Help me decide on the paramilitary 2

T

Tristan1

Joined
Sep 29, 2015
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I'm fairly new to knife collecting (~26 knives from yard sales, Amazon and eBay) and I want to buy a paramilitary 2 but I'm not 100% sold on it yet. I really like the design and the collectibility but I need to make sure that I will absolutely love it because I will be the most I've ever spent on a knife. So I would like to know your thoughts on the paramilitary 2? Do you think it's worth the money and if not, why?

Thanks
 
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I used to be really active on this forum, but now I barely visit once every couple of weeks. Why? Because once I found my perfect EDC I pretty much stopped looking.

The Para2 is the knife that ended my search.
 
You will see that a lot of people LUV the PM2...but not everybody swoons. Some people are less impressed, others less than impressed; and, unusual though it might be, some people simply don't like it.
I really wanted to be one of the people that love the PM2; and I am....now. But I had to give up on two & try a third, and finally get a set of scales that cost almost as much as the knife itself before I liked it enough to carry it. I'm interested to see if I can just use the s110v version when it arrives; or if I'll have to get new scales for that, as well. Only time will tell...but I'm already exploring options, just in case.

On the bright side, odds are good that you'll like it - but, if you don't, they tend to sell quickly. (Heck, if you manage to get one of the early s110v PM2s; you'll probably be able to sell it for every bit of what it cost you.)
 
Tristan1 said:
I'm fairly new to knife collecting (~26 knives from yard sales, Amazon and eBay)...
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Do NOT buy a PM2 off fleabay - it's 50/50 that it will be a fake!

Buy from a reputable dealer. There is a list of them in the Exchange.


I need to make sure that I will absolutely love it ...
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Oh, you will, you will!

Do you think it's worth the money ...
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Oh, it is, it is!


The PM2 is a great knife! Once you hold one, you'll know. I have the 'blacked out' PM2.

Come to the Spyderco subforum for all things Spydie. You will get lots of input from PM2 owners and, maybe, even Sal Glesser himself may opine.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/726-Spyderco
 
TravisH said:
Do NOT buy a PM2 off fleabay - it's 50/50 that it will be a fake!
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Definitely a good point - and some of them are tough to spot, so it isn't worth the risk. You can often get a NIB, or lightly used, PM2 on The Exchange; but they don't last long, so check often.
 
You can buy an as-new PM2 on the Exchange, or a whole bunch of knife-shops...for $110 or so in S30V.
OR...you can buy one of the new PM2's in S110V...a great super-steel, for around $160. They are new on the market, and some shops have run out, but there will be plenty more.
Both are good knives. The S110V will stay sharp longer...will take longer to sharpen once it's lost its fine edge.
 
Tristan1 said:
Do your guys think Amazon is a good place to get PM 2's?
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Absolutely NOT.
I have heard many horror stories about knives purchased on the River that were dinged-up, off center, had blade play etc... A lot of times you have no idea who the real seller is when buying there.

As others have said. It would be in your best interest to purchase from one of the dealers listed here. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1089879-Paid-Dealer-Members-List-(Updated-7-30-15)

The great thing about those dealers (at least the ones I have dealt with) is you can actually contact them to ask questions and even request that they check your knife for any issues before shipping it out.
In most cases the prices are close to or even better than the 'zon. Even if they aren't, the peace of mind you get in knowing you got exactly what you wanted is worth the extra few bucks IMO.
 
Tristan1 said:
Do your guys think Amazon is a good place to get PM 2's?
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The problem with Anazon is that an unscrupulous customer buys a real PM2 but then returns a fake or damaged one. The droids at Amazon simply put it back onto the shelf to be passed onto to the next customer ... you!

Last month I got a coffemaker from them that had obviously been opened and had broken and missing parts.

Again, go with one of the dealers in the list linked above. Even if it cost a few $$$ more, which it usually doesn't, it's worth the peace of mind, especially for a collector.
 
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Love the PM2 - have two in fact that I have customized in different ways, But beware the Amazon route. If you dig hard you will find that that a number of the knives are sold by vendors that spring up and then disappear after a month or two. Amazon takes very little responsibility for knives sold by these vendors - many of which are not recognized as authorized dealers by Spyderco, Benchmade etc.
 
My least carried Spyderco is my PM2. I want to love it as much as everyone else does, but I just don't. I'll grab something FRN with a mid-lock or an Axis lock knife before the compression lock. I find it somewhat cumbersome, if you can believe that. I bet nobody has ever said that before, lol. I also thought the G10 would be a big upgrade, but I keep buying FRN knives instead. :) Clearly I'm an anomaly that shouldn't exist. Ha.
 
Compression lock is amazing for its simplicity and strength. I love the PM2, but just sold mine on eBay. (It was real). My problem is that I wear a suit during the week and it's way too big to carry. So I edc something tiny. And on the weekend I'll just carry a fixed blade.
 
I have 2, satin and coated digi camo scales.
Both came perfectly centered, no blade play, stupid scary sharp, smooth as melted butter and they flick insanely well!!
Comfy in hand and just fun to carry.
DO NOT buy off Amazon or eBay! Every month a noobie comes on the Spydie forum asking if he got a fake.....yup!!
Plenty of awesome dealers right here!
Get one!
Joe
 
It took me a while for it to grow on me, but I love it except the blade. I'm pretty sure I got a bad heat treat on the s30v. I'm sending it in on warranty to check it out. I'm probably going to pick up one of the S110V models, unless I find something else I like better. Its a great knife. Get one.
 
K.O.D. said:
It took me a while for it to grow on me, but I love it except the blade. I'm pretty sure I got a bad heat treat on the s30v. I'm sending it in on warranty to check it out. I'm probably going to pick up one of the S110V models, unless I find something else I like better. Its a great knife. Get one.
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Can I ask exactly how you draw that conclusion? Out of curiosity alone. Chipping? My PM2 didn't come all that sharp, and despite sending it in once to be sharpened, it never much stood out from the rest of the crowd. The one that did stand out most was my BM 531. The first thing I did with it was cut open the plastic on a case of bottled water - somehow cutting through 4 bottles in the process without notice, lol. My Delica was similar to that, so I chalked it up to the thinner blade profile being the reasoning.
 
It chips like crazy. Being a desk jockey, I only really use it to open mail and boxes. Nothing heavy. In the 18 months I've owned it, I can't remember how many times it seen the sharpmaker. As much as I love the design and disappearance in mypockets, its becoming harder to want to carry it. That's why I'm sending it, hoping for the best.
 
I just looked a the dealer list and I picked bladeHQ (I've heard of them before and I trust them) and I saw their prices (which where good). And I want you opinion, I know I want the digi cam handles but I can't make up my mind on the blade coating. Is it better to get the black coated blade over the satin blade like, better rust resistance ect.

Thanks all of you for your advice it's been very helpful!
 
I like both Tristan......but the coated blade just looks soooo much cooler!!!
Let us know which you order.....and Blade HQ is great to deal with!!
I LOVE this knife!!
 

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