First Post - A Chef's dilemma: Spyderco Paramilitary 2 or Benchmades ? Pls advice

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darthwayne

Joined
Oct 7, 2016
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152
I need some advice but pardon by long post..

The problem:
I own a Kershaw Link as my first proper pocket knife (420 HC)
I went with them because i own Shun knives from same company KAI for kitchen.


but after cutting and opening lot of packaging today i realized a stronger blade is very essential in heavy duty cutting....heavy duty as in which needs lot of pressure to cut.
My knife was struggling to keep up with box cutting as it started losing edge very quickly and struggle to cut open cable ties.

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The usage:
having a PM2 would help me a lot as its handle seems to be the best among all sub $200 pocket knives and its taller blade will help in keeping long strokes stable. (there's a reason in kitchen we use a taller chefs knife)

I also do lot of food prep and for opening frozen boxes of foods i need a strong pocket knife, also for cutting salami, deboning chicken when cooking at friends place etc.


Benchmade has some remarkably aesthetic knives but they dont look as tough/rugged as spyderco PM2... I looked at 940 and its a beautiful knife but its narrow hollow grind blade is just not functional enough for me. Griptillian seems tougher but it has 154CM and rather hard plastic less grippy handle...i need grip when palms are moist while in kitchen.


I want to keep my max budget to $150 but dont mind extending to $200 for some style and aesthetics....ideally less than 3.5 inch blade as it should fit in pocket easily
 
thanks . but that convex outline of the blade just does not appeal to me as a matter of preference.
 
That's possible of course :)

Just note that the tip of the PM2 is very thin, where the Manix 2 is a tougher design (it is overall BTW). Not sure if that's going to be a problem with your heavy duty requirements, I'd at least investigate that a little.
Otherwise the PM2 is a great knife, but that probably won't be any news if you're considering one as it's about the worst kept secret in the EDC knife world.
 
I work in a kitchen as well. I use Benchmades quite regularly for the same tasks as you described. My regular users are the 940, 581 Barrage, and a Ritter Mini Griptillian. As far as your concerns about the 940 & Grip? I have zero issues. The 940 my look dainty, but is one tough SOB (also it's got a flat, saber grind, and is not hollow ground). Also, regarding the Grip... well it isn't named the "GRIP"tillian for nothing. I've used it to cut open bags of chicken breasts while wearing latex gloves (which can get pretty slick when covered in chicken goo) then immediatly break down boxes afterwards after a dip in sanitizer. I haven't dropped it yet.

I had a PM2 but sold it. That G10 handle material is murder on kitchen pants.

Hope this helps, and good luck on your search!

Dave
 
I would go with a Ritter Griptilian in M390. I've never had an issue with the grips being slippery when wet and if you really want other scales with your budget you could get them. You'd get M390 steel and a tall full flat ground blade. Another option would be a 550-1 or 551-1 and you would get G10. If I were interested in a Griptilian.

The PM2 is a nice knife. I have owned a few but I don't think of it as a tough blade and Spyderco will not replace a blade if you damage it.
 
As a knife, the pm2 is plenty tough. If it has a weakness, it's the s30v blade. If you really want one, I suggest the bladehq jade m4. You can get them off the exchange here for under $200.
Never underestimate the benchmades, their builds are geared towards tough, and they back it up with replacement warranty.

As for the pictured op knife, it's horribly dull according to the ragged cardboard cuts. Put a good edge back on and continue using it. It might get better.
 
I wouldn't use m4 in a food prep situation. A lot of acid, gunk and water is probably involved daily.
 
Chopper88 said:
I wouldn't use m4 in a food prep situation. A lot of acid, gunk and water is probably involved daily.
Click to expand...

Yeah, mine gets all that stuff and more everyday. I still manage to keep it looking close to new.
It's a shame the better steels get wrote off because they're not classified as stainless.
 
Got this gayle bradey 2 for $120. Great knife with a great steel. Keep it clean and you wont have any issues. Pretty to look at as well.M4 is pretty tough steel.
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I'm not writing it off at all. I'm just saying I wouldn't choose it in this situation.
You probably take good care in cleaning and drying it thoroughly, while not everybody wants to do this or has the time to do this.

It's a great steel, but I'd rather use s110v, or even H1 for this.
 
Chopper88 said:
I'm not writing it off at all. I'm just saying I wouldn't choose it in this situation.
You probably take good care in cleaning and drying it thoroughly, while not everybody wants to do this or has the time to do this.

It's a great steel, but I'd rather use s110v, or even H1 for this.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's where we differ. With heavy and hard use, I'd spend more time sharpening either of those steels than it takes to ensure m4 stays clean and dry between uses. I guess it boils down to how much time, and what type of maintenance you prefer. I prefer light infrequent touch ups and cleaning over cleaning, constantly repairing damage, and resharpening.
 
Round handles are the best way to go for heavy downward pressure cuts. The Ritter Griptillian with a set of custom made micarta scales would be ideal but also over budget. The standard scales are just fine but the aftermarket scales offered by a bladeforum member are off the charts luxurious. It might be worth a look.
Although I have multiple PM2's, the thin scales do hurt after a while making feather sticks.
An often overlooked sleeper is the Gerber Gator. This is a budget friendly blade that packs a wallop. Thin geometry and a grippy round handle are great for this type of cutting. The standard model uses a 44b or 420hc class steel which works great. They even have a 154cm version for~$40!
Good luck with your search. It will give you a reason to get more knives.
 
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If you like the link, get the house of blades exclusive w/ s35v steel. Will hold an edge much longer then 420hc, and not excruciatingly hard to maintain with a strop. Under $100.

Maybe also consider a spyderco stretch in zdp.
 
I might be a bit of a pleb here, but honestly, this sounds like a perfect for for the Spyderco Endura. You'll save a bunch of money because you can get them for right around $70. But the long flat ground blade makes it a dream for slicing in the kitchen, its got a very tough back-lock, the bi-directional FRN will give good grip even if covered in oil/fat/water or anything else, the tip is a little less delicate than the PM2, it'll cut through boxes like a demon, the VG10 is very corrosion resistant and takes one hell of an edge, and could be easily sharpened with a kitchen knife steel in the kitchen if need be (vs needing ceramics or diamond for some super steels), ... I mean for this application, it's kind of the best of both worlds when comparing a PM2 to the Grip. And I say this as a guy who has both a PM2 and a Grip. if I were you, I'd get the Endura.
 
Did you say Benchmades just dont look as tough/rugged as PM2？Try a BM Contego and then come back to that statement. Heck, I would even challenge PM2 with a BM 710.
 
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