C12 Civilian
C12 Civilian.
C12 Civilian
The Civilian is a knife with special qualities. It’s a collectors dream with all it’s variations, different steels, etc. Originally developed for self- defence the civilian is both beautiful with it’s reverse S blade and very useful if you have self- defence needs.
Designer: Unknown at this time, probably Sal Glesser
History, mentionings etc. from the forums
A little info from Sal on Numbers from the Spyderco- forum:
There is a change in the quantity of CF Civvies being made. From 500 to 1200. We learned when ordering began that 500 would not be enough. If 100 (half) collectors order all variations (4), that's 80% of the run. After Spyderco crew, there would not be any available for anyone else. I do not believe that this change will affect the long term value of the piece. Thank you for your kind understanding to this change
sal Found here.
Information from the Spyderco catalogue on the web
From the Spyderco catalog: [1] In the 1990s Spyderco was approached by a specialized branch of U.S. law enforcement about making a knife for their undercover agents. These plain-clothes LEOs found themselves in situations where they often could not carry a firearm but carrying a knife was not a problem. Most had no formal training in self-defense tactics or MBC but as a last resort could use a blade to protect or extricate themselves from a life-threatening situation. This was how the Civilian model came to be. 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. One of the most specialized CLIPITS in the Spyderco line-up, the Civilian is available in limited quantities.
Variations.
The Spyderco C12 Civilian and Matriarch is a Spyderco that has been made in several variations. All made in Seki city in Japan.
The following variations of the Civilian are known:
SKU | knife | Edge | Steel | MSRP | Note | Number made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C12S | Original first civilian in untreated aluminum with kraton inlay in handle and in clip | SE | Gin-1 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
C12TUFS | Tufram coated aluminium handle | SE | Gin-1 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
C12TUFS | Tufram coated aluminium handle | SE | ATS-55 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
C12TUFP | Tufram coated aluminium handle | PE | Gin-1 | 229,95$ | N/A | N/A |
C12GS | Black G10 handle | SE | Gin-1 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
C12GS | Black G10 handle | SE | ATS-55 | 214,95$ | N/A | N/A |
C12GP | Black G10 handle | PE | ATS-55 | N/A | Extremely limited Japan only | less than 100 |
C12GS | Black G10 handle reinforced tip | SE | VG-10 | 249,95$ | Current one, Link to Spyderco catalogue: [2] | N/A |
C12CFRHP | Carbonfibre handle numbered in pouch | PE | ATS-55 | 229,95$ | Right handed | N/A |
C12CFLHP | Carbonfibre handle numbered in pouch | PE | ATS-55 | 229,95$ | Left handed | N/A |
C12CFRHS | Carbonfibre handle numbered in pouch | SE | ATS-55 | 229,95$ | Right handed | N/A |
C12CFLHS | Carbonfibre handle numbered in pouch | SE | ATS-55 | 229,95$ | Left handed | N/A |
C12CFRHP | Carbonfibre handle unnumbered in box | PE | ATS-55 | N/A | Right handed | N/A |
The following Matriarch variations are known:
SKU | knife | Edge | Steel | MSRP | Note | Number made |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C12SBK | Black FRN Handle | SE | VG-10 | N/A | Slightly smaller than the Civilian | N/A |
C12SGY | Grey FRN Handle | SE | ATS-55 | N/A | South African distributors model. Rare version made in low numbers. Slightly smaller than the Civilian | N/A |
Most collectable variation
The C12S in bare aluminum or the C12GP in G10 are the two variations believed to be most collectable.
Technical information
Typical measurements (mm and grams) of the C12 Civilian:
Length overall | Length closed | Length edge | Hole Ø | Blade thickness | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
233 | 132 | 105 | 12 | 3 | 134 |
Pictures
Some of the different C12 Civilians, in order of appearance: C12S,C12TUFP,C12TUFS, C12TUFS, C12GS,C12GS,C12GS, C12CFRHP (Unnumbered in box):
The two known variations of the C12 Matriarch: