C54 Calypso
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Appearance in catalogs
One-time appearance in the 1998 product guide [1]
Designer
Probably Sal Glesser
History, mentionings etc. from the forums
I don't remember the exact number of each, but as I remember, there were fewer plain edge versions. At the time, sales of serrated versions were greater than plain edge versions by significant multiples.
We didn't plan the model to be a "sprint". I thought the model would be a "classy" Police Model. Long, thin, lithe, micarta, etc. It was also our first VG-10 folder, which was a new steel at the time. I was pretty excited about the new design.
Reality is a firm, but honest teacher and as it tuned out, the model failed in the marketplace and we disco'd the piece after the first run.
We "believe" the problems were;
1) It was too large for a "gents" folder. 2) Many dealers wouldn't carry both the Police Model and the Caly and the Police Model was more popular, so the Caly was just not ordered by the dealers. 3) It was pretty expensive. 4) Many of the blades had a slight warp. We discounted the model and included a note with the knife explaining the warp and the discount, thinking the dealers would also discount. But as it turned out, many dealers removed the note and sold them at full MSRP and we got many complaints about the warped blades.
It's always hard to determine why a model fails in the markeplace. What I tell my crew is; "It doesn't matter if I like the design, or if you like the design. It only matters if the customer likes it".
The Caly is, IMO, a beautiful design, but not enough customers agreed so it went away. sal [2]
Information from the Spyderco catalog
This full-sized "big brother" to the Calypso Jr. model combines stylish refinement and incredibly comfortable carry. The satin-polished flat-ground blade offers superios edge retention and corrosion resistance. Cutting control is achieved via reliable thumb placement on the blade spin cusp. The ultra-slim handle is made of black linen Micarta for anamazinglylightweight feel, and a black pocket clip with a gold bug is positioned for low-profile tip-down carry. Big enhough to fill and hand, the Calypso provides a sleek finish in a general utlity tool.[3]
Variations
All are made in Seki city, Japan and the lock is a Mar-McBurnette front lock.
Variations of the C54 Calypso
| SKU | Handle | Edge | Steel | From/To | MSRP | Note | Number made | Grind | Clip | Clip positions | Collectors club |
| C54BMP | Black Micarta | PE | VG-10 | 1998 | 134.95 $ | black clip with gold bug, no boye dent | N/A | Full Flat grind | 3- screw old standard clip | Right hand tip-down | N/A |
| C54BMS | Black Micarta | SE | VG-10 | 1998 | 134.95 $ | black clip with gold bug, no boye dent | N/A | Full Flat grind | 3- screw old standard clip | Right hand tip-down | N/A |
Most collectible variation
The plain edge version of the C54 Calypso is believed to be the most collectible.
Questions regarding collecting the C54 Calypso
Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to:
Questions with an answer:
Technical information
Typical measurements (mm and grams) of the C54 Calypso:
| SKU | Length overall | Length closed | Hole Ø | Blade length | Cutting edge | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C54BM | 232 | 132 | 11 | 102 | 94 | 3 | 88 |
Typical measurements (inches and ounces) of the C54 Calypso:
| SKU | Length overall | Length closed | Hole Ø | Blade length | Cutting edge | Blade thickness | Weight |
| C54BM | 9 1/8 | 4 | 3.12 |
