C05 Economy/Standard
The C05, originally named "Economy", was Spyderco's first model designed with a low-cost objective. The name was later (year?) changed to "Standard".
To reduce the production costs the initial variation introduced in 1984 featured:
- AUS-6 blade
- thinner, and less polished scales than other stainless steel handle models of the same time
- a clip directly punched out of the handle
Due to the similarities in size and shape of the blade the C05 is often viewed as the predecessor of the C11 Delica, another model targeting low production costs introduced a few years after the Economy. The C05 continued to be popular and was not discontinued until about 1995. In the early 90s (?) the C05 was updated with thicker scales, a screwed clip, and "regular" polishing of the handles.
A project started at Spyderco to replace the C05 resulted in the C52 Calypso Jr., and in 1996 a Delica variation (C43 Delica II) with stainless steel handles was introduced.
The C05 Standard was reissued in 1998 with G-10 handles and an ATS-55 blade, but discontinued shortly afterwards due to low number of sales[1].
Appearance in catalogs
The C5 Economy/Standard appeared at least in the following catalogs (older, newer):
- 1986 Spyderco price list
- 1990 Spyderco Products
- 1993 Spyderco Products
- 1994 Spyderco Products
- 1998 Spyderco Products
- 1999 Spyderco Products
Designer
Spyderco
History, mentionings etc. from the forums
- Remark by Sal about the G-10 Standard on the Spyderco forums.
- "Standard model variations?" thread on the Spyderco forums.
Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web
Not listed.
Variations
The C05 Economy/Standard is made in Seki-City, Japan, and has a
- Back Lock locking mechanism
| SKU | Handle | Edge(s) | Steel | MSRP | Note | Number made | Grind | Clip | Collectors club |
| C05P | Stainless Steel | PE | AUS-6 | 29.95$ (1986) | 1984-199? | N/A | Hollow? | Punched out clip, right and left hand versions, tip-down | |
| C05S | Stainless Steel | SE | AUS-6 | 29.95$ (1986) | 1984-199? | N/A | Hollow? | Punched out clip, right and left hand versions, tip-down | |
| C05 | Stainless Steel | PE? SE? | AUS-6 | ? | 199?-1995 (?) | N/A | Hollow? | Metal clip, right and left? hand, tip-down | |
| C05S | Stainless Steel | SE | GIN-1/G-2 | ? | ~1992-1994(?), G-2 stamp on blade[2] | N/A | Hollow | Punched out clip, right and left? hand versions, tip-down | |
| C05GP | Black G-10 | PE | ATS-55 | 114.95$ (1998) | 1998-1999, sub-variations with zero, one, or two liners(?) | N/A | Hollow | Metal clip, right hand, tip-down | |
| C05GS | Black G-10 | SE | ATS-55 | 114.95$ (1998) | 1998-1999, sub-variations with zero, one, or two liners(?) | N/A | Hollow | Metal clip, right hand, tip-down |
Most collectible variation
Questions regarding collecting the C05
Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to:
Questions with an answer:
Technical information
Measurements (mm and grams) of the C05 Economy/Standard:
| Variation | Length overall | Length closed | Length blade | Length edge | Hole Ø | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C05 SS punched out clip | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| C05 SS metal clip | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| C05 G-10 (1999) | 165mm | ? | 71mm | ? | ? | ? | 79g |
Measurements (inches and ounces) of the C05 Economy/Standard:
| Variation | Length overall | Length closed | Length blade | Length edge | Hole Ø | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C05 SS punched out clip | 6 1/2" | ? | 2 7/8" | 2 3/8" | ? | 1/8" | 3.84oz |
| C05 SS metal clip | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| C05 G-10 (1999) | 6 1/2" | ? | 2 7/8" | ? | ? | ? | 2.75oz |
