Best Spyderco CPM 440V Knife?

I have both the Chinook and the Starmate... The Chinook is an animal of a knife, very hefty and up to just about anything. The starmate is very nice knife too, much lighter than the Chinook and carries very easily too...
 
I answered this on the Knifeforums, but I will here again.

A few months ago I was trying to decide between the Starmate and Military. I was dead-set on the Starmate with the Military a distant second. After I handled them at the shop, I kept going back to the Military. I chose it based on the fact it felt better in the hand to me personally. Also, I feel its slicing ability is almost unsurpassed. For its size it's very comfortable clipped in my R. front pocket, too. I don't use a this folder to pry with, so to me the Military's fine point isn't any problem.

By the way, Jeff Randall tested the Military in the jungles and was very impressed with its performance.
Jim
 
So what blade do we all think is tougher? The Starmate or the Military?

My vote would be for the Starmate as the tip looks a lot tougher.

I happen to think the Military makes a better weapon and the Starmate a better camping knife. What do you all think?

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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
If you're talking toughness, there is no comparison. Get a Chinook!

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
 
I'm just going to flip a coin...
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Johnathan Mitchell
 
Originally posted by FullerH:
If you're talking toughness, there is no comparison. Get a Chinook!

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Well yes! But out of the Military and the Starmate! (I don't own a Chinook
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)



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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
Click to expand...
 
Hmm... The Military is an undeniably great knife. You just can't go wrong with it. I personally have two and wouldn't part with them for anything (except perhaps money).
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Don't discount the Chinook though. I've been carrying mine more and more often since I bought it last year. It's a classic design and it feels great in the hand.

Starmate - I have to admit that I've never owned one of these. Sure, I've fondled some before, but the design just isn't appealing to me for whatever reason. It's easy to understand why some people like it though.

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Cerulean

"The hairy-armed person who figured out how to put an edge on a suitable rock made it possible for us to be recognizably human in the first place." - J.K.M.

[This message has been edited by cerulean (edited 06-21-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by The General:
So what blade do we all think is tougher? The Starmate or the Military?

My vote would be for the Starmate as the tip looks a lot tougher.

I happen to think the Military makes a better weapon and the Starmate a better camping knife. What do you all think?

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I think it’s the exact opposite, the Military is better adapted for cutting tasks and the Starmate for self-defense (just by reason of the more sturdy tip)

Horus




[This message has been edited by Horus (edited 06-21-2001).]
 
Strange how I think the opposite!

To me the stonger tip is better for general utility (Starmate) While the sharper and more delicate tip is better for a defence folder. For example in a fight, you want the sharpest tip right? Look at the Civilian and Matriarch? Weak tips but fantastic in a fight situation. The tip is unlikely to get damaged cutting fleash, but IS likely to get damaged while on a camping trip, where prying becomes a normal use in an emergency?

Yes both would work very well, but the Starmate seems the tougher and thus better for camping. The Military seems a sleeker cutter and slicer, thus better for a fighting knife? Does this make any sense?

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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
General...I agree. In a defense situation, you would always want something with a finer tip to aid penetration. Since the Military is certainly the better slicer of the two, that would be yet another advantage. The only way you could realistically damage the Military in such a situation is if you hit bone. This dosn't matter anyway, because if you have to use you knife defensively, you most likely will not be getting it back afterwards. In every day use, the fine tip is irrelevent because you shouldn't be prying with the knife anyway.

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Johnathan Mitchell
 
Spyderco just keeps getting better and better at this folder making thing.

I got the Military and loved it. Fell head over heels for it.

I got the Starmate and was impressed enough to buy two of them. I won a third one here on BF and started thinking maybe God was telling me something here.
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I saw a pic of the Chinook, was very intrigued at the possibilities, finally got the Chinook and went gaga over the bloody thing. It brought me back to my love affair with lockbacks. You never forget your first love.
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I almost wish Spyderco would slow the Hell down so I can catch my breath.

I am certainly glad that I am not in your shoes when it comes to trying to decide which one to get. They all have their place and each excels at it's particular strength IMHO.

I think the Stamate is a great utility folder.
The Military is a great utility/self defense folder.
And the Chinook is a great utility/self defense folder on steroids.

Rotsa Ruck GI!
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If the enemy is in range, SO ARE YOU!
 
Misque...I know what you mean about Spyderco "slowing down". After I get my Military (In the process of ordering), I still want a Starmate and a Chinook. Ever since I got my Endura, I've loved Spyderco. To me, they offer the best "bang for the buck".

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Johnathan Mitchell
 
General

I have nothing against advice, but as yet I am not convinced that a sturdy tip isn’t an important and typical part of a fighting knife.
For example, the CS Tanto series, Safe Keeper, Peace Keeper; the Fällkniven G1; the CRKT Crawford/Kasper folder, Companion or the Boeker AF Boot Knife. All these knives have a sturdy tip and are beyond doubt fighting knives.
If you stab and the tip hits something hard, and there are a lot of things thinkable (e. g. buttons, belt buckle, a purse of coined money or bones), a labile tip can break down. I have read Colonel Applegate said that this was a weak point of his in the beginning designed knives.

Furthermore the main task of a utility knife is cutting work. Tell me, what kind of work needs hard stabs and therefore a sturdy tip. On the other hand I know many uses for a slim and thin tip.

Horus
 

my buddy who owns the military uses knife kata for fighting. he went on and got a civilian. I prefer the starmate because the grip on the blade is just as good either blade down or up. i think piercing thrusts are just as important as cuts. the tip on the mil is relatively fine compared to the starmate. i'm sure that the starmate's tip will take a lot more abuse. the modified spearpoint is pretty sturdy, and it is excellent for penetration. the belly on the starmate isn't really that bad, and there is a decent amount of weight in the blade.
overall, using a knife for fighting requires a lot of practice, especially one desgined as just a cutter. I don't have THAT kind of practice, but will do what i can to pull through...

toast

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"One must practice ceaselessly." -Miyamoto Musashi
 
I only own the Military, but I can tell you that it's a work of art. Why don't you start with it, then add the others later? Just trying to help...grin. - Jeff/1911.
 
I like the Gunting, but it looks like a lot of it would be sticking out of your pocket. Seems like it would be awkward to carry too.

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Johnathan Mitchell
 
I was privalaged to play with Nemo's Gunting for a few months!
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I love this knife! However there are three points I hold against it.

1. The polished clip, not very subtle?
2. It does ride high in the pocket.
3. A 3" blade is not enough for me.

Otherwise this is a very good utility knife and a scary weapon in trained hands. If they made a larger model 3.5"+ I would buy one at some point.

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Wayne.
"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto

A few useful details on UK laws and some nice reviews!
http://members.aol.com/knivesuk/
Certified steel snob!
 
Well, here's an update...I ordered the Military today from www.worldwideknives.com (great people by the way), hope to get it in a few days. I'll post a review of it as soon as it arrives. Thanks for everyones input, without it I would probably still be trying to decide which one to get.

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Johnathan Mitchell
 
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