New to Spydercos, need opinions for Law Enforcment

[y2karnival]

Hello,
Some guys at work got me into knives and I’m particularly interested in getting a Spyderco. I saw this question asked back in February, so figured I’d create a new post as opposed to piggy backing off another. So, looking for a new carry knife for work which I keep in my weak side cargo pocket in case I’m on my strong side in a fight.
Looking for something with some edc purpose but mostly as a secondary lethal if needed. I carry a Benchmade Triage on my right side, so have the seat belt cutter and glass breaker covered (as I was taught 2 is 1 and 1 is none). Have looked at everything from the Tenacious, Delica, Endura, Manix, to the Para 2. I’ve almost bought the Para 2 a couple of times but just couldn’t quite pull the trigger. Do want it all black though. Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated as I believe I’m already over thinking this.

[Michael Janich]

Dear y2karnival:

Thank you very much for your service to the community.

In my opinion, the key factor in the choice of a folding knife for carry on the non-dominant side is the ability to deploy it reliably under stress. Many LE and tactical trainers advocate off-side carry of knives for handgun retention and as a back-up weapon in disadvantaged positions; however, very few of them teach or are adept at weak-hand knife deployment.

With that in mind, my personal choice would be to quickly narrow the field by choosing knives that have dedicated trainers, so you can actually work through your tactics in force-on-force training. This pares your list down to the Endura and Delica. Both of these are back locks, which mean they have strong self-close mechanisms that require more force for one-handed opening than LinerLocks, Compression Locks, and Ball-Bearing Locks. If manual deployment with a traditional thumb opening is challenging for you, I'd recommend the "Pickpocket" attachment from 5x5 Combat Solutions, which provides a high-quality bolt-on "wave" opener for any flavor of Delica or Endura. Both models are also available with integral Emerson Openers, but only in the live-blade format. The waved trainer versions, unfortunately, have been discontinued.

Most important of all, whatever model you choose, before you buy you should register for Spyderco's OpFocus program. When you create an account at Spyderco.com it will ask you if you are active law enforcement, military, military veteran/retiree, or first responder. If you are, fill out a quick online form and we will verify your uniformed status through a third-party vendor that has access to all the appropriate databases. Once your status is verified, you qualify for a very generous discount when you purchase directly from us. It's our way of thanking you for your service.

I hope his helps.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Notsurewhy]

Going to definitely second the "sign up for op focus". Easy to sign up and 50% off MSRP is great. Free shipping at $150 too, so sometimes it's worth it to add a sticker, stone or t shirt to your order to get you over that amount.

[alnico357]

I haven't put a lot of thought into it. On duty I carry my Delica weak side.

[JuPaul]

Just a thought...have you seen the new waved pm2 at Bladeops? It doesn't have a black blade like you want, but if you really like the pm2 platform and you want something easy to deploy on your weak side, it seems like this could be the knife for you. But I'm not an LEO or expert of any kind, so maybe I'm totally off-base.

https://bladeops.com/spyderco-para-mili ... exclusive/

[bearrowland]

I've been on the job for awhile. I usually carry the Autonomy my son got for me, but I've carried all my other Spyderco knives too. I've never had to break glass. If it's a crash, the fire department is there. If it's for anything else, you've got bigger tools to work with. Pick the one that you like and you're going to be covered

[sabb8pro2]

I’m not really a self defense knife guy, but as I think about it, my weak side fine motor skills are, well, extra weak. In a life or death situation, I wouldn’t want to trust my left hand to open a knife manually. I’d say a wave opener, or even a fixed blade, are a must. And lots of training.

[BG-ThatsMe]

Perrin Street Beat

[James Y]

Something to keep in mind is that back locks and ball bearing locks are ambidextrous to operate. You only need to switch the pocket clip for left handed carry. This isn’t true for compression locks or liner locks, unless you have a dedicated left handed model (which, AFAIK, if they exist are rare).

Jim

[prndltech]

Weak side defensive carry? I vote a matriarch 2, waved Endura or PM2. Something with the emerson opener.

[koenigsegg]

A fixed blade would be great or something with the wave option, bladeops still has the waved PM2, endura is great also. I think that would really help left side deployment speeds.

edit after seeing prndltech's post, I agree with him and also forgot about the matriarch that thing is a beast!

[Sumdumguy]

Going to definitely second the "sign up for op focus". Easy to sign up and 50% off MSRP is great. Free shipping at $150 too, so sometimes it's worth it to add a sticker, stone or t shirt to your order to get you over that amount.

Too bad nurses aren't eligible for the OpFocus program, my wife would have a lot more knives... hehe.

[ladybug93]

have you considered the pacific salt in spyderedge?

reasons for recommendation:
- larger hole than standard, making it easier to open even with gloves and/or in bad conditions
- versatile design (slightly blunted tip, making it useful as an emergency knife while maintaining the tip needed for defensive/piercing capabilities)
- the mid-backlock is perfect for ambidextrous operation and allows for easy opening and closing with one hand
- surprisingly lightweight, yet strong enough even without liners
- absolute rustproofness = zero maintenance
- h1 has been shown to have superior toughness, so you can beat the crap out of it without worry
- h1 is really easy to sharpen (spyderedge h1 isn't difficult either, especially with a sharpmaker)
- spyderedge h1 is the bee's knees and offers a more sturdy blade with the hollow grind
- very nice blade length for defensive/emergency purposes and lots of teeth to make quick work of tough materials
- can be had in all black, but also available in bright yellow if you prefer
- works great inside a sweaty waistband as a defensive carry knife when you're out for a run
- handles have a thin profile and rounded edges that still manage to fill the hand nicely but won't feel bulky no matter where you carry it
- can be carried in/on water

i seriously think the serrated pacific salt is a knife most people should have a copy of. if there are legal issues due to blade length, then maybe the smaller salt. these knives are so versatile in their design and capabilities. you can carry them anywhere and everywhere and use them for anything without ever worrying about them. it would be perfect for your application as a back-up blade and weak side self-defense tool, but isn't a one-trick pony like some other options might be.

[JRinFL]

For the purposes you mention, I think I would actually want an automatic knife. Otherwise, Lone Wolf sells an exclusive Endura with the wave feature and a Glock take-down tool on the back. I believe there is an all-black Spyderco auto, but the Lone Wolf Endura is uncoated VG-10.

[y2karnival]

Thank you for the suggestions. Signed up for Op focus and am sort of eyeing that Matriarch 2. Maybe get that and a Delica or some other straight edge for regular EDC stuff. However, that Yojimbo 2 in all black looks very nice. What’s the difficulty in keeping the Matriarch sharp?

[Michael Janich]

Sharpening the Matriarch 2 is no problem with the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker.

Again, the only down side to that choice is the lack of a trainer. When I chose the Matriarch 2 as the "camp knife" for my Martial Blade Camp training event several years ago, I commissioned non-folding aluminum trainers from Keen Edge Knives (https://www.keenedgeknives.com/online-s ... -p48256432). That allowed us to safely experience the cutting dynamics of the Reverse "S" blade shape. Curiously, everyone who tried the trainer soon switched back to a conventional folding trainer, mostly because the Reverse "S" was wearing people out.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Doc Dan]

I think Michael Janich gave some good advice and I was going to recommend the Endura or Delica. They are ambidextrous, have a strong stay closed bias, and they are not too expensive. If you lose it, it will not break the bank.

BTW, thanks for serving the community. I am far from home and currently live overseas, having been in multiple countries. Cops in the USA are generally honest, brave, will come to help in time of need, and risk their lives for people. Cops overseas in many countries are nowhere near that.

[ladybug93]

Sharpening the Matriarch 2 is no problem with the Tri-Angle Sharpmaker.

Again, the only down side to that choice is the lack of a trainer. When I chose the Matriarch 2 as the "camp knife" for my Martial Blade Camp training event several years ago, I commissioned non-folding aluminum trainers from Keen Edge Knives (https://www.keenedgeknives.com/online-s ... -p48256432). That allowed us to safely experience the cutting dynamics of the Reverse "S" blade shape. Curiously, everyone who tried the trainer soon switched back to a conventional folding trainer, mostly because the Reverse "S" was wearing people out.

Stay safe,

Mike

many of my reasons for recommending the pac salt over a matriarch 2 are due to the properties of h1. i have said in the past and will again that the matriarch 2 should be offered as a salt in h1. are the parts are already there in the factory. se h1 > se anything else. h1 is tougher than vg10, so you can use your matriarch with slightly less worry about breaking the tip. and, of course, there’s the move from low maintenance to no maintenance in going from vg10 to h1. maybe there’s something i don’t understand about the production, but it seems like a no brainer to me to make it in h1.

[sal]

Hi Y2Karnival,

Welcome to our forum and thanx for your service.

Thanx Mike for chiming in.

sal

[James Y]

I’ve heard some people say that a PE blade is better for SD than an SE blade, because the SE teeth could have a tendency to snag on clothing (if a clothed area is cut). I also notice that Michael Janich’s Yojimbo design, intended mainly as a defensive tool, is PE, not SE.

Jim