Help a benchmade addict on his first real spyderco.

jokrswylde

jokrswylde

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Jun 4, 2004
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My name is joker and I love big folders. I have been addicted to big folders for 5 years...
seriously, I have 4 big folders on my to get list at blade: BM skirmish, Strider AR, (hopefully the Ralph Maxx), and a spyderco. My question is, what is the biggest, baddest, most indestructible spyderco? My guess is the Manix, but I have also heard that the Chinook II is a behemoth, as well as the military.

What do you guys think? Is the Manix going to fit the bill? How does it compare to the skirmish and AR size-wise? Thanks for your input.
 
The Military has a slightly longer blade and a longer handle, but it is not as heavily constructed as the Manix and the Chinook II.


BTW, I have a Salt I & Military passaround open for sign ups over at the passaround forum if you are interested and there should be openings for a Manix passaround in a few weeks. Jhillas is also running a Chinook II passaround - all free/ knives donated by Spyderco!



- Frank
 
The deciding factor for me between the Manix and Chinook is the blade shape - the swooping deep belly of the Chinook is a great skinner blade, but the Manix has a more useful blade shape for me, and I find the Chinook to be hard for me personally to sharpen/keep sharp.

They both have the same general frame and characteristics besides the blade shape.

Some others to consider include the large Wegner, the Military like Frank mentioned above, and the Lil Temperance.
 
The ATR is another to consider. It's bigger in person than it looks in pictures. I prefer the titanium model w/ S30V, but the SS w/VG10 is still very nice (and cheaper). It's a hefty knife without being too much, and the saber grind, especially around the tip, is super strong and crazy sharp. I love that knife, and I'll probably get another soon (sold mine), but I also really like the Manix. It's gotten nothing but good reviews. Not a huge fan of the Chinook II...
The Military is hot. It's lightweight, thin profile, pops open faster than any other Spyderco that I've owned, solid liner lock, and cuts like mad. So why not try them all? :D
 
IMHO, you cannot beat the Military for rugged construction, a slim profile and a large blade.

Razz
 
I know it's not as large, but would it be accurate to say the Para is somewhat stronger than the Military?

John
 
I can understand why you'd think that. The para is a bit thicker and shorter, so more stout. It has a different lock and I'm not sure if the mille has dual liners like the para, but I doubt the difference in torsional strength, if any, is noticeable. I like both knives a lot. I'd prefer to carry a smaller knife like the para, but I like the feel of the mille better. It's thinner, clips in my pocket perfectly, and snaps open in a way that I love. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the compression lock. It may be stronger, but I've never seen a mille liner lock fail, or even budge for that matter, and it's easier for me to manipulate.
 
Chinook II, Manix, or ATR

If I WERE looking for a EDC knife i'd go with the Manix, for a SD or martial arts knife get the Chinook, if just for looking at get the ATR.
 
I guess depends on what you mean by "biggest, baddest, and most indestructable".

Biggest:
Do you mean biggest knife, or biggest blade?
And if you are referring to the blade, do you mean width or length?
The Catcherman model still has the longest blade (4 and 3/4").
Widest blade might be the Manix, I'm not sure.
The strongest blade is probably the Assist (I can't see how you could break it).

Baddest:
What do you mean by "bad"?
The Civilian looks very bad!
And the fully serrated Police looks wicked bad too (just watch the movie Training Day).
And the SzaboFly just oozes with badness.
And the Harpy was preferred by Hannibal Lector--you can't much badder than that!

Most indestructable:
Here are the toughest in my opinion:
Endura SS
Delica SS
Police
Harpy
Native SS
ATR
Scorpius
Stretch

Those SS handles are super tough and virtually bomb-proof.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
After owning both the Manix and the Chinook I personally preferred the Chinook after getting to know both. I thought at first the Manix was the one but kept drifting back to the Chinook over and over. In the end I sold both though and went with a Para Mil.

But the Military is probably one of the best knives around just a bit big for most folks. From what you said though about liking big knives it will probably suit you just fine.

I'll tell you another little talked about big knife is the Catcherman. Don't under rate that thin flexible blade. I've found this knife to be extremely useful for all types of tasks and it is really really great for food prep stuff. It is one of those sleepers out there that gets less attention than some of the others but a very cool knife much more capable than for just making fish fillets. At 10.75" overall length and sporting a 4.75" blade it isn't exactly small either. And I don't know about the rest of you guys that have this knife also, but the MBS26 steel is some very good edge keeping steel akin to a barber shop razor being this thin. I've been very impressed with my Catcherman.
 
I don't have a Chinook but I do have a millie and a Manix.

Both are s30v steel, but built for different uses.

The Military is a very lightweight folder that has a pretty good sized blade, with a liner lock.

The Manix is a much heavier lockback. Its much more "hefty" in the hand where the milie is light and agile.

I like both knives but I find it easier to use the Manix in public because it looks less threatening than the milie in my neck of the woods. In my opinion, if you like larger knives, the Manix will fit your hand better and its weight will be more reassuring than the Milie.

If you need the more acute point or a light carry knife, the Milie wins there.
 
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