First time buyer

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warhammer23

Joined
Aug 7, 2013
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Good day.

I want to expand to folding knives, so far i only owned Victorinox Multitools and some Gerber ones.

I love Spyderco from the moment i saw them.
I also like to know more on the tehnical stuff.
So if i may this are my questions:

Form these 3, which one is the most durable design overall in all aspects.
I want something that has a very good lock desgin (no play) , quality in the blade and overall.
I understand there is no best knive for everyone it depends on what you whant to do whith it.
But for know i'm interested in quality and durability over time in normal use.


1. Police G3 G10 - like that has a very long blade, lock back - how's VG10 vs S30V ?
2. Paramilitary 2 - always wanted a full black black knive, like compresion lock.
3. Military - bigger than the Para, but how's the liner lock vs the rest above?

What do you recommend?


-------------------------
While i am at it, what do you think about Chris Reeve knives?

Also 2 models.

4. Sebenza Large 21 with S30V / S35VN
http://www.knifeart.com/lgcarbonfiber.html

or
5. Sebenza large with Deven Thomas Damascus - the most expensive i could find.
http://www.knifeart.com/cafise.html
Love the blade, the carbon and titanium.

How more superior are these knives compared to the Spyderco, the 3 above, in all aspects ? Worth the money ?
And how's that perticular Damascus, is it only for beauty ? or also is morestronger/durable vs the 'normal' steel if it is made by someone who knows what he's doing?

Any info is of great help.
Thank you in advanced.
 
warhammer23 said:
Good day.

I want to expand to folding knives, so far i only owned Victorinox Multitools and some Gerber ones.

I love Spyderco from the moment i saw them.
I also like to know more on the tehnical stuff.
So if i may this are my questions:

Form these 3, which one is the most durable design overall in all aspects.
I want something that has a very good lock desgin (no play) , quality in the blade and overall.
I understand there is no best knive for everyone it depends on what you whant to do whith it.
But for know i'm interested in quality and durability over time in normal use.


1. Police G3 G10 - like that has a very long blade, lock back - how's VG10 vs S30V ? The Police is a big knife, and not everyone realizes how big it is. I would go for the G10 model for sure. I am not as big on the back lock only because it causes a lot of drag when opening. I trust the back lock like any other lock for normal cutting tasks. I like VG-10 better. S30V holds a working edge longer, but requires more maintenance to get the edge the way I want it, where VG-10 is very easy to get back sharp, and set my own angle. S30V has rolled on me several time in many knives. It takes quite a bit to get back shapr. Keep in mind, VG-10 will 99% of the time only be available on Japanese Spyderco's where S30V is available on USA and Taiwan knives.
2. Paramilitary 2 - always wanted a full black black knive, like compresion lock. I love mine. Can't go wrong with the Para 2, the compression lock is awesome. I only have one and it is the green CTS-204P which is some awesome steel. Good luck finding one of those at a decent price.
3. Military - bigger than the Para, but how's the liner lock vs the rest above? This is a very big knife. I am waiting on the Cru Wear sprint to come out soon. Depending on how big a knife you have carried, I may suggest starting with a Para first, and seeing if you really want a bigger knife. That being said, it is light and carries like a much smaller knife. The liner lock is very well done on this knife (and all Spyderco's I have seen. I got to carry the all black one for a week and was impressed.

What do you recommend?


-------------------------
While i am at it, what do you think about Chris Reeve knives?

Also 2 models.

4. Sebenza Large 21 with S30V / S35VN


or
5. Sebenza large with Deven Thomas Damascus - the most expensive i could find.
l
Love the blade, the carbon and titanium.

How more superior are these knives compared to the Spyderco, the 3 above, in all aspects ? Worth the money ?
And how's that perticular Damascus, is it only for beauty ? or also is morestronger/durable vs the 'normal' steel if it is made by someone who knows what he's doing?

Any info is of great help.
Thank you in advanced.
Click to expand...

For me personally, I will not be buying any CR knives soon. I am all about function, and would stay away from Damascus. It does not appeal to me visually, and has no advantage cutting wise. CR knives are reportedly the best, but I would consider a Sage 2 for a Ti R.I.L. with S30V over a Sebenza (small is the eqv. size to a Sage 2). Spyderco from what I have read heat treats more optimally, and gets more performance out of the same steel. If I pay $400+ for a knife, I don't want to be sharpening it as much as I hear people have to. Not bashing or discouraging you, just giving my view point on how I decide to spend my money. I would love to get a CR, and if I had extra funds would have a few, but I would also have about 4x the number of Spyderco's I do as well:D

Over all, I would go for the Para... for now anyway.
 
The liner lock on the Military is considered one of the best liner locks. I do prefer the compression lock though. If you do a search you'll turn up a lot of discussions on VG-10 vs. S30V. They are close to one another with S30V probably holding a working edge for longer and VG-10 maybe holding a shaving edge for longer.
 
Very intersting info you have supplied.
Thank you very much.

I like all of them.
Good to hear that all 3 are very good in their purpose.
I think i will start with the Spyderco Para 2 but i can't find it anywhere in stock.
Any recomandations?
BladeHQ don't know when it will be back in stock, amazon says ships from 2 to 5 weeks. (is amazon to trust not getting a fake one?)

Any other trustworthy sites?

If not,i'll get the Police or Military they are both in stock.

CRK - maybe in the future and if i want to collect.
 
I bought a Paramilitary 2 and have been carrying it for about a year and a half almost exclusively. It is an amazing knife for the money. I have large hands and long fingers, and I love the ergonomics. The blade stays sharp for a while, but I wouldn't call myself a hard user (mostly package opening, zip ties, a few backpacking trips, lots of paracord, other light tasks). The lock up and centering on mine is perfect, and I still have zero blade play. I also love the compression lock. It seemed a little weird at first, but after a while, it has become my favorite lock. All of that being said, I just bought my first Military and have been carrying it for a few days. I do still like the compression lock of the PM2 better, but honestly this liner lock doesn't bother me. I still locks up just as solid as the PM2's compression lock, I'm just having to break the compression lock habit. I'm not quite sure which knife I'd prefer, until I've had more time with the Military. I will say that the Military feels surprisingly smaller in hand than it looks. I guess I can contribute that to the similar handle shape as the PM2, and the lightweight G10. Also, keep in mind that the Military is tip-down carry only... if that matters to you.
 
warhammer23 said:
I think i will start with the Spyderco Para 2 but i can't find it anywhere in stock.
Any recomandations?
Click to expand...

If you'll sign up for an account at BladeHQ and add it to your wishlist, you can select to have them email you when they're in stock. I've actually seen about 5 of each type (excluding sprints) popping up in stock every few weeks or so. I actually picked up a second one in July. You better check immediately when you get the email, though, because they go quick. The black G10/satin model was just in stock this morning.
 
I have the Police and Paramilitary 2. The Police has a really long blade and the Paramilitary a short blade so they are very different in that sense. The Paramilitary has a long comfortable handle which other 3-3.5 inch bladed knives don't have. I took some pictures with my cellphone to help you compar
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Here's a shot of some of the aforementioned knives.
I did a weight comparison and the Sage, PM2, and the carbon Sebenza that you mentioned as an option, are all really close. Within a 1/4 ounce IIRC. The Sebenza weighing in at 3.72 oz. The big Ti Millie is 6 ounces on the nose.
I'm obviously a fan of them all or they wouldn't be here so it would be tough choosing any one to recommend but here we are in the Spyderco sub-forum so...


vub9.jpg
 
VG-10 vs s30v:

both make good slicers. the s30v is more wear-resistant and stays sharp longer. the vg-10 is softer and a lot easier to put a razor edge on. it's an amazing steel in that respect. s30v is not just hard to sharpen relative to vg-10. i find it harder to sharpen than even a zdp 189. it's softer than zdp yet it doesn't polish or sharpen as easily. or maybe i'm just used to zdp 189 and any steel that doesn't sharpen easier is a disappointment.

but make no mistake, s30v is no slouch. it could be the only knife steel you'll ever need.
 
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Thanks again.
The more info the better.

@ Barman1 - how's the CRK with the half carbon body ?
May i ask how long you had it - any discolorations or trouble of any sort ?

@ hank_rearden - very nice- that's why i wantone of each now.
 
Oh my God.

You we're wright.

It's a huge knive this Police !!!

Very happy that i got it, feels very strong, the blade is razor sharp,all is solid.
I think i'll get another one likeit to have it forever :))
And then two of the PM2 and maybe a CRK.


So glad i choose Spyderco.

Thanks guys for the help.

A good video also for first time buyers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoaHlRTiTf0
 
Sounds like you're hooked already. :cool:
You should check out the Gayle Bradley, too. It's the definition of a working knife. Should be right up your alley.
 
Some impressions after some time about the Police.

I work in a restaurant so i have a lot of oportunities to cut a lot of stuff.
Cuts very very well and the most i love to cut is meat.
Perfect slicer also becuase of that big blade.

The back lock is awesome, very sturdy, the g10 perfect in the hand and the knive overall is very good.

Still waiting on the PM2 Black to be in stock somewhere :(

So I couldn't resist the urge and i pulled the trigger.

So i got my first CRK also.
And even with a Damascus blade.
Absolutly beautiful and it's true the Sebenza is mind blowing.
How it's constructed - just wow.

hnc4I1k.jpg



dkk4C3J.jpg


I will make more pictures when i get my camera.


If i get the PM2 i think i have a very good starting point in folding knives now :)

Ah... i have a questions - does anybody know what is my equivalent of the blade for my Damascus ? Like a VG-10 / S30V etc any point of reference ?
It's a stainless Devin Thomas Ladder and from his site it says it's a combo of AEB-L and 304 steels.

Thank you.
 
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