Spyderco G-10 Police

A

allenC

Joined
Jun 18, 2000
Messages
10,762
I bought this one just before Christmas and I am more impressed with it each passing day.
The handle slabs are made of black G-10 that is lightly textured for a better grip. Spyderco decided to go with a single steel liner on the clip side. Not only does this add strength and rigidity to the handle, it also allows the clip to be screwed into steel instead of the G-10 alone. There's virtually no flex in the handle. The handle is also very comfortable and is long enough so that there is enough room for all of my fingers without them being cramped. Overall the knife is slim and does'nt feel bulky or too large in the pocket.

I like that the G-10 Police is a lock-back folder. The backspring and lock give even more strength and substance to the handle, and the lock itself is very strong.

The clip is of typical Spyderco quality and is secured by three phillips screws. The clip is designed so that the adjustable blade pivot-screw can be accessed without removing the clip. Don't you just hate having to remove a clip just to tighten the pivot?

The blade:
This blade is simply AWESOME!
The G-10 Police has 4.12 inches of flat-ground razor sharp ATS-55 steel. I am very familiar with Spyderco's ATS-55 (I also own an Endura, Delica, Rescue, and Mini-Dyad, all with ATS-55). I find that it holds an edge very well but is still rather easy to sharpen.
I love the flat-ground blade.
I have used quite a few flat-ground blades over the years and have always liked their slicing ability. The G-10 police is no exception--it slices like crazy (those who carry the Calypso or Military or Lum Chinese can relate).
Another thing that I really like about this blade is the way it tapers to such a fine and precise point. I've often carried a large folder but had to carry a small pen knife also, because I often need a finer tip than the large folder provides.
IMHO, too many folders seem to be of the sharpened pry-bar variety--strong enough to pry open an ammo crate, but not so good at actually cutting things. One look at the G-10 Police and you can tell that it was designed for cutting!

If you're in the market for a large light-weight, yet strong, no nonsense folder, then this knife is for you.
But get them while you can because Spyderco has discontinued this model.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Did you buy this online or from a brick and mortar store? I'm wouldn't mind having one myself.

Burton
 
I agree w/ you 100%. This knife is a serious cutting tool. It's solid, light, slim, smooth and deadly fast.
 
I bought it at Smokey Mt. Knife Works.
Me and the wife were on our way to Ohio for Christmas, and I just had to stop.
The young man behind the counter said it was their last one (it was the display model). Maybe they will get more in stock?

I am so impressed with this knife, I will probably start searching for another one, just in case I lose or damage this one.
I'm thinking that this could be THE ONE EDC for me.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Just out of curiosity, does any of your G-10 Police flick open?
I just got mine and it's stiff. Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot! I gather the lock back style creates more friction on the pivoting action.

Thanks Big Wave Dave!

Cheers!

Burton
 
Although it opens rather easily for a lockback (probably due to the adjustable pivot), it does'nt flick open.

I think you're right about the lock backspring creating more friction than say a liner-lock.

Still, there's alot of comfort from the fact that it will never open unexpectedly in your pocket, and lockbacks have a well proven track record--you can trust them 100%.
No retention ball-bearing to wear down, no eccentric pin to adjust, and no omega springs to break--lockbacks are great.
I have an old Schrade LB7 (like a Buck 110) and it has been used and abused for about 16 years and the lock is still vault-tight.

Yesterday was the first time I had to touch up the blade's edge (it was'nt really dull, it just needed a little touch up). I just used my good ol white Arkansas stone and some water, six strokes on each side, and it's sharp as heck again!

BTW, I would love to compare the G-10 Police (with the flat ground blade) with a large Calypso.
If anyone has both, a review would be greatly appreciated.

Burton, does yours have the single liner and flat-ground blade?
I know some G-10 Police have no liners and the standard Police hollow-ground blade.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Hi,

Any review between the G10 Police and CF Police. Which one is better? Does the CF Police have steel liners? My CF Buck has dual steel liners adn is built like a tank. I hope the police is the same way.
 
I agree with all of you. I do also have a G-10 police, not very long yet. I was lucky to get one over here, since it's discontinued, am I right? I like the blade a lot, like the handle a lot, this is going to be one of my edc's from now on. arno
 
allenc,

I have the single liner with the flat ground serrated blade. It's stiff but like you said, safer in the pocket. I would have liked to see double liners but this is still a great knife by any means.

I think a comparison between this blade and an AFCK would be good too.

Burton
 
Mine can be flicked open but I just about dislocate my shoulder each time I've tried. Not designed for that anyway so I guess I won't be doing that anymore.

The locking bias inherent on all lockbacks is just great for IWB or SOB carry. I'm not very comfortable with my linerlocks IWB...with the exception of my Sebenza.

One thing that I do prefer on my AFCK though is how low it rides in the pocket. I really don't like that much of the knife sticking out of my pocket with the Police but one consolation is that its slightly more accessible and easier to draw should you need it that quickly.
 
A.R.,
I guess it would depend on what portion of the blade you were stressing. The blade spine looks to be about 1/8" at it's thickest, above the hole, but it narrows a considerably toward the tip.

So I think lateral pressure on just the tip (like opening a paint can) could break the tip without alot force.
But if you wedged 1/2 the entire blade into some material and applied lateral pressure, I'm not sure how much force it would take to break it. I'm also not sure how much the blade would flex before breaking.

That being said, just looking at this knife, you can tell it was definitely made for cutting and not to be used as a crowbar.

Maybe you could ask on the Spyderco forum and get a more technical answer. I know that Spyderco has a "breaking machine" that they test and break knives with to see how they will fail.

Hope this helps,
Allen.
 
A little off topic, but I just broke the screwdriver on my Gerber Pro-Scout yesterday. I was trying to pry apart a rivit on an aluminum ladder (don't ask...) when it broke.
So, I would say it only takes about 30-40lbs. of lateral pressure to snap a multi-tool screwdriver blade.

Like they say in the Army, "they have'nt built a tool yet that is Soldier-proof".

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Thanks for the info Allen.
The point I was trying yo make was that when Cliff Stamp was testing my knives lock strength he seem'd un-impressed that it took 275 to 325 inch pounds to break the blade side ways(nor did any one else who viewed the test report).Never mind the fact that both Cliff and Joe Talmadge said that they could not imagen how you could defet this lock in any normal use.Now my question is how can you take a blade and put a 10 to 12 mm hole in it(allmost 1/2 inch)and have it be one of the most popular knives on the market?I guess its magic?If you ask any six y.o. to bend a butter knife how long do you think it will take them to figure out whitch way to bend it.THEY do not test there blades for strength sideways (only lock strength)and for good reason POCKET KNIVES are not crow bars and we are supposed to know that, but what happens when something slips and your weight some how pushes on the blade the wrong way or you are useing the knife for defensive purposes(where you can not control the direction of force) would you not want a solid steel blade? Why give up over 50% of the cross section of the blade to replace a nail nick in the blade? Don't get me wrong they have a grate product and they sell all they can make but I don't think it would hurt to try something new or differant do you?When it (Megaladon) is indorsed by the peoples choice of reviewers on this site.Still no one asks,no one emails,no one wonders,could it be true?
You have to ask yourself are the manufactures giving you what you want or what THEY can make?So when something new comes along that is demonstrably superior but harder to manufacture what will the public think?Well blabla-bla Didn't make it,it must not be any good,so there!Well let me tell you as a struggling third generation Proud American born man if I didn't think this was the best locking knife made I would not be here saying it Was!Could it be improved?Sure it can.But these are the FIRST. Hey metal glass or liquid metal now there's something to talk about never heard of any new knife blade materials to talk of in the last few years have you?No wait this one is realy differant it will cut through a dime no a penny no a nickle(well may be not)But a quarter ya!no wait a dollar bill no a ten dollar bill wait ten ones and make change.GO figure.O well long live transversely chalanged blades.Sorry to have botherd all the fine knife officianado's on this site with something as mundane as an indestructible pocket knife?
 
Arlee,
Well, after reading that I'm still not exactly sure if you're happy with Spyderco or not.
You're not the first to question the strength of a blade with a hole.

Now I don't know just how Spyderco tests its knives, but I do know this: there are alot of Spyderco knives out there, and alot of the users are military and law enforcement personnel--folks who probably use their knives as much as anyone else.
Spydercos were rather popular with my fellow Soldiers when I was on active duty in the Army and my Marine brother carries his everyday.
If there were a problem with the blades breaking because of the thumb-hole, then I think we would all know about it by now.
The knife-community is a tight one and word travels fast. If a lock is unreliable you will hear about it in quick time.
How many omega springs broke before folks started to question the Axis-lock?
Benchmande was very quick to strengthen those springs as there reputation was at stake.

I just have'nt heard of Spyderco knives (or Benchmades with the hole) breaking due to the thumb-hole. I've used my Spyderco knives plenty hard and have never had a problem.

Having said that...I can't argue with your logic. It just makes perfect sense that a knife without a hole in the blade is somewhat stronger than one with a hole.
But is that just overkill in a folder?
One of the reasons I like the G-10 Police is because it has a thin blade with a fine tip. Although this makes it weaker than a thick-bladed knife, I believe that it cuts better.
One of the things that I don't like about alot of "tough" knives marketed today is that they are massively overbuilt.
You could use it as a railroad spike but a Swiss Army Knife would cut better.
Besides, who in there right mind puts 200+lbs of lateral pressure on a folding knife? That's just begging for someone to get hurt.


Anyway, that's how I see it.

Allen.
 
After all this talk about the G-10 Police, I couldn't resist pulling mine out of the collection case. I never handled it much before and never carried it (I preferred to carry the SS serrated version).

But that's all changed. Ergonomic handle, "walk and talk," thin blade for slicing, precision point, decent steel (ATS-55), and black pocket clip--what more can you ask for? (Damn, that clip feels super tough--must be a special duty version). The G-10 Police has earned EDC honors for the week.
 
I have a G-10 Police with no liners and fully-serrated hollow-ground blade...This is a very light-weight offensive/defensive folder with a nice blade and a "grippy" handle...It's just not a "HARD-use" folder like the Chinook or SOG Tomcat.
 
Well, it's been awhile since I posted the original review, so here is an update.

After using the G-10 Police for many months I felt that the tip was too precise and delicate. I dropped the knife and bent the tip, and this started me out on a hunt for an EDC with a stronger tip.

Eventually my search lead me to the Benchmade 555 Mini-Griptilian. I liked the 555 so much that I searched for other Pardue designs and discovered the 722 Pardue tanto.
The super-strong tanto tip, G-10 scales, Axis-lock, and dual steel liners was just what I was searching for...or so I thought.

The problem is, no matter what knife I carry, I always return to the Spyderco G-10 Police.

The G-10 Police is my favorite "tactical" folder and maybe the ONE EDC for me.
The only other knives I have seen that even come close are the Spyderco Military and the Kershaw/Ken Onion Leek.
Maybe Sal will release a flat-ground Carbon Fiber Police, or flat-ground titanium Police.

I can only hope,
Allen.
 
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