Attention Sal or Spyderco support! Smaller Military - When?

Bob Litt · Oct 23, 1999

Spyderco support:
When ever I go kayaking, rock climbing, or skydiving, my Military is my primary knife. My backup knife is either a BM Stryker or Shrade multi-tool. However, good as the Military is, I find it too clunky. When will we see a smaller version of the Military?

Sal Glesser · Oct 23, 1999

Bob - We have a design, we have blade and handle material (BG42 & G10). We are just very busy right now. I would say a "test batch" might be available early 2000.

the Military Jr isn't smaller, just shorter at both endes. The "cockpit" area remains the same as the large model.

sal

Steve B. · Oct 23, 1999

...so you`re NOT using 440v?? Bummer!! I was really looking forward to the mini military, even without the rolling lock. But take away the lock AND the steel??? Oh well...I`ll get over it.

guinness · Oct 23, 1999

I second the protest! Stick with the 440V! Why regress when you already lead the production knife industry in supersteels? Its been proven that BG42 is inferior to CPM440V not to mention 420V. I know its expensive to machine, etc, but bg42 should be in the same ball park for that matter. You know we'll pay what you need for them! ...jeff

Sal Glesser · Oct 24, 1999

The Military Jr. will first be test. Using BG42 permits a test of both design and steel. The steel from the point of view of both manufacturing and ELU response to design and material. If the test goes well, we will ore than likely use 440V as well on the model. If the test goes poorly, then we go back to R & D.

I would be surious as to what tests "prove" BG42 to be inferior, in what regards, and who did these tests.

Please remember, when we introduced 440V into the marketplace, hardly anyone had heard of it.

If it's good, we'll use it. If not, then not. We like to do our own testing. There are very few "real" experts in this area. Lab tests are good, but there is nothing like a "knife nut" to get feedback on something new.

We planned on using the Rolling Lock for this test model but that deal fell through. We'll be making linerlock the same as the Military and Starmate locks. I personally do not believe that there is a better made, stronger or more reliable linerlock than our Military and Starmate locks. Production or custom!

sal

anthony cheeseboro · Oct 24, 1999

Sal, I'm delighted to hear that you will be using BG-42 on the Military Jr. test batch. I'm sure it is an excellent steel . Chris Reeve uses it on his Sebenzas and it seems that everybody on Bladeforums thinks highly of the Sebenza. Even if Bg-42 isn't as good as CPM440V, I would be happy to get a Bg-42 blade just for collecting purposes. If possible send some of that test batch to Grand Prairie Knives in Troy Illinois so I can get one or two.

guinness · Oct 24, 1999

Sal first from my own experiences, CPM is the best there is. I'm wondering if I didn't have a bad HT on other steels, but the CPM has outcut anything I've ever had including BG42. I would like to bring in a few makers to the argument as well, but that would not be prudent for several reasons which need no explaining. I've ground the steels myself, and 440V is no tougher than bg42 to grind. 420V is another story, and its tough to finish, but maybe thats the reason you use 440V instead of 420V. Be that as it may, 440V is a great steel! Its was making waves in the custom field before it was a fixture at Spyderco, and thats why Spyderco made such a great leap when they put it in production. You guys were the first to use it in a production knife to the best of my knowledge, and it was obviously a wise and bold move. In retrospect I hope it was a good one, financially speaking. I know it eats abrasives for lunch, but so does bg42. I can't quote any "professional" cutting tests, but several makers and my own experience in comparing steels have all resulted in CPM steels dominating. Seems I've read numerous "knifenut" posts here over the past year or so also proclaiming the fantastic edge retention of 440V/420V. All the posts I've noted praising Chris Reeve and his Sebenza, I've never heard a word about the steel. Its always been his fit/finish and workmanship. The only full production knife I've ever owned of bg42 was one of the Buck "Masters" series. I was less than impressed with the blade. It was a new foray for Buck however and the possibility of a bad HT is there. Who knows. In closing, please stick with the CPM. If you want to climb another rung, there's always 420V!!!! THAT one hasn't been done in production yet! Talk about setting a standard!

jeff

BH · Oct 25, 1999

How would one of us "Regular Guys" go about obtaining one of the Small Military test pieces?

Sal Glesser · Oct 25, 1999

Guinness - We have no intentions of dropping 440V. We also have intentions of playing with 420V some more (We made a run of "Q's" in 420V with the words CPM420V cut into the blade".

We're also playing with BG42, Dendritic Cobalt, H1, etc. etc.

The BG42 that we tested here in Golden was HTed by Chris Reeve and it tested very well in edge retention. Samples are going out for corrossion testing now.

BH - Not sure of exactly what we're doing with the Military Jr. Depends on how many we make for the test. If we make enough, we'll even sell a few. Help pay for tooling, etc.

sal

BH · Oct 26, 1999

Sal- Just let us know if, when, and where they will be available, I love my full sized Military, and would enjoy a smaller one as well