Knife suggestion for LEO Son in Law.

Icky Thump

Icky Thump

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Dec 8, 2011
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County uniform L.I.N.Y. On the job 6 years. Looking to gift a knife for Christmas that will best serve him. I have a few ideas, wanted to hear from some members w/ practical experience. Any advice is most appreciated.
 
Spyderco Endura 4.
Good steel, proven lock and design, and won't weigh him down.
Clip can be repositioned for tip up or tip down carry, left or right.
The hole makes for easy opening.
Priced reasonably too (street prices, not MRSP).

Available with "wave" if you like that sort of thing.
 
I have been around just a little bit. I would say a Spyderco Military. It has good blade length, light weight, thin in pocket, and plenty durable. Just my two cents.
 
I agree with stabman. The Endura would be an excellent choice, or the Stretch.
They're versatile, simple, reliable, low maintenance, and are proven designs.
 
Benchmade 810 Contego, great steel in the blade and it has an extremely strong tip. Also has an added bonus of a carbide glass breaker for window breaking if the need arises.
 
Waved Endura (or an Emerson of any flavor) reverse grip off-side. I train with LEO and that's what they carry.
 
You're getting some great advice on knives. I'll switch things up a little bit by throwing a fixed blade into the mix. The ESEE 3 seems to be very popular with LEOs for general utility tasks; and with the clip-blade version, I think your son-in-law would also have a great last-ditch back-up weapon. My one caveat is the handle. If he has really big hands, then it might not fit him well.

Hope this helps.
 
FYI he's going to be using the knife to pry or open gates more than he would be using it to cut stuff with. So I'd advise you get him something strong with a thicker blade.
 
Speaking as a city cop, I would get him something that he will cut dope with, start stolen cars, pry, cut, peel, and use to punch through hobo beer cans. I would NOT get him an ultra fancy knife, because it increases the possibility of him not using it. Once his knife gets vomited, bled, or urinated on, and has heroin on the tip, he isn't going to want to carry it around the family.
 
If beefiness is desired, I'd get something of the fixed variety.. perhaps an ESEE 3 or 4, or maybe a Becker BK 2, BK 16, or BK 17? or maybe a multi tool would better suit his tasks?
 
Stickgunner said:
Speaking as a city cop, I would get him something that he will cut dope with, start stolen cars, pry, cut, peel, and use to punch through hobo beer cans. I would NOT get him an ultra fancy knife, because it increases the possibility of him not using it. Once his knife gets vomited, bled, or urinated on, and has heroin on the tip, he isn't going to want to carry it around the family.
Click to expand...

based on this my delica is better then my sebenza, lol. in all seriousness you brought up a very good point about not spending a lot.
 
I also have a LEO son-in-law. The suggestions above are great for "gifting." I have a list of possibles which includes the Endura in a Lone Wolf format which has a Glock tool and a waved (Emerson-type) blade on an Endura Spyderco knife. Also very interested in the ESEE 3-mil P which has setup for MOLLE attachments, the ZT 0550, a decent neck knife, Strider SMF in GG scale. Possibly a Benchmade Triage "Rescue" knife. The suggestion, a good one I suspect, has been made to not spend a ton on one particular knife as it might not get used or carried by the LEO. In particular, I'm talking about the SMF Strider, a great folder developed basically for military combat and heavy-duty law enforcement purposes. I wish some experienced cop would address this particular Strider suggestion.
I don't wish to make a $400 error in my choice. Or should the cop be given a list of these and make his own choice?

...and I forgot about the Benchmade 0275 folder, D2 blade. Tougher than nails...and cheap compared to a Strider. Some of the videos are almost unbelievable... the way it can tear apart a 2 x 4.
 
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Thanks for the opinions. "Too nice" is a concern. More that I want him not hesitant to use it, than price point. As tough and reliable as the Sebies are....looking between $75-175 range.+/-. I want it well made enough to trust, nice enough to be significant, but not something hes reluctant to get dirty. Everyone different. Seen guys hard use thier Sebenzas, other that wont use their Baby Boa Blem. I have a couple of higher ends he will be getting as gifts. I want this to be something he uses and trust for his load-out, at least try out.

Am thinking ver hard on a small fixed. A few good mentions on that. Lean towards the Essee and Barkies. BM 210. As Folders, The BM 710, 810 913/12. Handfuls of the Spyders, so many good choices. delica, endura ,police of course the mili and PM2.

Thanks for the feed back fellas...got a few weeks to hash it. Ill pick his brain a little.
 
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My suggestion would be the Ka-Bar Dozier Folding hunter. For around $20 you get a decent folder that cuts nicely and sharpens easily. For the amount of money you would now be spending on say a Griptilian, you could buy your son and law five Doziers. If a cop or soldier loses a Dozier folder, messes it up, or has it "borrowed" by someone else, no big deal. The downside of the Dozier is that it is not really "tactical" in the modern sense, and can take two hands to close (backlock design). It's also made in Taiwan, so that could be a problem.

Good Luck with your search.
 
I've been on the job for about 14 years now (7 with my current agency). The area I work is a split between rural and suburban. I bought a 550 HG Griptilian shortly after hiring on and that is all I have used since. A small to medium fixed blade might come in handy if he is working in a tactical capacity but for day to day uniform work they are not very practical (IMO). I also keep a good multi-tool available.

My selling points for the Griptilian;

-Axis lock: IMO the best system on the market. Mine has seen daily and often not gentle use for 7 years now and there is no play in the blade, nor has the lock ever failed. One of my early concerns was the lock collecting dirt....this has been a non-issue. I simply rinse it out and apply a drop of oil occasionally.

-Light-Weight: This knife is big enough to do most any job you are realistically going to do in a patrol enviroment and isn't going to weigh down your pocket regardless of whether you are wearing BDU's or slacks. We carry around enough crap without the extra weight of some of the more popular folders.

-Cost: At $75 to $80 bucks you won't feel like slitting your wrists if if gets lost or broken.
 
I've given several cops Enduras and Endura waves, and they love them. They use and carry them every day on duty.
 
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