Named after the sixteenth century Earl of Wharncliffe, the traditional Wharncliffe blade has a perfectly straight edge with the blade back forming a convex arc towards the tip. In the Spyderco version, the curve of the blade is accentuated by the thumb hole. The result is a blade back which gradually curves from spine cusp to blade point, producing a less sharp blade tip.

The handle of the Urban Wharncliffe Blade Knife is safety-orange coloured G-10. Composed of layers of glass cloth laminated with epoxy resin, G-10 is a resilient and practically indestructable material. Due to the lightweight nature of the handle material, the Urban knife weighs just 57g. The side-changeable, deep pocket clip allows the knife to be clipped flat inside a pocket, with the clip on the outside.