MicroJimbo Salt, CPM-MagnaCut Black DLC Plain Blade, Black G10 Handle

The MicroJimbo distills all the key features of Michael Janich's acclaimed Yojimbo 2 design into a smaller, more legally compliant package. At the same time, its critical dimensional relationships, including the "cockpit" in the center of the knife, are identical to its bigger brother. The result is an ultra-compact folder that deploys and handles like its full-sized counterpart. The MicroJimbo Salt's CPM-MagnaCut Wharncliffe blade measures 2.45" (62 mm) to comply with strict blade-length laws and features a full-flat grind for enhanced tip strength. It is supported by a high-strength Compression Lock mechanism and stainless steel liners nested within Spyderco's signature Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern G10 scales. To balance discreet carry and instant accessibility, it includes a deep-pocket wire clip that is reversible for both left and right-side tip-up carry.

This expression of the compact MicroJimbo Salt adds a stealthy black Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. Consistent with this theme, the handle's stainless steel liners, reversible deep-pocket wire clip, and all other hardware also boast matching black coatings. Compact and non-reflective, it's the perfect low-profile companion.

Getting Salty

CPM-MagnaCut steel is one of the hottest blade materials in the knife world. Although Spyderco explored its history and remarkable qualities at length in previous editions of the byte, in case you missed them, here's a quick overview: MagnaCut was conceived by Larrin Thomas, a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and son of renowned Damascus steel maker Devin Thomas. Developed specifically for use in the cutlery industry, its finely balanced alloy composition challenges the logic of conventional stainless steel chemistry by reducing the amount of chromium in the steel to a precise range. At the same time, the addition of vanadium and niobium promotes the formation of carbides that achieve a superior balance of wear resistance and toughness. This prevents the formation of chromium carbides and leaves the steel's chromium “in solution” to provide exceptional corrosion resistance. The result is a material that offers an incredible fusion of all the most desirable properties of a blade steel.

Although MagnaCut's impressive corrosion resistance does not quite match that of Spyderco's other ultra-corrosion-resistant steels—LC200N and H-2—based on their rigorous in-house testing, they determined it was worthy of inclusion in their Salt Series. In the process, they also launched the current knife-industry trend to showcase MagnaCut in knives specifically designed for use in and around the water.