 and Micarta are not strong enough to keep the blade stop from getting sloppy so the second revision would have gotten steel liners. This was all happening right at the lead up to the closure, so these prototypes are where the project ended. These knives also have fixed lanyard loops. The quick release loop of the original Spitfire would have been added back in. These knives are 4” closed – a full inch longer than the original. The issue this raises is that the tip of the longer blade travels farther then the shorter blade when pressed down the same amount to release the lanyard, so the frame would need to be tweaked to allow for the deeper motion. The 3 prototypes here include a black G10 tactical version, a burgundy linen Micarta gentleman’s knife with no pocket clip and an outdoorsy version with a large loop designed for a carabiner. That last knife probably would have been available in a variety of anodized aluminum colors. While the original Spitfire was a single design, the Spitfire 2 had the potential to become a family of products with the possibility of another ATS-34 version in the mix.

wXL7PPE.jpg

8SUIyyR.jpg

5DBjFYY.jpg

SrqJuVX.jpg

lSy9GFW.jpg

OW08zeR.jpg


These last couple of images are original CAD files from the designer.
5NH2GqU.jpg

jltGzoZ.jpg
I'm confused. Is this the Buck Spitfire that was getting a re-design? This actually looks pretty tight, especially if the handles were steel or aluminum.
 
Schrade Spitfire. A model made for a short time before they went out of business.
 
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