What I like and don't like

[Grant Lamontagne]

Nope.

I thought I had pics of it somewhere but I can't seem to find them.

It is a lot more knife-like than pen-like.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Here we are when I met Blackie at SHOT in 2009.



Still looking for knife pics....

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Horrible pics of the knife.  I'll take some better ones tomorrow.





It's hard to see, but if you press the round button in the handle, the blade and hilt comes out.  You then turn it around, insert it into the handle and the round button then locks it inside.

He had a name for this knife but for the life of me I can't recall what it was.  It was however a knife that he would only give away, and he never sold them.

Def

[shark_za]

Interesting thread; what you think you like as far as knives go and what actually matters.

Removing any pretenses to condition or resell value seems to go a long way to appreciating something as a working tool.

I think the Police works as a combo edge because of its size. You get useful lengths of both type of blade.


I like my Police 3 G10 but find it a bit big to be my only knife.

[Ray S]

It's hard to see, but if you press the round button in the handle, the blade and hilt comes out.  You then turn it around, insert it into the handle and the round button then locks it inside.

He had a name for this knife but for the life of me I can't recall what it was.  It was however a knife that he would only give away, and he never sold them.

Def

WOW! Neat looking piece! And the etch really makes it special.Looking forward to seeing the pics.

[Old Boy]

I remember when Spydercos first came out. It was a different design from the traditionals that my friends were divisive in it. Either you like it or not. Nowadays it's such a classic because it works. I wish bought the Police when it first came out.

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's hard to see, but if you press the round button in the handle, the blade and hilt comes out.  You then turn it around, insert it into the handle and the round button then locks it inside.

He had a name for this knife but for the life of me I can't recall what it was.  It was however a knife that he would only give away, and he never sold them.

Def

WOW! Neat looking piece! And the etch really makes it special.Looking forward to seeing the pics.

I didn't get around to digging it out today but I'll see what I can manage for tomorrow.  Sorry about that- it really is a cool knife, and I am very glad that I got the chance to meet him before he passed.  The man has been a HUGE influence on the knife and tool industry, and we wouldn't have great tools like the SOG Paratool without him.

When I dig it out I will do a short video to show how it works, as it is a lot cooler than it looks in pictures.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Short video of the Blackie Collins Knife:



Def

[Ron Who]

That's cool!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah, it is a really cool design, and not something I have ever seen anywhere else.

Def

[Fortytwo]

Short video of the Blackie Collins Knife:



Def

The closest I can think of are barrel knives, I believe it's a Swedish design and supposedly common among Swedish emigrants to America. This video is not mine and seems to show a contemporary (Spanish?) maker of the design.

[Fortytwo]

Oh, and really nice knife you got there with a great piece of history to it! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Thanks- I'll look more into those barrel knives as I would love to see more like this.  It is a remarkably cool design and I'd love to see more of it.

Def

[Smashie]

I'm pretty sure Gareth has a cool little barrel knife 

[Grant Lamontagne]

While taking some pics this morning for some new items listed in [shameless plug] The Multitool.org Store [/shameless plug] I had the opportunity to play with a Spyderco Police 3 in G-10, and I thought I should add a bit of a comparison.



Sorry about the weird angle, they actually are more or less the same size.  Some of what I am about to point out may be a bit of bias, but I'll try to keep it as straight as I can- I like the Police 3, I likethe G-10, but given the choice, I would stick with my old Police model.



It doesn't make a lot of sense, and here's proof of that- the jimped finger choil right before the blade seems like a really good idea, and one that would seriously benefit you if your hand started to slip a little.  That, and the added grip of G-10 versus the titanium makes this seem like a no brainer.  Luckily, I have never really let a silly little thing like my brain get in the way of what I like and don't like.   



You can also see that the pocket clip can be placed for tip up or tip down carry, for both right and left handed people.  That versatility is also hard to ignore, and, because of the placement, the pocket clip can be placed closer to the end, which would give you a much deeper pocket carry, which means less likelihood of losing your knife. 



And the jimping on the thumb ramp just aft of the opening hole would also help to create a much more secure grip, much more than the idiotic ridges the previous owner of mine decided to gouge into it.   

So why the heck would I prefer the original knife to the new one?  Well, as I said, part of it is that mine has some character and some mileage on it and that appeals to me, but I think the blade is the main reason.



Yeah, I could live without the serrations on mine, but I just really prefer the blade grind on my old Police model.  The new one, with it's perfect swedge all the way down the spine just somehow gives the knife an air of sophistication, while the old one looks chunky and tough.  That's what I want in a knife, especially in a knife targeted at law enforcement.  You want a knife that will laugh when the dog farts and you and your partner have to jump out of the car.  You don't want something that attends cocktail parties and has a 401k.

I simply cannot fault the Police 3 for what it is- it is indeed beautiful, and, this is odd coming from someone who described the Police as a beautiful and elegant knife.  the Police 3 definitely continued the tradition, and did it well, but it just doesn't appeal to me the way the old blade does.  The old one is elegant, but also seems tough, like a model who fights in the UFC.  The new one is just a pretty model, which is absolutely nothing to complain about, just that, by comparison, for me, someone who has had more, just doesn't seem like enough.

Def

[Ron Who]

About the blade shapes: you're not mentioning the dagger-like tip on the stainless which under some knife laws might be considered illegal.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm not sure that's an issue, as there is a larger, not so obvious false edge on the spine of the blade of the Police 3, so if the dagger-ness is an issue for one, it should be an issue for both.

Def