Syderco Police vs. Military

B

Benelli Shooter

Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
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Between the two of these, which has the stronger, more dependable lock?

I have not seen the police in person. Is the G-10 version of the Police lined?

What would you see as the pro's and con's of each?
 
Pushing against the spine, I'd say the Police. Pushing against the edge, I'd say the Military (it's not gonna fail unless you break the stop pin).
 
I just traded my Military to get a Police 3. I LOVED the Military but my use of it was for a defensive folder and the Police has just as strong a lock as the Military, a longer blade, and a stronger tip IMO. Not to mention the Police 3 has the option of tip up/tip down clip on both sides. Both are great knives and I will definitely get another Military in the future but for now I am looking forward to getting the Police in the mail. :)
 
I'd go with the Military. The Police is lined and is thinner/longer than the Military. After playing with both the Military feels like the right thickness for a folder of that length. I'd say the police has a better lock and lock up than the Military but I've never had any problems with the Military's lock. If you think the lock failing might be a problem you should probably go for a fixed blade knife.

With the Military you can flip the blade open with your thumb and close the knife one handed very easy. The Police is much harder to flip open with your thumb but it can be done. By flip open I mean pushing the Spyder hole hard enough that your thumb does some of the work but at least the last 50% of the opening is completed by inertia. You can close the Police one handed but it is much slower because you have to press the lock, close the blade some, change your grip, and then finish closing it.

IMHO the Military is better for on the fly stuff and the Police is better if you have more time.

Both are great knives but I give the edge to the Military for usefulness. If you are only going to base your opinion on the lock then take the Police.

P1060454.jpg
 
Benelli Shooter said:
Between the two of these, which has the stronger, more dependable lock?

I have not seen the police in person. Is the G-10 version of the Police lined?

What would you see as the pro's and con's of each?
Click to expand...

Both locks are properly engineered and well executed. Either should be more than adequate unless you intend to use them for climbing pitons, in which case I would suggest a good fixed blade. The Police back lock is more likely to fail to engage due to lint build up, the Military's Walker Liner lock is more likely to be accidentally disengaged by finger pressure (although I've never had it happen).

Whether it is lined or not depends on which G-10 model you are talking about. The Police was made with unlined G-10 at one time, then a single liner was added. The current G-10 Police 3 has full but skeletonized liners.

The Police 3 is drilled for four way clip placement and has an ambidextrous lock, while the Military is RH tip down only, with a right-handed lock. Not a problem for me, huge advantage to the Police for some. The tip on the Military is slightly more acute than the Police 3, but the blade is twice as thick at the tip. If you don't know the difference between a knife and a crowbar, the Military is less likely to break. The blade of the Police is thinner and longer, making it a better slicer overall than the Military. The biggest strike against the Police for me is the blade length. The legal limit for a folder in my state is 4". The Military is just under that, the Police is well over. I love the Police, but I carry the Military.
 
I carry My Military to work daily (Digi Camo w/Black blade) and I have been carrying the BG-42 Version when I am off duty, today I traded my off duty BG-42 Millie for my Police 3, I normally trade them off every so often but because of this thread I decided to go ahead a pack the Police 3 for a while.


RickJ
 
I have both. I prefer "using" the Military quite a bit more. The Police carrys well and is a very nice knife with a strong lock. But it feels very thin and long in hand when open. I feel more secure and better served for more purposes with the Military. And the comment about the spine versus blade by THG is well said and very valid.

Lock and all other ergos considered, for me it's the Military as the superior long blade EDC, all the way.
 
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I like the Military a lot better then the Police 3.

I had the Police three for a short while before I decided it wasn't for me. Too long and slender, and rather heavy in the hand.

I much prefer the nested liners and blade thickness on the Military.

Both locks are just as strong and well made as any Spyderco lock. I'd trust my life to either in a heartbeat.
 
I much prefer the Police model. I think it is a better design overall. I am not, and have never been, a fan of the liner lock. If I had to pick a knife with a liner lock, I would certainly pick the Military, but I prefer a more ambidextrous lock such as the back lock.

Sal himself has said that the back lock is stronger than the liner lock.
 
I like my police and lock backs in general. The only liner lock which i would really trust would be my ti-lite, that sucker has a huge amount of metal although to be honest, i dont really worry about it, i dont use my knifes in a weird way which would allow the blade to slam shut on my fingers.
 
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