Hi all newbie with a civilian question

T

The sharpend

Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Messages
198
Hi all just joined I have been collecting knives for about 12 months in that time I have developed an understanding of what makes a good blade.
The tastes I started with have changed and find myself leaning towards customs when spending on the $400 dollar mark, however there will always be a place in my collection for quality productions here in the uk a spyderco civilian is about $400 i have looked at reviews etc but never base a purchase on one I prefer first hand advice I can respond to.
So the civilian is it as fragile as people say ? In that I know what the knife was designed for I wouldn't use it even lightly but I wouldn't want to pay that or any price for a blade that is extremely delicate to the point of a drop to the floor causing snapping etc .
Any pics and advice would be appreciated thanks guys.
 
I don't know anything about the knife but I just looked it up and we can get it in the states for $128..... You might want to make a friend on here to ship it to you if you decide to buy it.
 
I don't own one YET, but I did have a chance to handle one. It was pretty cool, but it seems like it would be somewhat useless at any cutting except human meat. Check out the matriarch series. Those are scary looking knives for less money
 
nickortizzle1035 said:
I don't own one YET, but I did have a chance to handle one. It was pretty cool, but it seems like it would be somewhat useless at any cutting except human meat. Check out the matriarch series. Those are scary looking knives for less money
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Matriarch with the spideredge, a fellow diver has one and it works quite well.
 
Sorry conversion mistake the cheapest here is 290$ the shipment here in the uk means that the item will be taxed up to a price negligible for the wait a Elmax mule cost me 130$ to my door no way around it apart from the tiny percentage that get through unchecked.
Even posted by a freind the item can only be valued at 40£ then it's taxed we also have had many legal knives kept by customs deciding them to be offensive weapons if this was checked despite being on sale here then it would Definatly be confiscated :(
 
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I would have to wait on the Civilian for that price.
Considering you can get a Small Sebenza near new for that.
I'm not saying anything bad about the Civilian.
But it was made for defense, so you won't get a lot of use(if any) out of it.
It's an awesome knife, but that is a lot of money.

I agree with finding someone on here that would get it for you.
I would even do it for you if that helps at all.
 
What if you have it disassembled and shipped to you separately? The blade in one shipment and the handle in another?
 
Thanks for the offer Bc777 will look into it we are used to the incredibly unfair mark up on goods here the Esee candiru goes for about 100$ ...I know but , what can you do.
The injustice is the european companies sell for less in the states too and apart from our custom makers the uk scene is not fantastic anybody have space for 1 in the us I can cook and clean well the latter we can discuss ;)
 
Skip the Civilian.

1) Insane markup for UK tax makes it hard to justify a knife that

2) Is of questionable utility and impossible to EDC in your locale

3) Even if the lock wasn't a deal-breaker, the blade shape would be!
 
400$ is way way way too much for one.

It's a good solid and well built knife, and worth the 150$ or so you'll pay for it as far as I'm concerned.

You probably won't get much utilitarian use out of it as was designed for a very specific purpose.
On the other hand, it's a great collection piece and I'm 100% confident that it will do what it was designed to do very well.
 
Is the matriarch very similar in profile or just similar ? I have a space for a high end folder and bar custom this is what I have looked at so obviously I'm looking for a spyderco so say I scrap the civilian and go for something else what about the vallaton or ti fluted military would you guys say they where a better choice ? .
The other brands I'd look at for this buy are mcusta or possibly a lion steel sr1 cheers all for the help.
 
Welcome to the forums. I have both the Civilian and Matriarch. They are both great knives. The Civilian is pretty specialized with the hooked tip being longer in hand than how it looks in pictures. The Matriarch can easily be used for many tasks with the hooked area being a little shorter. I EDC the Matriarch more as it is more versatile. The other knives you mentioned are also great knives that will be more useable than the Civilian or Matriarch.
 
I say a Military or a Paramilitary 2(both Spyderco) are great knives and would do anything you ask of them.
I would get something nice that I can carry and that could double as a SD knife.
Either of these knives would do so.
Or a Spyderco Manix 2.

I would buy with versatility and EDC as my main worries though.
 
The problem with that knife, is the reason it was made. If you go to court, after you maim or kill someone in self-defense, and the knife you used is designed to inflict mass trauma and possibly death, you will be XXX. You will probably be charged with excessive force and have to serve jail/prison time. The name of a knife and the reason it was designed can really determine what happens in court. They will probably say something along the lines of, "This man carried a knife that was designed by the manufacturer to inflict the most damage possible to a person possible with the least amount of training, and he/she had the mindset to use this knife against a person (since it serves no other purpose) and they did. If they had been carrying a normal pocket knife, this man (the person that allegedly attacked you) would have survived this incident and his family would not have to go through this traumatic incident, and his wife would still have a husband and his kids a father."

It XXX you. Some people I know have had some legal experience with this, and have found that a knife that seems "people friendly" or "gentlemanly" seems innocent. I would never carry a knife like the civilian unless I was a soldier and my life was trying to be taken every day.
 
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knife2Agunfight said:
The problem with that knife, is the reason it was made. If you go to court, after you maim or kill someone in self-defense, and the knife you used is designed to inflict mass trauma and possibly death, you will be XXX. You will probably be charged with excessive force and have to serve jail/prison time. The name of a knife and the reason it was designed can really determine what happens in court. They will probably say something along the lines of, "This man carried a knife that was designed by the manufacturer to inflict the most damage possible to a person possible with the least amount of training, and he/she had the mindset to use this knife against a person (since it serves no other purpose) and they did. If they had been carrying a normal pocket knife, this man (the person that allegedly attacked you) would have survived this incident and his family would not have to go through this traumatic incident, and his wife would still have a husband and his kids a father."
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Yes very much so. :thumbup:
I'd much rather be in that situation having used somthing non threatening like Swiss Army knife or something similar. You'll have a much better outcome if you were ever faced with such a situation.

Its still a great collection piece tho.

Out of the knives you have mentioned I would without a doubt be buying the Fluted Titanium military. Now that knife is a decent piece of hardware. :thumbup:

Or go for the gold. Cry once and buy a large Sebenza. After its in your hand your tears will be filled with joy. ;)
 
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frontline29 said:
Yes very much so. :thumbup:
I'd much rather be in that situation having used somthing non threatening like Swiss Army knife or something similar. You'll have a much better outcome if you were ever faced with such a situation.

Its still a great collection piece tho.

Out of the knives you have mentioned I would without a doubt be buying the Fluted Titanium military. Now that knife is a decent piece of hardware. :thumbup:

Or go for the gold. Cry once and buy a large Sebenza. After its in your hand your tears will be filled with joy. ;)
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I'm actually receiving a Ti-Fluted Military in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday. I was looking around knifeworks for a normal Military, and I saw that they had the fluted version in stock, so I bought it on an impulse, and it was their last and only one. I don't have any titanium knives, and this has been my most impulsive and expensive purchase I have ever made. I'm not sure if I will like it in person, but it looks sexy.

Did I mention somewhere else that I was getting a fluted Military?
 
knife2Agunfight said:
I'm actually receiving a Ti-Fluted Military in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday. I was looking around knifeworks for a normal Military, and I saw that they had the fluted version in stock, so I bought it on an impulse, and it was their last and only one. I don't have any titanium knives, and this has been my most impulsive and expensive purchase I have ever made. I'm not sure if I will like it in person, but it looks sexy.

Did I mention somewhere else that I was getting a fluted Military?
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No the OP mentioned he was considering one.

Great score man. You could have done a lot worse with your first titanium frame lock. :thumbup:
 
How do you plan on using the Civillian if you live in the UK? Are you a police officer or in the Military?
 
knife2Agunfight said:
The problem with that knife, is the reason it was made. If you go to court, after you maim or kill someone in self-defense, and the knife you used is designed to inflict mass trauma and possibly death, you will be XXX. You will probably be charged with excessive force and have to serve jail/prison time.
Click to expand...

KevinOubre said:
How do you plan on using the Civillian if you live in the UK? Are you a police officer or in the Military?
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So simple, really. Just read the original post and avoid the drama.

The sharpend said:
In that I know what the knife was designed for I wouldn't use it even lightly but I wouldn't want to pay that or any price for a blade that is extremely delicate to the point of a drop to the floor causing snapping etc .
Click to expand...
 
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