SPYDERCO CIVILIAN
On my regular visits to South Africa during the Nineties, browsing the gunshops, I started to notice a very radical large folder, with a wicked curved blade, like a Raptor’s claw. This was the Civilian, a rather mysterious design, which at the time didn’t feature in the Spyderco catalogue. In fact, the only place you saw it for open sale was in RSA; back in America it’s sale tended to be aimed at the law enforcement market.

CIVILIAN DESIGN HISTORY
According to Sal Glesser “The Civilian was designed after a long conversation with several DEA officers at a Show. The scenario was explained this way; “We have an officer working undercover in a Crack house. He can’t carry a piece. He has no Martial combat skill. Please create a low profile defensive knife that he can use, if discovered, to get out of there alive. The Civilian has a patented reverse “S” blade that’s intended to be used like an oversized claw. The tip is ground to an ultra-thin profile. Deeply curved and full at the belly, the VG-10 hollow-ground blade excels in slicing and is available fully SpyderEdged. Because of its distinctly specialized features it is not intended or designed for general utility or everyday use. Curved in all the right places for ergonomic use and retention of the knife, the handle is black G-10. Mounted for tip-down carry with a custom curved black clip, the knife rides deeply and unobtrusively in a pocket…….. It is a very efficient defensive cutting edge. Kept sharp and not used for anything except the possibility of self defence. It could save your life. It is probably not a good idea to show it around. The appearance alone of the Civilian sometimes makes people nervous.”
 Although I found the Civilian interesting, it wasn’t until a senior SAPS Officer, Colonel Mike, alerted me to just how effective that radical knife could be. The blade is visually intimidating. This can be a deterrent, and enable you to win without fighting.  Mike, one of our course graduates, was on a Bodyguard assignment, and entered the elevator of a hotel at the car-park level. The two characters who followed him in fitted the profile of local street scum, and he went to Condition Orange. One stood facing him, and as the doors closed his partner produced a craft knife and started to open it. Mike had already palmed his Civilian, and commenced proceedings with an elbow-smash to the jaw of the closer threat, then flicked open the Spyderco. At the sight of the curved blade the knifeman dropped his blade, and almost beat it to the floor, cowering in a foetal position on top of his compadre. Mike transferred the Civilian to his left hand, drew his Glock 26, and covered the pair until the elevator reached his floor.

South Africa is a high edged-weapon environment, and the visual-deterrence effect of the Civilian was appealing. Mike attended our first Combative Knife Program in Jo’burg, and used his Spyderco Civilian throughout. He showed me some of the specialised applications and I was hooked….. fortunately, not literally!

On a subsequent visit to present the first Weapon Retention Program for SAPS officers, I was able to pick up and view a copy of the instructional video on the Civilian, by James Keating, of Comtech. Keating had done a lot of research, and taken the Civilian methodology to a high level. The video is available here
 I took myself along to RAM, the local importers of Spydercos, and bought myself one of the aluminium-handled models. Although it was pricey, at the time it was the most expensive product offered by Spyderco, the fit and balance were well worth it to me.

CIVILIAN TECHNIQUES
As mentioned above the stated function of the Civilian was to allow a minimally trained officer to get out of a hostile situation fast. So the fundamental technique envisages the Civilian being used passively, just covering up, or, shielding, the aggressive limb will meet the blade, and will be on a curve whichever the direction of force. “Curves equal cutting”. The limb will “cut itself” as it attacks

With a degree of training the weapon can be used actively, to “defang”, as the FMA guys call it, that complex curve conforms to the human arm, again massive trauma with little skill.
 To illustrate that “defanging” capability, a case from RSA: Les Van, former Special Forces soldier who attended our TFK course in Nov 98, is entering Eastgate shopping mall. In his own account he was alert crossing the car park, but dropped into Condition White inside. He was getting the shopping list out of his pocket and looking down when he bumped into a “gorilla”, at least 6' 5? and heavy. Although Les apologised the guy turned and palm-thrust him in the face, knocking him right back into a bench (which prevented Les falling). The gorilla, rushed in shouting. Les accessed his Civilian and slashed the reaching arm. The guy froze, and screamed so loud that it even shocked Les. Blood spurted up over the cinema posters. Security staff arrived and seeing Les with a knife and the guy bleeding, arrested the guy! Shop staff then laid charges against the guy, who had been extorting money and molesting waitresses. When SAPS arrived Les showed them his other knife, a Spyderco Rescue, rather than the aggressive Civilian. He was not charged.

Researching the technique of the Civilian across my network of knife-savvy contacts I found that most were negative about it. Hardly, surprising, considering that most, living in America, had little exposure to the weapon. For those who want to go beyond the fundamentals, to acquire more expert skill with the Civilian I recommend the works of Jim Keating. As Sal Glesser noted “The knife was designed with the non trained person in mind. James [Keating] is certainly well respected and knows what he is speaking about. I imagine it would be easier to cut one-self with the Civilian more easily than a more conventional design if one were not paying attention. Certainly James has come up with far more uses for this defensive tool, than was thought of in the original design. This is because of his greater knowledge and skill in this area. Careful training would probably not be a bad idea with reference to this model, but the original intention for the shape was just slash anything that comes near you and hold on to the piece. The shape of the blade would do the rest.”

Because the point of this knife is not in line with the handle, conventional stabbing thrusts are denied. Instead, a specialised set of thrusts are available. As Sal Glesser explains: ”The tip is angled to be at the optimum angle for the point of the blade to pierce at the “point of entry” and continue piercing. This done with an arc type motion rather than an extending “stab type” motion. The area behind the tip is designed to create as little “hang up” as is possible. “in & out” leaving a slash type cut. The large belly behind the tip is a back up of the cut, or can be used to create a slash as well. Far more effective for a defensive move than on offensive one…… When the tip enters, due to the arc, it’s a thrust action with a follow through, rather than a thrust action with a pull back. Essentially a poke.”

It is important to remember that Mr Glesser designed the Civilian as a weapon right from the start. The Civilian was at the time, in fact the only knife classed by Spyderco as a “weapon”, all other models are marketed as  “tools”. Despite this we still hear complaints that the Civilian is unsuitable for opening cans, carving wood, digging up roots etc. It is what it is. It’s a weapon not a screwdriver, pry bar, or, chisel. Carry it as a weapon and use it only for protective purposes and it will work fine. I’ve never heard of a Civilian being damaged on a human target. Carry a Leatherman, Swiss Army, or, the ingenious SpyderWrench for utility tasks. Various commentators have speculated about the tip of the Civilian being fragile.

Regarding fragility, well this case demonstrates that the Civilian tip does the job….

A guy we’ll call Dan, has picked up company payroll from bank. He is carrying his Civilian in his hand, but not as a tactical precaution, more like you carry your keys and twirl them. He is attacked by two gunmen. The first grabs his arm. He opens the Civilian and goes in with a lowline ripping strike. The point enters the inguinal area, rips right through and cuts his belt off from the inside! Man down, instant fatality. Dan slashes at the second robber as he legs it… just missing his back.
No getting tangled in clothing, no bending or breaking. I’ve have several Civilian cases on file, and that blade just rips free through flesh, clothing, leather, whatever, every time.
The Civilian fitted very well with the type of edged-weapon training I was doing at the time. The large opening hole made getting the knife into action very positive. The only feature I had disliked about the CQC-7 was the disk opener, mounted atop the blade. Since Spyderco had patented the thumb-hole other manufacturers had found it necessary to devise alternative methods. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the disc was the least satisfactory. It was especially awkward to open if forced to access the knife with the left hand, a scenario possible in standing-grappling scenarios. I’d been used to the thumb-hole on my Mariner, and returning to it with the Civilian was a bonus.

I was really enthused with the Civilian, and, as a result, wrote my first knife article The Secret Spyderco, which was published in the USA by SWAT Magazine, and in Europe by Fire! Magazine.

Quoted:
It's an interesting knife for sure.

I'd rather have the point in line with the handle, though.   I can see this being useful when you aren't trying to cause moral wounds, but being a civilian, I cant use a knife to defend myself without being in a deadly force situation, therefore, I'd rather have a nice piercing tip in line with the handle.  I can sharpen the edge well enough to get slash cuts, but I also want to be able to pull them onto my blade.

In other words, defanging techniques arent what i am after.  I want to hit vitals and cause bleed-out.  Because I am not trying to arrest them, I'm trying to prevent them from being able to continue the fight and my knife is a last ditch weapon.

Quoted:
There is the Spyderco Matriarch 2 with the Emerson opener. I've never handled a civilian so I'm not really sure of the difference, but it looks similar enough.
https://www.bladehq.com/imgs/knives/manual-knives/spyderco-manual/spyderco-matriarch/spyderco-c12sbbk2w-cm.jpg

Quoted:
There is the Spyderco Matriarch 2 with the Emerson opener. I've never handled a civilian so I'm not really sure of the difference, but it looks similar enough.
https://www.bladehq.com/imgs/knives/manual-knives/spyderco-manual/spyderco-matriarch/spyderco-c12sbbk2w-cm.jpg

Quoted:
I have a waved Matriarch but I have never carried it. The grip feels to small in my hands. I keep thinking about having thicker G10 or Micarta scales made for it, but I haven’t done it yet.

They need to do a Waved Civilian. I think I would be a buyer.

Quoted:
Wise Men Company Signet Ring is a Great option to add to your Matriach 2 or Delica with Wave Feature

http://wisemencompany.com/signet-ring-delica-endura-matriarch/

Quoted:
Found Civilians on GovX ...

Quoted:
I signed up for that GovX, I had to in order to see the prices, and man I hate that crap.  Just more lip service.  There was nothing on that site that I couldn't find for the same price or less elsewhere.