FB35 ARK
The FB35 ARK is a compact neck knife designed for personal defense.
Appearance in catalogs
The FB35 ARK appeared in the following catalogs:
- 2015 Spyderco Mid-Year Supplement
- 2016 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2017 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2018 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2019 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2020 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2021 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2022 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2023 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2024 Spyderco Product Guide
- 2025 Spyderco Product Guide
Designers
John Shirley and Sam Owens
History, mentionings etc. from the forums
- Spyderco ARK Proto, posted by forum member, 'bearfacedkiller '
- Spyderco Ark - Reviews & Impressions thread, posted by forum member 'vivi'
- Will the ARK fit my needs?, posted by forum member 'Albatross'
Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web
FB35 ARK
The ARK—or “Always Ready Knife™—is a purpose-designed personal-defense knife conceived by U.S. Army combat veteran John Shirley and his friend Sam Owens. While deployed to Afghanistan, Shirley learned that an alarming number of U.S. personnel were falling victim to sexual assault, particularly while showering. Drawing from his knowledge of the Japanese martial arts and with the help of Owens’ skills as a craftsman, they developed the ARK as a lightweight self-defense tool that can literally be carried anywhere.
The heart of the ARK is its deeply curved clip-point blade ground from H-1® steel—a nitrogen-based alloy that is extremely corrosion resistant. The curved edge packs impressive cutting power into the compact blade and the clip-point profile ensures a strong, extremely sharp point. The ARK’s fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) handle is molded directly onto the tang and features Spyderco’s proven Bi-Directional Texturing™ pattern and an index-finger groove to guarantee a secure grip—even with wet hands.
To ensure universal carry, the ARK includes an injection-molded polymer neck sheath with a breakaway ball chain. Best of all, the ARK and its sheath together weigh only 2.0 ounces (57 grams), so you’ll hardly know it’s there—until you need it.[1]
Variations
The FB35 is made in Japan and features:
- an upswept Clip Point Blade
- an H-1 blade and overall 'rust-proof' construction
- an injection molded polymer sheath that can be fitted to a G-Clip (sold seperately)
| SKU | Handle | Edge | Steel | From/To | MSRP | Note | Number made | Grind | Sheath | Clip | Collectors club |
| FB35PBK | Black FRN | PE | H-1 | 2015 - | $105.00 (2020) | Hollow grind | Injection-molded polymer | Ballchain for neck carry | |||
| FB35SBK | Black FRN | SE | H-1 | 2015 - Nov. 2020 | $105.00 (2020) | Hollow grind | Injection-molded polymer | Ballchain for neck carry |
Most collectible variation
The original FB35 ARK, complete with original box and papers in mint condition, is likely to be the most collectible version.
Questions regarding collecting the FB35
Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to:
Questions with an answer:
Technical information
Measurements (mm and grams) of the FB35 ARK:
| Variation | Length overall | Length blade | Length edge | Blade thickness | Weight |
| FB35BK | 126mm | 65mm | 53mm | 2.0mm | 26g |
Measurements (inches and ounces) of the FB34 Reverse:
| Variation | Length overall | Length blade | Length edge | Blade thickness | Weight |
| FB35BK | 4.98" | 2.56" | 2.10" | 0.080" | 0.9oz |
References
- ↑ The FB35 ARK in Spyderco's online catalog
