Chief vs Police 4

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Pancake
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Chief vs Police 4

#1

Post by Pancake »

Disclaimer:
1.I am not a native English speaker, so please forgive me mistakes.
2.Both knives were modded somehow: on Chief I did some contouring on the handle and I added a sharpening choil. I added sharpening choil on P4 too.
3.In 2019 Police 4 G10 got discontinued, and that makes this comparison a bit useless.

Overview and construction
This comparison is not going to be a bunch of numbers and measurements. I want to give MY opinions on both models.
Both models are kinda large folders, but for me they are perfect size for EDC. Both have mid-lockback, black G10 as a handle and a ton of blade length crammed into the handle.
Chief has a linerless construction and a bit bigger hardware. P4 has full sceletonized liners and hardware that makes me think why they are using T6 screws on the handle. I would like to see bigger screws on P4 but oh well. In terms of quality, Golden made Chief is a bit nicer. P4 has a rougher grind, a bit worse blade centering and liners that are very rough on the inside.
Full liners on P4 looks cool, but I would like to see it in linerless G10 as a Chief. Upcoming P4 LW model is going to have FRN construction but I cant comment more on that model because I dont have it (if you want to send me one I´ll take it :D ).
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Blade
Chief has a 4 inch and P4 almost 4,5 inch blade. Actual cutting edge is around 0,5 inch less. Both of them has a 50/50 finger choil for chocking up.
Apart from length, the biggest difference is that P4 has a hump on the blade and Chief is one continues curve from the handle to the tip of the edge. I think that humpless blade gives you a bit more option to hold the knife, because your thumb can sit pretty much everywhere on the blade and you are not going to feel crammed. Also using a choil is easier for me on Chief, because of the lack of hump.
Dont get me wrong, I like to rest my thumb against the ramp on P4, but I like the smooth blade on Chief a tiny bit better.
Oh yeah, and the choils are different too, Chief has a deeper one and P4 is a bit shallower. But for my fingers are both comfortable enough.
Both blades has a distal taper and fairy thin point and both have excellent characteristic in actual cutting things. I mean, there is really no point using a thicker stock then 3/3,2 mm on folders when your main job is going to be cutting and slicing things. And this is really what these two excel, precisely cutting everything you want, from cardboard to tomatoes.
In terms of steel, P4 has an excellent K390, which has scary aggression and keep that edge for a long time. Its not that hard to sharpen, but if you raise a big burr, you can be in trouble.
S30V on Chief is proven stainless and there is just nothing wrong with it. Its just not a flavour of the month anymore.
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Handle
This is the point where Sal´s philosophy of designing in the dark really shines. Both knives has excellent handles with no hot-spots for me and they are comfortable even in longer cutting sessions. I cut a lot of cardboard and also whittled a lot of wood and I felt no discomfort.
What I don´t really understand is why the Chief´s handle is not rounded more from factory. You have that nice cutout where your index finger sits but the rest of the handle is pretty much squared. After I modded the handle is much nicer to hold.
P4 handle is very slim and less hand-filling, but I felt no discomfort in using the knife. It is also a bit longer, so I have some space left on the butt of the handle. Chief is really as long as my hand, so person with fatter fingers could prefer P4.
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Opening, closing, carry
In opening the clear winner is P4. Larger hole that is not obscured by the handle is just pleasure to use.
When you want to close the knife, winner is clearly the Chief, mainly because the spring is a bit weaker and its not made from 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser rear leaf spring (really, P4 spring is THAT much bigger) and the lockbar is a bit wider. Also the blade drop free on Chief (to a certain point)- I think its because of the different pivots.
Both knives carried very well in tip up config. Chief has a less footprint in the pocket, but neither of them are that obscuring and I can comfortably carry ma phone and knife in the same pocket. Both are using standard spoon clip which could be reposition to left/right hand tip up/down config.
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Conclusion
Which one is better? Well, I cant cay, because I like them both. If you want larger lock-back from Spyderco, these two are a perfect choice. Both have that classic Spyderco looks and they beg to be carried and used.
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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Wartstein
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#2

Post by Wartstein »

That´s a great comparison!! Thanks a lot for posting it.

I have neither a Chief, nor a Police, but going just by size I´d prefer the Chief. I don´t like too long folders in the pocket, and the Chief is almost as "short" as an Endura and has still enough edge for my liking (Endura edge length is perfect for me).

The Chief is also linerless, which I like, S30 V has proven to be just fine for me, so out of the two in your comparison I´d go for the Chief, no doubt.

If I think of the Police LIGHTWEIHT / FRN though...well, I am not so sure anymore.

WHAT I know for sure: A CHIEF lightweight, constructed just like its smaller cousin the Native LW (so linerless FRN) would be perfection for me probably.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Wartstein
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#3

Post by Wartstein »

P.S.: And I like what you´re saying (quote): " I mean, there is really no point using a thicker stock then 3/3,2 mm on folders when your main job is going to be cutting and slicing things."
Very true!!
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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elena86
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#4

Post by elena86 »

You forgot to mention the most important thing...at least for me.... thickness behind the edge :eek:
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Pancake
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#5

Post by Pancake »

elena86 wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:31 pm
You forgot to mention the most important thing...at least for me.... thickness behind the edge :eek:
Both were quite similar, Chief is/was around 0,5-0,45 mm (0.02 inch) and the P4 is almost the same.


Warstein: FRN Chief would be nuts for sure, in LC200N as a Salt or with 10V as a performer.
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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cabfrank
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#6

Post by cabfrank »

Very nice write up. Thanks.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#7

Post by cabfrank »

It makes me realize I should try a Native of some sort one of these days. I'm curious how I would like the no hump design, as all my Spydies have one.
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anycal
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#8

Post by anycal »

Very nice!

I too need to get me the chief one of these days. Nice mod on the handles.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#9

Post by James Y »

I would LOVE to see a LC200N Salt version of the Chief.

Jim
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Wartstein
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#10

Post by Wartstein »

James Y wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:58 pm
I would LOVE to see a LC200N Salt version of the Chief.

Jim
+1, if it is linerless FRN (not G10)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#11

Post by Wartstein »

Double post
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#12

Post by Wartstein »

Pancake wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:41 pm
elena86 wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:31 pm
Warstein: FRN Chief would be nuts for sure, in LC200N as a Salt or with 10V as a performer.
Pancake, how do you feel about the choil on the Chief? I mean by that: How often do you actually use it, and if not often, does it place your hand to far from the edge in a regular grip on the handle?

I never handled a Chief, so I can´t tell, but somehow I´d wish for a choil-less version with instead even longer edge (ok, I wish this concerning almost any Spyder with a choil, exception being when you really NEED one to get a good four finger grip (DFly, Chap..))
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
zhyla
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#13

Post by zhyla »

Wartstein wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:12 pm
I have neither a Chief, nor a Police, but going just by size I´d prefer the Chief. I don´t like too long folders in the pocket, and the Chief is almost as "short" as an Endura and has still enough edge for my liking (Endura edge length is perfect for me).
The Police looks a lot thinner than the Chief though.

I have an old SS Police and it fits in a pocket fine, but it tends to bump on my keys at the bottom of the pocket. It’s really thin though. With the Chief being slightly shorter (closed) it may carry better for me.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#14

Post by silvershade255 »

Pancake wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:01 pm
mainly because the spring is a bit weaker and its not made from 1980 Toyota Land Cruiser rear leaf spring
That is an amazing comparison :D
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#15

Post by cbrstar »

I was looking at the getting the Chief, but because the P4 was discontinued...I just bought the P4. I already had the P3 which I adore. Gonna pick up the Chief at Christmas if something else hasn't sparked my interest.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#16

Post by Coffeetron »

thanks for the review. The Chief is one of the best looking Spydercos imo.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#17

Post by vivi »

I really like the ergonomics of the Chief, but after opening and closing it a few times I realized I preferred the Police for the more exposed opening hole. Same story with the Calypso. I love the ergonomics, but I'm used to the Police and Pacific Salt with their large, well exposed holes.

I plan to pick one up, but only after I get a P4 LW.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#18

Post by knivesandbooks »

Still need to get a p4 lw. After having the Manix BL, I'm not very interested in the Native Chief. Looks only minimally less blocky. Would get if they gave it the flutted ti treatment.
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#19

Post by JonLeBlanc »

Really liked reading your comparison!
My collection so far: 52100 Military (2); 52100 PM2 (2); 52100 Para3; Stretch2 V-Toku; KnifeWorks M4 PM2; BentoBox M390 PM2; BentoBox S90V Military; Police4 K390; S110V PM2; SS Delica AUS-6; Wayne Goddard Sprint VG-10
Wish list: Hundred Pacer; Sliverax; Mantra; 52100 PM2 SE; Kapara
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Pancake
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Re: Chief vs Police 4

#20

Post by Pancake »

Wartstein wrote:
Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:14 pm
Pancake, how do you feel about the choil on the Chief? I mean by that: How often do you actually use it, and if not often, does it place your hand to far from the edge in a regular grip on the handle?
Well, I am not really thinking about which grip I am going to use it, but for your general cutting I am holding it just by the handle (when I am doing food prep, cutting normal stuff) - this is maybe like 85 % of time when I am using the Chief. Edge starts about an 2,5 cm (1 inch) from where your index finger sits.
For more delicate cutting or when I just need a bit more control of the tip I choke up.
Vivi wrote: I really like the ergonomics of the Chief, but after opening and closing it a few times I realized I preferred the Police for the more exposed opening hole. Same story with the Calypso. I love the ergonomics, but I'm used to the Police and Pacific Salt with their large, well exposed holes.

I plan to pick one up, but only after I get a P4 LW.
Yeah, P4 wins in ease of opening over the Chief. Its not only the Spydie hole is bigger, but your thumb also comes from a bit different angle.
Vivi, I think you are going to like the Chief, maybe not that much as P4 but it is a solid performer for sure.
In the pocket: Chaparral FRN, Native Chief, Police 4 K390, Pacific Salt SE, Manix 2 G10 REX45
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