After all this talk I'm really starting to want to get a Civilian and it's smaller brother Matriarch.
Can the Civilian/Matriarch be used effectively without any kind of self dense training? I know that's the idea of the two - but honestly can it be used with training?
For those that have either one or both of them... Can you post some pictures of them? Especially if you have like the Native or Calypso Jr. I haven't seen too many pictures of the two.
BTW How fast are you at deploying them? Does the curved blade shape, some how make it harder to open?
Thanks!
What folder for a "bad" situation would you want?
The opening hole on the Civie is farther from the handle than most straight-bladed folders, so it is easier to open. I have one of mine set for tip-up carry, and from a left side pocket, I draw with my left hand and use my left ring finger in the hole to open the blade. I have always liked edge-forward reverse grip in my left hand, and since I carry a pistol and my Gunting on my right side, it is good to have the Civie handy on the left side. Note that my Civie is made for right hand use, but that makes it perfect for edge-forward reverse grip on the left side. If one wants to carry a Civie this way, just make sure you purchase one of the newer ones that allows the clip to be moved to allow tip-up carry. I must also recommend a good training video at the very least, and James Keating has made a video on how to use the Civilian for self defense. www.jamesakeating.com
If a video is not workable, try Steve Tarani's book on the Karambit, which I have seen at large bookstores, and is available from Amazon.com also, or from www.karambit.com . The Civilian is not a karambit, but can do some of the same things as a karambit, such as ripping slashes. Spyderco will of course be shipping its own karambits soon, and I will try one. (I am partial to fixed-blade Strider karambits too!)
Get yourself James Keatings Civilian video, it is very good.
But yes, the civie in my opinion would be of far greater use to an untrained person under attack than that of something like a Gunting or a Chinook, these blades all have their place but work brilliantly with practise.
Slashing comes as a natural movement to humans as well as most animals, theres no need for fancy martial arts moves, you see a limb coming for you, you swing your arm and slash for it, simple as that.
I've been cut from the likes of the native and Chinook.
My spyderco's just like all of yours I'm sure are razor sharp, with these blades you bearly feel the cut even happen, the civie though is so fine and thin uptop that the cut burns like ****, I would hate to get a few long gashes along my stomach with that.
I still am an advocate of the Matriarch, the only reason I don't carry mine is that it is 1 of the 500 grey models, it has never even been opened.
I have 1 of them and 2 G-10 Civilians, so the civie is carried because of this.
My civie is the old school boy with its' tip down with no option of reversal.
The Matriarch is a tiny bit shorter, alot lighter and tip up (left or right option), because of the smaller/thiner handle size once folded up and due to less weight, I could always get it out just a fraction quicker, the only real thing I liked about the civie was it felt abit more "beefy" in my hand and had a bigger curve due to a small bit of extra length.
I've read that the Matriarch is no longer available, if this is so and you got the extra cash to spend go for a full blown Civie, if not and you dont have tons of cash to spend go for the Matriarch, it is just as good as its bigger brother.
Cheers
MaNcEr
It's Time To Kick @$$ 'N Chew Bubble Gum
Edited by - MaNcEr on 2/14/2004 9:11:03 AM
But yes, the civie in my opinion would be of far greater use to an untrained person under attack than that of something like a Gunting or a Chinook, these blades all have their place but work brilliantly with practise.
Slashing comes as a natural movement to humans as well as most animals, theres no need for fancy martial arts moves, you see a limb coming for you, you swing your arm and slash for it, simple as that.
I've been cut from the likes of the native and Chinook.
My spyderco's just like all of yours I'm sure are razor sharp, with these blades you bearly feel the cut even happen, the civie though is so fine and thin uptop that the cut burns like ****, I would hate to get a few long gashes along my stomach with that.
I still am an advocate of the Matriarch, the only reason I don't carry mine is that it is 1 of the 500 grey models, it has never even been opened.
I have 1 of them and 2 G-10 Civilians, so the civie is carried because of this.
My civie is the old school boy with its' tip down with no option of reversal.
The Matriarch is a tiny bit shorter, alot lighter and tip up (left or right option), because of the smaller/thiner handle size once folded up and due to less weight, I could always get it out just a fraction quicker, the only real thing I liked about the civie was it felt abit more "beefy" in my hand and had a bigger curve due to a small bit of extra length.
I've read that the Matriarch is no longer available, if this is so and you got the extra cash to spend go for a full blown Civie, if not and you dont have tons of cash to spend go for the Matriarch, it is just as good as its bigger brother.
Cheers
MaNcEr
It's Time To Kick @$$ 'N Chew Bubble Gum
Edited by - MaNcEr on 2/14/2004 9:11:03 AM