Spyderco named this knife after its principal job function, to assist. The Spyderco Assist Black Blade is a lightweight folder for emergency fire/rescue professionals and the well-equipped citizen who rely on knives to be straightforward in use and perform flawlessly. The blade is coated in non-reflective black carbon nitride with a patented lift-and-pry (blunt-nose) shape made from high-carbon VG-10 stainless steel and loaded with teeth. Most of its 3-3/8" (86mm) cutting edge is serrated with the last inch at the tip left PlainEdged.

Above the one-hand-open hole sits a feature called a Cobra Hood™. It's a metal cap that guides the thumb over the hole for quick, by-feel opening then doubles as a textured leveraging platform for your thumb during cutting. A wavy pattern cut out of the top of the blade and again along the handle is for controlled rope cutting. By placing a rope in the groove (between the partially open blade and handle) you can squeeze the blade shut, slicing and trimming rope in a controlled movement without fully exposing the cutting edge. The handle is black lightweight fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) with a survival whistle built into the butt end, shrill and high-pitched enough to get you noticed. A reinforced wire pocket clip attaches through the handle on either side for left- or right-hand use. A retractable and replaceable carbide-tip glass/ice breaker is housed inside the handle and is exposed when the closed blade is squeezed into the handle, retracting when pressure is released.