C69 Lil' Temperance

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The C69 Lil' Temperance started as a folding version of the Temperance fixed blade design.

Appearance in catalogs

The C69 Lil' Temperance appears in the following catalogs:

  • 2002 Spyderco Product Guide (C69GP and C69GP2)
  • 2003 Spyderco Product Guide (C69GP, C69GS, C69GP2 and C69GS2)
  • 2004 Spyderco Product Guide (C69GP and C69GS)
  • 2017 Spyderco Product Guide (C69GP3)

Designer

Sal Glesser [1]

History, mentionings from the forums etc.

On the Spyderco forums:

Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web

C69 Lil' Temperance/Lil' Temperance 2

"A little temperance is a good thing" -- Sal Glesser, Spyderco's founder.

The Lil' Temperance folder was designed to deliver high-performance, no-nonsense features needed for MBC or a heavily used EDC. Using the name 'Lil' is a play on words, as the features this model offer are those commonly found on large knives: An MBC strength rated, superior materials, ergonomics all in 'Lil' compact package.

Features include: A socially friendly three inches of CPM S30V blade that is flat-ground. By keeping the blade small to medium in size, the model draws less interest when taken out and used in public. It's also thicker than most production blades at 4mm, with the diameter of the Spyderco Round Hole enlarged to 14mm for big or gloved hands. Recessed contouring milled out of the green G-10 handle and a prominent quillion provide substantial grip surface with enough angles to really wrap the hand around, hold on tightly and muscle down while cutting. Because the folder is for heavy use and MBC applications it has a Compression Lock -- the strongest, highest weight bearing locking system Spyderco manufactures. To lessen wear and tear on a pocket, the clip is rolled along the edges and positions tip-up or down. Three indexing divots (these are mirrored on the opposite side of the handle as well) are for rotating hand-holds during MBC practice and drills. A real scrapper designed to be overworked and still fall within legal blade length limits in most municipalities.

Made in Golden, Colorado.

The C69 Lil' Temperance/Lil' Temperance 2 in Spyderco's online catalog.


C69 Lil' Temperance 3

"Spyderco’s original Lil’ Temperance and Lil’ Temperance 2 took the high-performance qualities of our iconic Temperance™ fixed blade and distilled them into a powerhouse folding knife. Now the Lil’ Temperance 3 revives this classic design in a leaner, simpler form that is ideal for both utilitarian and personal-defense use.

The Lil’ Temperance 3’s broad, leaf-shaped blade is full-flat ground from CPM S30V particle metallurgy stainless steel, giving it an incredible balance of strength, edge geometry, corrosion resistance, and low-friction cutting performance. Its minimal ricasso (the unbeveled portion of the blade near its base) maximizes the length of the cutting edge, while a fully accessible Trademark Round Hole™ allows high-speed one-handed opening of the blade with either hand.

Spyderco’s patented Compression Lock™ mechanism locks the blade securely open during use and also allows safe, easy, one-handed closing. This high-strength lock is built on a foundation of sturdy stainless steel liners nested into CNC-machined recesses in the handle’s textured G-10 scales. In keeping with the design’s original spirit as a potential personal-defense tool, each scale includes a single indexing “divot” that aligns precisely with the concave portion of the knife’s four-position pocket clip to provide a pivot axis for grip-change maneuvers. The clip itself is Spyderco’s time-tested hourglass design and can be easily configured for either left or right-side, tip-up or tip-down carry.

The Lil’ Temperance 3 is both a rebirth and a significant evolution of a true Spyderco classic. It faithfully honors the spirit of the original design, while incorporating a number of significant refinements that make it even more functional and capable."

The C69 Lil' Temperance 3 in Spyderco's online catalog.


Variations

The C69 Lil' Temperance uses

C69 Lil' Temperance

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C69GP Milled green G-10 PE CPM-440V 2001-2002 199.95$ (2002) Leaf shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. Used CPM-440V steel through at least early 2002, possibly later. The earliest ones came in the Spyderco white box, but switched to the grey box as early as Jan. 2002. Regular production Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU Main
C69GP Milled green G-10 PE CPM-S30V 2003-2004 199.95$ (2015) Leaf shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. Switched to CPM-S30V steel sometime in 2002 or 2003 (2002 catalog shows 440V, while 2003 lists S30V). Regular production Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU N/A
C69GS Milled green G-10 SE CPM-S30V 2003-2004 199.95$ (2003) Leaf shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. Regular production Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU Variant?

C69 Lil' Temperance 2

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C69GP2 Milled green G-10 PE CPM-440V 2001-2002 199.95$ (2002) Trailing point shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. Used CPM-440V steel through at least early 2002, possibly later. The earliest ones came in the Spyderco white box, but switched to the grey box as early as Jan. 2002. Regular production Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU Variant
C69GP2 Milled green G-10 PE CPM-S30V 2003 199.95$ (2003) Trailing point shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. Switched to CPM-S30V steel sometime in 2002 or 2003 (2002 catalog shows 440V, while 2003 lists S30V). Regular production Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU N/A
C69GS2 Milled green G-10 SE CPM-S30V 2003 199.95$ (2003) Trailing point shaped blade. Made in Golden, CO. It's possible that, while listed in the product and pricing guides in 2003, this serrated version was never produced. 0? Full Flat Silver 3-hole custom clip with "SAL" makers mark. RH, TD/TU Variant?

C69 Lil' Temperance 3

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C69GP3 Black G-10 PE CPM-S30V Mar. 2017-Sept. 2019 319.95$ (2017) Leaf shaped blade. Made in Seki-City, Japan. Regular production Full Flat Black 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Main

Most collectible variation

Questions regarding collecting the C69

Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to: Was the C69GS2 ever put into production?

Questions with an answer: Q: What is the "Rhino horn" Lil' Temp I've read about? A: The term "Rhino horn" is just another name for the trailing point blade shape.

Technical information

Measurements (mm and grams) of the C69 Lil' Temperance

Variations Length overall Length closed Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
Lil' Temperance 183mm 114mm 78mm 76mm mm 4mm 130g
Lil' Temperance 2 183mm 114mm 78mm 76mm mm 4mm 120g
Lil' Temperance 3 185mm 112mm 74mm 74mm ? 4mm 113g

Measurements (inches and ounces) of the C69 Lil' Temperance:

Variations Length overall Length closed Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
Lil' Temperance 7.188" 4.50" 3.063" 3.00" 0.156" 4.6oz
Lil' Temperance 2 7.188" 4.50" 3.063" 3.00" 0.156" 4.25oz
Lil' Temperance 3 7.30" 4.40" 2.90" 2.90" ? 0.157" 4.0oz

References

  1. Sal Glesser's original comment can be found on Spyderco-Forums [1]

Pictures

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