Hard-use folder; SERE 2K V's AFCK Axis

Spydie Millie is a great slicer and the lockup is indeed quite solid, but isn't it a little thin for so-called "hard use"?

The whole setup is seriously slice-friendly, but between the single liner, thin blade, narrow clip point, small pivot, I wouldn't exactly rush into using it for any kind of popping or prying.

Or I'm wrong?

-j
 
I personally consider the Military square in the middle of the "classification field" (how'd ya like that one?) of the AFCK and the SERE 2K and feel it would stand up to anything you would subject the other's to. That said, I usually reserve prying to screwdrivers, multitools and prybars, not knifes. I may be considered biased since I EDC the Millie, but I have handled all three, and decided I like it best.
 
I'll jump on the Military bandwagon. It's the best large folder I've ever handled. The design is simply superb. I wouldn't have any worries about the Military's nested liner lock, but prying is not something I ever do with folders. That's just asking to lose a finger with any folder.

Whether or not it's worth buying, if you already own a Sere2K, is another matter entirely. Once you get into knives like the Sere2K, Military, and AFCKD2, personal preference is largely the determining factor, not quality. All of these folders are exceptional, just in different ways.
 
Why do people call using a folder to pry or chop something "Hard Use". All prying is to a pocketknife is abuse. If you design a pocketknife to do better at prying then others... it will slice worse then others...
-Kevin
 
I don't mean prying in the sense of digging or separating wood or logs.

I mean in the sense of getting it stuck in something thick and dense (drywall, rubber hosing, cardboard, plastics, etc) and wiggling it a whole bunch, or just plain powering it through something with some lateral motion and torquing.

I would consider this fair use, if not "hard use" as it is the kind of use I expect out of my every day knife and although I doubt the Millie will fail under this kind of use, I like a little larger margin of failure.

I've had otherwise secure linerlocks slip, and I wouldn't like to try the same thing with those.

Either way, that's my $0.02, and I agree with Buzz :)

-j
 
Originally posted by Morgoth412
Why do people call using a folder to pry or chop something "Hard Use". All prying is to a pocketknife is abuse. If you design a pocketknife to do better at prying then others... it will slice worse then others...
-Kevin
Click to expand...

TBH I personally see hard use as working with harder materials for longer, working in the outdoors / in unfavourable conditions, going longer without resharpening etc

While I would like the ability to twist the blade a little to pry apart tough meat, vines etc(when cutting through them), I would not expect them to be able to pry the lids off paint cans etc.

I do agree with you; in such a knife you sacrifice some ability to slice, however I'd imagine to some folks being a pry bar is just as important as being a blade.


Anyway, thanks again for your input guys. Please keep them coming ....
 
*laugh*

I have a "paint can opener" to pop paint can tops. ;)

Mindz_I, jsun, Yep... the Millie sounds just fine for your needs... the thing slices like nothing else and is hardy enough for that. Better to try her out first. Long carry profile... larger than she looks in pictures. One nice thing is that she's very slim for the size.

-j
 
Hehe its always the same on bladeforums :D You come on with a couple of knives in mind and everyone suggests something new and interesting to drool over :D

Are the Military's strong then ? (Only spidey i have is a Cricket and that has alot of blade play), the single liner doesn't do alot to immediatley inspire confidence...

Cheers
 
The Military is plenty strong - rated "heavy duty" by Spyderco. Have a look on the Spyderco.com forum too for more info.
 
If it's fair game to include other knives, then I suggest the Microtech Socom Elite. I like the plain-edged, clip (drop?) point version. The blade is stout and is also an excellent slicer. Like the Military it has a nested locking mechanism (Microbar) which is plenty sturdy for my needs. Drawback: It may be too pretty for hard use.

If you really want a folder that can take alot of abuse, try a multi-blade Camillus folding camp knife. Tough as nails; cheap as dirt.
 
The Military is plenty strong. Extra parts do not necessarily equate to extra strength, specifically concerning liners on folders. By nesting the liner directly into the G10 on the Military, Spyderco actually increased the strength of the lock. Where the pins can blow out on a linered folder, the G10 scales would actually have to blow out for the Military's lock to fail under heavy pressure. That would have to be a whopping amount of pressure.

I was also unsure of the Military's nested liner lock at one time. But after years of hard use, I have no worries about lock strength. Nested liner locks work, but aren't cheap. Just ask a custom maker for a price on a nested liner lock. :eek:
 
Are the Military's strong then ? (Only spidey i have is a Cricket and that has alot of blade play), the single liner doesn't do alot to immediatley inspire confidence...
Click to expand...

Send your Cricket in to Spyderco. It should be covered under warranty.
-Kevin
 
I fall into the category of those not too impressed with the Military. While it has some strong points, I found it had a lot of negatives for me. The handle was too thin to be comfortable in my hand. The lock would slip all the time, but it never did fail, as it seemed to catch at a certain point. And to exaggerate the locking problems, the way the lock cutout for release is done with a large cutout on the left scale and having the locking bar run straight across the opening meant that if I gripped the knife tightly with my left hand my finger would partially disengage the lock. While I'm right handed, I find myself using knives with my left hand every once in a while and absolutely hated the feeling of impending doom I'd get when I tightened my grip up and felt the lock move. If I bought one again I'd profile the lock bar to cure the problem.
 
You tell 'em, Cargun!!!

That's pretty much my opinion. Like I said, it's a terrific slicer. I'm a little hesitant to endorse the lock or size of handle in the same way.

:D

-jon
 
I once saw a SERE 2000 eat an AFCK for lunch and crap it out the next morning-- on a Military.
 
No way around it, "hard use folder" is spelled G-R-E-C-O.

For less than you would pay for one of the above mentioned knives you can get a Greco framelock folder that is stronger than any of them and completely user-servicable.

I have a BM Axis lock that I like very much (it's my primary EDC) but the Greco gets the nod whenever I am doing something more demanding than EDC. I used to own an Axis AFCK, and it is nowhere near as strong as a Greco. Not even close.

I'm not sure what you would consider "hard use" but in my mind that includes things that will frequently result in exposure to dirt and grit. Because of this I feel that any knife that is not designed for complete user serviceability is not well-suited for "hard use". As far as I know Spyderco, Benchmade, and Al Mar Knives all consider taking their products down for cleaning and repair to be "abuse". Greco owners are encouraged to strip their knives down for service. I know that mine has been caked in sand and dry concrete several times while working on various projects and in every case cleaned up just fine. If I was unable to take the knife apart it could have been ruined by the abrasive trapped in the pivot and lock mechanism.

Performance is excellent as well, and (surprisingly) I believe that my Greco actually cuts better than my Griptilian-bladed EDC. It's likely not as good of a pure slicer as the Military (few knives are) but it is certainly a more efficient cutting tool than Striders or similar overbuilt folders and I feel that the design strikes the right balance between cutting efficiency and strength. It's certainly up to some significant prying duty (run a search for Greco and vise).

There are a few drawbacks to the Greco line. It does take a couple hours of work to get the knife to loosen up and smooth out. There is no pocket clip. The knife is felt by many to be ugly. All of these are irrelevant in a real working folder.
 
Originally posted by Nathan S
I had a SERE 2000, but got rid of it. It seemed to lock up tighter than a bank vault, but, in reality, a surprisingly light tap on the back of the knife would make the lock fail consistently.

I will say, though, that the Axis lock, in general, is very reliable. My other Axis lock knives (BM 710, 705 and 940) are great.
Click to expand...
I also had a SERE that would unlock when given a surprisingly light whack. My axis locks have been quite reliable.

A well executed frame lock can be better/stouter (subjectively) than an axis lock.
 
Cheers for all the opinons guys,

I believe I'm going to go for a ............ Spyderco Military.

Seems like a good peice of kit that is easy to clean and will work well as a utility blade. Plus is looks a whole lot less scarier than the SERE (just a shame they come with 'military' on the blade).

Thanks :)
 
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