The UK-Penknife
The laws regarding knives in Great Britain are very strict and therefore it is not allowed to carry locking knives or knives with a blade over 3 inches. Spyderco decided to make a slipjoint folder especially designed for the market in the UK and this is the result.
The C94 presents itself as a rather small and very well made pocket knife. It features a flat ground, plain edge blade made of CPM S30V and of approximately the same shape as the Calypso Jr. models. Also the linerless G-10 handle has a relationship to the C52. It is a little bit more narrow than the Calypso Jr.’s handle but the overall shape is quite the same although I think that the Penknife lies a lot better in the hand than the otherwise almost perfect Calypso Jr. does.
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The UK-Penknife also features a wire pocketclip. I personally dislike wire clips but in this case I have to make an exception. The clip is designed for deep pocket carry and I’ve never seen another knife that rides THAT deep in the pocket. When you clip it to your front pocket it literally disappears and most people won’t notice the knife at all.
As I mentioned earlier the C94 is a slipjoint folder. That means that the blade doesn’t lock open. Just like the average Swiss Army Knife but on the other hand totally different. Different because you can’t compare the action of a SAK to the C94 directly. Spyderco created a slipjoint that opens very smooth and not with a hard snapping motion like a Wenger or Victorinox. The backspring is strong enough to hold the blade in the open position and the choil secures your fingers from the edge if the blade closes accidentially.
With a little practice it is possible to operate the knife one handed only – just like the other Spyderco knives you are used to. Due to it’s light weight construction it carries very well and comfortable. If you only have things to cut and therefore no use for a heavy duty folder, the Penknife might be an alternative to a locking blade.
If you are looking for a pocket knife that is small but offers a lot of cutting power or if you are limited to carry only non locking blades in your location the C94 is the way to go. At the moment it is only available through distributors in Great Britain but for the materials used it can be bought for a very reasonable price.Most people are afraid that a slipjoint folder might be less secure than a locking blade. I only can say that this particular knife is much more secure than a non locking SAK due to the elaborated design of the handle. Always keep in mind what a knife is made for (cutting) and what you shouldn’t do with it (prying, using it as a screwdriver,…) and you are good to go. If you operate every tool with caution, and that applies to locking folders aswell, and for the purpose it was designed for you are always on the safe side.
For size comparison with other Spyderco models I recommend to check out “Ted’s list of all Spyderco models“.
I hope that this short review was at least a little bit useful if you were thinking about buying this knife. As I am currently rebuilding this site you’ll find more reviews on Spydercos that will be a bit more detailed soon.
Cheers,
Rob
March 2005
If the police here in england found this on you you’d be in serious trouble, they wouldn’t care that it doesn’t lock and is <3″, you could still easily kill people with it and that’s that.
Before people make comments about UK law it would be better if they actually knew what they were talking about!
Daniel, in the UK we are allowed to carry a sub 3″ slip joint knife. You seem to have the idea that because it could cause injury we can’t carry it…..by the same reasoning are we therefore not allowed to carry other tools like hammers, screw drivers or chainsaws? Anything can be used as an offensive weapon that doesn’t mean the person is carrying it with that intention.
The relevent law is contained in the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 and provides in Section (1) that:
“Any person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, the proof whereof shall lie on him, has with him in any public place any offensive weapon shall be guilty of an offence.”
Now, contrary to widespread belief, the law does not contain a list of offensive weapons. In the UK literally anything can be found to be a weapon, if it is carried as a weapon. Have a look at Section (4) of the Act:
“In this section ‘offensive weapon’ means any article made or adapted for use for causing injury, or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him or some other person.”
The Law Reports contain hundreds of cases where everything from fruit to shoes to newspapers has been found to have been used, or intended for use as a weapon.
Which brings us back to knives. The sometimes overlooked Prevention of Crime Act 1953 means that, although a sub 3″ slipjoint is technically legal under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, you can be arrested and charged if the arresting officer believes you carried the knife as a weapon. This would then have to be decided in court.
The sub 3″ slip joint is legal to carry in the UK!
Ken
Hi! I never thought a 4 year old article would suddenly come to life again
Ken, thanks for shedding light on this topic. If anyone wants to read the law in its original text, follow these links:
Prevention of Crime Act 1953 and Criminal Justice Act 1988
Cheers, Rob