Good evening everyone,
I know these posts come up every so often regarding the infamous Spyderco Civilian -- just how delicate is the tip? I've done every bit of internet sleuthing I could and have read every thread and review about the knife that I could find from within the last 15 years. The final conclusion of them all is that of the reason the knife was created - self defense and not utility. While I fully understand the intended use and design, I am still drawn to this knife, however impractical. Because I could pull it off, I would end up carrying it as a light-duty EDC if I were to purchase it. I have found that the early models were truly poor for even this use, as the tip was manufactured to be even thinner, though the modern ones have a bit more stout tip. For these uses, such as opening letters, packages, occasional impromptu steak knife, normal cardboard/zipties, etc. should I expect the tip to receive significant damage?
I would prefer to steer the discussion away from the fact of why the knife was created, as I have read the story of it dozens of times in the aforementioned threads. Rather, I am looking for some input from those who have carried it as an occasional EDC for regular use as to if your Civilian has sustained any significant damage in doing so.
I would also greatly appreciate some comparisons. My first true EDC was a base model Kershaw Leek. This knife is also well known by many to have quite a delicate tip. I've had multiple Leeks, a CRKT Eros, and a Protech Godfather, all without every damaging the tips of the knives. As such, could anyone compare the tip thicknesses of these knives to that of the Spyderco Civilian?
Thank you for any input, information, or stories anyone may be able to share! I look forward to your responses.
The Civilian is the only folder I ever carry: I got my first one 16 years ago, and never carried another folder since (I prefer fixed blades for actual use)... At the price, and given it cannot be sharpened by me, I would never think of using it, but it could do some everyday tasks if you are rich and can buy a new one every year...
I had an old aluminium one, and now have a new G-10, with the infinitely better pivot: There is no real difference in how the tips were made over time, because each individual knife varies enormously: Some are very strong, some are one quater to one third thinner: The base of the v of the tip varies from 0.85 mm to 1.17 mm on two G-10s I compared, and I had two of the same vintage when I made the observation... For a Seki city made blade, that is truly an enormous variation: Around 30%!!!... At 1.17 mm the curved tip is very strong because of its curvature...
When I lost the Aluminium version I was carrying for 15 years, I ordered 2 to pick the one with the best point thickness and lock up (I had sent back an aluminium one 15 years before because the point was way too thin: Perhaps as low as 0.7 mm): To my great fortune, both the best lock up I ever saw and the best point was on the same one: I promptly sold the other...
It was fascinating to compare two brand-new G-10s: You can tell this is an extremely difficult design to execute, because despite the Seki origin, and being both new and of the same vintage, the two blades were completely different in blade width and geometry: One had a much broader blade near the inner curve peak, with a thinner grind with a shallower bevel (thinner tip too), the other, the one I kept, had a much narrower blade, with a more open blade grind but a much higher edge bevel, because the blade was narrower and thus thicker and more open-angled near the bevel: Interestingly, because of the higher edge bevel, there was no difference in sharpness between them, though the one I sold would probably take to resharpening better, if that was even a consideration for me. I can't see how resharpening should be a factor here, since it would require some really specialized tooling...
The 15 year old Aluminium one was probably closer to either of them than they were to each other!
Don't ever try to reshape the tip stronger: It has a hollow shape that is essential to the design, and one that you coud never replicate even with a rod sharpener... Not to mention all the polish would go out to hell, which means the cutting performance as well, since that is the one knife that depends on polish to cut well, not geometry...
In my opinion it is the strangest and most unique knife design ever invented: Not for utility, but for defense and combat. I would place it as one of the greatest knife designs in a century, if not more... It real advantage for fighting is something few people have showed any real understanding of (at least I've never seen it mentionned anywhere): Because stabbing requires an extension of the arm, the reach of a stabbing knife is actually well below an extended arm: More like elbow reach at best... Not to mention needing the other hand to hold the target in that pathetically short range, which is why so many stabbers end up stabbing their own other hand (Police always ask to examine hands in a car full of stabbing suspects, and most of the time, guess what)... The Civilian is designed to be used effectively at the end of a fully extended arm, without any holding back the target with the other hand, so it actually outreaches almost all other knives, with their flesh pushing tip geometry (and amost all conventional knives grow much duller towards the tip: It's just in the nature of conventional knife geometry): Pushing flesh means the "point cut" will be much shallower, and will most likely be further compromised even by light clothing, since the flesh moves back, as well as the stabbee...
So the Civilian is a folder that is litterally bigger than its size would indicate...
G.
