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Buck Vantage Force Pro or Para Military 2
- Thread starter newknife
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powernoodle
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The Para 2 is going to get about 94% of the votes. But the Vantage Pro Force is a fine knife, with S30V, excellent ergos, nice looking scales, flipper and sweet deep carry clip. Love it, and mine gets as much pocket time as my Para 2 (actually, I have several). So you can go either way on this one and score a win. So just pick what you like best and rock on. No worries either way.
That's what I thought. I already have a Buck Vantage Pro...but not the Force Pro. I've been looking at the Camo Para 2 and trying to talk myself into it. Just not sure how much "more" of a knife it is that the Vantage Force Pro (which seems comparable). Been wanting another Spyderco since I sold my Endura a couple years ago.
Can you elaborate? What about it makes it better in your opinion? What did you not like about the Vantage Force Pro?
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I own both and I like the Buck Vantage Force Pro quite a bit, but truly dollar for dollar the Para 2 is a better knife (even for 15-20 bucks more). Fit and finish is better, the lock type is better,the ergo's are better and it's smoother to deploy. Don't get me wrong the Buck is a fine knife for the price and materials, and the blade centering issues people have I've been able to fix. You really gotta hold the Para 2 in your hand and with one flick you'll see why it's a better quality knife. On paper it may seem even, but the "knife experience" is different....
IMO you got to have both!!
IMO you got to have both!!
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if you already have the regular vantage pro... there really isnt a major difference besides the tiny bit of spine jimping, black oxide coating, black/blue g10 handles that have more traction and cost. i prefer the clean lines & more gentlemens version look to be honest. unless youre collecting the vantage line i honestly wouldnt bother.
in an nutshell, ive owned about 4-5 vantage pros and all of them had 50% lockup and 1-2 had later 70% lockups when flicked open... although the lockup eventually rested and was solid, the thin lockbar and late lockup doesnt compare to the strength of the compression lock. if lock strength/longevity does not concern you this really isnt a factor...
ergos in my opinion are better on the para 2 as well, the handle shape and choil are characteristics i very much enjoy and that alone gets it more pocket time than the vantages ever did.
dont get me wrong, the vantage pro is/was a great knife. i love me some hollow grinds and i much prefer them over full flat grinds. the thing is beautiful, i just loved them more when they were just over $50 a pop for a vantage pro. you couldnt beat it at that price back then. now i see there in the $70+- range and with the force line $90+-. sometimes i regret selling the large vantage pro's. on rainy days i want to buy another but at the current prices, i'll pass...
heres some quick specs off the top of my head (please chime in if im missing anything):
spyderco para 2:
cpm s30v hrc 60
ffg leaf shaped blade
little over 3" blade length cause of the choil
thumb hole deployment
compression lock
g10 over nested ss skeletonized liners
4way pocket clip
3.75oz
$105
buck vantage pro force:
bos ht s30v hrc 57+-
hollow grind drop point
thumb hole and flipper tang deployment (both the thumb hole and flipper tang are on small side making it a bit uncomfortable to deploy when compared to other knives)
3.25" blade length
liner lock
g10 over solid ss liners
left/right tip up only deep pocket carry
5oz
$85
Last edited:
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I want to like the Vantage Pro Force so badly, with its gorgeous profile and unique handle... but there's just too many complaints out there about its late lockup and wonky blade/liner alignment. If they refined it a bit, I'm sure it would be a champ.
For right now, though, the Spyderco wins, and I don't think you're going to find anyone who says differently. That said, I definitely hope Buck steps their game up. I'd love to see the Vantage Force Pro live up to its potential.
For right now, though, the Spyderco wins, and I don't think you're going to find anyone who says differently. That said, I definitely hope Buck steps their game up. I'd love to see the Vantage Force Pro live up to its potential.
powernoodle
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Why?
The compression lock is a liner lock. Literally. Its just a liner lock on the spine of the knife. And being on the spine - where your fingers are not - you have to bring your fingers to the opposite side of the knife to disengage the lock.
Don't get me wrong - I like the compression lock just fine. No complaints whatsoever. But when you get right down to it, its just a liner lock, and in my view not objectively superior to a traditional liner lock.
Its true that you are probably less likely to accidentally disengage a compression lock - as compared to a traditional liner lock. And they engage the tang differently. So there are differences. But really not enough to proclaim one the clear victor.
At least for me.
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- Mar 15, 2010
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I'm not trying to be confrontational, but the compression lock is much more than a reverse liner lock. The stop pin is very important in the strength aspect of the comp lock. All force is distributed into the stop pin. For it to fail, you'd have to crush the lock tab or shear the stop pin out of the liners and G10. The blade would more than likely fail before the lock.Why?
The compression lock is a liner lock. Literally. Its just a liner lock on the spine of the knife. And being on the spine - where your fingers are not - you have to bring your fingers to the opposite side of the knife to disengage the lock.
Don't get me wrong - I like the compression lock just fine. No complaints whatsoever. But when you get right down to it, its just a liner lock, and in my view not objectively superior to a traditional liner lock.
Its true that you are probably less likely to accidentally disengage a compression lock - as compared to a traditional liner lock. And they engage the tang differently. So there are differences. But really not enough to proclaim one the clear victor.
At least for me.
On topic, I would take the Para 2 over the Force Pro. While I don't have a Force, I do have a regular Pro. I like it, but a few things are amiss. The flipper is small and awkward to use. As is the oval shaped thumb hole. Mine locks up solidly at about 30% and hasn't moved since I got it. The fit and finish is a bit off, but it doesn't bother me because I got a smoking deal on it. I do, however, really like the blade shape and grind. The hollow grind makes it a wicked slicer.
I think the Buck Vantage Pro (non Force) is a high value knife, though the street price has gone up a bit since it first came out. But the Force model doesn't represent the same value. Buck Vantage Pro vs PM2 is a good discussion. But between the Force and the PM2, you should get the PM2.
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Why?
The compression lock is a liner lock. Literally. Its just a liner lock on the spine of the knife. And being on the spine - where your fingers are not - you have to bring your fingers to the opposite side of the knife to disengage the lock.
Don't get me wrong - I like the compression lock just fine. No complaints whatsoever. But when you get right down to it, its just a liner lock, and in my view not objectively superior to a traditional liner lock.
Its true that you are probably less likely to accidentally disengage a compression lock - as compared to a traditional liner lock. And they engage the tang differently. So there are differences. But really not enough to proclaim one the clear victor.
At least for me.
The likelihood of a piece of metal under compression to flex increases greatly as its length increases, unless the thickness is increased commensurate with the length. A locking liner has a LOT more length over which to flex than does the compression tab. Here are other mechanisms at work as well, but if we agree that a liner lock is functionally the same as a frame lock then I'll leave the deciding vote to Mr. Sal. He has stated that when they put knives in their machines to break them that frame locks fail sooner than the compression locks do.