Spartan Blades Eliminates Back Spring with Titanium 'Nymph'

Sometimes when a company tries to be innovative, the end result doesn’t always work out as planned — this is not the case with Spartan Blades’ tiny, titanium Nymph.

The folding knife collected the “Most Innovative American Made Knife of the Year” award at the recent 2014 BLADE Show, only strengthening Spartan’s all new design.

In an attempt to craft a small titanium folder using as few small moving parts as possible, Spartan Blades teamed with Les Halpern of Halpern Titanium.

While attending the 2012 IWA Show in Germany, Spartan spoke with several people who simply couldn’t own one of our larger folders due to the restrictions of knives with locks, one handed opening devices and long blades.

During the show, Spartan Blades co-founders Curtis Iovito and Mark Carey were visiting the Nuremburg toy museum and were impressed by some of the very small high-tech mechanisms used to make toys. It was then the idea hit them to make a slip joint that didn’t require several small fine blanked parts.

Spartan later met with Halpern and explained their idea for a small modern slip joint. Halpern created concept art for the knife and explained his idea for eliminating a back spring.

Normally, slip joint blades are held in position by a strong “back spring,” which assists them with bias to the open or closed position. Halpern’s idea was to make the frame the spring.

At a little more than 5 ounces, the Nymph eliminates the need for a back spring by using what Spartan calls an “Integral Frame Lock.” The distal side of the frame is cut to work as a spring and holds a pin that locks into the blade.

For more information on the Nymph and other products from Spartan Blades, please visit SpartanBladesUSA.com.

Specifications:

Designer(s):                      Les Halpern/Spartan Blades

Blade Length:                    1.7/8″

Overall Length:                 4 3/4″

Blade Thickness:              13/16″

Blade Steel:                       S35VN

Blade Hardness:              58-59 HRC

Blade Style:                       Drop Point

Handle Material:              Stone wash, Blue anodized, Purple Anodized

Weight:                                5.248 OZ

Locking mechanism:       Integral Frame Lock (IFL)