Old Aluminum Civilian

V

Vess

Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
583
Hi All! :)

I just got a mildly used aluminum-handled GIN-1 bladed Civilian, still pretty sharp and locks up tight. It has a lot of damage on the handle, and I was wondering if it has any collectors value in it left? And also, if I send it to Spyderco for sharpening, is there any chance they might do domething about the large dings on the handle? Any suggestions would be much appreciated! :D

Here are the links (hopefully! :) ) to some pics of the most severely damaged areas:

Handle Damage Shot 1

Handle Damage Shot 2

Tip Spots

Blade Overall (Ding near pivot)
 
Hi Vess,

I have been forbidden to look at yout picture links!! I'm not sure about the dings and dents to the Almite and underlying aluminum but sharpening is a definite option. The person you want to talk to is Mike at the Spyderco Factory Outlet. You can reach SFO at 1-800-525-7770. It may cost another $5 US for shipping but call Mike and get the straight skinny.



Stay safe! Stay sharp!
 
Vess: if the server that you host the picture is your own (I doubt it), you should adjust the picture's permissions.
Very likely the service that you use have locked your pictures out.
 
This is very odd... I checked the pix on 3 PCs here, and they all open beautifully.
You can see the same pics HERE inside the "Civilian" album.
 
Yes, that was an oversight on my part. For a computer science student I make amazingly simple mistakes sometimes... Thanks for the help Grover! :D
Update: I sent an email to Spyderco describing the damage on the knife, and asked what can be done. In less than 20 hrs I got a reply, asking me to send it in for whatever repairs they can manage. So, unless its collector's value is nil, I think I'll send it in and see what will happen... :) Kinda nice to know that the knives are backed by such a good customer service.

P.S. My collection grew by 4 this month: Civilian, Millie, Chinook and Shabaria! Yahhooo! :D
 
>For a computer science student I make
>amazingly simple mistakes sometimes...
>Thanks for the help Grover! :D

No problem. For an English major I can actually find a simple solution once in a while ;)
 
Does anyone know by which shipping method Spyderco ships the items (especially to Canada)?

I am only asking because if it is UPS (and only UPS), then on its arrival back to Canada I'll get slapped with a $20+ UPS customs negotiation fee, or at least that's what happened to all the knives shipped here by UPS so far.

Naturally, even USPS packages sometimes get torn open by customs. I just got a Shabaria from SMKW, and it had a $15 tag ($5 customs + PST + GST), but that was because customs had to inspect the package (and play with the knife, which is evident from a mass of fingerprints on the blade :rolleyes: ).

So, if anyone ever sent anything to Spyderco from Canada, please let me know how it was shipped, and if you had any additional fees at the border.

Many Thanks! :D
 
Hey- I've got a civilian (G-10 handle) and I use it all the time... You mean to tell me this thing would've been WORTH something?
 
C-Gear,

Welcome to the Forums! Your G10 Civvie is a different animal than the Almite/Tuffram baby we're talking about here. The G10 is still readily available and listed at SFO. It's interesting to note that you use this baby all the time. The C12 was designed to "fulfill the back-up needs of undercover agents with little or no training in self defense. With its paper thin tip, the Civilian is specifically designed for law enforcement personnel and not designed for general utility or everyday use." The tip will break with little effort in everday use so be careful you don't void the warranty.

Vess,

Glad things worked out with SFO. Be interesting to see the after pix once you get it back. Best of luck with one of the rarer Civvies! :D


Stay safe! Stay sharp!
 
Well, before sending it in I decided to get in touch with the people in Warranty&Repair, just to make sure, and after describing the amount of scratches on the handle I was told that they probably wouldn't be able to do anything about most of them.
Apparently only scratches on the edges of the handle would be erased, and the ones on the flats of the handle would remain (because polishing them away would damage the greenish paint on the flats). And since I can to that myself, and the blade is still sharp, I decided not to send it in.
I cleaned the knife, polished the edges of the handle, and now the knife looks almost new. Still has 3 large dings, but I can live with them... :)
Actually, now I am thinking of selling it on EBay and purchasing something else. This is a great knife, but aluminum handles with kraton inserts just don't sit well with me. Damages too easily. Maybe I'll get a Civvie in g10 or carbon fiber...
Sorry to have asked so many questions before, just wanted to bring the knife back to "life"...
:)
P.S. I love the blade shape. Not evil at all... ;)
 
Yes, uh, I broke about 1/32 of the point off about two weeks after I got it...
It was a replacement of the aluminum/rubber handled model I got in '97 but was stolen from my truck (with my Nikon F3 g%^$dammit!)
Thanks for the warm welcome-- Love knives, guns, and such.
By the way what do you guys think of microtech (don't want to be tried for heresy so tell me if that is a bad subject!)
 
By the way what do you guys think of microtech (don't want to be tried for heresy so tell me if that is a bad subject!)
Click to expand...

I like the fit & finish of the Microtech's I've owned/played with. I also find the designs to be not quite right for me (and for what I've paid, that's an issue).

Spydercos have come in such a staggering variety, it's very difficult to NOT find one or more model which "works" on an individual level.
 
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