Choosing my Paramilitary 2 steel for EDC

N4SIR

N4SIR

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Feb 22, 2008
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well i know s30v is great but theres 2 more i am considering the CTS-20CP is amazing (but hard to find under $150 if not impossible) and the S35VN isnt coming out till next year... so whats a guy to do? i could get an s30v now and pre order a s35vn (or are they too similar) or should i hold out for a CTS-20CP


this will be my EDC blade for everything from paper,cardboard and plastic ties to light wood etc... i really want a gray CTS-20CP but i have lost every single one i have bid on... i really cant spend more than $150 atm (starting college again in a month)
 
yeah i saw that but is m390 better than cts-20cp for edc use? i will most likely either try for a cts-20cp or preorder one of the 2 sprints coming next year

i want my first para 2 to be a sweet one i have 12 s30v knives already
 
You can try to find CTS 20CP (new or used) under $150, but this can take very long time and that will be your really lucky day. So I would get regular production with S30v and enjoy the life.
 
The M390 Para 2 will be a dealer exclusive, I think the M390 Military is going to be a distributor exclusive but I'm not 100% sure on that one.

M390 is not quite as good at holding an edge as CTS-20CP but I hear that it is probably an overall better steel than CTS-20CP. Steels are not all about edge retention, you have to also look at toughness and rust resistance as well.
 
Actually, I think M390 might be somewhat better at edge retention than S90V/CTS 20CP but it also takes a great edge very easily. In any case, they are both great and, imo definitely worth paying more for. Just a few days ago the 20CP model was available at a highly regarded online dealer for about $165. It was available for a couple of days, which surprised me, but they are now sold out. If you see one under $180, I would grab it. It likely won't be there for very long.

That said, S30V is perfectly OK and since you can get one for under $100 new, they really are an outstanding value. But to me the better steel is worth the increased price. I suppose if I were in your shoes, if I couldn't find a 20CP one within a few days, I would get an S30V one for now and then put in a pre-order for the M390 one that will hopefully be shipping sometime next spring. M390 is a really awesome steel.

Edit: I see you already arrived at that conclusion.
 
CTS-20CP will be a step above M390 in edge retention, but harder to sharpen, S35VN is just like S30V (M390 is a step above both in edge retention) but slightly tougher which won't make much of a difference unless your doing (bad) things like prying with it, same edge retention and sharpening etc. There's an M390 with blue g10 Dealer exclusive sprint and a M390 Carbon Fiber dealer exclusive sprint coming out next year, the brown S35VN is a Distributor exclusive (available to more than one dealer). I would go for the 20CP if I were you followed by the M390, then the regular S30V unless you are willing to pay $30 extra for brown G10 over Black, because they're basically the same steel. I have 3 benchmades in M390 which I really like and both the M390 spydercos pre-ordered. I also have the 20CP Para which I like a lot (the steel) the light colored g10 gets dirty fairly easy, but its easy to clean to, but for the steel its worth it.
 
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Both the M390 paramilitary 2 with blue scales and the M390 Military with carbon fiber scales will be "dealer exclusives" each one will be offered by one dealer only but they are not both offered by the same dealer. The tan handled S35V paramilitary is a distributor exclusive offered by one distributor through several different dealers. That is the official word from Spyderco for those who asked the question above in this thread.
 
Are you really going to deprive yourself of a fantastic knife (gray CTS-20CP) for $30 to maybe $50 difference? Don't you owe it to yourself? Switch to coffee at home instead of starbucks or eat a regular hamburger or two instead of a big mac etc for a month or so...it would be worth it to me. Heck skip lunch every day for two weeks....
 
Been using my S90V Para 2 at work to supplement my box cutter.
 
crankitup said:
Are you really going to deprive yourself of a fantastic knife (gray CTS-20CP) for $30 to maybe $50 difference? Don't you owe it to yourself? Switch to coffee at home instead of starbucks or eat a regular hamburger or two instead of a big mac etc for a month or so...it would be worth it to me. Heck skip lunch every day for two weeks....
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wish it was that easy... im a health nut so no coffe or fast food for almost a year... i bag my lunch and im lucky to have an extra $30 each week school is over 45 miles each way and my truck costs $60 a week ... i realy do want a CTS-20CP just not sure if ill be able to get one even at 150-175 all the ones ive seen are $200+
 
ok quick question IF i can get a CTS-20CP is it better than a M390 (in theory) i mean if they are very very close (the way CTS-20CP and s90v are) i might just get a standard s30v one for now edc it and use it as my beater and pre order the M390 but if you guys (whos opinions i trust) think the CTS-20CP is the ultimate version of this knife ill get that instead...
 
i basically want to buy one paramilitary 2 and be done.. (for now) but i want the best possible version i can get atm its cts-20cp and s90v and in the future s35vn and M390 but if the cts-20cp and m390 are almost identical ill splurge on the cts and be done with this mental itch i have for a para 2 ;)
 
furfmonkey said:
i basically want to buy one paramilitary 2 and be done.. (for now) but i want the best possible version i can get atm its cts-20cp and s90v and in the future s35vn and M390 but if the cts-20cp and m390 are almost identical ill splurge on the cts and be done with this mental itch i have for a para 2 ;)
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on your budget the S90V version is out of range and not many steels are going trump 20CP in edge retention. even though i will buy other variations of the para2, i am very content with my 20CP.
 
well if CTS-20CP is the best version of the knife thats what im after BUT if M390 is going to be the best version i can wait... which one will be best in an EDC situation ( cardboard paper light wood boxes etc..) as far as edge retention and overall performance ive read many threads and im hearing great things about both but some are touting M390 as slightly better

if thats the case i can pickup a used s30v para2 and preorder a M390
 
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