Left Handed LEO Knife

[drf]

My brother recently became a cop and I want to get him a spyderco. He likes blades that are 3 1/2" and up. What do you think would be a good lefty friendly knife? I am thinking waved Endura. How hard is it to find a left handed police or millie? Correct me if I'm wrong but the clip can not be changed on those two right?

[Dr. Snubnose]

Buy him a good regular Endura or even the waved model for general use and back up....also get him a nice size TDI Kabar for his left hand, that ought to do the trick...Doc:D

[Detdaddy]

As far as I've seen, the Millie and Police are right handed only.

I feel the Endura is the perfect knife for LE. It's got a good blade length and grip length, fairly light, carries well in duty pants and dress clothes. The tip on the E4 seems much stronger than previous versions, and I can get it sharp has hell. I would not loose a lot of sleep if I ever lost it in a backyard, because it's price is low compared to others. And the biggest reason is the 4-way clip. Your brother can decide if he likes tip up or down. He can carry it on his strong side. Or if he wants it as a defensive backup, he could switch the E4 to his right side (if he carries his firearm on the left) to defend someone trying to take his firearm from the holster.

My second favorite for LE is the Manix 80mm. I actually like it more than the E4, and often carry it while in uniform. I just don't carry it as much since going to DB. Great knife, just too heavy for dress pants.

Hope I helped, and congrat's to your brother.

[vampyrewolf]

The endura in any version will probably be the best choice.

I've got a pair of E3's, both frn/serrated... ats-55 and vg-10, still prefer ats-55 over the new steels. The ats-55 has seen a good deal of abuse, the only damage it's taken is twisting the clip enough that it can't be clipped. Got a sheath made, rides on my left hip, tip down.

STR on here can modify anything for you to make it left handed (or anything else you want to do).

[pmel018]

Hi There
There are LH Police models but they can be a bit tricky to find. The last issue was in the carbon fibre range. Maybe get a standard knife and have it drilled for clip fitment on the other side
Phil

[The Deacon]

Might also pay to determine what "department policy" is regarding knives. Some do restrict blade size and carry method.

[Manix Guy 2]

Nice heads up Deacon . I would go with the Endura before the Police model . You have the choice of tip up or down , left or right ,and it is light yet strong for almost any task . Regards MG2

[Lost Jaguar]

As a southpaw, I have sought out any lefty Police models I could find. Found four so far, but it took some effort. I also had a standard PE Police model converted to four way carry by Chase Axxin. It's tricky, because the clip attachment holes are so small that the taps required to do the threading of the new holes are fragile. They can easily break off in the hole.

Best bet would be the aforementioned Endura. The waved version is the best by far for defensive use, but if the knife's primary uses would be more utilitarian, perhaps the new ZDP version would be best.

Any folder that is dedicated to defensive use should, IMHO, be waved. But an LEO might have the option to carry a fixed blade for that, like a Kumo.

Good luck. A great thing about Spyderco is that they make so many blades that are lefty-friendly.

[KaliGman]

I have been a LEO for a lot of years now, both at the municipal and federal level. In the absence of policy restrictions (Deacon is right, some departments place restrictions on blades), an Endura is a good choice. The first Spyderco I carried was an Endura.

A general duty police knife sees a lot of use (frequently abuse:eek:). I used my Endura for cutting crime scene tape, opening evidence envelopes and boxes in preparation for court, and tons of other chores. I've seen guys scrape off counterfeit inspection stickers, use the knife blade as a screwdriver or prybar, etc., though I carried a tool kit with me for stuff like that. The Endura is a good, solid choice that will hold up to lots of use and cut very well.

If self-defense is going to be part of the equation, the Endura is good in this respect too. Keep in mind that, with all the gear that a LEO is usually carrying or has available (pepper spray and/or stun gun, ASP/PR-24 or other stick, handgun, long gun, etc.), the use of a knife in self-defense is usually very unlikely. Then again, I always figure my luck is going to be bad, so I usually have a few extra bits of gear on me here or there:cool:

[Agent Starling]

My brother recently became a cop and I want to get him a spyderco. He likes blades that are 3 1/2" and up. What do you think would be a good lefty friendly knife?
Don't LEO's train strong hand/weak hand with knives like you do with guns? I would think that if the strong hand became injured or inaccessible for whatever reason, you'd need to be able to work as well with the nondominant hand?

CMS

[KaliGman]

Don't LEO's train strong hand/weak hand with knives like you do with guns? I would think that if the strong hand became injured or inaccessible for whatever reason, you'd need to be able to work as well with the nondominant hand?

CMS


Most LEOs get zero training in the actual use of a knife. Due to liability and political concerns, that is unlikely to change (I can see the headline "Trained Ninja Knife Fighter Police Officer Guts Innocent Teenager (Armed Crack Dealer) During Unlawful (Lawful) Arrest"). In most curriculums (at least when I was teaching at a LE academy) there is some (very limited) unarmed defense against a knife that is designed to keep you alive until you can increase distance and employ a firearm. It would be a very progressive department or agency indeed that actually did knife training up to the level of including weak hand drills and knife on knife drills (I hope there are some, maybe I could get a fun retirement job teaching there once I leave my present agency:D). There is a lot of information imparted at an academy (driving skills, arrest skills, legal training, evidence training, search skills, firearms, etc.), and (sadly) most agencies want the recruit out and working quickly and while spending the minimum amount of money, so LEOs don't normally get training that is not state/federal mandated or approved. This is one reason that a lot of LEOs spend so much of their own time and money getting supplementary training in areas where they feel their skills need polishing. I am a strong advocate of knife training/training against a knife for LEOs, but not because the LEO will usually fight with knives. I believe the training significantly helps in the use of empty hand skills that will help the LEO deal with an unexpected knife threat at close range, allowing the LEO to immediately deal with the matter at hand and, hopefully, arrange to deploy a firearm and shoot several large caliber holes into his or her nefarious opponent. Knife fights (the knife duel that is so beloved of the movies) are very, very rare in American law enforcement. Knife assaults are not. When assaulted with a knife, the LEO is, if at all possible, to gain distance and respond with a firearm. The supplementary knife/anti-knife skills come into play when you don't have distance and can't gain it without dealing with at least the first criminal attack.

[Agent Starling]

Thanks, KaliGman!:)

Starling

[zenheretic]

Another option would be the Pacific Salt. Endura sized, rust proof, and even easier to sharpen. Unless the LEO is really conscientious about caring for his gear, every little bit of less maintenance needed is a blessing. (not that VG-10 needs much maint.)

[drf]

Thanks all. I appreciate the advice--that is one of the reasons I enjoy this forum so much. I think I will go with the endura--he mentioned to me once that he thought the emerson waved knives were neat so I will probably go with a waved E4. The millie will be for me.