Harpy vs Civilian

[Buck]

I'm torn between the Harpy and the Civilian,either one would be my first Spyderco knife.If it had to be one or the other,which would you pick? What are some of the pros and cons of each one? Any help with my decision would be greatly appreciated!

[vampyrewolf]

it would depend on the proposed uses...
camping/outdoors/EDC... harpy
defense/EDC... civ

I myself would prefer the hapry...



We all start with 10 fingers. Those with Spydies have 9 to spare, Still need a thumb. Good thing I still have 8 to spare...

[LethalWeapon]

Hey Buck! Welcome to the forum. I myself own a ss Harpy and absolutely LOVE it! However you must remember both the Harpy and Civilian are designed with specific purposes in mind. The Harpy's blade design was intended primarily for heavy duty pulling cuts, hence the curved "talon" shape and deep serrations. The Civilian's blade shape is to accommodate slashing cuts for defensive purposes. So keep in mind that both of these knives with their distinctive blades will be somewhat limited in their usefulness outside of their particular purposes. So if you expect to delicately peel an apple with either one you'll not have the best of success. Just decide what you really want the knife for. Are you primarily interested in the !WOW! factor? If so the Civilian screams WOW. On the other hand the Harpy will raise it's share of eyebrows. If practicality plays into your decision then the Harpy has an edge over the Civilian. Both knives may share a little trouble in the "evil-knife" mindset of the "sheeple" depending upon where you live. Myself being in the rural South have little problem with the above. If this will be your first Spyderco then I would choose the Harpy, simply because it does hold an edge in more practicle uses.

[Mancer]

Yeah bud, Ive ordered meself a Matriarch, gettin her today,hehe cant wiat.
Anyways if you want it for general purpose as in cutting things then go for the harpy, if its for defensive mesures thats what the civilian was built for, as Sal said in a previous post, the Civ and The Mat where not made to be used as utilitie knives, and already some idiot has put down spyderco's quality cause he used a civilian for cutting things it was not meant to cut (I read he snapped the tip (wadda moron) )

Anyways if its an all around blade that'll be used for everything and anything and those are your only 2 choices Id get the Harpy, I mean heck, if it was good enough for Hanibal Lector it'll be good enough for you <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>

Good luck on your pick

MaNcEr

It's Time To Kick @$$ 'N Chew Bubble Gum

[raygixxer89]

I have the Harpy and the Matriarch. I'd like to get the Civilian but not a big fan of liner-less folders.

[sal]

Hi Buck.

Welcome to our forum.

The harpy was designed to repair large fishnets by cutting out the damaged section so it could be replaced with a patch.

The Civilian was designed to be a self defense weapon for undercover DEA officers.

sal

[Infinite Zero]

The harpy was designed to repair large fishnets by cutting out the damaged section so it could be replaced with a patch.

I hadn’t heard this before. In retrospect, it seems perfect for that task. The only better blade for it would be the Harpy’s descendent, the Tasman Salt.

[Coastal]

Of the knives that there's no way I can justify owning, the Civilian is probably at the top of my most-desired list.

[RazorSharp86]

Had them all, including the Matriarch.
All do a great job collecting dust on a shelf. The Civilian collects more dust due to its larger surface area. It also keeps dust much better, while the ss handle of the Harpy wipes off easily. Matriarch also does a good job retaining dust, well.

[Drumlooper]

As said above, the Harpy has practical benefits. I cuts ropes very efficiently. It could be helpful in emergency situations for cutting clothes without cutting the skin beneath. I use it mainly to open packages. The shape helps to prevent to cut what’s in the package.

The Civilian is only good for slicing up bellies and cutting throats. Apparently the tip is prone to breaking when it’s not used for its purpose.

PS: If you want to slice bellies, the harpy also works well, as Antony Hopkins demonstrates convincingly in “Hannibal”.

PPS: In the novel, both models are mentioned.

[TkoK83Spy]

24 year old thread revival!! That could be a record. But, 24 years later it's still pretty cool that both of these models are still available one way or another.

[Enactive]

24 year old thread revival!! That could be a record. But, 24 years later it's still pretty cool that both of these models are still available one way or another.

And possibly Sal's most delayed forum welcome message!

[cabfrank]

I was thinking the same. 24 years, wow.
A Tasman Salt is similar to a Harpy, and it is a very functional and useful knife. A Civilian is very purpose driven, but a Matriarch is similar and more utilitarian.

[xceptnl]

I was thinking the same. 24 years, wow.
A Tasman Salt is similar to a Harpy, and it is a very functional and useful knife. A Civilian is very purpose driven, but a Matriarch is similar and more utilitarian.

I couldn't agree more. For the last 5 years or more I have paired a PE with an SE in my daily carry. I rotate them out, some more frequently than others, but usually the SE is a Tasman, Spyderhawk, or Lil Matriarch. The latter being the most utilitarian, and in a way, I feel is still viable self defense option, should it ever be necessary.

[sal]

Sucked me right in. I guess I should look at dates.

sal

[WilliamMunny]

Sucked me right in. I guess I should look at dates.

sal

Well, you just like to make sure all questions are answered. Some just take longer than others.

[270ultimate]

I couldn't agree more. For the last 5 years or more I have paired a PE with an SE in my daily carry. I rotate them out, some more frequently than others, but usually the SE is a Tasman, Spyderhawk, or Lil Matriarch. The latter being the most utilitarian, and in a way, I feel is still viable self defense option, should it ever be necessary.

That’s a great looking scale.

[xceptnl]

I couldn't agree more. For the last 5 years or more I have paired a PE with an SE in my daily carry. I rotate them out, some more frequently than others, but usually the SE is a Tasman, Spyderhawk, or Lil Matriarch. The latter being the most utilitarian, and in a way, I feel is still viable self defense option, should it ever be necessary.

That’s a great looking scale.

A forum member made them for me over a decade ago. Sort of an albino alligator with teeth.

[aicolainen]

A few years ago I declined a very good offer on a Civilian in mint condition.
At the time I was only tempted by the insanely good price, but I just couldn't see how even that amount of money would be well spent on something I'd have zero use for. In retrospect I've regretted that decision, and come to realize how much I would have loved to have a Civilian sitting on my shelf collecting dust.

Edit: Thankfully I had the foresight to buy a Harpy for that same purpose, so there's at least one knife shaped dusty object sitting on my shelf to make it visually more interesting, but there is for sure room for a Civ to come join it.

[Tims]

Hi Buck.

Welcome to our forum.

The harpy was designed to repair large fishnets by cutting out the damaged section so it could be replaced with a patch.

The Civilian was designed to be a self defense weapon for undercover DEA officers.

sal

Sal, re the Harpy design, is the cutout in the handle purely for weight relief/aesthetics or is it meant to serve some on the sea or net repair function?