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 law enforcement officers found themselves in situations where they often could not carry a firearm but carrying a knife was not a problem. This was how the Civilian model came to be. The Civilian has a 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 fully SpyderEdged. Because of its distinctly specialized features it is not intended or designed for general utility 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.