Police XL Talk

[vivi]

yep, it's a very consistent method to use and works with a thumb hole, thumb stud or nail nick just as well.

[derangedhermit]

yep, it's a very consistent method to use and works with a thumb hole, thumb stud or nail nick just as well.

Works with non-locking knives too. Sixty years ago I grew up watching my carpenter grandfather close his big slip-joint knife against his leg after he dug a splinter out of his hand or cut off a hunk of Bloodhound plug chewing tobacco.

[TCW]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

[ZrowsN1s]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

[vivi]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

[TCW]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

Thanks, I was not sure if the lightweight fern models came with the same full steel liners. So, the only difference between the Police 4 K390 G10 and the Police 4 K390 lightweight fern are the actual scales themselves?

[vivi]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

Thanks, I was not sure if the lightweight fern models came with the same full steel liners. So, the only difference between the Police 4 K390 G10 and the Police 4 K390 lightweight fern are the actual scales themselves?

the LW uses slightly smaller liners because they are not exposed, so it isn't a 1:1 exact duplicate of the factory run, but it's still a G10 K390 Police.

I've used the factory versions and a G10 PD1 Police, and I like the aftermarket version better. Exposed liners have no benefit over concealed ones in my use, it just leaves them....exposed...to corrosion more:

The weather is beginning to cool off so I thought I'd get my Police 4 ready to go back into rotation.

I stopped carrying it months ago because I noticed the liners corroding.

Here's what it looks like prior to being cleaned up:

























The knife was carried fall 2018 to spring 2019.

I'm glad a stainless Police 4 is right around the corner.

[TCW]

A Police XL would be great, but I would be satisfied if Spyderco reintroduced the G10 K390 Police 4's.

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

Thanks, I was not sure if the lightweight fern models came with the same full steel liners. So, the only difference between the Police 4 K390 G10 and the Police 4 K390 lightweight fern are the actual scales themselves?

the LW uses slightly smaller liners because they are not exposed, so it isn't a 1:1 exact duplicate of the factory run, but it's still a G10 K390 Police.

I've used the factory versions and a G10 PD1 Police, and I like the aftermarket version better. Exposed liners have no benefit over concealed ones in my use, it just leaves them....exposed...to corrosion more:

The weather is beginning to cool off so I thought I'd get my Police 4 ready to go back into rotation.

I stopped carrying it months ago because I noticed the liners corroding.

Here's what it looks like prior to being cleaned up:

























The knife was carried fall 2018 to spring 2019.

I'm glad a stainless Police 4 is right around the corner.

Thanks for the photos. I agree, embedded liners definitely have some advantages. It is great that the lightweights have full liners which improve rigidity. Scale flexing is annoying to say the least.

[p_atrick]

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

Vivi, could you say a bit more about the backspacer you can purchase in the link you provided? It looks like you don't have to use the pin included with the factory configuration. I found that to be tricky to get aligned when putting the knife back together. Is the after-market backspacer much easier to use with reassembly? Do you fumble around a lot? Can you get the blade, spring, and back lock installed while leaving the internals exposed?

I am not sure if I am being clear, but putting Seki backlocks back together can be a bit tricky. The images in the Etsy store have me wondering if this is an improved design.

[vivi]

you can build one cheaper than they'd be if Spyderco brought them back.

Buy the LW then order scales from this guy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1469016511 ... 1469016511

You'd be looking at around $220-230 assuming you buy the K390 LW at regular price.

Spyderco wouldn't bring back the K390 G10 version for under $250.

So anyone that wants a G10 K390 Police can order one today.

Vivi, could you say a bit more about the backspacer you can purchase in the link you provided? It looks like you don't have to use the pin included with the factory configuration. I found that to be tricky to get aligned when putting the knife back together. Is the after-market backspacer much easier to use with reassembly? Do you fumble around a lot? Can you get the blade, spring, and back lock installed while leaving the internals exposed?

I am not sure if I am being clear, but putting Seki backlocks back together can be a bit tricky. The images in the Etsy store have me wondering if this is an improved design.

It's been a while since I built it but I recall it being a little easier than working with the FRN backspacer.

Never been a fan of taking apart the P4 LW's for the same reason. I've tried many different methods of putting it back together and that pin reinforcing the lock bar spring makes it a pain every time.

I want to say I tried the lock bar last method with this one, and not having tension from the lockbar and spring made it easier to get the second liner to cooperate with that pin and the others.

Don't know if it helps but here's some additional photos of the G10 backspacer:





BTW I forgot to mention two other differences VS the factory G10 Police.

1. The contouring is way better. The contouring on these after market scales is night and day compared to how Spyderco currently does it.

2. The scales are a tiny bit thicker than the G10 Police 4....Maybe 0.5mm or so. IMO its still perfectly pocketable but noticeably more comfortable when using the knife.

[horzuff]

I've just received and installed my scales from Dmytro on my Police 4 LW K390 and the Resilience LW S35VN. Both fit real well, are very comfortable and didn't impact the action in any negative way (somewhat improved detent on the resilience).

My go to method for reassembling backlocks is assembling the whole handle just without the blade and pivot and leaving the front couple screws not fully fastened so that You can spread the handles apart a bit. Then, with the lockbar depressed (with a piece of string, zip tie or just Your fingers if You're dextrous enough) I just slip the blade with washers stuck in place with a tiny bit of oil into place and wiggle the pivot through. No risk of anything going ballistic but has a certain learning curve, especially with keeping the washers in place

[vivi]

Completely escaped me that he did Resilience scales. I had been thinking about ordering a LW to replace my Recon 1 folder as my back-up folder in my EDC backpack....this'll push me over the edge. Think I'll get a set of scales to throw on a blacked out LW and get another set of Police scales for either a back-up PD1 or a K390 build.

[horzuff]

I wish there was an M4 resilience, I'd definitely get a set of scales for it as well.

I asked him if he's planning on making scales for the stretch 2 XL but unfortunately no plans for now

[Midnightrider]

Late to the party, but I've been carrying a P4 in K390 since close to the time it came out. That and a Millie in S110V have been my EDC knives. Other than those I don't remember carrying anything else in the last 10 years.

I think it's just right as it is but wouldn't be opposed to a longer one, maybe 5 inch blade, the same micarta scales as on the M2 Cru-Wear, and a liner lock.

[vivi]

Sal,

I suspect it may be too early to have decided this, but I'm still curious.

Have you settled on a blade steel or handle material for the Police 5 yet?

I'm guessing G10, since being a limited run of 1,200 pieces per model IIRC, FRN molds would be out of the question.

Being a limited piece I'd guess you'll go for a blade steel more on the high end than something like VG10?

I had planned to buy 3 before I heard it'd be such a limited run. Now I may go for even more.

[vivi]

Please keep in mind that if we use a mid-back-lock, then the "kick" has to land on the pivot for the lock, otherwise the blade edge will hit the spring holder. That's why there is a longer ricasso on models like the Endura. I have "removed" the long ricasso by either turning it into a finger-choil, so the front of the finger-choil becomes the "kick" or moving the "Handle forward" to the "kick", so the edge is close to the grip in either case. (Finger-choil or handle forward.

sal
______________________________________________________________________________________

"Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind".

Sal,

I'm sure you folks have already thought about similar ideas as this, but I've been thinking about this whole handle forward vs choil lockback design idea.

My ideal folder would be a long lockback with no choil, but I also appreciate maximizing cutting edge on a folder.

So I've been giving thought on how to do that without making the design overly complex or difficult to manufacture.

Using my C95 as an example, the first image shows where the kick lands when its folded.



This second image shows my idea - adding a single internal pin that could catch the kick to prevent it from hitting the spring or back spacer, but placed so that cutting edge could be maximized because the handle wouldn't have to be moved forward from the pivot.



Maybe I could take it apart sometime soon and play around with the idea some more and see how it'd all fit instead of playing around with images of the knife.

[Wartstein]

Sal,

I'm sure you folks have already thought about similar ideas as this, but I've been thinking about this whole handle forward vs choil lockback design idea.

My ideal folder would be a long lockback with no choil, but I also appreciate maximizing cutting edge on a folder.

So I've been giving thought on how to do that without making the design overly complex or difficult to manufacture.

Using my C95 as an example, the first image shows where the kick lands when its folded.



This second image shows my idea - adding a single internal pin that could catch the kick to prevent it from hitting the spring or back spacer, but placed so that cutting edge could be maximized because the handle wouldn't have to be moved forward from the pivot.



Maybe I could take it apart sometime soon and play around with the idea some more and see how it'd all fit instead of playing around with images of the knife.

Vivi, probably no surprise that I love that idea (especially if it´d be implemented also in "my" ideal/regular size which is Endura-ish; or, with a then lengthened edge even "down to" Endela-ish")!!

But: What would that mean for the persisting habit that many people just want to stick to the "let the blade drop on the finger" closing method? (No offense to those, despite I freely admit that for me personally it would be a bit frustrating if this was the main reason we´d never see a lockback with a blade to edge ratio like a Bodacious or Caribbean offer...)

[vivi]

Vivi, probably no surprise that I love that idea (especially if it´d be implemented also in "my" ideal/regular size which is Endura-ish; or, with a then lengthened edge even "down to" Endela-ish")!!

But: What would that mean for the persisting habit that many people just want to stick to the "let the blade drop on the finger" closing method? (No offense to those, despite I freely admit that for me personally it would be a bit frustrating if this was the main reason we´d never see a lockback with a blade to edge ratio like a Bodacious or Caribbean offer...)

Easy fix. Simply angle the knife down.



I'm surprised people that use that method don't do it that way by default honestly.

If I were Spyderco and produced a folder like this, I would tape a warning sticker on the blade warning people about using that closing method.

[Mushroom]

I'm pretty sure Sal know's what a stop pin is.

[aicolainen]

But: What would that mean for the persisting habit that many people just want to stick to "let the blade drop on the finger" closing method? (No offense to those, despite I freely admit that for me personally it would be a bit frustrating if this was the main reason we´d never see a lockback with a blade to edge ratio like a Bodacious or Caribbean offer...)

Personally I'd prefer to have the choice, rather than having the choice be made for me to protect careless people from themself.

And honestly, I might end up making that error myself one day. But it'd be my own fault and I'd still be happy I got the opportunity to make that error. No lawsuit coming from me, just shame :)

Now that's the black and white look at the world. Reality tends to be more grayscale, and it could be here as well.
I like to drop the kick on my index finger. But I also like efficient blade designs that provide as much edge as possible. Some knives has way more kick than I need to drop a knife safely. So there is also a happy middle ground where edge length gets a high priority yet leaving enough of a kick that the blade can still be dropped on the index finger - though with more care and less tolerance for error.

I'd probably like to have all three variations for slightly different use.