Warrior Steel!

Back in 2008, Spartan Blades was the vision of two Army Special Forces veterans looking for a livelihood after their service to our country. Co-owners Curtis Iovito and Mark Carey walked up to the door of the cutlery industry and kicked it in. Their reputation among the Spec Ops community and a bevy of rock solid knife designs set Spartan Blades on the right course from the get-go and they’ve never looked back.

They started out manufacturing fixed-blade designs, but within a few years entered the burgeoning tactical folder market and, once again, gained quick success. The Kranos tactical folder featured here took home the coveted 2017 American Made Knife of the Year at the 2107 Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kranos is the Greek word for “helmet.” Look closely at the handle of this sleek folder and you’ll see a stylized Spartan helmet cleverly designed into the Kranos’ sleek, anodized titanium and carbon fiber frame. The blade, which deploys via a flipper, is a graceful 3.4-inch S35VN stainless steel drop point in a stonewash finish. At 8.4 inches in overall length—5 inches of the total in the handle—the Kranos is a full-size tactical folder, but one which conceals well in the pocket thanks to a trim profile. A sturdy frame-lock mechanism on the backside keeps the blade firmly locked in place and an elegant sculpted pocket clip shaped like an arrow completes the package.

Spartan Blades’ Kranos is considered a production folder but it has the fine machine work, impeccable fit, and superior finish of a top-shelf custom. For all practical purposes, it is. Starting at $515, the Kranos isn’t for the faint of budget, but customs of this quality easily run twice its price. The Kranos is a warrior in every sense of the word!