Civil Ware Knives..Heard of them?

Ryouchijtx

Ryouchijtx

Joined
Oct 26, 2011
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Civil Ware USA

civilware-folding-striker.jpg

geoff_portrait-620x414.jpg

Striker_Utility_Knife.jpg


Thought I would share
While on Instagram I came across a post from someone I follow holding up a knife.
I was interested enough so I followed the links and came upon this.

Apparently a new USA based (kudos for that imo) company has sprouted up.
Advertised as a "A self defense knife for everyday carry:confused:...Manufactured from 154cm steel, the utility designed blade is tactical, but practical. A slim, textured G10 handle adds strength while keeping a low profile in the pocket. Our ambidextrous clip is a proprietary design that allows for quick release.
Made in the USA...and all for the price of $150...Named 'The Striker'
Alongside their fixed blade named "The Striker Utility knife" also for $150

The sad thing is, people are buying them up like hotcakes on the Cali coast through americana heritage fashion shops.

Why all the recurves and overly large edge bevels though.
I'd be interested to see someone pick one of these and do an honest review on it but for me it just doesn't work.

Reminds me quite a bit of 'Best Made Co.' Axes below from a while back, painted up, marketed and sold for a hefty price to the unknowledgeable.
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Then again..I guess better knives for us :cool:
 

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Yeah...that thing looks...well...like a hunk of G10 and some steel slapped together with no design knowledge put into it at all.

The picture the guy posted of himself kind of spells it out to me: Seems like a knife for "Jersey-jocks-heads" and the stereotypical Cali shore folks with some money (absolutely no offense meant to the good-meaning, intellegent "Jersey-jock-heads" and Cali shore folks :D ;) :p)

Also, why the hell would they make the fixed blades look like they are made with files if they are 154cm? That texture seems really pointless...along with the rest of their design really.
 
The sad thing is, people will keep on buying them for 'aesthetics' or 'self defense'. Sooner or later some kind of incident might happen concerning one of these knives, and how they're marketed will reflect badly on everyone else. Le sigh.
 
Civilware are knives backed by Geoff Rowley, long-time professional skateboarder and outdoorsman.

The texture is because they are repurposed high carbon files and made by Anzo knives. Good steel, good craftmanship.

These have been around for a couple years, Anzo knives for much longer.

Don't diss the brand until you have actually tried it. Or you're just making judgements based on assumptions.
 
In case anyone is wondering, "what makes that guy so special?"...

[video=youtube;Z3PKJKkjEQ0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3PKJKkjEQ0[/video]

WARNING: NSFW LANGUAGE

(Geoff is a legendary skater who's been riding for decades and pro for almost as long.)
 
I grew up on Geoff Rowley as a kid and I understand and have owned Anza file knives in the past not Anzo. I figured they were copying them as they give no mention to the manufacturer on their sight or anywhere in particular
"Product Details
:: 4″ Blued High Carbon Steel Blade
:: 4” Micarta Composite Handle
:: Hand made – Locally in San Diego, California
:: Ambidextrous Leather sheath"

but this is marketed all wrong with the idea of 'self defense' first posted on their main sight, those giant recurves and the lack of design in their premiere folding knife which is grossly overpriced for the cost of materials.

This is like Supreme the fashion brand commissioning Swiss Army Knives to print on their brand.
$_35.JPG
 
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That fixed blade is designed for self defense? That's got to be one of the poorest self-defense designs I've ever seen. Oh, but some skater is repping it, so obviously, these are awesome. My mistake. LOL
 
orezona said:
Civilware are knives backed by Geoff Rowley, long-time professional skateboarder and outdoorsman.
Click to expand...

Which, of course, means he knows a good knife! :rolleyes:

Dude should stick to radical skateboards and totally extreme logo branded hats and t-shirts, because those knives are, how shall I put it...inelegantly crafted.

But he'll probably sell a boatload of 'em. So whatever!
 
orezona said:
Civilware are knives backed by Geoff Rowley, long-time professional skateboarder and outdoorsman.

The texture is because they are repurposed high carbon files and made by Anzo knives. Good steel, good craftmanship.

These have been around for a couple years, Anzo knives for much longer.

Don't diss the brand until you have actually tried it. Or you're just making judgements based on assumptions.
Click to expand...

Not dissing the brand as whole. I am making a statement based on the information I have been given, and will always change my opinion if it is not correctly justified because I do not have the right information, or at least make the best effort to change it as needed.

I am more than familiar with Anzo knives, and I do like their products, but this knife is somewhat limited in it's design for use, since it's blade shape is rather hard to sharpen, and the design of the handles are something that looks very uncomfortable with actual use. They seem to have been designed "form before function", which is just not something I am a big fan of, and their marketing seems directly targeted at a very specific group of people, of which I am not a part (you may be, and that is fine, I don't know you), so these knives don't seem to be for me.

The idea of having to try a brand to know about it or have any opinion about it is also a little trite. I do not want to spend my money with someone unless I know who I am giving my money, and why. So far, I have no reason, in my own opinion, to spend a dime with this company.

And honestly, yes, he is a skateboarder...and the video you posted is not in any particular way really that special, nor is it related to knives in any way. It is neither relevant to these knives nor an actual indicator of quality or anything of the sort.

Frankly, I don't see anything particularly good about the knives, and that is all I was saying. If you would like to provide some empirical evidence otherwise that actually has relevance to this discussion, then I will be more than happy to hear/see/read it, but you have not done that so far, and my own research (yes, I am looking into this more instead of just making blanket statements) has not yielded anything particularly spectacular about them at all.
Just because a knife is manufactured by a good company, it does not make the knife itself automatically a good knife by any means.
 
Long time fan of Geoff, saw the knife in an email a few months ago though. The man's a legend, but that knifes awful.
 
Everybody thinks they can design a knife. They think if they can draw a knife they think looks cool, then they are a knife designer.

(Its like that Kitchen Nightmares show with that Gordon Ramsey guy, where people who eat at restaurants think that makes them qualified to run restaurants.)

Thinking "Well, anybody can do it." is really a slap in the face of all the folks who have spent so much time and effort practicing and perfecting their art and craft as knife makers. Grinds my gears.
 
Maybe I have poor taste but I kinda like the first one. It has a Boker Subcom thing going for it.

That said, it's far too expensive.
 
Aside from the Anza-like file patter I don't see the similarities between these any any other knives. They are in a whole new league of fugly, but I wish them the best. Rowley is an amazing skater, but maybe should stick to his day job?
 
I guess I am defending the skater more than his endorsed product, to be honest.

I really like Anza* knives but the CW versions are overpriced -as are the rest of the products from CW.

Geoff kills it on a skateboard but at the end of the day, a knife designer he most certainly is not.

I got bristly because I'm a skater too and well, I want to support Geoff and hope his product is successful.

(* can't believe I got the name wrong)
 
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