Spyderco Autonomy 2 Review: Great Blade, Awkward Controls

This is a substantial knife: about 8.4 inches overall with a 3.5-inch blade and a handle just under 5 inches long. The handle is roughly 0.54 inch thick depending on where I measure it. Chunky and wonky are the words that come to mind.

The satin blade is LC200N with a full flat grind. That steel is something I love seeing in a pocket knife. Black G10 covers steel liners, and the button-lock automatic mechanism has a separate safety. At 5.5 ounces, this isn’t a lightweight folder.

The price at the time of my October 2021 review was $203. It was difficult to find at the retailers I checked then. That is historical pricing and availability, rather than a current offer. I had wanted to get one in hand for quite a while and was glad to finally check it out.

Beside the Smock and SpydieChef, the Autonomy 2 is clearly a pretty big knife. It is considerably bigger than the Smock and thicker and more stout than the SpydieChef. Which one makes sense depends on what you want from a knife.

The Shaman and Para Military 2 put it in more familiar territory. The Shaman is probably the closest comparison in the Spyderco family in terms of the overall size and feel. There are a lot of similarities, even though the Autonomy 2 has its own very different character.

The more I carry it, look at it and deploy it, the harder I find it to compare with the usual Spydercos. Automatic deployment gives this knife a very different personality.

The blade has that great, leafy Spyderco drop-point shape. LC200N is one of my all-time favorite steels: I love its corrosion resistance, the edge it takes and the useful edge holding I get from it. I wish more folding knives used it.

The shape reminds me of the Shaman, but I measured about 0.021 inch behind the edge, slightly thinner than the Shaman I was comparing it with. Even with that fairly substantial edge reading, it cuts really, really well for me. There is a lot to like about the blade.

The small Spydie hole is the part I could do without. I understand the visual connection to Spyderco’s other knives, but I think this blade would look better without it. That is a cosmetic preference.

My sample’s closed blade sits off center and can move sideways when I push it. I suspect spring pressure contributes, but that is my impression rather than a diagnosed cause. I don’t especially like it.

I would also like some jimping along the blade spine and the nearby liners. I appreciate that the knife is intended to work with gloves, but I’m not always wearing gloves. A little extra thumb purchase would be welcome. Overall, though, this is another very solid Spyderco blade.

This is where things get weird. The handle has extra bulk in several places, especially around that enormous firing button. I appreciate making it easy to operate with gloves, but to me the button still looks unnecessarily big and wonky.

Functionally, it works very, very well. I haven’t had a single failure to deploy on my sample. What I don’t like is the recess on the other side of the button. It comes up level as I press the button, and I worry about dirt collecting around it. That is a concern about the exposed area, not a failure I experienced.

The basic handle shape feels really good for the most part. It doesn’t have the Shaman’s contouring, and it reminds me a little of the Manix 2, although the lack of a forward choil makes it different.

The big problem for my hand is the safety. My index finger lands right on its aggressive texturing in a normal grip, and it really digs in. I’m not objecting to having a safety on an automatic with a protruding button. I’m objecting to how this one feels against my finger.

The safety itself works: with it engaged, I can’t open the knife. Its actual function is good, but the discomfort hurts the overall ergonomics for me.

The other side has a large collar around the spring mechanism. Spyderco identifies this as a removable spring module designed for replacement with its dedicated kit. Visually, it is another part that makes the knife look bulky to me.

The hourglass clip is an ordinary Spyderco clip. It holds well and doesn’t feel too bad in my hand, but leaves quite a bit of knife above the pocket. Some people will like having that much to grab, while others will want deeper carry. There is also a lined lanyard hole. Outside of the safety digging into my finger, I don’t have much to complain about in the basic grip.

The action is pretty cool, I have to say. “Snappy” doesn’t quite capture it. Power is the word. The deployment kicks hard enough to visibly shake my hand, and I’m fine with that.

It feels very different from a Pro-Tech’s snap. I think the steel liners, G10 and greater weight contribute to that different sensation compared with the aluminum-handled autos I’m used to. Whatever the explanation, the deployment is quick, crisp and powerful, with nothing slow or mushy about it. I like the action a lot.

As an overall package, this one doesn’t fit my fancy. I would much rather carry a Para Military 2, Shaman, Para 3, Smock or especially a SpydieChef with LC200N. The blade steel is a real draw, but the design and ergonomics don’t make me want to buy an Autonomy 2.

It isn’t a bad knife, and it isn’t for everybody. If you wear gloves a lot and would genuinely benefit from automatic deployment, I can see it being a great option, especially with this blade steel. The blade and action have their pros; the handle and controls bring cons for me.

For me, I would pass. For someone with those particular needs, I can see why they would enjoy it. I’d love to see Spyderco revisit some of these features, because a redesign could be very interesting. Our automatic knife guide provides other options to compare.