The Spyderco Ikuchi Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review

Today, we'll take a look at a very interesting little knife from Spyderco and Paul Alexander, the Spyderco Knives Ikuchi.

[@NickShabazz]

With apologies, when I looked up the price, I seem to have found the fake (MSRP) price rather than the real (MAP) price. This is one of many reasons why MAP needs to die in favor of just one damned price, but yes, the price at $130 is quite good!

[@NickShabazz]

A related rant: knifenews.com/knife-gripes-episode-45-map-mishap/

[@thesnakecharmer86]

Hey Nick, love the channel. I know you don’t tend to do theme videos but I have an idea for a video. I’m getting married in 6 months and am looking at getting my groomsmen a watch and a gentleman’s pocket knife as gifts. I’m really looking for ideas and right away I thought of you. Maybe a video giving some suggestions for this would help me out and some other poor saps with as little imagination as myself. Just a though. Thanks for everything Nick. Have a great day

[@mickkeim4142]

alejandro padilla...congrats Alejandro...

[@mickkeim4142]

Nick Shabazz ...thanks for the correction. Not sure if it would change my mind in a comparison...but the correction is appreciated.

[@chadfulton8686]

I was getting ready to say, Man, somebody got ripped off!

[@dylanbond1627]

This is the best knife channel on KZbin. Nick talks about the things that actually matter day-to-day and doesn't take himself, or the hobby, too seriously. Keep doing what you do, Nick.

[@stefs2512]

A master lock Nick? Lockpickinglawyer judges you

[@NickShabazz]

I have that lock for picking practice, don’t worry. Anything worth locking is worth an Abus at least :)

[@enrico3453453]

i love how they added a pivot bushing to the newer runs of these. makes it nice and smooth it drops shut now

[@sputumtube]

That Ikuchi is aching for some classy wooden handle scales.

[@trevor894]

This^^^ Will buy some for mine one day if available

[@chadpatten1343]

my kuchi is aching also

[@JustIn-op6oy]

That internal jimping is something I wish more designers/makers would try. It adds so much in terms of both functionality as well as aesthetic complexity.

[@davidmarshall7752]

"Drowning in small, elegant folders". Not a bad problem to have.

[@tonydavis5053]

Received mine today 11/26/19 it’s CQI version and it’s pretty much perfect it flicks out nicely the compression lock drops perfectly all of Nicks concerns + have been attended to and more, I am more than pleased with this knife and glad I waited!

[@y0giib34r]

Mine should arrive this Friday, glad to hear those issues have been resolved.

[@mattp3471]

Tony Davis Did you buy the new CQI version from BladeHQ?

[@y0giib34r]

@@mattp3471 I got the CQI version from Warriors and Wonders in Vancouver, BC.

[@tonydavis5053]

Yes it’s the CQI version and it fantastic!

[@HellGatefr2]

It's not real carbon though, damn shame for the price, such an expensive knife but S30V isn't that expensive... Kind of a rip off at launch price, but I guess if I get it for $130... pretty good ?

[@macknyver3407]

Closing pun proposal: “If you’re feeling fancy and looking for an interesting gentlemen’s folder, this i-Gucci may well be the one for you.”

[@dantem5228]

This is $130. Not $190. So much better value and nearly a gem due to that in itself. Kapara is much better but it's also $188.50. (both BHQ prices) Still a good review nonetheless. :)

[@brianhilligoss]

Dante Martin it’s msrp is $190

[@petergalione9704]

brian hilligoss I think Nick normally goes by the street price.

[@dantem5228]

@@petergalione9704 So wouldn't that mean that the Kapara goes for $290? It cant go only one way.

[@petergalione9704]

Dante Martin The Kapara has a street price of $190, and the Ikuchi has a street price of $130. That’s all I was getting at. I never really hear the MSRP mentioned in knife videos. Well, I’ve never noticed at least.

[@NickShabazz]

Yeah, my apologies, as I mentioned in the pinned post, I accidentally found the fake (MSRP) rather than the real (MAP) price. My apologies, that’s much better!@

[@Intoccib]

Nick you can check access to the tip with a 12mm diameter ball or similar (should not make contact), this is the method utilized by ISO 23908 for needle safety systems

[@jolness1]

I love thin knives like this with larger blades, the 940 has been one of my favorite EDCs for years because of that. I can carry it in any pocket no problem, even in my pocket with my wallet no problem.

[@briang530]

This just replaced a 16 year old 940 as my EDC on account weight, profile, and aesthetic. Mine's tip is a solid 1.5mm recessed into the handle, any complaint about opening or unlocking with sweaty big meathooks applies equally to the 949 imho.

[@ponchowizard5182]

Man, I want one of those Kaparas so bad!

[@geerts016]

The compression lock is a very appropriate size. If I bury my finger in it i can feel the blade just slightly. If they made it any bigger closing with momentum would be and issue. It’s very usable with my large hands, opening and closing.

[@jkstdstang]

The master lock bit was pure gold loved it

[@MrTJohnston]

Love how the blade goes completely into the handle. Like a kwaiken

[@leafywiggy4427]

Think this would make a good pruning knife in the grow tent?

[@jessruss40]

This knife with the ziptie killed me lol

[@tonyochoa7097]

I love my ikuchi,just one con,and unfortunately it happens to a big one these days-if your hand has the least little bit of moisture on it,LIKE HAND SANITIZER,it is vitually impossible to open

[@adamdenton605]

Please nick do a review on the lightweight para 3!! I know you’ve gotten one and I’m very interested in your disassembly video. Let’s just say that I’ve had some problems with mine.

[@gwcgwc1]

While I agree the laminated carbon fiber is kind of cheap, has a fantastic grippy texture compared to slippery CF. I didn't think I'd like it but it seems to work well on my Silverax so I assume it'd be fine for the Ikuchi.

[@zazuzonker]

Elegant ... yet kind of murdery too?

[@jimdandy8603]

Got mine at the start of the pandemic-couldnt use it because hand sanitizer made my fingers to oily,but its in my edc rotation nowits a sweet little piece

[@lotriguitarist]

thanks for the review, i just ordered a kapara because of it!

[@JustPorcupines]

The hole is for indexing. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing, but does have a practical purpose.

[@DapperDanLovesYou]

Reminds me of the Benchmade 940. Sleek, slim, lightweight, and simple. Definitely a contender against Benchmade as far as price per materials.

[@carlstanland5333]

Tip will absolutely get you. I posted a clip of my finger opening the blade by the tip, with blood. I still like it, I just have to be careful taking it out of pocket.

[@stevebrown7190]

Same thing happened to me

[@DrBlazer50]

Thanks for the review. I'm going to buy one and add custom Macassar ebony or black & white scales. Should look amazing and very classy

[@joshuanicolai4776]

I like the hole in the handle that lines up with the blade hole

[@isabellam1936]

I wish Spyderco would put the deep carry wired clips on more of their knives.

[@Case16710]

Speaking of small, elegant folders, I just got a Civivi McKenna. I really like it and think you will too. Would love to see your review of it.

[@johneckstein6912]

I agree. Very similar profile, but tip is well inside the handle, just under 3" blade but good amount of it sharpened, good G10 vs meh CF. Opens and closes beautifully. and less than $70.

[@coltonm6821]

Aaron at gideon's tactical said he sliced his finger open twice so it is definitely worth mentioning.

[@pitiedvod]

I think that is going to be added to my birthday list. I like it.

[@poland_stronk3044]

Best part about this knife is blade shape.

[@clintonlewis1663]

Cool knife, great review. 👍

[@azhawk516]

The tip is definitely in play on my copy. I have not cut myself, but I can feel it with the tip of my finger. However, when you are carrying the knife the blade is against the corner of the pocket, so the risk of touching the tip in normal carry is not an issue.

[@koljag5]

That lock hole works great as a lanyard loop too. Nice part is it holds onto the blade and handle.

[@ponchowizard5182]

The lawful good, the great, the neutral, the bad, the ugly and the chaotic evil.

[@davidmarshall7752]

Way too delicate and pointy for my daily requirements-- I don't need a Medford but I do want something I know will cut into pretty much any malleable material without an issue, and it's not always cardboard and fruit.

[@ocomegashadowstacking5886]

Wow really nice looking knife reviews!!! :D

[@brianhilligoss]

You can put a luggage lock through most axis locks that prevents the knife from opening.

[@davethebarber62920]

Who remembers that classic 2 Live Crew song "Ikuchi Pop"..... "I get hard after seeing you. How hard? Hard like a rock, when I see Ikuchi pop!

[@Soupcan13]

Ha ha ha I thought you were serious about the padlock... I was like geeeeeet out of here

[@hms-007]

love the knife great vid.

[@erikalvarez5303]

Maybe the holes on the scales is a place to put your fingers when flipping out the knife

[@1968gadgetyo]

No closing pun? Is this this the real Nick? Another outdoor gear reviewer did cut his finger with the tip. To him, it was a big deal. So it could be some manufacture tolerance issue?

[@ChuckBeefOG]

The master lock version is the Canadian edition.

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

Chuck Beef :- I understand the lighthearted attitude towards Canadians...no problem, eh? But just a bit of reality...Canadian knife laws are actually very "liberal" in that there are no blade length restrictions, EDC is quite common as Canadians as a whole are still very outdoor oriented. It is common to see open carry of fixed bladed knives everywhere in the less developed north, and pocket knives of any size can be found in Canadian pockets across the country. There are no national laws on assisted openers, one hand openers, locking blades, etc. Canadian border security is attempting to exercise some control over imports, but this does NOT affect carry. The only real restriction is with regards to automatics and Bali-songs. I believe there are more knife regulations in the U.S. than in Canada. Even firearms are misconstrued, as firearm ownership PER CAPITA, is higher in Canada than in the U.S. ( the difference being that in Canada the ownership of guns leans heavily towards long guns for hunting, & not pistols or revolvers).

[@geardawg1358]

The tip issue is not equal on all examples, I've had two, I know it is not a large sampling but on the two I've had one was fine, tip was stowed far enough you had to really try hard to contact it. The other was out enough to grab whatever passed near, be it flesh or cloth. I love the knife, the one with the more exposed tip was not difficult to remedy, but not everyone has the knowledge or skill to do so. I'd be surprised if Spyderco does not take a little more care in the second round of these. For the $130 price tag I think its a great knife.

[@11Shaa]

bwVids got me every time I reached for it!!!!

[@geardawg1358]

@@11Shaa The first one I had was bad as well, that tip is quite nasty when it grabs the flesh!

[@arthurrobertson1725]

I watched this entire review eagerly waiting to see what pun would be used for the Ikuchi... smh...SO disappointed :( Otherwaise excellent review as always...Well done!

[@john12334]

It hurt the finger when opening the knife very hard to open

[@moleb6341]

Get well soon, Nick!

[@michaelbarry5762]

Ivory scales would be awesome. Or mother of pearl

[@glockmeister26]

At $190 NO. At $130 heck yeah!

[@neroknives1828]

I got to Handel one at blade. Seemed cool

[@KakashiHatake-ou7mp]

Very interesting shape!

[@rileyroesler8260]

No post blade video? I’m pretty excited to see your thoughts on everything

[@jiakaiwang6367]

hey nick, where can i find your charity sale so i could purchase some of your knives after review? Thanks

[@matusknives]

Is it just the lightening you use, or does the blade really have such a coarse finish as it appears in the video?

[@EvilNick81]

It's the same finish as the Spyderco Amalgam blade .

[@pandabear631]

How about ikuchi Couchie coo…what a cute knife. There’s yur pun sir.

[@BCMZ]

Same thinks that happend with the crkt crossbone about the tip.

[@bernardandries]

Nice revieuw!

[@jacksonperocfrenchzfourtou4283]

agree with the cheap cf scales

[@sadbucket]

I want this a lil...

[@granmestre33]

Hope you review the CRKT CEO.

[@TheTimLara]

I hope you are going to autoclave the knife before the giveaway! ;)

[@bdcochran01]

1. thank you for the review. 2. beautiful gentleman's knife. 3. Not a 10% improvement over my original Enduras. 4. I will continue to buy and restore old Enduras.

[@djinnfree1]

Bought a brand new one today... flipping became hard hard after few opening...

[@markmessore5648]

This knife might just Ikuchi kuchi koo tickle your fancy?!?!?

[@pasquale78]

Best looking Spyderco, imho at least.

[@Probablyshouldnthave]

lock hole now required on all knives sold in California

[@justinholtman]

I got a leak then a benchmade 940-2 ?/ next is this I think

[@cordeliabelial808]

Sorta reminds me of a kwaiken

[@alpine1600s]

I like it. Just don't see $200 msrp, $130 retail. People, stop overpaying for your knives. This knife is not a $130 knife.

[@BrentonCarr]

Nick! Don't give Spyderco any ideas. $190 bucks! That would turn it into a shaman.

[@HellGatefr2]

This is a really beautiful knife, would really prefer to have real carbon fiber though...

[@johnnorris7384]

Hope it dont open in ur pocket!..put a spring on it..ill buy it.

[@jasonlarsen7747]

how can the flipper tab be the great thing about the knife and also the bad???

[@thomash4578]

Good for some people and bad for other people.

[@trevor894]

I paid $135 and love it for edc..... if they are $190 now that's alittle mehhh

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

He just got the price wrong, they are still around 130

[@trevor894]

@@deathbyastonishment7930 nice I got mine new in box from a forum so I wasn't completely sure .... I kinda figured it may have been a mistake though

[@ninemimesleft]

I think the lanyard goes through the spyderhole.

[@mostcertainlyno]

Ikuchi gang Ikuchi gang Ikuchi gang I was going to say this is way overpriced at $190 and that the Kapara is damn ugly. After reading the comments only one of those statements is true. Let’s hope that people realize what the correct price is and that fact gives this knife’s sales a Lil Pump. There’s your pun.

[@kablooie-vv5hf]

What?!!! No pun??? My day is ruined. thanks a lot nick:(

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

The gap between the spine of the blade and the handle when open looks terrible. Every time you showed the knife open it was like a slow blinking strobe light of ugliness. Poor design.

[@sapphirewizard]

cool design but too small height wise

[@darkcentury5676]

Spare ikuchi ma’am?

[@jakewelsh903]

that was good

[@seal7144]

Hehe nick said kuchi

[@paulzabit6520]

UGLY is Spyderco’s warranty support for their sprint runs & discontinued knives. Three times I needed warranty services & three times they couldn’t HELP !!! THANK YOU SPYDERCO

[@bach5780]

Did the price go up? Shouldn't we be talking about street prices here? If we are going msrp, the Kapara is not a good value.

[@frankyalvarez7160]

I can’t get past that name....

[@erhon5]

Oh yeah it it had custom scales I would get one instantly. I’m in the minority of people who don’t like carbon fiber... 🤯

[@toejamr1]

I think many people are with you on that crappy carbon laminate stuff.

[@NelliG22]

The 52100 Paramilitary 2 had those same scales. I couldn't stand the way they felt.

[@Sophocles13]

You're not even going to mention the horrible ergonomics on the top of the handle right where you'd normally want to put your thumb? The flipper concept is cool and all but it was not executed well because that whole area of the handle btw the compression lock and the spine of the blade is an ergonomic nightmare, especially considering it was designed by a mechanical engineer...ugly.

[@briandourn2900]

Lock picking lawyer would dispute the level of security provided by your master lock choice 😀

[@willieboy3011]

Blade

[@chefpenguin5150]

"LBF"

[@MH-ls1xi]

Looks like a filleting knife

[@DanDannyDanielleBob]

I want this but

[@DanDannyDanielleBob]

I moved and 3" is no longer a concern. The fact that I am commenting on my own comment proves that I find this interesting. On the buy list for sure, and in better materials it would be higher in priority. This would look great in s90v and cocobolo

[@patrickdougan4066]

You funny.

[@RobertSpitzer]

Ikuchi coochee coo

[@jcolterh]

Trim a little off the tip? Oy vey!

[@murrayannandale]

Lol, the phallic jokes continue. This really looks like a knife made by a decision that went something like: yeah OK it's Friday let's try it, don't worry about testing it at all. Just drill through it and send it out. Now roll me another...

[@markcomisky7106]

Covid

[@kerryrwac]

Ikuchi coochie coo . . . who's a pretty knife . . .