Carrying scissors or how I learned to love the Paramilitary 2

Rounic

Rounic

Joined
Jun 23, 2013
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197
Spyderco Paramilitary 2. Simple, effective design, quality, durability, light weight, perfect size, great geometry... so why couldn't I actually bond with it? For me it's always been the logical choice that always started with "Because". I just never actually felt the "familiarity", never reached for it with excitement, never had the desire to "handle" it.

Yesterday it finally hit me: carrying the Paramilitary 2 is like carrying scissors.

Every edge you come in contact with is sharp, cold, precision machined... From the spine to the thumb-hole, even the compression lock lever, even the Edges of the G10. Nothing on this knife feels welcoming to the touch. You carry it and carry it but it never welcomes you with a familiar old friend touch. Once I realized this - a solution immediately came to mind.

This:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406481478.110488.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406482354.735105.jpg

Plus this:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406481496.987340.jpg

Equals this:

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1406481545.632358.jpg

Just a bit of TLC with those cloths took just the right amount of edge off. All the lines are still crisp and the thumb-hole 100% functional but that nasty sharpness is gone. A bit of polish on the spine (more towards the jimping, less towards the tip of the blade, none on jimping), the thumb-hole, the internal contact surfaces, the compression lock, the flat of the grind... and wow, the knife now feels "refined". Pivot and lockup feels just a touch more "solid". With the blade closed all of the steel surfaces feel a touch more pleasant. Blade grind still "zings" but in a more subtle way. None of the crispness is sacrificed yet I no longer feel like carrying scissors. I really love the PM2 now.

I thought I'd share, just in case you felt like I did towards the PM2 but didn't want to mess with it. This is a safe "modification" that in my mind really makes the knife better. The Cape Cod cloths are so delicate that you have ultimate control of how much or how little to want to achieve and the process is quite fun as well. I would think that this can be applied to any knife that in your mind needs a little TLC to truly shine.

Disclaimer: Taking the knife apart voids factory warranty. Polishing can take considerable time depending on how much care and precision you put into it, especially slowly polishing the thumb hole not to overdo it. You want to take 85% of the "bite" off but not the "bite" entirely.
 
Good to know. In my experience, every Spyderco suffers from this. That's why I could never understand why people say the fit/finish is so amazing. Sharp edges like that are a finishing issue or lack there of.
 
Scurvy092 said:
Good to know. In my experience, every Spyderco suffers from this. That's why I could never understand why people say the fit/finish is so amazing. Sharp edges like that are a finishing issue or lack there of.
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Sharp edges on the blade and metal parts are considered a sign of precision (not just with Spyderco but across the knife manufacturing world).

I'm with you on preferring smooth and rounded corners, though. A crowned spine, for instance, is a great addition to just about any knife.
 
I personally enjoy the edginess of Spydercos, as long as I am not doing heavy cutting. The aggressiveness of the entire knife gives me a feel of authority in my hand.
 
kreole said:
Sharp edges on the blade and metal parts are considered a sign of precision (not just with Spyderco but across the knife manufacturing world).

I'm with you on preferring smooth and rounded corners, though. A crowned spine, for instance, is a great addition to just about any knife.
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No way. Sharp edges are a sign of lack of finishing. Doesn't take much to tumble or knock down the edges.

Considering the manufacturing quality award is won by CRK almost every year and none of them have sharp edges on the inside of the handles, blade edges etc.

It doesn't have to be rounded or chamfered or smooth. You can still have sharp looking edges without actually being sharp.

As you can see from the op, it just takes a little metal polish to fix it. It still looks the same but the feel is much different.
 
I honestly don't know or can't feel what your feeling and I'm glad I don't. :p I mean we're talking about a production knife here not a 1K custom.
 
csisland said:
I honestly don't know or can't feel what your feeling and I'm glad I don't. :p I mean we're talking about a production knife here not a 1K custom.
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Run your fingers perpendicular to the scale edges. Feel how sharp they are? That's what he's talking about.
 
At first, I thought the Cape Cod was a bottle of good booze...and I could understand why that made everything better.
:)
 
:yawn::yawn::yawn:

Who cares if it's a little sharp, just use the damn thing. I've got 3 Manix, a Gayle Bradley, and a Southard; all executed flawlessly. Sure, some corners are a little sharp, but I have very worn and calloused hands from playing guitar and working hard. It doesn't bother me in the least bit. It's a knife, not a pillow.

This is just being too f*****g picky...

This thread reminds me of that fairy tale "The Princess and The Pea"...
 
I have to agree with post 13. The Spyderhole does need to have some bite to it in order to be effective. Not everyone likes it though, and some folks don't have tougher skin on their thumbs or hands so it's a personal thing. It gets nitpicky after a minute and even more so when the naysayers chime in (folks that do not like a specific brand for whatever reason). Happens to just about all companies I guess.
 
I polished the spine after doing a acid stone wash. In the process it got veeery lightly rounded. I like that.

I also had custom bocote wood scales done because frankly, the G-10 just bored me to death. The wood is smooth as can be and feels nice and warm to the touch.

A totally different knife.

11kv5fr.jpg
 
Sometimes I like sharp edges in my knives esp. The primary deployment method. That being said I rounded a tenacious with 320 and a diamond ball bit and it was very nice
 
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