Clash of the EDC titans - Cold Steel Recon 1 vs. Spyderco Military

Recon 1 or Millie?

  • Recon 1

    Votes: 20 54.1%

  • Millie

    Votes: 17 45.9%
  • Total voters
    37
el gigantor

el gigantor

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
1,641
I'm looking to pick up a stout folder for general EDC and hard-use trades work. I'm a big fan of both models I'm considering, but for whatever reason I can't make up my mind. If you were in my shoes and you needed a tough all-arounder type blade, which would you choose and why?

(Both knives are the all-black variants. Recon 1 in S35VN, Millie in S30V. The Spydie is almost $100 more expensive)
 
Guess it depends on what "hard use" means. I don't really see any reason to ever "hard use" a knife, unless you are cutting shingles, carpet or mulch bags all day, in which case use a utility/razor replaceable carbide blade so you aren't spending 30 minutes sharping your knife every night. Its a "right tool for the job" kind of thing. That's just my world view, and remember that I probably don't know what I'm talking about.
 
I prefer the Military as a knife, but there's no doubt the Recon is more of a tank that will handle more abuse, you could probably pry open manhole covers with the tanto version.
 
The Recon probably could take more abuse, but used sensibly either would do. The Military would be easier to open/close single handed. I find S35Vn easier to sharpen than S30V.
 
el gigantor said:
I'm looking to pick up a stout folder for general EDC and hard-use trades work. ..If ..you needed a tough all-arounder type blade, which would you choose and why?
...The Spydie is almost $100 more expensive)
Click to expand...

hmm, but seriously?
what more does one hope to
possibly gain for a $100 extra
that the cheaper of the two
can't handle in knife tasking?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DMG
Alberta Ed said:
The Recon probably could take more abuse, but used sensibly either would do. The Military would be easier to open/close single handed. I find S35Vn easier to sharpen than S30V.
Click to expand...

That's true, I'd personally prefer a Military, just as a knife to own, there's pros and cons to both if I give them a fair comparison.

Military - better action, looks nicer, better washers, generally more fun
Recon 1 - More robust, Stronger lock, better priced

The 2 steels I can't really say one is better than the other, they are slightly differen't dpending on which ratio you prefer, S30V probably will hold a longer edge, S35VN slightly easier to reprofile and repair dings. The difference honestly is hardly night and day though, both steels are acceptable and I'm fine with either. I've had S30V in my PM2 chip on me before, but after I reprofiled it and took a ton of material off the steel never chipped again on that knife, probably just a burnt edge or something.
 
Really, really hard question! Have both knives, love them equally. Voted for Recon 1 only because it’s more robust than Military, but... Honestly the best solution is to have both knives :)
 
They’re both very good knives.

The military would fit most people better for EDC, I think. Finer tip compared to even the clip point recon 1. Better geometry for cutting. Ergonomics are equal, overall. Easier to manipulate open/closed.

For hard use EDC, I’d go with the Recon 1. Stronger lock and blade geometry.
 
I have both and sometimes I even carry both. If I had to choose just one, it'd be the Military. But I'm glad I have both. So to answer your question, the answer is Both. Plan to get one now and the other later. I seriously doubt you'll regret either one.
 
Rainwalker said:
I have both and sometimes I even carry both. If I had to choose just one, it'd be the Military. But I'm glad I have both. So to answer your question, the answer is Both. Plan to get one now and the other later. I seriously doubt you'll regret either one.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I’d agree with that. My Military - CF 52100 - is permanently available in the kitchen, not only for kitchen tasks but general EDC for the house. Not that long ago, I sanded down some of the rough corners on the Recon-1, and it now lives in the toolbox. That might seem harsh, but it is quite a positive move for me. Our house is 120 yrs old; toolbox comes out a lot. ;)
 
while the military has nicer fit and finish and is extremely well made, i just wouldnt trust any liner lock for "hard use", if you are looking for a knife you can beat on the the recon 1 is a better option in my opinion and i feel the triad/backlock is safer and more reliable, though a military should not fail you in any kind of normal use
 
Both. And I say this very seriously as both are great large folders. I have had multiples of each and still have two of each.

Millie: lightweight, slicier, easier to lock and unlock, more steels and handle materials/colors to choose from.

Recon 1: more reliable for absolute hard-use, less expensive, more blade grinds to choose from.
 
I like my Millie quite a lot, though it's in a different steel. How good a hard use knife it is would depend a lot on what hard use on a folder means to you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top