I have been stalking this knife for years. Years and years. And here I am willing to pay for a VG10 version that is selling on eBay for $180. Then Knife Joker bucked the trend and instead of commissioning ANOTHER PM2, Para3, or Shaman, they come out of left field with a Jester exclusive, in 20CV nonetheless. After a few months, I am convinced that this is the best ultra small knife (a knife with a blade under 2 inches) ever made. The Ladybug is good, but the Jester is better. And while the difference is small (the Ladybug is like 90% of a Jester) that extra goodness in the Jester makes a world of difference. If you are looking for a keychain knife, a knife to carry in very thin and light clothes, or a knife for an office where people look at you like you wore the GWAR stage costumes to work when you pull out a blade to cut things, this is the knife for you. With the glow in the dark handles and the 20CV steel, this is easily the best version of the Jester, making it the best of the best. I don’t typically go in on exclusives, but for one this different and this good, I couldn’t say no.

One issue is how to consider value. At the original price of $60, this is an insanely great buy, but as an exclusive and one that sold out lightning fast, I know that most people are going to pay twice the for this knife. For purposes of this review I am going to assume that everyone that got this knife did so on the secondary market. In the “Value” section, I will do a bit more of an in-depth analysis on this issue, but for those reading this, I am just going to assume that you will have to pay $120-150 for this blade.

With that, on to the review of one of the coolest Spyderco knives of all time in one of the coolest exclusives they have done.

Here is the Knife Joker page. Here is the original Jester page on Spyderco’s site. Figuring out how many versions of the Jester there have been is no easy feat. So far as I can tell there was the following iterations of the Jester: original maroon Micarta, black FRN, stainless, gray G10, pink FRN, bright green FRN, forrest green FRN, blue FRN, and red FRN. Add to this list this version, GITD FRN. Until now all of them have run VG-10. This is the first Jester with a good steel. All of them sell for a premium on the secondary market. Here is a written review of the Jester. Here is a video review of the Jester. Here is my review sample:

Twitter Review Summary: An amazing ergonomic feat only Spyderco could pull off.

Design: 2

For all their attention on steel swap sprint runs in the past few years, the core of Spyderco is, was, and always will be superior design. Nothing exemplifies that penchant better than the Jester. In the hands of decent knife makers, a knife this small would be an ergonomic disaster. In the hands of good, but not great designers, it would be a frustrating knife—showing promise, but never achieving greatness. Only Spyderco could make this knife and make it work. I don’t say that as a fanboy—I say it because it is true. Reate does handles, Chris Reeve does lock up, and Spyderco does great design. This the product of that amazing design insight.

Fit and Finish: 2

Spydercos have gotten better over time, but the improvements in the line have been varied. The Japanese made knives were good and have remained good. The Taichung models were among the best made knives on the market and they still very good. It is the American made Spydercos that have gotten marked better. The Chinese made models, well, they have improved but they had a way to go. The Jester, I believe, is a Japanese made model and it is quite good. There is nothing to complain about with the Jester, but it is not quite as good as the top tier of maker’s stuff, failing into the WE/Benchmade tier—clearly above average, but not quite the best of the best.

Grip: 2

It is a small knife, of course, so the grip isn’t great for traditional folding knife tasks. But among the very tiny knives on the market, the Jester is much better than average. The Ladybug isn’t bad, but the addition of the jimping near the tip of the blade gives you control and precision you don’t find on many knives, regardless of size.

But the thing that makes the Jester different than other very small knives is the fact that it can be readily used in a different way. The jimping and modified blade shape allow the Jester to function more like an Exacto knife than a folder. This means that the Jester sits in a different category than most folders—high precision cutter. It takes a disadvantage—insufficient handle size—and converts it into an advantage: the handle stays out of your way during cutting tasks. Of course lots of knives can be held in the way the Jester suggests, but having a purpose built knife to do this makes the Jester a step above other ultracompact cutters.

If you can’t do food prep with this knife, this precision cutter role kind of makes up for this drawback.

Carry: 2

As a knife under an ounce with an FRN handle it is hard to carry poorly. The Jester just hides away in the pocket.

Steel: 2

VG10 is not a favorite steel of mine. It is quite corrosion resistance, but that is about it. 20CV, on the other hand, is an aamazingly great steel in pretty much every way. Its chemically similar to M390 and 204P, 20CV is a pretty common steel now and for good reason—its great. Here is Larrin’s take on the three steels.

Blade Shape: 2

This is a Ladybug with a scoop out near the tip. Not that different, but boy does a little scoop go a long way. This blade shape is good enough for me to strongly consider reviewing a Stretch. I just wish the stretch had some jimping near the tip.

Grind: 2

Thin stock plus thin grind equals great cutting. It is a simple formula. Here, because of the overall size of the knife, the stock is as thin as you will find on a production knife and the grind, while not especially thin, is sufficient. Super small knives are always good slicers and the Jester is no exception.

Retention Method: 2

The Jester is the one knife in the entire Spyderco line up where the Battle of the Lanyard Hole is correctly won by the hole. Most of the time you get these atrocious cliptastrophes like on the Bruewer. Here, because they opted for no clip, you don’t have that problem. Plus clips on knives this small are always terrible.

Deployment Method: 2

Once again proving Spyderco’s design chops, the opening hole works perfectly on a knife this size. There is still that sharp top edge that snags the meat of your thumb pad and helps pop open the knife.

Lock: 2

While I have used knives of this size with other locks, like the San Ren Mu 605 and the SpyFox, neither were as intuitive or easy to use as the lockback on the Jester. When you have so little real estate to work with, just about any lock other than a lockback feels fiddly.

Other Considerations

Fidget Factor: High

Given its size and how effective the Spydiehole still is, this is a knife you delight in playing with. Its not a really great flipper, but just one step down.

Fett Effect: Low

FRN and satin finished powder stainless steel is about as impervious to wear as knives come. If that is your jam you will be happy. 1095 traditional folder this is not.

Value: Low

At retail, this is a pretty good but not great buy. $60 for a knife that can’t do food prep isn’t amazing. With aftermarket prices on eBay hitting $120 as of 9/10/21, this is not a good value. Track it down if you want the best ultracompact knife but for most people a good version of the Ladybug is much more reasonable.

Overall Score: 20 out of 20

Ultra small knives tend to be novelties or serious compromises. The Jester is neither. It is a real knife that is useful in real tasks. It won’t do food prep and would be absurd for self-defense (as almost all folders are), but for the other tasks people carry knives to do—opening packages, cutting string and loose threads, and random cutting tasks—you won’t find better in a knife this size. It turns a handicap into an advantage by emphasizing its capacity as a precision tool, but you will still miss the ability to peel apples or slice cheese. If you want the best ultracompact folder, this is absolutely it.

Competition

While it is true that this is the best ultracompact I have ever handled, it is not worth the secondary prices compared to a similarly steeled Ladybug. A ZDP-189 Ladybug is probably 95% of this knife. The oft-missed San Pen Mu 605 is a close competitor even with its blah steel. Another knife that is small though not quite as small is the AG Russell Lightn’ Bug. Its really in the class above this one, as is the Dragonfly, which is just a better knife all around. Compared to something like the Ti Al Mar Hawk you give up a lot. Precision cutting for stuff like coupons and newspaper articles is kind of helpful now, but 25 years ago it was a legit consideration for knives. My grandfather’s small Case did this work quite often. With the internet gobbling up coupons and newspapers, there is less of a role for this kind of knife. It still works on clam shells, I guess. If you want the best designed and most useful ultracompact folder this is definitely it, but the prices are so high, only collectors, perfectionists, or completists need to hunt this down.

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Spyderco Ladybug

Spyderco Stretch

Al Mar Hawk in TI

San Ren Mu 605 (so sad, not being made…)