Spyderco Forums

I agree, the shape of the handle is more important than the material, the only reason I mentioned them was because no spydercos spring to mind which have SS, micarta, Alu, CF or Ti handles and have been machined to increase "grippyness". What I meant was most of the SD spydercos (gunting, yojimbo, chinook, civilian, manix etc.) have G-10 handles. Let me put it another way, if you had to pick between a G-10 police and a normal SS police to use in SD which would it be? Or a CF civilian or a normal G-10 one? The shape of the handles are the same but I know which I'd choose based purely on handle material.

:spyder: Almost as important as the knife is a good trainer (both knife drone and knife instructor). Except for the FMA traditional empty handed martial arts do not translate well to knife play.

For example, biu jee (finger jab) is a wonderful, fight stopping technique when squaring off emptyhanded but when knives are involved such a technique translates into having one's forearm flexor tendons severed.

Knifeplay can be a wonderful wake up for martial artists as the comfort zone in which we train is shattered by the slippery reality of gushing blood. Cutting others is easy, not getting cut, boy, that's hard.

Michael Cook wrote: :spyder: Almost as important as the knife is a good trainer (both knife drone and knife instructor). Except for the FMA traditional empty handed martial arts do not translate well to knife play.

For example, biu jee (finger jab) is a wonderful, fight stopping technique when squaring off emptyhanded but when knives are involved such a technique translates into having one's forearm flexor tendons severed.

Knifeplay can be a wonderful wake up for martial artists as the comfort zone in which we train is shattered by the slippery reality of gushing blood. Cutting others is easy, not getting cut, boy, that's hard.

Hence my all time favorite book, "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" by Bruce Lee

Michael Cook wrote: :spyder: Almost as important as the knife is a good trainer (both knife drone and knife instructor).

I agree completely. It's one thing to have the knife in your pocket, it's completely another to deploy it under duress, and be able to use it properly when your life is on the line. Only by training extensively will the necessary motions become second nature to you. No matter what you think will happen in a fight, you will not have to time to think, so you need to train to the point where you react without thinking.

That's my opinion anyway.

Which is why I really wish I had a training partner, because theres a limit to how much training I can do on my own.

For the record... the cold steel voyager series is AUS 8A steel, I am carrying one as we speak, and it's pretty wicked... and not only do they make a 5 inch model, but a sixer that'll carve up an elk before it even gets started.

I also like CRKT's Kasper fighters, and Darrell Ralph/Ryan Wilson's Combat Elite folders are superb SD specialized blades. I concur on the Emerson's as well, the waved ones particularly...

I'll put my money on my CS Voyager or my :spyder: Police if the s$%! goes down in a bad way on some dark night.

BlackNinja wrote:Hence my all time favorite book, "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" by Bruce Lee

Great book! Although my copy is getting pretty dog-eared now...

[quote="ruxton"]Great book! Although my copy is getting pretty dog-eared now... ]

Yeah, mine is too. I've had it for almost 15 years, and have read it as many times. It's been a while so I think i'm gonna bring it with me to read after recovery. It's such an amazing book!

I normally agree with pretty much everything 4ster says but this time I got to take opposite sides :) . I do indeed think that G-10 has a much gripp-ier surface and much better traction for sweaty hands than FRN, Titanium, Aluminim just to name a few. I think that is exactly why you see most of these MBC rated knives with G-10 handles i.e. the Gunting, the Yojimbo, ect.

Now I do realize that we all have handles that for what ever reason feel more confortable to us as an individual. For instance I can tell a big difference between Titanium versus stainless and/or aluminum. there is a texture that Titanium naturally has that most other metals do not. G-10 has a much more tacky and grip-py surface than any other polymer that I have used.

Now handle design itself is truly important because you could have the best handle material there is and if the handle is poorly designed it wouldn't be much help. But there is a much better texture with G-10 than there is with FRN and other materials. :spyder:

I have many knives I recommend for SD uses, among them,
quite a few :spyder: 's, like the Delica, Endura, Chinook II, etc.
But for the best advice I could give, see my sig line.

What about gettin the Persian a chance?!
IMO it could be GREAT also for SD. And looks good and feels good also.

Personal choice is a strange thing.the Civillian has had its debut for Self defence punctuated in the form of guidance Videos and a large range of trainer blades on sale.Those reasons alone arent what makes any knife THE self defence carry of all time for me. Personally I wouldnt follow any of the hyped up word on the street. My personal preferances are just for simple things.I would look for a strong jointed folder with a fully or semi serrated blade,a Lightweight handle with good contact grips,and most importantly a strong locking mechanism that clicks in like a bank vault just so you know the knife is open and stays that way.Everything after that is just fluff to me.I havent handeled many Spyderco's in my time but the Civillian to me looks like it designed to win afight by intimidation rather than function,the recurve on the blade looks like it belongs in an abitoire and in my honest opinion is a Life Sentance clipped to a belt.

I know you already have one, but I think the Dodo is a dandy little SD! I hear alot of people say it's sheeple friendly, but everyone I've showed it to seems a bit afraid. Fear the Dodo!

maybe this will help click me!

Dodge wrote:maybe this will help click me!

Definately have to back up the suggestion for my Brothers site.
Don is the man when it comes to this stuff.

Meanest SD knife? The Civilian, no doubt!