I just got a G-10 Civilian as part of a trade. I accepted it to get something else that I really wanted, intending to trade it off, but I think this one's a keeper! It seems like the tip would be damaged pretty easily, so I'm assuming this isn't really a utility knife but more for self defense. So what's the purpose of this blade design? I did a search for Civilian but didn't really come up with anything regarding the purpose behind the blade shape. It seems a bit fragile. Ryan ------------------ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
Good instincts. The Civilian was designed specifically for non-lethal defense. ------------------ Dave Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives
It is truly an awesome knife. I only wish it was made with a liner or...even better a plunge lock. Strictly a wicked slasher. Enjoy it!
I was thinking the same thing. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the clip is just screwed into the G10 handle, not into a metal liner. Ryan ------------------ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
Ryan, Did you do a search on both this forum and the Spyderco archives forum? I think quite a lot has been discussed about the Civilian in the past and is probably in the archives. You might also try searching for 'Matriarch' threads for side info about the Civilian. Hope this helps. Ken
non-leth.,guy's this is one of the most deadly blades there is!! bar none!!my MA INSTRUCTOR has seen what a hawkbill can do & trust me " it's scary "!!!
re: "lethality of Civilian" Undoubtably the Civilian is capable of a lot of damage but killing isn't what it was designed to do. Sal has stated repeatedly that the design team saw it as a tool which could be used when you were under close attack. The knife could be deployed and used to slash the hands and arms that were trying to hold onto you. It would could cut through most clothing, cause extensive bleeding and pain. The same hooking point that made that work so well though would also seriously limit its ability to execute a deep thrust into the body cavity. So, while somebody that was slashed across the arms could certainly "bleed out" if untreated, the knife would be "less likely" to be used to kill. A cool headed professional could make use of it to cut somebody's throat but most people would want something with more all around potential for an offensive weapon. Nevertheless, Spyderco decided to only offer the Civilian quietly, with no advertising or even information in their catalogs.
As of a couple or three years ago, word from inside Spyderco was that their biggest customer for the Civilian was a commercial gourmet mushroom farm that used them for harvesting - The Slim Reaper! But they were designed to say "Let go of me Now!" in no uncertain terms. It doesn't take a lot of evil imagination to notice that a six-inch straight stiff boning knife from the kitchen is expressly designed for going between ribs, but that so-much-deadlier weapon is generally made and sold and posessed and used as a food preparation tool, and so it does not look nearly as sinister as the Civilian. If, God forbid, you have to do an angry cat impression with your Civilian, the bad guy probably won't die, just as somebody who gets bitten for violating a rattlesnake's personal space probably won't die. But your conduct will be judged afterwards by "deadly force" standards, as if you had used a gun. ------------------ - JKM www.chaicutlery.com AKTI Member # SA00001
Sooo.... Might as well use a gun? I am thinking if you "slash em up" - you might wind up with more "splainin'" to do....? Am I out of line here? BTW - I don't think I would even consider using a knife as a primary means of defense. Last ditch...maybe Weapon retention - yes... ------------------ RKBA! Click Here To Make $5with Paypal! Pay ANYONE With Your Visa/MC Over the Internet!
Hey Joe: Last Ditch? Yes, if in a situation where a blade would be legal but a firearm wouldn't ( in some states a church, gambling "establishment", a bar, etc). I would trust my handguns before my Civilian...but if I'm in my friends wedding and don't want a conspicuos buldge under my cumberbund because the reception is in a semi-shady place, or if it's like 102 degrees outside and I'm quick going down the block to the 7-11 for a Slurpee, I'm going for my Civilian... Sometime the situation calls for an MP-5, sometimes it calls for a folder...and I want the best folder at my disposal. ------------------ "To give your sheep or cow a large spacious meadow is the way to control him." - Shunryu Suzuki
