Spyderco Forums

Liquid Cobra wrote:In all honesty I don't own a police. How many here own a police?

That's not the question. I don't own a Police either, but it encompasses the classic Spyderco look and many features found on some of the newer more popular models. The question is subjective and doesn't have one correct answer, but let's not confuse it with the question of "best" or "most popular" Spyderco. :)

I'd say Millie and steel framed police, serrated.

remnar wrote:

Liquid Cobra wrote:In all honesty I don't own a police. How many here own a police?

That's not the question. I don't own a Police either, but it encompasses the classic Spyderco look and many features found on some of the newer more popular models. The question is subjective and doesn't have one correct answer, but let's not confuse it with the question of "best" or "most popular" Spyderco. :)

I get the question but I certainly think popularity has to be taken into account. If the police or worker are to be considered the "iconic" Spyderco I would have to ask why more people here on the forum don't own one. Collectively we represent a pretty hardcore group of fans. The classic look is certainly present on a para 2 and is designed by the founder and his son together. The fact that it is considered by many to be the perfect pocket knife and is probably the most popular knife on the planet helps too.

Good discussion though. I could be wrong

I don't have the police but do have the worker, funny thing, when me and my boys made our pilgrimage to the mother ship a year ago and I told both they could pick out a knife to remember the trip by, my oldest picked the SS police of all models, I was actually surprised and asked if he was sure, he liked it the best.

remnar wrote:Stainless SE Police.

yup.

I have a couple, SS plain edge, and an older serrated G10 with ATS 55, but I think of the Millie when I think Spyderco...which is not my personal favorite, but top 5 for sure.

I don't own a Police, but I want to like it so much. I just don't care for the ergonomics. It has the same feeling as an Endura and it just doesn't work with my hand. But, that's My preference, and I don't think it takes away from it being an iconic model.

Delica

Another vote for the all steel-all serrated edge Police.

Every facet of the design is everything that Spyderco are about.

And yes, I do own one :)

I agree. The stainless serrated Police is the most iconic Spyderco knife.

Delica 4
Dragonfly 2
Military
PM2
Native 5

Evil D wrote:There are so many but this to me is *the* knife that is the poster child of the brand. It may not be the most popular or get the most hype and posts about it, but to me it's like the old wise elder that the whole village looks up to.

If the question has any meaning, your translation is probably the best plain English version: "poster child." Iconic means something that's widely recognized as representative of something. I would nominate the Delica or the Endura, but I can't argue about the Police being iconic. Knives like the ATR or the Tuff are borderline obscure. Knives like the PM2 are only iconic within a subset of Spyderco fans.

JNewell wrote:

Evil D wrote:There are so many but this to me is *the* knife that is the poster child of the brand. It may not be the most popular or get the most hype and posts about it, but to me it's like the old wise elder that the whole village looks up to.

If the question has any meaning, your translation is probably the best plain English version: "poster child." Iconic means something that's widely recognized as representative of something. I would nominate the Delica or the Endura, but I can't argue about the Police being iconic. Knives like the ATR or the Tuff are borderline obscure. Knives like the PM2 are only iconic within a subset of Spyderco fans.

The problem most people have is confusing iconic with popular. They don't always point in the same direction. I also think iconic means it has to have been around a while. Johnny Cash is an icon, Justin Bieber is not. Popularity wise there are probably more people alive today who know who Bieber is than Cash, but icon status takes more than one hit wonders and 5 years of popularity. It takes standing the test of time.

Evil D wrote:

JNewell wrote:

Evil D wrote:There are so many but this to me is *the* knife that is the poster child of the brand. It may not be the most popular or get the most hype and posts about it, but to me it's like the old wise elder that the whole village looks up to.

If the question has any meaning, your translation is probably the best plain English version: "poster child." Iconic means something that's widely recognized as representative of something. I would nominate the Delica or the Endura, but I can't argue about the Police being iconic. Knives like the ATR or the Tuff are borderline obscure. Knives like the PM2 are only iconic within a subset of Spyderco fans.

The problem most people have is confusing iconic with popular. They don't always point in the same direction. I also think iconic means it has to have been around a while. Johnny Cash is an icon, Justin Bieber is not. Popularity wise there are probably more people alive today who know who Bieber is than Cash, but icon status takes more than one hit wonders and 5 years of popularity. It takes standing the test of time.

Hand that man a cee-gar.

This question was posed on the BF Benchmade forum and there were pages and pages of posts about knives that Benchmade hasn't made in 10 years. :eek: In those cases, it wasn't even general popularity, it was personal popularity. I'm all in favor of the knives that I like best, but as you say, it's a different question.

Delica--it's been around in one form or another since 1984 (C05 Economy, gens 1,2,3,4). This means that it is just as old as the Police. However, it is certainly much more popular than the Police. IMHO, long duration + many variations + many sprints + huge enduring popularity = iconic.

Military--although it hasn't been around as long as some others, this one has to be number 2 in my book. The knife is not actually my favorite, but it has a huge following and it spawned the whole PM/PM2 frenzy. It has to be iconic if it can command such a following, spawn new versions of itself, and demand countless sprints.

Native.

I don't own a Police.I own seven of them.As I said before the SS SE Police draw me into the Spydervortex.I did put a translucent grip tape on the handle of the first one I bought and it feels great in the hand.And I agree, iconic doesn't mean popular.

Edit.
I only wish they release a screw construction Titanium handle Police. :cool: :spyder:

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Apparatus a popular topic to discuss! :D


I'd currently say Worker / Police / Delica & Endura

In the future, many of this generation will look back and say PM2 & Manix 2

Actually (FWIW, which may not be a lot), when I think of "iconic" and Spyderco, I don't think of a specific knife, but the features that in my mind were the features that distinguished the early Spyderco knives: hole opener, lockback lock and a pocket clip.

JNewell wrote:Actually (FWIW, which may not be a lot), when I think of "iconic" and Spyderco, I don't think of a specific knife, but the features that in my mind were the features that distinguished the early Spyderco knives:hole opener, lockback lock and a pocket clip.

For me, I'd also add spyder-edge to that list. :)