The 5.11 Tactical Flyte Elite SP Knife, at first sight, doesn’t impress with noticeable bells and whistles. It offers a basic design, with a flipper-style blade deployment system, and a slim, non-descript handle. This knife’s inconspicuous appearance is its greatest asset. It displaces flashy with practical and delivers the job it was intended to do.
The 5.11 Tactical Flyte Elite SP Out-of-the-Box
With a Flyte Elite in hand, I discovered its hidden attributes and its subtle design mechanics. They elevate this blade from a simplistic, basic-looking blade to something that is much more than meets the eye.
The Flyte Elite SP arrived in a blister card with a see-through window showing the knife and its slim, black handle. With a quick slice through the plastic, it was released and in my hand. It was packaged in its fully opened position with a plastic blade guard on the tip for safety.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The knife was lean in both size and weight, yet was easy to hold in my overly large hands. I unlocked the blade and collapsed it down into its handle (more on this later) and then noticed how slim this knife truly was. It was easily palmed in my hand, only about one inch longer and wider than my entire middle finger.
The flipper mechanism only protruded outward from the handle by less than a quarter of an inch. In other words, hardly noticeable at all. The deep carry clip was located at the opposite end, and it, too, was barely evident. With SP standing for slim profile, already this knife was backing up its boasts.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Overall Feel & Use
Given the knife’s slim design, one might expect it to be difficult to handle. But this isn’t the case at all. Once gripped, my thumb immediately found the indentation in the handle, just under the knife’s pivot mechanism. This helped my index finger find the second indentation on the opposite side of the knife, and, together, they provided a solid grip.
When activating the flipper, my middle finger would take that position as my index finger pressed downward on the flipper button. Here is where the Flyte Elite SP impressed. The fluidity of the flipper mechanism was one of the best I’ve experienced in a long while.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
It took very little pressure and was deployed and locked into place in a microsecond. There was no sticking, hesitation, or fumbling on my part, just smooth deployment. Unlocking the blade and collapsing it was equally satisfying, as my thumb both unlocked the blade and pushed it back into the handle with one simple motion.
Making the Cut
The Flyte’s spear point blade is just that, spear-like puncture-ability and roughly three inches of razor-sharp edge. This knife offers the perfect balance between an everyday carry knife for basic tasks and a backup blade for more intense urban adventures. As a self-defense blade, it would be formidable against anyone trying to get too close to you.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Whether you use a traditional or reverse grip, its lightweight body feels effortless in your hand. The handle disappeared within my grasp, leaving the intimidating spear-point blade exposed and ready to defend.
As a cutting tool for daily use, I was able to manipulate the sharp blade with scalpel-like precision for tape slashing, cordage cutting, and opening those always annoying, plastic outer packaging for small wares and other products. The Flyte Elite SP performed all without hesitation.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
The blade, with minimal power on my part, smoothly cut everything it faced effortlessly.
The Flyte’s Carry-Ability
It’s quite obvious that carrying this knife discreetly is not a problem at all, given its slim profile. But then I thought to myself, is it too slim and slender for optimal accessibility? In other words, would it be a burden to retrieve when needed?
I first examined the integrated belt clip on the unit. It felt solid and extremely tight when I slightly pulled back on the release tab. This is a good thing, as you don’t want your knife shifting or slipping out of a pocket during daily wear and use.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
It is also a deep-pocket carry design. So, almost the entirety of the knife is contained inside the pocket, and only the one-inch clip is visible to anyone around you. Again, this is a definite pro when discretion is warranted.
Then, I put the clip into a real-life carrying scenario. I slipped it into my front pocket and slid the clip down onto the fabric. The knife virtually disappeared from sight, save for an almost invisible, less-than-a-quarter-inch of black metal. I also must note that the knife’s weight became a non-factor in my carry, as I could barely feel it in my pocket at all.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Now for the removal. I tucked my thumb just under the release tab, and with little effort, the Flyte Elite SP released its grip from the fabric and found its way within my palm. It was both easy and quick, dispelling any doubts that fast deployment with Flyte was highly achievable.
The Flyte Elite SP: A Handy Companion
It’s rare for me to find a knife with so many pros and so few red flags. The Flyte Elite SP proved me wrong numerous times during my testing of the knife.
Advertisement — Continue Reading Below
Initially, I felt it was too slim and lightweight, but those turned out to be positive attributes, not negative. I also thought accessibility when clipped to a pocket would be an issue. It wasn’t—and retrieval became natural only after a few attempts.
Its sharpness and puncture ability, however, were never in question as this knife was ready for cutting or stabbing right out of the package. That much was certain.
Overall, I’m hard-pressed to find a chink in this knife’s armor as it impressed me more than I had expected. Don’t let its non-descript, simple design fool you. Underneath its simplicity is a true hard-working blade that makes everything look easy!
5.11 Tactical Flyte Elite SP Specs
| Model | Flyte Elite SP |
| Blade Material | S35VN Steel |
| Blade Type | Spear Point |
| Overall Length | 7.35 inches |
| Closed Length | 4.25 inches |
| Blade Length | 3.10 inches |
| Handle Material | Fiberglass-reinforced nylon |
| Belt Clip | Reversible deep-carry pocket steel clip |
| MSRP | $80.00 |
