Recently, Spartan Blades announced the release of a new collaboration project called the Spartan-Ronin Torii. For this knife, they partnered with Tu Lam of Ronin Tactics.
Who is Spartan Blades?
Curtis Iovito and Mark Carey, two retired Green Berets, founded Spartan Blades in 2008. They have well over 40 years of combined military experience. In other words, they are people who know from real-world, hard-won experience what works and what doesn’t in a knife. The goal from day one was to design and create high-quality knives that are suitable for both civilian and military use. Over the years, they’ve earned a reputation for hard-use knives that look as well as they perform.
One of the hallmarks of Spartan Blades is their frequent collaboration projects. They’ve worked with a number of well-known designers, including William Harsey, Jr., and Les George. Tu Lam is a decorated former Green Beret who has combat experience from all over the world. He is a true warrior in every sense of the term. He took all of that experience and poured it into the design of this knife. It’s a tactical blade, pure and simple.
The Spartan-Ronin Torii
The name of the Spartan-Ronin Torii pays homage to Torii Station in Okinawa, Japan. Curtis Iovito, Mark Carey, and Tu Lam all served there together. Known as C-1-1 or the CIF, which is the CINC’s Extremist Force, the unit has a strong reputation for its skills in CQB and sniper tactics, as well as overall ingenuity. The goal was for the Torii knife to embody the same excellence and precision as their unit.
Spartan-Ronin Torii Specs
The Spartan-Ronin Torii is a full 11.5 inches from end to end, with a blade stretching 6.5 inches. It’s 0.1875 inches thick at the spine. The D2 steel has been hardened to 58-60 HRC. This is a blade that will retain a great edge for a long time. It is treated with a black powder coat to enhance corrosion resistance. The blade has a trailing point profile, with a subtle but distinct curve from end to end.
Weighing 8.4 pounds, the Spartan-Ronin Torii isn’t a lightweight by any stretch. But at the same time, this isn’t a blade you’ll use to peel apples or dice onions, though it’s certainly capable of those chores in a pinch.
The Spartan-Ronin Torii comes with a secure sheath. It’s equipped with two MOLLE/belt attachments, giving the user options as to how they want to carry it. Combined with the knife’s inherent ergonomic design, rapid deployment is all but guaranteed.
The Spartan-Ronin Torii’s handle material is contoured and formed G10. It’s available in either straight black or a red/black combo. The shape of the handle allows for instant indexing and the texturing keeps the knife secure in your grip in any conditions, even when wet.
If you’re looking for an heirloom quality knife, one that is ready to tackle virtually anything you want to take on, then the Spartan-Ronin Torii might be just the ticket. You can find it here at the Spartan Blades website or here at DLT Trading.
[All images courtesy Spartan Blades.]
