Based by two retired Inexperienced Berets, Spartan Blades has a well-earned repute for excellence. Whereas a lot of their designs are jaw-dropping beautiful, they aren’t simply wall hangers or secure queens. Each single one is constructed for arduous use. The Spartan Blades Ronin Torii is a wonderful instance.
The Torii was designed to be the last word close-quarters fight knife, and it’s designed by individuals who know that subject material intimately. It’s a collaboration between Spartan Blades and Tu Lam of Ronin Ways. They needed to commemorate the Inexperienced Berets who’ve served at Torii Station in Okinawa, Japan. This knife is a tribute to them and is meant to honor the C-1-1 CIF (CINC’s Extremist Pressure), a unit that has a formidable repute for close-quarters battle and tactical prowess.
Being the curious kind, I seemed up the definition of torii in Japanese. It refers back to the conventional gate generally discovered on the entrance to or inside Shinto shrines. It signifies the gateway between the mundane world and the sacred. It isn’t a stretch to interpret that it refers back to the distinction between the peculiar and the elite, such because the Inexperienced Berets.
The reverse facet of the blade reveals the logos for Ronin Ways in addition to Spartan Blades, letting customers know it is a collaboration between the 2 firms.
Opening the Field
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The Spartan Torii has a decidedly distinctive attribute. Choosing it up and eradicating it from the Kydex sheath, you instantly really feel taller, sturdier, and able to tackle the world. Yeah, it’s that spectacular. I’ve been writing about knives for nicely over a decade and I’ve solely run into perhaps a handful of different blades that had an analogous high quality.
It runs 11.5 inches from finish to finish, with a blade size of 6.5 inches. The D2 metal is 0.1875-inch thick on the backbone. The blade is handled with a black powder coat that reduces corrosion considerations. Even at almost a foot lengthy, the Torii is deceptively mild, tipping the scales at a really modest 8.4 ounces. Don’t get me unsuitable, there’s noticeable heft. However it doesn’t really feel such as you’re wielding a sharpened pry bar. There’s an magnificence current.
On the thickest level, the deal with is about 0.625-inch huge. It’s corresponding to the venerable Buck 110 Folding Hunter in that regard. The scales are contoured G-10. I went with the crimson/black possibility for the scales, reasonably than the straight black. The texturing is aggressive, but snug. There are not any considerations about dropping your grip, regardless of how moist your arms may get. On the similar time, I didn’t expertise any sizzling spots or different discomfort when dealing with the knife, even after prolonged intervals of time.
Corrugated cardboard is hard on knives, however the Torii did simply positive.
The sample of the G-10 texturing is paying homage to Japan’s flag and its rising solar motif. That is reasonably becoming given the Torii’s evident kwaiken lineage. When Tu Lam was younger, he devoted his life to the samurai code of Bushido. The kwaiken was a dagger that was carried by women and men of the samurai class in historical Japan. It had a curved trailing level profile and was supposed to be a weapon for close-quarter conditions the place swords could be impractical. And that’s precisely what the Torii is, a close-up weapon able to devastating harm.
The Torii comes with a well-made injection-molded sheath. In my expertise, all too usually knife makers deal with the sheath prefer it’s an afterthought at greatest. It’s simply one thing they toss into the field as a bonus. That’s undoubtedly not the case right here. This sheath has had some critical thought put into the design. It comes geared up with two MOLLE straps, which may also be used as belt loops. These might be simply eliminated, if desired. The sheath options a number of slots and eyelets so it may be configured for carry in a variety of methods.
The retention is stable and tight, but pulling the Torii free is a chunk of cake. The sheath has a small thumb ramp to assist with deployment. It’s particulars like these that make it evident this sheath wasn’t simply slapped collectively on the final minute.
All in all, it’s a lovely knife. It even caught my spouse’s eye, which is uncommon given the variety of knives that come throughout the kitchen desk on a month-to-month foundation.
We used push cuts and pull cuts, and the paracord posed no points in any respect.
Efficiency
The Spartan Torii is made for battle, no query about it. However I wasn’t about to go round difficult individuals to a knife struggle to see how the blade would carry out. So, I needed to give you another concepts.
First, I picked up a cantaloupe on the grocery retailer and took it into the yard. The Torii sliced into it like a laser beam going via butter. There was zero hesitation at any level because the blade minimize via the melon. I utilized a number of completely different grips on the Torii, together with overhand and reverse, as I minimize up the fruit and there have been no issues with controlling the blade in any course.
Some of the frequent knife chores we run into is reducing cordage. So, I grabbed a hank of paracord and went to work. I began with some push cuts, simply resting the cordage on a board and urgent the knife blade via it. The Torii did positive, although I discovered rocking the blade only a contact was obligatory a few occasions. I additionally sliced via extra paracord by operating the blade via loops of it, making an attempt to make use of as a lot of the blade as potential. No points in any respect.
Corrugated cardboard might be homicide on a knife’s edge. The glue used when making the cardboard is extraordinarily arduous. On high of that, factories producing cardboard aren’t precisely sterile environments. All types of grime and such will get inside these little corrugations. The top result’s that cardboard can boring a knife blade faster than you may assume. That makes it a terrific medium for knife testing.
Properly, that and there’s by no means an absence of cardboard containers sitting round. The Torii made quick work of the field I grabbed. I sliced each with and towards the grain of the corrugations. The final couple of crosscuts, the blade didn’t get throughout, and I needed to repeat the minimize. This wasn’t solely shocking, and I don’t think about it a significant issue by any stretch.
The Torii sliced via cantaloupe prefer it wasn’t even there.
Making the Minimize
The Spartan Torii is a battle blade, pure and easy. It’s a high-quality blade that lends confidence. If I had been headed to warfare, or for every other motive felt I would have to depend on a knife to defend my life or the lives of these round me, the Torii could be on the high of the checklist. The one limitations to its efficiency could be on the a part of the consumer, and never the fault of the Torii. I can’t advocate it extremely sufficient.
Its injection-molded sheath is simply as well-designed because the knife it carries.
Spartan Blades Ronin Torii Discipline Grade Defined
Spartan Blades is thought for producing very high-quality knives, however they’ll carry a hefty price ticket. Don’t get me unsuitable, you completely get what you pay for. However they are often out of attain for a lot of knife customers.
Some years in the past, Spartan began a Discipline Grade line in partnership with their Pineland Cutlery division. The concept was to provide a few of their fashions in additional reasonably priced configurations. They don’t skimp on high quality, simply on perhaps a number of of the bells and whistles.
Right here’s the thriller, although. The Torii is taken into account a part of this Discipline Grade lineup. Why is that this puzzling? After utilizing this knife for some time, I’m baffled how anybody might think about it a budget-grade knife. I’ve spent way more for lesser-quality blades. Granted, many individuals in all probability wouldn’t think about $250 to be a budget-friendly worth, however those that frequent knife circles would be the first to inform you that could be a pretty reasonable worth for a knife like this.
In regards to the Creator
Jim Cobb is a nationally acknowledged authority on catastrophe readiness, in addition to a lifelong knife nut. He has been concerned with preparedness for almost 40 years and has developed a repute for his common sense method to the topic. Along with his quite a few books and several other hundred journal articles, Cobb is likely one of the cohosts of the The right way to Survive 2025 podcast. He affords a free weekly publication referred to as The Survival Weekly Dispatch (jimcobb.substack.com).
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