Cop Tool

I

iowashtr23

Joined
Apr 19, 2009
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So i have a close friend that is on a Swat team that came to me lastnight and want me to make a knife/tool for him he showed me the one he has which is called a Wilson Cop Tool he uses it to pry doors open, cut seat belts etc. He has some handle issues with this one and wants me to custom make him one. The Wilson is made out of D2 3/16 steel with a RC 57-60. My question to all of you is? Is D2 the best steel to make this out of??? Maybe one of you guys have already made this tool?
 
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I'd want a better handle too.
 
yeah thats exactly what he has, and yeah he wants a better handle on it. So D2 is the best you think. Swat uses it to actually "pry" doors open and misc prying which in the knife world prying is a no,no but i suppose this is more of a tool than a knife huh
 
iowashtr23 said:
Is D2 the best steel to make this out of???
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No. D2 is very good for edge retention but it's far from the toughest alloy around. I'd go for CPM-3V for a pry bar. 5160 is also very tough and much less expensive.

EDIT: having said that, with something that short and thick, almost any decent steel will probably be just fine. So if your heart is set on D2, don't sweat it.

EDIT EDIT: I'm going to be having a batch of D2 knives HT'ed in a couple weeks... just for fun I think I'll make a knife/tool like that of D2 and see if I can break it. Then we'll know for sure!
 
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Boker has a copy of that, with G-10 handle scales. It's okay, it's made of 440C, and the sheath is not great. The other problem with the Boker is the strap cutter/gut hook is not sharp enough.
 
Thanks James for your imput, I am definitely not set on D2 its just what his is made out of now, Actually i'd like to make it out of something other than D2 since i'm gonna change the original design to custom fit him i'd like to change the steel to a better steel. I had 5160 in mind but didn't know if D2 was stronger. I think i'm gonna eliminate the paracord and do some black G-10 but low profile so u can still see the tang. And i will do a soda blast instead of bead blast to give it a smoother look. I n my mind i have the knife/tool made already... I suppose i better order some steel now haha
 
Here is a chart that compares different tool steels by wear resistance and toughness. Unfortunately I don't have the numbers on carbon steels like 5160, but I'm sure that would work excellent. If corrosion resistance is a concern, go for CPM-154. (there's a chart in the link comparing it to D2-nearly twice as tough with better edge retention)

I should note that I may be biased... CPM-154 and CPM-3V are my two favorite steels for lots of reasons. No, I don't get royalties for saying that :D
 
Someone questioned a local maker (been at it over 35 years) on how tough his D2 fighter was, he put the handle and halfway up the blade on 2x4s, a bottle jack between them and jacked his truck up on it. It was 1/4" D2, there was about 6" of free steel between 2x4s. I'm guessing that in that short a tool profile if you can snap 3/16" D2 then you're using something hydraulic on it.

They're most likely popping wood doors and frames or they'd use a dedicated entry tool. It's probably for the secondary searches.

This is easy enough to test, get some similar sized pieces of heat treated steel and pry stuff with them. Don't even worry about shaping them, leave them in a rectangular profile.

Edited to add: Current model is D2. He wants a model with better handles. D2 works, why change steel?
 
Oh most definitely used as secondary searches, And D2 would probably work just fine for him. He doesn't know D2 steel from O1 steel so the steel isn't an issue with him. Its mainly for me i suppose just want the best steel out there but after hearing all the comments with a steel this short and thick D2, CPM-154, 5160 would all work for this tool. After talking to him he said "Cops are like big kids once one of them comes with a custom cop tool they all will want one"
 
Foxx, I offered that to him but, nope not the same to him he wants a "Custom" one made.. (hence the big kid phrase) and he wants the handle a little curved to feel better in his hand.
 
iowashtr23 said:
Its mainly for me i suppose just want the best steel out there but after hearing all the comments with a steel this short and thick D2, CPM-154, 5160 would all work for this tool.
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Yup! I think the only real differences will be corrosion-resistance and cost. Even that shouldn't be a huge deal, he's probably not going diving with it and we're talking 6" of steel. Use what you like and what you can HT well. :thumbup:
 
iowashtr23 said:
... After talking to him he said "Cops are like big kids once one of them comes with a custom cop tool they all will want one"
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Hmmmm... Do I smell a business opportunity? Give a "sample" to a user and in exchange ask him for feedback as well as telling his friends where they too can get one, maybe with custom initials engraved or something.

- Paul Meske, Wisconsin
 
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lonepine said:
Hmmmm... Do I smell a business opportunity? Give a "sample" to a user and in exchange ask him for feedback as well as telling his friends where they too can get one, maybe with custom initials engraved or something.
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That's a good thought... there's a State Trooper HQ/barracks less than a mile from my house... ;)
 
hmmmm great minds think alike.... yeah he said if i come through with this i will be making alot more of them.
 
"fuck the POlice" -NWA
Make it out of 420hc to give the runner a few extra seconds head start.
 
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james terrio said:
Yup! I think the only real differences will be corrosion-resistance and cost. Even that shouldn't be a huge deal, he's probably not going diving with it and we're talking 6" of steel. Use what you like and what you can HT well. :thumbup:
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I got the Boker version for my brother in law. I think they are 440C. The thing is, they come in a clip-on sheath and recommend clipping it inside the duty belt. That's next the body, maybe under a bullet-proof vest. Corrosion resistance might be a good idea.
 
Esav, a brief search says you're right, the Boker version is 440C. I see your point about it getting sweaty, corrosion could be a factor especially in a leather sheath. CPM-154 is my go-to steel anyway so I got that covered. :D I am making one out of D2 just to satisfy my own curiousity about its toughness in this application. I'm 99% sure it will be just fine.
 
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