Spartan Blades is owned and operated by retired Green Berets, and its knives reflect the elite unit’s excellence and precision. During the owners’ service in Okinawa, Japan, they formed many lasting relationships, like that with Tu Lam of Ronin Tactics. For this reason, Spartan Blades collaborated with Lam on the Spartan-Ronin Torii, paying tribute to the Green Berets they served with.

The Spartan Blades Spartan-Ronin Torii

A Torii is a traditional Japanese gate that is thought to separate the ordinary from the sacred. So, it’s fitting that Spartan Blades’ new knife would feature the moniker since the Green Berets are anything but ordinary. Likewise, this fixed blade offering treads a far different path from the mundane.

As a longtime practitioner of Japanese martial arts, I was immediately drawn to the Torii’s kwaiken-inspired profile. Featuring an overall length of 11.5 inches, it comes in slightly longer than a traditional kwaiken, but not by much. The 6.5-inch blade features a trailing point design, typical of the traditional defensive Japanese dagger.

Constructed of D2 tool steel, the Torii features a black powder coat, delivering enhanced corrosion resistance. The use of D2 provides exceptional wear resistance, superb hardness, and superior edge retention—all at a relatively affordable price. However, D2 is slightly harder to sharpen than steels like 1095, so you will need to be patient.

To signify the collaboration between Spartan Blades and fellow Green Beret, Tu Lam, the Spartan-Ronin includes the Ronin Tactics logo embossed at the ricasso. Just forward of the ricasso is the sweeping high flat grind, helping to provide the keen edge. Typical of Spartan fixed-blade knives, the Torii has a full tang—slightly exposed.

The interface between flesh and steel are textured G-10 handle scales, available in black or red/black. Contoured for maximum comfort, the scales feature a texture reminiscent of “rising sun” rays often found in Japanese art/culture. I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but I thought it was a nice touch.

The Spartan-Ronin Torii is part of Spartan Blades’ Pineland Field Grade series. As a result, it is designed and manufactured with global partners to keep it more affordable. This translates to exceptional quality that is still affordable.

Carrying the Torii

As former Green Berets, Spartan Blades takes its sheaths very seriously. In fact, as a long-time knife writer, I contend that Spartan has some of the best sheaths in the industry. Fight me.

Featuring a black plastic, injection-molded construction, the sheath is highly durable and offers excellent retention. The ricasso area of the sheath features the Spartan Blades logo on one side and the Ronin Tactics logo on the obverse. A small, textured thumb ramp just above the opening quickly releases the Torii from its retention.

The sheath comes with two MOLLE/belt attachment loops already installed for immediate carry. However, the adaptable carry design includes four eyelets and two elongated slots on each side. As a result, you can customize the sheath to fit your operational requirements.

No Knife Left Behind

As I mentioned earlier, I have been a knife writer, testing knives for a long time. During that time, I’ve had extensive experience with Spartan Blades and found it an exceptional brand with top-tier knives.

However, I never let a company rest on its laurels or make assumptions about a knife based on past experience with the brand. So, I test every knife, and it must stand or fall on its own. The Spartan-Ronin Torii is no different.

The kwaiken design has its roots in combat and self-defense and is not known as a bushcrafting knife. However, in modern warfare, knives are rarely used for fighting and are mostly utilitarian with combative properties. So, that was the basis for my testing of the Torii.

Testing the Spartan-Ronin Torii

For the most part, I can’t picture using a knife this size for cutting leather. But, the thick leather I have from an old project is a great test medium and represents various heavy-duty materials. The Torii had no issue cleanly slicing strips off the thick leather without any catching.

Next, I pulled out some ½-inch climbing rope and ½-inch heavy sisal rope for a press cut test. In this test, I press the edge through the rope to see if it will cut the rope without any slicing. I performed the test up and down the edge to test the whole blade, and it easily dissected both ropes cleanly without any struggle.

Heavy-duty military nylon gun belts are thick and fibrous and difficult to cut cleanly due to the weave. For this test, I cut off slices of the belt and then bisected each slice. Although I did get some fraying, the Torii easily reduced it to pieces.

Then, I moved on to corrugated cardboard, which is very hard on an edge due to its construction with heavy glues and other materials. I was actually a little surprised with how cleanly I was able to cut long strips of cardboard. Even going against the grain, the Torii cleanly sliced right through for very long cuts. I followed this by cutting some paper to see how the edge held up, and it performed clean slices.

Finally, I constructed a testing medium my friend Michael Janich developed called “Porkman,” which resembles a human limb. After building Porkman with a pork loin, wooden dowel, twine, layers of Saran Wrap, and denim, I performed some slashes. It took a little work, but the Torii sliced right through the denim, into the pork loin, all the way to the dowel (bone).

Cutting to the Chase

Spartan Blades has a well-earned reputation for hard-use knives that look as great as they perform. However, that comes at a cost, and the company’s knives aren’t on the budget-friendly end of the spectrum. For that reason, Spartan Blades has the Field Grade series as part of its Pineland Cutlery division, offering the same great quality at an affordable price.

Part of the Field Grade class, the Torii is a shining example that budget-friendly doesn’t mean cheap. It is very comfortable in hand, while the grip texturing provides excellent retention. Likewise, it was enjoyable to use during my testing, which it performed admirably.

If you are in the market for a high-quality knife but just don’t have the budget for a Spartan Blade, check out the Field Grade models. The Spartan-Ronin Torii is a great starting place. Classic Japanese styling, excellent performance, and a friendly price—what’s not to love?

For more information, please visit SpartanBladesUSA.com.

Spartan Blades Spartan-Ronin Torii Specs

Key Features