The Spyderco Cricket is a deceivingly small knife. So small that, even knowing its exact dimensions, I was still surprised by its diminutive size. Like I said though, it’s deceiving. While not ideal for self defense or hunting-related tasks, it excels at most utility purposes. Still, for people with large hands, the Cricket’s size could be a problem. With its handle being a mere 2 ¾ inches long, it only accommodates three fingers. That’s never bothered me, though.
The handle is made of two stainless steel scales, with an open spine, making for easy cleaning. Everything is screwed together with Torx screws, so it can be easily disassembled if you really want to scrub it down or if you just like doing that sort of thing. The lock is actually part of the handle scale, making for fewer moving parts and parts that can break. The stainless steel pocket clip is very smooth, sliding easily on and off the pocket. It’s tight enough not to fall out of sweat pant and jean pockets, but it can slide unnoticed off of thinner materials–a lesson I learned the hard way. (I don’t wear thin pants anymore.) The clip also isn’t reversible, so you’re stuck with right-side tip-down carry, but it’s also attached with Torx screws, so it can simply be removed if unwanted. Additionally, there’s a small hole in the bottom of the handle for a lanyard or fob.
From base to end, the blade is pushing 2 inches, but the cutting edge, measured straight from end to end, is just a little over 1 ⅝ inches. This is useful for places with a 2-inch legal limit, and, to its credit, the curving “reverse-S” blade profile gives it more functional edge, and the hooked shape is very useful for pull cuts. The blade came shaving sharp out of the box, as I’ve come to expect from Spyderco, and is made of high-end VG-10 steel, so the edge will last you a while and sharpen fairly easily when the time comes. The opening hole is only 11 millimeters in diameter, making it rather difficult for gloved thumbs to handle, but shouldn’t be a problem otherwise.
The Cricket isn’t for people with big hands or who commonly use their knives while wearing gloves. It’s certainly small and kind of cute, so don’t worry about scaring passersby while you use it. For office use and general utility use, the Cricket is an excellent tool, and because of its small size, can even double as a money clip. Mine earned a five star rating.
Last year, I purchased a Spyderco Native with black blade for display. As with all of my display knives, I had to play with it for a few hours before putting it away. Having left a good first impression, I bought another one, and the Native immediately earned a place in my pocket.