FB20 Rock by Ed Schempp

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The FB20 Rock by Ed Schempp was introduced in early 2008.

Appearance in catalogs

The FB20 Rock Salt first appeared in the 2008 Spyderco product catalog.

Designer

Ed Schempp

Ed Schempp Makers mark

History, mentionings etc. from the forums

  • Some thoughts on the Rock Salt as an SD knife[1] by Doc Snubnose.

The FB20 was originally released as the Rock Salt in 2008 using H1 steel. Due to the high cost and difficulty of obtaining H1 for a knife this size, it was discontinued in 2009. It came back in 2011 as the FB20FBK Schempp Rock and used a lower cost VG-10 steel.

Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web

FB20 Rock Salt

People carrying six-inch-plus long fixed blades is something you don’t witness daily but situations and cutting needs do arise where big blades are the best (or only) tool suited for the job at hand.

Rock Salt’s blade is 6-3/4” (171mm) long designed for outdoor use, camp cutting, slicing, chopping and food preparation. Spyderco and knifemaker Ed Schempp focused attention on making this large knife lightweight and user responsive. Made from a solid billet of H-1 non-rusting nitrogen infused steel, the full tang blade is Khukuri-shaped with a hollow-grind and sizable weight-reducing spine swedge. Inside the handle, the blade is skeletonized, shaving away ounces and balancing handle-to-blade weight ratio so although substantially sized, the knife balances like a dancer with a curved wrist to tip angle.

The FRN handle scales are Bi-Directionally Textured and grip the skin both coming and going. There are two lanyard holes: Blade lanyard is a smaller Spyderco Round Hole and allows a short thong through the tang keeping hand choked up high on the handle while swinging and chopping. Back handle lanyard accommodates a longer wrist thong and is elongated accepting a flat strap or thong. Jimping forward of the blade lanyard hole and inside the choil keeps the whole thing grippy in even smaller hands. Injection molded Fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) sheath with multi-position FRN G-Clip. The FB20 Rock Salt by Ed Schempp in Spyderco's online catalog.

FB20FBK Schempp Rock

Designed by renowned custom knifemaker Ed Schempp, the Schempp Rock is a purpose-designed “camp” knife that combines highly evolved ergonomics, exceptional edge geometry, and light weight to yield an incredibly easy to use tool.

The Schempp Rock is, to a degree, an evolution of an earlier Spyderco model called the Rock Salt. A member of our unique Salt line, the Rock Salt was hollow ground from H-1 steel—an extraordinary nitrogen-based steel that is completely impervious to rust. Owners of the original Rock Salt loved them and many of these knives still serve as trusted tools around the globe. However, the additional cost of manufacturing them from H-1 steel put them out of the price range of some potential users. Spyderco therefore decided to produce the design with VG-10 stainless steel, a material that offers exceptional cutting performance, toughness, and corrosion resistance at a more affordable price.

Like Ed Schempp’s original handmade prototype, the Schempp Rock features a skeletonized flat grind that tapers uniformly from the spine to the cutting edge. This creates a superior balance of strength, mass, and an acute edge geometry that gives the Schempp Rock extreme cutting performance for its size and weight.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of the Schempp Rock is its unique dropped-handle design. The angle between the handle and the blade allows the user’s hand to maintain a strong, natural wrist angle and lowers the blade and cutting edge in relationship to the line of the forearm. This provides enhanced control during cutting, reduces fatigue, and transfers energy more efficiently during chopping motions. The handle features full-tang construction for strength and textured, injection-molded, fiberglass-reinforced-nylon handle scales for a secure, comfortable grip. The FB20FBK Schempp Rock in Spyderco's online catalog.

Variations

The FB20 is made in Japan

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Sheath Clip Collectors club
FB20 Black FRN PE H-1 2008-2009 379.95$ (2009) Discounted to 199.95$ MSRP before being discontinued N/A Hollow Boltaron G-Clip Main
FB20FBK Black FRN PE VG-10 2011-Nov 2015 234.95$ (2011) N/A Flat Boltaron G-Clip
FB20POR Orange FRN PE H-1 April 2016 289.95$ (2016) Sprintrun. Re-issue of the original "Rock Salt", now with an orange handle 1200 Hollow Boltaron G-Clip Variant

Most collectible variation

FB20 H1 Rock Salt

Questions regarding collecting the FB20

Some interesting questions we are looking for an answer to:

Questions with an answer:

Technical information

Measurements (mm and grams) of the FB20 Rock:

Variation Length overall Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
FB20 311mm 171mm 152mm 12mm 3mm 261g
FB20FBK 311mm 171mm 152mm 12mm 3mm 257g

Measurements (inches and ounces) of the FB20 Rock:

Variation Length overall Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
FB20 12 1/4" 6 3/4" 6" 15/32" 1/8" 9.2oz
FB20FBK 12 1/4" 6 3/4" 6" 15/32" 1/8" 9.1oz

References

Spyderco Designer's Insight Series video interview with Ed Schempp about the Rock.


Pictures

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