Spyderco Siren review is going to be another unique review of the Spyderco knives because it was designed specifically for fishing and watersport activities by a professional Kayak fisherman Lance Clinton. It is a full service folding knife designed in collaboration with Spyderco. This means that it is not a production knife, but rather a limited edition designer knife or you can say task specific knife. When I got my hands on it, I wasn’t fishing nor camping, therefore, I used it as EDC and my review is also about how good Spyderco Siren as EDC?
Spyderco Siren G10 Black Folding Knife
The Spyderco only released two versions of the Spyderco Siren. One is Siren Carbon Fiber CPM S90V (420V) Sprint Run, while the other is Siren G10 LC200N. Although both the folder knives are limited edition, you can get Siren G10 LC200N on a special discount from the Chicago Knife Works and can get you 2 free gifts items + Free shipping as well. Spyderco website offers $195 instead of the regular $302.50 MSRP But as mentioned you will get Spyderco Siren C247GP for 192.5$ as on date when I’m writing this review.
The Siren Carbon Fiber CPM S90V (420V) Sprint Run costs $345, and is currently out of stock. We do not know when it will be back in stock, so our focus in this Spyderco Siren Review will be on Siren G10 LC200N SKU C247GP.
The LC200N is ultra-corrosion-resistant non-slip steel blade material accompanied by the coarse-textured G10 scales with a stout back lock mechanism and an integral guard. The blue accent layer around the edges of the handle add to the external beauty and style of the knife with a matte black reversible pocket clip for quick access and secure carry.
The overall length of the Spyderco Siren knife is close to a fixed-blade knife of 8.73” with a handle length of 5.14” and the blade length of 3.63” with a full-flat grind. However, it only weighs 3.4 oz. and comes with a back lock and the Spyder thumb hole for deployment. Made in the US, the Siren comes with a tip-up ambidextrous wire pocket clip position.
Key Specifications of Spyderco Siren
The LC200N Blade of Spyderco Siren
The LC200N is the most distinguishing feature of Spyderco Siren. It has a high edge retention compared to its predecessor H1 blade steel, is rust-proof, and is easy to sharp with a well-defined grind line at the base of the blade like the Spyderco SpydieChef. It could be because of the blade finishing from the manufacturing, but is not a deal breaker. The blade thickness of 0.13” is also pretty standard for a knife of this length and material and makes it a great EDC slicer.
Another great thing about this blade is that it won’t budge if left in acidic compound or saltwater.
LC200N Steel Composition
| Carbon | 0.30% |
| Chromium | 15% |
| Molybdenum | 0.95% |
| Manganese | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.5% |
| Nitrogen | 0.5% |
The shape of the blade is a drop-point, which is very common among good Spyderco knives, and is able to hold the edge for a considerable amount of time.
However, the length of the blade, 3.63” could be frustrating for those living in States which only allow a blade length of 3.5” and under.
The hardness of LC200N is around 58-60HRC, which is the equivalent of a high-end premium knife.
At the price of $195, it is a good bargain. At the same time, it also has decent wear resistance, which means the blade does not deform any time soon from cutting tasks. Therefore, I have zero complaints with this blade.
The Handle, Ergonomics, Pocket Clip and Finishing of Spyderco Siren G10
The G10 handle is an excellent choice for the handle of Spyderco Siren. It is grippy and well-textured with contoured edges, soft to touch yet tough. The shape of the handle is ideal for boating and fishing adventures, since it was made keeping in mind the watersports.
It is very similar to the Emerson folding knife when it comes to the hold quality. You can also use it with wet or slippery hands, as well as with gloves, as it was designed for such purpose. The large flare at the top of the handle is what prevents the hands from slipping from the handle. Furthermore, the G10 is well-chamfered without any glaring hot spots. Therefore, the ergonomics on this knife are great!
The knife profile is also quite perpendicular and is easy to take apart with its T6 and T8 screws. It also means that cleaning the knife is not as challenging. Instead of the skeletonized stainless steel liners, there are blue liners inside the knife to give it a blue watersports aesthetic pop, easy to spot.
The ambidextrous pocket clip with a cutout on each side of the handle makes it easy to carry in the back or front pocket while ensuring a secure hold while being discreet.
The black matte finish is also a good added touch, since it will not come off easily.
There is also a small lanyard hole just below the pocket clip, which can be very helpful with outdoor adventures.
The only drawback of this handle is that the opening hole and spine of the blade is not smooth, making the blade sharp in the wrong edges.
It is basically a manufacturing fault when tooling the LC200N steel.
The Siren also comes with phosphorus bronze washers in the pivot, which is pretty standard in most Spyderco knives. It also adds to the corrosion resistance of the knife.
It was also easy to hook on to the pocket, making it easy to carry and discreet.
The balance of the pocket clip is also quite secure. It will not accidently fall out so easily.
The Deployment and Lockup of Spyderco Siren’s Lock Back
The lock back or the back lock is one of the simplest and most common locks on Spyderco knives. It is easy to operate with wet or slippery hands, works with both right and left hands, and never fails with frequent opening and closing action.
The name itself suggests how this lock works. Since it is places at the back of the knife, there is absolutely no blade play involved. The lock up is solid and stays in place unless unlocked or disengaged either by the locking mechanism or the thumb-hole.
The free dropping blade once the knife is disengaged is another added point. It may not be comfortable for all folding knife users, since it means you can’t use it in a pivotal position, but I find it quite useful at this price point. However, it does resist being flicked open, but is easy to deploy.
The Spyder-hole deployment method works just as smoothly and with either hands. It also passes the wet hand test.
Field Test of Spyderco Siren G10 LC200N
We tried the Spyderco Siren with a field test. Otherwise, the Spyderco Siren review would be incomplete. We wanted to see if it is as good as first impressions and quality materials. However, we did not go fishing or on any water adventure. So, we carried out some EDC tasks, starting with food preparation.
As expected, the knife did not give way to cutting up acidic fruits and vegetables, like oranges, lemons, tomatoes, etc. We even left the knife in the mid acid, but nothing happened to it. Similarly, we cut up cucumbers, carrots, garlic, ginger, etc. without any problem. The cuts were well-proportioned. However, we did notice the back lock shifting once it reached the end of its cut at the bottom of the cucumber slice. When held normally, the back locks had a little movement from back to front. When gripped tightly, the back lock has the tendency to disengage the blade lock. This is not good because it makes the knife less secure.
Next, we tried sack cutting.
Here also, the action was smooth and did not require much force. It also proved the knife’s edge retention and was able to punch a hole through the sack in one go. That made the cutting and slashing much easier.
It was easier to poke small holes in the dry wooden sticks before slicing off the wooden chips. It did not require much force and cut put precise sheets, as much as the wooden stick would allow.
However, when it came to cutting and slicing through cardboard boxes, especially when stacked together, the edge gave a little way. But I was not the only one with this problem. Apparently, many other users reported the same problem with LC200N, even on SpydieChef. The cardboard shaving was not as sharp as one might expect, even with a piece of smooth paper without tearing it up.
The way I see it, it was a manufacturing fault. Maybe the plant in Golden, Colorado needs to learn not to burn the edge on LC200N. Another possibility is that the heat treatment did not go well, so the edge wasn’t as sharp to begin with.
We suspect that the Siren is good only for fishing and food preparation tasks for which it was designed, and not for all the EDC tasks. It could be a turn off for some, as you’d expect a $195 knife to cover a wider aspect of being an EDC knife.
Pros & Cons of Spyderco Siren
PRO’s
Con’s
Comparisons
Comparing Spyderco Siren with Caribbean
The Spyderco Siren shares many qualities with Spyderco Caribbean. Both have G10 handle scales and LC200N steel blade, and both are currently on sale! Both the knives are over 8” long, but the Caribbean has a bigger blade and smaller handle as compared to the Spyderco Siren.
However, the Spyderco Caribbean is of Taiwan origin and has a compression lock. The compression lock of the Caribbean is not as smooth as the back lock of the Siren, but works just fine. The Caribbean is also more left-handed friendly. So if you are left-handed, you may want to keep that in mind. It is also available in drop-point and sheepsfoot blade, and in Plain or Serrated edge.
The honeybee appearance of the Caribbean also sets it apart from other knives. And instead of the blue liners on Siren, Caribbean has the standard skeletonized stainless steel liners, making it a high-strength compression lock with a reversible titanium hourglass clip.
When it comes down to it, both the knives are great. However, the only difference is in price. The Caribbean is more expensive than Siren, at $232.88 on sale. On the other hand, the nature of use also depends. If you want a knife for fishing or watersports, then Siren is your best bet. And Caribbean works well as an EDC folding knife.
Spyderco Siren vs Pacific Salt 2
The Pacific Salt 2 and Atlantic Salt are very similar to Spyderco Siren. They have the same LC200N steel blade and comes in either Plain Edge or Serrated Edge blades, with a length of 3.5”, and costs only $100. However, they weigh less than Siren, less than 3oz. and are made in Japan. It has a better fit and finish than Siren.
The Spyderco Salt 2 may be a good alternative to Siren. It is cheaper, has better fit and finish, and weighs less. However, we cannot say much about the performance of these knives since we haven’t reviewed them yet.
Concluding Thoughts on Spyderco Siren G10 LC200N
The Spyderco Siren review shows us that it is a good mid-tier folding knife. Its blade and handle materials are excellent. However, its finish is not that great, and the lockup is also shaky. It does not hold its pivotal position and the blade is sharp around the edges of the handle.
We found during our field test that the Siren is good for food preparation, including fishing and watersports activities, for which it was initially designed. But it did not perform well when cutting paper and cardboard. Therefore, you may only want the Siren for its purposed intention and use.
When comparing to the Caribbean and Salt, Siren seems like a good choice over Caribbean when it comes to price. However, the Salt is much cheaper, is of Japanese origin and has a better fit and finish. Moreover, the Caribbean and Siren are both on sale, so you may want to take advantage of it before it runs out of stock, since they are limited edition knives. And Siren is now only left with one available variant.
