On a recent gravel ride with my Salsa Journeyer, I broke it… kind of.
I ended up with a cattle gate blocking the trail, so over the gate I went. First went the bike. I lifted it over and leaned it against the gate, only to watch it fall over as I climbed across myself.
After a careful inspection, I noticed the derailleur was bent. I straightened everything out trailside and finished the ride, but later that day I loaded the bike up and headed over to Crank Works Bicycles to have my Journeyer looked over. I also had a couple of other things that needed attention.
My buddy Mark and his wife Patricia own the shop, and whenever I have bicycle needs, they get my business. If you aren’t supporting your friends’ small businesses, you should probably re-evaluate your life.
While Mark had my bike apart assessing what parts needed to be repaired or upgraded, I noticed one of his mechanics, Bob, had two knife clips hanging out of his right front pocket.
As any Knife Enabler would do, I had to ask.
Turns out Bob has been carrying the 93mm Spyderco Rescue for the last 20 years or so. Also riding in his pocket was a Milwaukee utility knife.
As someone who appreciates vintage knives, especially old Spydercos, I always enjoy seeing knives still out in the wild getting used daily instead of sitting in a display case somewhere.
Based on my digging through Blade Forums, Spydiewiki, and Spyderco Knives, it appears this specific variation of the Rescue was introduced sometime in the mid-1990s. The knife was originally designed for emergency service professionals, and Spyderco described it this way:
“Cutting during emergency situations requires that Save and Serve Professionals have a readily accessible knife and are able to quickly and safely cut around people in hectic surroundings. Performance, ergonomics and comfortable use are all key elements needed in a rescue knife.”
Even though the Spyderco Rescue was marketed toward “Save and Serve Professionals,” it’s pretty obvious the knife found its way into plenty of other pockets over the years. I guess we can now add bicycle mechanic to the list.
You never really know what knife you’re going to find in a Knife Enabler’s pocket.
A huge thank you to Bob for sharing his knife with me. Here’s to another 20 years of that Spyderco helping you through tough situations.
Make it your Absolute Intent to be better today than you were yesterday.