Spyderco Centofante 3: A gentleman’s folder

I have never personally handled many Spyderco knives but have heard of the high-quality products they make. So, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on the Spyderco Centofante 3. The Centofante 3 is a folding knife designed by longtime knife maker Frank Centofante. It features a 3.14 inch plain edge blade made from VG-10 steel, which comes extremely sharp. The knife features a thin-profiled, lightweight FRN handle that is very smooth and goes in and out of a pocket very easily. The handle has a small palladium Spyderco bug in it which is a cool design feature.

To open the blade you utilize an exposed hole in the blade and rotate your thumb to open the knife. At first, I was very apprehensive about this method, but to my surprise, it worked great and have yet to cut myself which I am happy about. The knife has a back-lock that is located midway along the spine and seems to work very well, as I have yet to have any problems with it. There is a black steel pocket clip for right-hand carry that can be changed from tip up to tip down carry.

The blade does have non-sharped spine serrations to help hold your thumb in place while using the knife. While that feature is great while the knife is in use, it’s terrible while the knife is in your pocket. Even though the serrations are non-sharped I can see how it could to damage to clothing if the knife is carried every day. The is also a weird angle on the blade while it is closed that leaves a gap between the blade and the handle that can sometimes get caught up on clothing as you pull the knife from your pocket.

Overall though It is an extremely nice knife. While I would not recommend this knife to military personnel or first responders it is a great choice for someone who enjoys a high-quality knife and the reputation of Syderco.

Author – Cameron Paidousis is a former Police Officer and is a current member in the Air National Guard where he serves in Security Forces. For his civilian job he works as security contractor for the U.S. Government. When not working he enjoys spending time with his family along with kayaking, hiking, and traveling.