"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 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."