Spyderco Chaparral Lightweight Lockback Knife Gray FRN (2.8" Satin) C152PGY

I've spent way more time than I really wanted to lately trying to decide on a new gentleman's folder for those rare times that I have to wear something nicer than my usual Levi's.
My constant edc for the last two to three years has been a small, plain Sebenza 21. I love literally everything about that knife and would never sell it but it's just a bit thicker and heavier than I'd like when wearing thinner slacks or a suit. Hence, my search for a new dress knife. Up until today, I'd been carrying a stainless scaled Kershaw/Ken Onion Chive with dress clothes and it's so ridiculously tiny that it's hard to hold onto while closing the blade. So, I've been debating this Grey Chaparral, the Maple version, a Sage 5, a Native 5, a Lil Native or a Wharnecliffe Delica 4 until I finally settled on this Grey lightweight - mostly due to the steel, overall knife thinness, price and availability. I'm SO glad I chose this knife, out of the box it's about as perfect an example as you'll find: the blade it centered and extremely sharp, the pivot is buttery smooth and tuned to open and close easily, lockup is rock solid, the lock bar tension is perfectly fine as is (perhaps Sal's heard the complaints about stiff locks?) and fit and finish are just darn near perfect.
I was really concerned that the FRN scales would make the knife feel less refined and cheap but I'm happy to say I was wrong, this little gem is absolutely a solid, quality knife that I have no reservation about carrying when I'm dressed for nicer occasions: though I'd prefer a more subdued, darker color (or, better yet, a darker wood than the Maple version).
Other than two combo edge Tenacious knives that I bought as beater, vehicle knives, this is my first "refined" Spyderco and I'm honestly impressed. I collected Benchmades for years and still have a few but this Chaparral might very well convince me to switch teams. I'm still planning on a Manix 2, a Lil Native and a few others for my collection just based on the quality of this little grey Chaparral.

What an awesome little knife. Mine came perfect. Perfect grind, perfect fit, perfect finish.This is a knife that will shock you. It is incredibly small in size, super lightweight but it cuts like a much larger knife. And on the subject of cutting, it cuts like a laser.Really digging the handle color also. Zero play in the action. The back lock I was worried about because it has been so long since owned a knife like that. But here to tell you, it is done well.
Any Cons? Well it is rather tight from the factory but a drop of oil and some working of the action smooths it right up. This is no piece of junk, it is a very well put together piece of equipment. Buy with confidence.

One of my favorite knives I keep in my EDC rotation. The slim size and deep carry pocket clip makes it practically disappear into your pocket. I had never owned a knife with this steel before, but it seems to hold up just as well, if not better than my S30V knives. Just a couple of swipes on a strop and its back to a razor blade.

I am not a huge Spyderco fan, but I like this knife for a good lightweight EDC. The blade is thin and very slicey and holds an edge well. The ergonomics are pretty good. Generally, not a fan of Spyderco blade shapes, as I like to have a spine that is generally straight from the handle for the ability to place a finger up top for fine tasks or slide the thumb up in hammer grip. This blade shape allows me to do this still, unlike the Para-type blade shapes.

The handles and choils are well done for multiple ways to hold the knife, though I took a file to the choils on the blade to make the transitions a bit smoother.

The blade is good, but there is no sharpening choil, and it's a bit less useful with the choil tab cancelling out the ability to go to a flat cut with the bottom of the blade.

The thinness of the knife is a plus, but the lockback combined with thin stock is not ideal. The lockback is strong, but can't close it that well one handed. The spring was pretty stiff and the lockback hurts a bit when trying to disengage.

Overall, the knife is a good EDC/utility blade, and the best part is its light weight. The Spydie-hole and shape of the blade make it a little less easy to carry just from the wider overall profile that is less sleek than my other EDC knives. That is a bit of a tradeoff with the light weight and thinner profile width wise.

Overall a decent knife, and in my rotation, but not my favorite EDC. The real beauty of it is the CTS-XHP, though. It is a great steel, and worth the money for a premium EDC.

I love the size of the Chaparral. It's big enough for general tasks, but so thin and light it practically disappears in your pocket. Amazing fit and finish for the price. Super sharp and slicey! I was worried about the stiff backlock but it's not a problem as I use the side knuckle of my thumb to open it. For me, it's the perfect EDC knife!

When you get this knife, keep in mind (even if you are a collector) that you are not getting it to be fancy. It is such a nice piece to have though. It is very discreet, and a powerful slicer. the lock in it is really secure, and it won't fail on you. The full flat grind provides an amazing cutting capability, and it cuts cleaner than other knives I've tried. The FRN in it is pretty good. It is my only FRN that has stayed in the collection.

I've had this knife since March and its my go to knife almost everyday. CTS-XHP is a great steel, haven't sharpened it once and its still very sharp. If you're on the fence about this knife don't be, its worth it!

This little guy lives up to the hype. Love the thin, slicey blade, the handle has great ergonomics, and the FRN texturing is beautifully done. I also love the thin profile and pocket clip. It disappears in the pocket.

The Spyderco Chaparral despite it's looks is a really sturdy, tough little user. It has a blade about the same size as the delica but is more compact in the handel, has a finger choil and around the same price, which is a really good price for cts-xhp steel and Taichung construction. It still has steel liners and and is 0.50 ounces lighter, this knife is basically the delica 5 we were all hoping for.

Fast shipping, excellent product. Smaller than I expected even though I knew the measurements. FRN feels strong but extremely lightweight. XHP blade arrived sharp and will surely stay that way. I've been looking to replace my daily carry, a Gerber 06 Auto, with something more comfortable and legal since I got out of the military, looks like I chose wisely.

This chap is so light you'll forget it's there until you need it. Action is smooth, finish is great. The scales are grippy and comfortable. Steel is top notch and the thin stock makes it a real slicer. I may still slightly prefer the Dragonfly, but only just slightly.

This is my first Taichung Spyderco, and I am very impressed with the quality. Everything is perfectly fit and finished. The small size, thin handle, and light weight make it very easy to carry, but it's still comfortable to use due to the excellent ergonomics. Very sharp out of the box. The only "negative" is that the backlock is very stiff, making it uncomfortable to use, but I suppose that's the sacrifice for having such a thin knife.

Buying from BladeHQ was a pleasure as always. My order was shipped quickly, arrived quickly, and they even drew the picture I requested!

I was deciding between a delica and the chaparral. I went with the Chaparral for 2 primary reasons. 1st, CTS-XHP is way better than VG10. I also prefer the blade shape. Reminds me of a light weight Manix. I do not regret my choice at all. The little knife is light, strong, comfortable in the hand. I started the chaparral in my EDC rotation the day I got it.

Iove this small folder, very strong, and SHARP.....cts xhp steel is good to go too!
Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I think of this as a 'mini manix' - and it has become my goto every day carry now that I work in an office setting.

Pros: Lightweight, thin, deep carry, and great CTS-HXP steel. Don't let the FRN handle deter you - this is a high-quality item and feels that way - its built with steel liners! The subdued light grey handles are nice look as well.

Cons: My Delica now sits in a drawer and waits for the weekend.

Pros: very thin and easy to carry, GREAT slicer, super lightweight, solid lockup
Cons: backlock release is very stiff (needs two hands to close), wire pocket clip gets bent easily.
Overall I find myself going back to this knife again and again for EDC. No regrets buying this little guy.

Great knife for general cutting tasks. I like it because it is so thin and is slightly easier for me to hold than a dragonfly because it is a little wider and I have mild arthritis (especially when it's cold). Thin blade that just slices through almost anything beautifully. Mainly use it to open and collapse boxes. CTS-HXP also stays sharp for a long time.

No complaints except I wish it came in a variety of colors. Don't love the gray, would like a purple or blue.

I loved my Delica, but I sold it to buy this. It's better in almost every way! Way to go Spyderco!

This is a decent little knife. Great EDC option for smaller tasks. If you just want something that will disappear in your pocket, this is a winner. The FRN pattern looks cool and doesn't grab at your pants pocket when you're trying to get it out. Mine came centered and well constructed.

One thing, and the reason I give 4 stars, is that the lockback mechanism is so thin it cuts into my thumb a bit which makes it very uncomfortable to use. Also, like many Spyderco knives, this one was so stiff out of the box that it still hasn't even broken in to the point where I want to carry it every day. Also, the lockback is so tight that you really have to press hard to get it to release. No fun. In contrast, I got a Lil Native, and it's been in my pocket since the day I got it. Same size, better compression locking system, and just a better all around knife (IMHO).

As for the Spydie clip, I'm not a huge fan, so I removed it from this one, and put the Chaparral on my desk so I could use it from time to time in hopes of breaking it in slowly.

This knife is specifically carried for special occasions, because of its thin, sleek, and slim appearance. For basic edc carry it’s not the best option but I like it very much as a gent folder

I own about 15 Spyderco knives, and by FAR , this Spyderco Chaparral FRN is the absolute best! It is a very slim/low-profile knife, that is just amazingly perfect in every way. The blade material (cts-xhp) is unmatched by any other blade material I have tried so far. Not only is the whole knife thin, the blade is also thin (measuring at about 0.080" at the jinping) it slices extremely well. The absolute best slicer I have owed thus far, and once I got this knife, I finally felt "this is the only knife I really even need"... Awesome job on this one Spyderco! And I will pry be buying a second because I live this knife so much.

The fabled spyderco wire clip is a big disappointment, it gets easily bent if shifted in the pocket and makes a rattling sound. The lock back bar is sharp and uncomfortable to use, this from a guy that has no problems with a tri-ad lock. Everything else is excellent, especially the thin blade and geometry.