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

[steelhead seeker]

I love spyderco and they make up most of my collection but I wouldn't call the military line hard use at all. Not saying they won't work for most tasks but the tips are fairly thin. Id grab a Gayle Bradley over the military for a work knife. Better steel too. My wife wanted to get her son a knife. He's a big kid, probably 6'3 or so and has large hands so I recommend the recon 1 spear point as they were only $100 and s35vn...I gota say when it came i was super super impressed with it. Very good smooth action and SOLID lockup. I like it so much I've thought about picking up another for myself...and I just sent back a southern grind bad monkey because it was to large for my hands and even though the recon 1 is literally the same size it feels smaller in hand.

 

[jbmonkey]

on a folder for any harder use i prefer the tri-ad lock myself.


that said I own more military models than recon1s, and for a reason. the military is a great knife.

 

[marrenmiller]

I'd say the Military is a better cutting tool, with one notable caveat: if you can find one of the older Recon 1 models with a hollow grind or get a modern tanto variety with a compound grind, they cut surprisingly well. I like my 204p military but I find myself carrying my Recon 1s more. From time to time, you can still find hollow ground Recon 1s on the secondary market in XHP for less than a Military.

Otherwise, the recommendation should be based on what you want out of the knife. The Military carries better and deploys/closes easier. The Recon 1 appears by all accounts to be heavier duty and more tolerant of abuse. The ergonomics are very different, and I'd probably say the Recon 1 is more comfortable in hand. Both are supported by decent warranty services.