C07 Police

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The C07 Police was first introduced in 1984 as the 1007 and is currently still available. Many variations of the Police exist.

The C51 Rookie is a smaller sized version of the Police.

Appearance in catalogs

The C07 Police appeared in all annual Spyderco product catalogs since about 1985 (older, newer):

  • Generation 1: 1984?, 1985 - at least 1990
  • Generation 2: since at least 1994
  • Generation 3: 2008 Mid-Year Product Supplement and 2009 Spyderco
  • Generation 4: since 2017 Product Guide

These are the Spyderco Product Guides that feature the C07 Police, that can be viewed online at the Spyderco.com website:

Designer

Sal Glesser [1]

History, mentionings from the forums etc.

  • Comments and pictures about Police variations and generations in the Spyderco forum.
  • In this post on the Spyderco.com forum, from 2 March 2021, Sal Glesser shares some information on the design history of the C07 Police:

1984 - First Police model. All Stainless scales. It was designed at the request of a LEO that loved the cutting power of the "Mariner", but wanted one with a point. So the design was the result of that request. I thought to call it "LaSal", but thought that was way too much ego, So we called it the Police Model, because of the request, and engraved Pride Integrity Guts on the blade with the PIG larger and darker.

It is our oldest running model.[2]

  • In this post on BladeForums.com, Sal Glesser elaborates further on the design and production history of the C07:

We had introduced our serrated "Mariner" model and serrated "Rescue" model. ('82 / '83) The "Mariner" version was made with AUS-8 (Aichi) because of its better corrosion resistance and the "Rescue" model was made with Gingami 1, (Hitachi, marked G2) because of it more aggressive cutting and edge retention.

Law Enforcement was using the model and asked us to create a model that had the cutting power of the serrated sheepfoot, but with an point. That's how the original Police model came to be. After I finished the design, Gail and spent many hours trying to make the decision to engrave the blade with "PIG". It seemed like a good idea at the time, but a bad decision on something so radical can kill a model. As it turned out, we took the plunge. (That's kinda been our style).

After dealing with prototypes , etc. We tooled up and made the model with a mid lock back for easy one hand closing. We were still giving Harvey McBurnette and Al Mar credit for the development of the mid lock back, which we used with Al Mar's permission. (We've since found an earlier piece to the puzzle, thanx to Brian Huegel, and we bought it. For another thread that Brian and I can share).

The first shipment came in Maybe 2-300 both plain and serrated. Gail and I had devised a test for testing the locks (which later became known as "Spine wack". We found that the pieces defeated consistently. The maker was upset that we would do such a test, and more upset that we had already put them on a plane back to them. We were new working together and had to learn each other. To their credit, they repaired every piece to pass our lock test. Sometimes you have to rub a "Yin" stone and a "Yang" stone together until they're smooth.

We're still working with the same maker today. More than 40 years. I worked with the grandfather and the father and my son (Eric) works with the grandson. We were both strong minded, so we had our "Discussions". they made all of Al Mar's early models. Al introduced me to them. (Al was a great man. he raised the bar for the entire industry, and this was the maker "family" that made his knives).

The current Police Model is our longest continuously running design, though it has changed a great deal over the years from the original "PIG" to the "Police 4 FRN". Some thoughts to share.[3]

Information from the Spyderco catalog on the web

C07:

"Time and again law enforcement officers have opted for the Police Model since its debut in 1984. Spyderco packs as much blade length as possible into the handle for big cutting power in a slim profile."

"The Police Model has a David Boye dent cut out of the locking lever allowing you to gorilla grip the knife without accidentally releasing the lock. The blade is hollow-ground VG-10 and thick at the tip for added strength with a weight-reducing swedge along the spine. All stainless, the handle is perfect for engraving or embossing. Steel clip positions the knife for tip-down pocket carry."[4]

C07G3:

"It’s been twenty years since the Spyderco Police Model was introduced and it remains a cutlery icon. It was designed to have an as large as possible blade built into a thin, equally sized handle. Because of this, Save and Serve professionals continue buying the Police Model as an essential tool for their trade. Since its introduction, new handle materials like G-10 have become available in the cutlery industry., and requests for a G-10 handled Police Model poured in. We accommodated, and re-engineered with a finger choil, a full flat ground blade, and released the Police3."

"The benefits of G-10 as a handle material are many. It can support a building, be drilled and sawed. It’s doesn’t retain heat or cold, shuns chemicals, discoloration and peeling. Two finger indents in the handle position the gripping hand for maximum control. The C07G blade is flat-ground VG-10: a high carbon, cobalt enhanced steel that sharpens-up easily and retains its edge. Mid-positioned backlock features a David Boye Dent for added lock security. A 4-way clip positions the folder to carry tip-up/tip-down and left- or right-handed."[5]

Variations

The C07 Police has a long history. Three generations can be differentiated which are described in the following.

                                    2008
                                    |- Generation 3 ->
|-- Generation 1 --|----------- Generation 2 -------->
1984               1991-1994?

All Police variations are made in Seki City, Japan, and have:

Generation 1

The first C07 Police variations introduced in the 80s all having stainless steel handles are considered first generation Polices (P1).

GIN-1/G-2 steel was used for all P1 blades.

Variations of the Police 1

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C07 (PIG) Stainless Steel PE SE GIN-1/G-2 1984-?, 1986 65.95$ (1986) "Pride Integrity Guts" engraved on blade ~2400 (~20% left hand) Hollow 3- screw old standard clip LH+RH, TD
C07 Stainless Steel PE SE GIN-1/G-2 ?, 1990 ? "POLICE MODEL" on blade N/A Hollow 3- screw old standard clip LH+RH, TD

Generation 2

Around 1991-1994(?) the second generation of the C07 Police (P2) was introduced. The major modifications from the P1 are

  • the lock release position moved backward to mid-position,
  • beveled handles.

The G-2 stamp[6] on the blade was used from around 1992 to 1994. Prior to 1992 Spyderco knives were not marked with the steel used. In 1994, the steel remained the same, but the marking was changed to GIN-1, the name given by the steel's manufacturer.

A Boye dent was added in 2001.

From 1998 to 2001 variations with G-10 handles were available.

Variations of the Police 2

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C07 LH Stainless Steel SE GIN-1/G-2 199?-1998 121.95$ (1994) except early batches: "POLICE" on blade N/A Hollow 3- screw old standard clip LH, TD
C07 RH Stainless Steel PE SE GIN-1/G-2 199?-1998 121.95$ (1994) except early batches: "POLICE" on blade N/A Hollow 3- screw old standard clip RH, TD
C07G Black G-10 PE SE ATS-55 1998 146.95$ (1998) "POLICE" on blade, unlined N/A Flat Saber Metal black RH, TD
C07G Black G-10 PE SE ATS-55 1999-2001 ? 2001: incl. Boye dent, "POLICE" on blade, single liner, partially screwed construction. N/A Full Flat Half- moon clip RH, TD
C07 Stainless Steel PE SE ATS-55 1999-2001 ? 2001: incl. Boye dent, "POLICE" on blade N/A Hollow 3- screw old standard clip LH+RH, TD
C07 Stainless Steel PE PS SE VG-10 2002- 132.95$ (2004), 164.95$ (2009) "POLICE" on blade, starting in 2023 the C07 features all-screw construction that reduces its weight by five percent and its handle thickness by seven percent. N/A Hollow 3- screw old standard clip RH, TD


See above (Section Generation 2) remarks regarding additional variations of GIN-1/G-2 blade stamps.

Generation 3

The third generation of the Police (P3) was introduced in 2008. The most prominent modifications from the P2 are

  • 4-way clip allowing left and right hand carrying with tip-up or tip-down,
  • screw together construction,
  • modified blade shape.

Variations of the Police 3

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C07GP3 Black G-10 PE VG-10 2008-Nov. 2016 219.95$ (2009) N/A Full Flat 4-way LH/RH, TD/TU Variant
C07GS3 Black G-10 SE VG-10 2008-2014 219.95$ (2009) N/A Full Flat 4-way LH/RH, TD/TU Variant

Generation 4

Variations of the Police 4

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C07GP4 Black G-10 PE K390 Sept. 2017-Sept. 2019 $289.95 (2017) Regular production Full Flat Black 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Main
C07PBK4 Black FRN PE VG-10 Sept. 2019- $165.00 (2019) Lightweight version Regular production Full Flat Black 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Variant
C07WD4 Mahogany Pakkawood PE HAP40/SUS 410 Jul. 2020 $320.00 (2020) Knifecenter dealer exclusive Limited Full Flat Chrome 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Variant
C07FP4K390 Blue FRN PE K390 2021 - $235.00 (2021) Lightweight version Regular production Full Flat Black 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Variant
C07FS4K390 Blue FRN SE K390 2021 - 2023 $235.00 (2021) Lightweight version Regular production Full Flat Black 4-way Hourglass LH/RH, TD/TU Variant

Other variations

SKU Handle Edge Steel From/To MSRP Note Number made Grind Clip Clip positions Collectors club
C07SA Aluminum uncoated PE? SE GIN-1/G-2 1989-? ? pins visible/flush ? Hollow Metal RH, TD?
C07BK Black, Titanium Carbo-Nitride coated Stainless Steel PE SE GIN-1/G-2 1992, ?, 1994, ?, 1996 146.95$ (1994), 189.95$ (1996) Police Blak Ti ? Hollow Metal LH+RH, TD
C07BK Black, Titanium Carbo-Nitride coated Stainless Steel PE SE ATS-55 ?, 1998 189.95$ (1998) Police Blak Ti; left hand version? ? Hollow Metal RH, TD
C07ATU Gray TuFFram coated Aluminum PE SE GIN-1/G-2 1993-1995 146.95$ (1994) 1993, 1994: without "POLICE" on blade, 1995: "POLICE" on blade, 4oz, pins visible; left hand version? ? Hollow Metal RH, TD
C07STI Ti PS SE ATS-34 1992-? 295.95$ pins visible/flush; left hand version? 500xPS, 500xSE Hollow Metal RH, TD
C07CFRHP Black CF PE VG-10 2003 189.95$ (2003) Sprint, "POLICE" on blade, boye dent; Right hand version. 600 PE/1500 Hollow Half- moon clip RH, TD
C07CFRHS Black CF SE VG-10 2003 189.95$ (2003) Sprint, "POLICE" on blade, boye dent; Right hand version. 600 SE/1500 Hollow Half- moon clip RH, TD
C07CFLHP Black CF PE VG-10 2003 189.95$ (2003) Sprint, "POLICE" on blade, boye dent; Left hand version. 150 PE LH/1500 Hollow Half- moon clip LH, TD
C07CFLHS Black CF SE VG-10 2003 189.95$ (2003) Sprint, "POLICE" on blade, boye dent; Left hand version 150 SE LH/1500 Hollow Half- moon clip LH, TD
C07SGBE Stainless Steel with Gary Blanchard embellishing SE GIN-1/G-2 1993-? 285,95 us $ (1994) Different variations exist, there was no system as to what knives got embellished[7] Hollow 3- screw old standard clip
C07 Stainless Steel with Santa Fe stoneworks wood overlay. SE? ? Usually called Earthling (which is what Santa Fe still calls this particular overlay), this model was rather expensive, and not many were made. Hollow Metal
C07 Stainless Steel with David Yellowhorse embellishing SE and PE? ? The prototype had embellishment on both sides, but the production model only had on the none-clip side. Hollow Metal

Most collectible variation

Questions regarding collecting the C07

  • There are open questions marked with '?' above and below. Any answers?

Technical information

Measurements (mm and grams) of the C07 Police:

Variations Length overall Length closed Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
Police 1 ? ? ? 98mm ? ? 154g
Police 2 SS 241mm 135mm 104mm 97mm 12mm 3mm 159g
Police 2 G-10 241mm 135mm 104mm 97mm 12mm 3mm 97g
Police 3 251mm 141mm 111mm 102mm 13mm 3mm 140g
Police 4 G-10 253mm 141mm 112mm 102mm 13mm 3mm 122g
Police 4 FRN 253mm 143mm 112mm 100mm 14mm 3mm 119g

Measurements (inches and ounces) of the C07 Police:

Variations Length overall Length closed Length blade Length edge Hole Ø Blade thickness Weight
Police 1 ? ? ? 3 7/8" ? ? 5.44oz
Police 2 SS 9 1/2" 5 5/16" 4 1/8" 3 13/16" 15/32" 1/8" 5.6oz
Police 2 G-10 9 1/2" 5 5/16" 4 1/8" 3 13/16" 15/32" 1/8" 3.4oz
Police 3 9 7/8" 5 9/16" 4 3/8" 4" 1/2" 1/8" 5oz
Police 4 G-10 9.97" 5.55" 4.42" 4.00" 0.55" 0.118" 4.5oz
Police 4 FRN 9.97" 5.63" 4.39" 3.95" 0.55" 0.118" 4.2oz

References

  1. Sal Glesser's original comment can be found on Spyderco-Forums [1]
  2. From the Spyderco.com discussion forum thread | 'Police research'
  3. From the BladeForums.com discussion forum thread | 'The PIG'
  4. The C07 Police (2nd generation) in Spyderco's online catalog
  5. The C07G3 Police in Spyderco's online catalog
  6. A comment by Sal Glesser on the G-2 stamp can be found on the Spyderco-Forums[2]
  7. See this thread on Spyderco forums.

Pictures

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