FB41 Darn Dao

The FB41 Darn Dao is Spyderco's second Flash Batch knife and is based on the Bob Lum custom of the same name.

Appearance in catalogs

The FB41 Darn Dao appeared in the following Spyderco product catalogs:

• 2017 Spyderco Mid-Year Supplement
• 2018 Spyderco Product Guide

Designer

Bob Lum

Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web

FB41 Darn Dao

The late Bob Lum was an incredibly skilled knifemaker with a remarkable talent for translating traditional Asian tools and weapons into modern form. One of his rarest custom designs, the Darn Dao, was inspired by the legendary “single knife” broadsword of the classical Chinese martial arts. After literally years in the making, Spyderco is extremely proud to translate that breathtaking design into a factory-made form.

The Spyderco Darn Dao faithfully translates every detail of Bob Lum’s meticulously crafted custom design into an equally dynamic production knife. Its satin-finished blade is full-flat ground from thick CPM® 154 stainless steel—a state-of-the-art powder metallurgy stainless steel that offers increased toughness over the conventional ingot version of this alloy. The blade’s unmistakable profile pays homage to the iconic weapon that inspired it, while adding a long, unsharpened swedge to ensure an acute point. For maximum strength and a deft balance, the gracefully curved blade has a tapered full tang that is flanked by contoured black G-10 scales. Like its historical inspiration, the Darn Dao’s handle flares at the pommel to ensure a positive grip during high-speed manipulation. It also features a generously sized lined hole for the easy attachment of a lanyard and a modern integral double guard.

The Darn Dao comes complete with a high-quality zippered storage pouch and a handsome leather sheath with an integral loop for belt carry. The sheath’s open-backed construction and thumb-break-style snap ensure positive retention, while still allowing a swift draw.

This amazing knife is also unique in that it is Spyderco’s second “Flash Batch” product. Like our Sprint Runs, which are unique, limited-edition production runs of either current models or classic, discontinued designs, a Flash Batch is a truly distinctive, one-time-only event. A Flash Batch, however, showcases a brand new design that has not been previously produced and will never be duplicated in the exact same form again. To make them even more unique and collectible, Flash Batches are individually serialized with a laser-engraved number on every blade.

The FB41 Darn Dao in Spyderco's online catalog.

Variations

The FB41 is made in Taichung, Taiwan and features:

• padded, zippered pouch
• full tang
• unsharpened swedge
• lanyard hole
• modern integral double guard

SKU	Handle	Edge	Steel	From/To	MSRP	Note	Number made	Grind	Sheath	Clip	Collectors club
FB41GP	Contoured black G-10	PE	Satin CPM-154	Dec 2017-	649.95$ (2018)	Each knife is individually numbered.	1200	Full Flat	Brown Leather	Leather belt loop	Main

Most collectible variation

Questions regarding collecting the FB41

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Technical information

Measurements (mm and grams) of the FB41 Darn Dao:

Variation	Length overall	Length blade	Length edge	Hole Ø	Blade thickness	Weight
FB41GP	413mm	270mm	250mm (PE)		6.0mm	522g

Measurements (inches and ounces) of the FB41 Darn Dao:

Variation	Length overall	Length blade	Length edge	Hole Ø	Blade thickness	Weight
FB41GP	16.27"	10.63"	9.86"		0.236"	18.4oz