C63 James A. Keating Chinook
The C63 Chinook was introduced in
Appearance in catalogs
The C63 Chinook appeared in the following catalogs:
Designer
James Keating
History, mentionings from the forums etc.
Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web
C63G3:
"James A. Keating is a Master-At-Arms and acclaimed knife designer. He joined forces with Spyderco several years ago to develop a knife called the Chinook. The original design has since been refined, tweaked and upgraded several times and has a new name, the James Keating Chinook 3.
Like the original, the Chinook 3 is an ace in the field or as a martial arts knife where hard-use is a certainty. Lock strength requirements are higher for an outdoor or martial arts folder so the Chinook 3's back-lock is one of the strongest found on any Spyderco folder. The G-10 handle blankets a pair of full-length steel liners nested inside which are skeletonized for strength without added weight. Jimping (texturing) on the blade's spine generates tactile resistance keeping the knife slip-free and keeping the hand controlled and connected on the handle. Classified as a modified Bowie, the CPM S30V blade has also been upgraded to fully flat-ground from the cutting edge to spine. A four-way clip carries tip-up or down and left or right-handed for several draw options.
Made in Golden, Colorado U.S.A. Earth"
The C63 Chinook 3 in Spyderco's online store.
C63G4:
"Designed by acclaimed personal-defense expert Master at Arms James Keating, the original Spyderco Chinook distilled the quintessential qualities of the classic American Bowie Knife into an amazingly capable all-purpose folding knife. The revolutionary fourth-generation Chinook 4 not only revives that groundbreaking design, but elevates it to all-new levels of perfection. Leaner, sleeker, and faster than its predecessors, the Chinook 4’s sinuous lines feature a dramatically swept full-flat-ground clip-point blade crafted from CPM® S30V® stainless steel. Its signature handle, which “brackets” the hand for a rock-solid grip, is built with skeletonized full stainless steel liners, a stainless back spacer, and high-traction textured G-10 scales. Longer and narrower than the original handle design, it is also home to a patented Power Lock™—an advanced lock mechanism that combines extreme strength with ultra-smooth operation. A reversible hourglass clip provides convenient left or right-side tip-up carry and a lines lanyard hole allows the easy attachment of lanyards and fobs. They also complement the symmetrical lines and fully accessible Trademark Round Hole™ in the blade to make every aspect of the carry and operation of the Chinook 4 completely ambidextrous."
The C63 Chinook 4 in Spyderco's online store.
Variations
| SKU | Handle | Edge(s) | Steel | From/To | MSRP | Note | Lock | Number made | Grind | Clip | Clip positions | Collectors club |
| C63GP | Black G-10 | PE | 440C Clip Point Blade | 2000-2003 | White box, pinned construction, James Keating signature laser engraved on blade, no bug, narrow spaced jimping on spine behind Spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3-Screw with hole | LH/RH, TU | Variant | |
| C63GS | Black G-10 | PE | 440C Clip Point Blade | 2000-2003 | White box, pinned construction, James Keating signature laser engraved on blade, no bug, narrow spaced jimping on spine behind Spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3-Screw with hole | LH/RH, TU | Variant | |
| C63GPS | Black G-10 | PE | 440C Clip Point Blade | 2000-2003 | White box, pinned construction, James Keating signature laser engraved on blade, no bug, narrow spaced jimping on spine behind Spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3-Screw with hole | LH/RH, TU | Main | |
| C63GP | Black G-10 | PE | CPM-S30V Clip Point Blade | 2003- | $167.95 (2003) | Chinook 2: Grey box, screw construction, James Keating signature laser engraved on blade, no bug, widely spaced jimping on spine above Spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3- screw old standard clip | LH/RH, TU | Variant |
| C63GPS | Black G-10 | PE | CPM-S30V Clip Point Blade | 2003- | $167.95 (2003) | Chinook 2: Grey box, screw construction, James Keating signature laser engraved on blade, no bug, widely spaced jimping on spine above spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3- screw old standard clip | LH/RH, TU | Variant |
| C63G3 | Black G-10 | PE | CPM-S30V Clip Point Blade | Chinook 3: has bug logo, James Keating signature moved to reverse side, widely spaced jimping on spine above Spyderhole | Back Lock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3- screw old standard clip | LH/RH, TU | Main | ||
| C63G4 | Black G-10 | PE | CPM-S30V Clip Point Blade | Sept. 2017 | 339.95$ (2017) | Chinook 4: skeletonized stainless steel liners | PowerLock | Regular Production | Full Flat | Black 3-Screw with hole | LH/RH, TU | Main |
Most collectible variation
Questions regarding collecting the C63
Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to:
Questions with an answer:
Technical information
Measurements (mm and grams) of the C63 Chinook:
| Variation | Length overall | Length closed | Length blade | Length edge | Hole Ø | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C63 | |||||||
| C63G4 | 226mm | 127mm | 99mm | 93mm | 3.5mm | 159g |
Measurements (inches and ounces) of the C63 Chinook:
| Variation | Length overall | Length closed | Length blade | Length edge | Hole Ø | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C63 | |||||||
| C63G4 | 8.89" | 5.00" | 3.89" | 3.68" | 0.138" | 5.6oz |
References
