The Back Door: Spartan Blades Zelos Auto, 3.25" CPM S35VN Black PVD, Black Mil-Anodized Aluminum, Carbon Fiber Clip - Made in USA (SF9BKBK) (Trade In)

The Back Door entry. Used. No fall damage. Has the box.

Spartan Blades Zelos automatic, 3.25 inch S35VN under black PVD, on black Mil-Anodized aluminum, with the carbon fiber clip.

Spartan does not sell direct and the Zelos only comes in one finish, so these are not easy to find sitting on a shelf. Look the photos over before you buy.

Condition, Both Sides of It

The previous owner tells us it was never used or carried and has sat in his safe in the box since he bought it. We believe him. We also found slight marks on the body when we went over it, so we are calling it used with light wear rather than new, because we would rather you be pleasantly surprised than disappointed. No fall damage. It has the box and the carbon fiber clip.

Specifications

• Condition: Used, light marks on the body, never carried per the previous owner
• Brand: Spartan Blades
• Model: Zelos Automatic
• SKU: SF9BKBK
• Blade Length: 3.25 in
• Overall Length: 8.00 in
• Blade Thickness: 0.153 in
• Blade Steel: CPM S45VN, double deep-cryo heat treated
• Blade Style: Drop point
• Blade Finish: Black PVD
• Handle Material: Black Mil-Anodized 6061 aluminum
• Action: Automatic
• Pocket Clip: Carbon fiber
• Carry: Tip up or tip down
• Includes: Box
• Fall Damage: None
• Country of Origin: Made in USA (North Carolina)

Why This One Stands Out

• Spartan sells dealer only, so there is no buying one direct and no discount hunting
• Folders are built to order on roughly a ninety day cycle, and this one is here now
• S35VN with a double deep-cryo heat treat
• Carbon fiber clip rather than the titanium option
• Has the box

Ninety Days, or Today

Spartan builds everything to order in small batches because the alternative does not work. One model with two blade colors and two sheath options is forty units just to cover the SKUs, and they make a lot of models. Fixed blades run about three weeks. Folders are closer to ninety days. That is the real argument for a used one.

The Lockup

Worth being straight about this, because dealers are not consistent on it. Spartan does not name the lock on their own page. What they say is that the frame gives "a lockup in the open position rarely found in automatic openers." Some dealers call it a button lock. We are not going to tell you it is something Spartan has not said it is. What is not in dispute is that it locks up tight, which is the part that matters.

S45VN and the Cryo Treatment

S45VN is a powder stainless with more chromium and niobium than the S35VN it replaced, so you get better corrosion resistance and better edge stability at the same toughness. The double deep-cryo step takes the steel well below freezing twice during heat treat, which converts more of the retained austenite and gets you closer to the hardness the alloy is capable of. It is an extra step most shops skip.

An Automatic

Automatics are restricted in a number of states and cities. Worth checking your state and local law before you order.

About Spartan Blades

Two retired Special Forces soldiers, Curtis Iovito and Mark, cleaned out a barn in February of 2008 and made thirty knives. They were told to move to Oregon because you cannot make knives in North Carolina. They stayed, and built a supply chain inside the state instead. Steel is water jet cut in Monroe, heat treated in High Point, and coated in Greensboro. Five Haas mills do the machining, and everybody in the building is either a veteran or grew up local.

We Toured the Shop

The Great American Knife Tour™ visited Spartan Blades in North Carolina.

About The Back Door

The Back Door is where trade ins, returns, blems, demos, and one-offs go. Everything in it is described plainly, so you know exactly what you are getting and why it is here.

Proudly carrying American