Hey Sal, Military compression lock still in the works?

[John Dough]

A Military with a CBBL, that'd be my choice... I honestly think the CBBL is Spyderco's best locking mechanism, no weak detent issues when closed and easy to operate even with gloves or cold hands. And fun to fidget with, too.

And since we're at it, I'd also like a Native Chief with a CBBL pls, thank you.

 

[91bravo]

The Military is perfect the way it is. Don’t mess with perfection!

 

[VashHash]

The Military is perfect the way it is. Don’t mess with perfection!

They're going to keep the original military in the line up when they make the compression lock model.

 

[Officer's Match]

I'm all for the improvements and options - it is too good of a design not to allow those with other lock or clip preferences to enjoy it too, and IMHO is much more in keeping with Spyderco's mission towards its followers.

 

[mark greenman]

I handled the 'Military 2' Comp Lock prototype at SHOT last year or the year before. It was awesome, absolutely in line with the CQI design philosophy. I say that as someone who has EDC'd the CPM-D2 millie every day for the last 5 years. Comp lock is stronger, harder to accidentally disengage, and in my experience stays smoother over the long term, while retaining the Millies 'flow through' debris resistance.

Also, from a Spyderco perspective, the Comp Lock is an iconic 'Spyderco' lock, unlike the liner lock. So I think its also just more 'on brand'.

The one feature I do hope is retained is the use of a DLC / Nitrided scratch proof pocket clip coating, as is currently used in the current Military clip.

Also hope we see a brief run of the Millie 2's in fully serrated with the more contemporary, shallow SE pattern Spyderco now uses.

 

[ferider]

Why does everything have to get a comp lock .... How about another power lock knife with Military or similar specs ?

 

[yoko]

I just want more militaries in production (cruwear)!

I'm worn out on pm2s .. give me more millies!

 

[mark greenman]

Why does everything have to get a comp lock .... How about another power lock knife with Military or similar specs ?

Everything doesn't have to have a Comp lock; Spyderco employs the widest variety of locks and designs of any manufacturer.

But for the Military 2, it absolutely should be a Comp Lock, as it is part of a family of knives - and the other 2 members of the family also employ a Comp Lock + 4 way pocket clip:

Having the M2 share the same lock and clip of the PM2 and PM3 allows users to retain muscle memory and familiarity across model sizes. A PM2 user can easily pick up a PM3 or the upcoming M2 and quickly start opening and closing it one handed with no mental/physical retraining, very handy when you have done a high level of practice with a given system.

Same way a Delica user will have no problem getting up to speed within its family of knives:

Such a 'family of sizes' is famously employed by Glock. The 34, 17, 19, and 26, while different sizes, are otherwise the same pistol, sharing the same exact operating system, trigger, sights, and ergonomics, allowing a user trained with any one model to quickly adapt to the other.

Having the Military 2 use anything other then the Comp Lock would be as absurd as Glock making the 17 model as a DA/SA trigger design, while keeping all the rest of the models as Striker Fired.

Different locks are fine and great, but the M2 is not an appropriate candidate for them.

 

[sharp_edge]

No - the military does not have to have a comp lock. It can have a comp lock tough, just like it can have an axis lock or a tri ad lock.

 

[ferider]

Everything doesn't have to have a Comp lock; Spyderco employs the widest variety of locks and designs of any manufacturer.

But for the Military 2, it absolutely should be a Comp Lock, as it is part of a family of knives - and the other 2 members of the family also employ a Comp Lock + 4 way pocket clip:

Having the M2 share the same lock and clip of the PM2 and PM3 allows users to retain muscle memory and familiarity across model sizes. A PM2 user can easily pick up a PM3 or the upcoming M2 and quickly start opening and closing it one handed with no mental/physical retraining, very handy when you have done a high level of practice with a given system.

Same way a Delica user will have no problem getting up to speed within its family of knives:

Such a 'family of sizes' is famously employed by Glock. The 34, 17, 19, and 26, while different sizes, are otherwise the same pistol, sharing the same exact operating system, trigger, sights, and ergonomics, allowing a user trained with any one model to quickly adapt to the other.

Having the Military 2 use anything other then the Comp Lock would be as absurd as Glock making the 17 model as a DA/SA trigger design, while keeping all the rest of the models as Striker Fired.

Different locks are fine and great, but the M2 is not an appropriate candidate for them.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”

Seriously though, like for many others, the comp lock on the PM generates a hotspot in my hand in the web between thumb and index finger. Police, Endura and Military don’t. Now you might say “why dont you use them ?” Which I do, but there is a lot about the Military I prefer outside the lock: handle, large pivot, etc.

 

[kobold]

Some people argue and I agree, that calling a comp lock Military a Military 2 is a misnomer.

It gives the false impression that a higher version number represents progress and is an improvement over the old model (not true).

A more proper name would be Para Military XL. And a Para Military 2 with a Walker liner lock should be called a Mini Military.

When we say to leave the Military as it is, that includes the name too.

And lets not forget that the PM2 and the Para3 were the ones violating the muscle memory and familiarity, since the Military is the original and oldest model.

 

[mark greenman]

Some people argue and I agree, that calling a comp lock Military a Military 2 is a misnomer.

It gives the false impression that a higher version number represents progress and is an improvement over the old model (not true).

A more proper name would be Para Military XL. And a Para Military 2 with a Walker liner lock should be called a Mini Military.

When we say to leave the Military as it is, that includes the name too.

And lets not forget that the PM2 and the Para3 were the ones violating the muscle memory and familiarity, since the Military is the original and oldest model.

When the Military was first released in 1996 Spyderco hadn't invented the Comp Lock yet. By the time time the Para Military was released in 2004, they had developed the Comp Lock, and as the superior lock, they used it.

Subsequently, the Para 2 was released and is a smash hit, prompting the Para 3. Both models I suspect are selling more then the current Military. At this point the best way to rekindle interest in the Military is to bring it in line with the more successful and refined design (Comp + 4 way) of the Para 2 and 3.

Changing locks is also not unprecedented for Spyderco. The original Manix / Mini Manix were both lockbacks. The Manix 2 is now a Ball lock, but still a Manix.

 

[kreole]

Thanks for the inputs guys. Looks like the consensus is generally positive, with caveats on the size and price which are ok for me. For the moment I don't regret my purchase.

@Stickgunner : awesome photos, did you notice blade play due to the bearings "digging" into the titanium handles in the long term ?

@Triton : I would like to know more about what is said about RYP, is it the same level of drama as Mick Strider ?

Everything doesn't have to have a Comp lock; Spyderco employs the widest variety of locks and designs of any manufacturer.

But for the Military 2, it absolutely should be a Comp Lock, as it is part of a family of knives - and the other 2 members of the family also employ a Comp Lock + 4 way pocket clip:

Having the M2 share the same lock and clip of the PM2 and PM3 allows users to retain muscle memory and familiarity across model sizes. A PM2 user can easily pick up a PM3 or the upcoming M2 and quickly start opening and closing it one handed with no mental/physical retraining, very handy when you have done a high level of practice with a given system.

Same way a Delica user will have no problem getting up to speed within its family of knives:

Such a 'family of sizes' is famously employed by Glock. The 34, 17, 19, and 26, while different sizes, are otherwise the same pistol, sharing the same exact operating system, trigger, sights, and ergonomics, allowing a user trained with any one model to quickly adapt to the other.

Having the Military 2 use anything other then the Comp Lock would be as absurd as Glock making the 17 model as a DA/SA trigger design, while keeping all the rest of the models as Striker Fired.

Different locks are fine and great, but the M2 is not an appropriate candidate for them.

That's a good point really. But since the Millie came first, the other two should be switched to a liner lock

 

[kobold]

The comp lock is far for perfect and that is why I reject it. Saying it is superior to any other lock means it was not compared properly.

So, I am not a fan of the compression lock, because the cutout creates a hot-spot and it is unusable in thick gloves. Also it is not ambidextrous, due to its asymmetric design. Back-locks and Axis/Able/CBB locks do everything right on all accounts.

I managed to drop a closed compression lock folder (PM2) a few times and it opened as a result. A compression lock is easy to shake open, so a shock introduced by a fall will open it, no problem. I tested the Para 3, the PM2, the Caribbean.

Another shortcoming of the compression lock is that the tip of the forward finger choil is protruding and hitting the tip of your finger depressing the lock and bouncing off it, resulting in a failed closing, leaving the blade and the edge exposed. This is dangerous and requires extra attention and repeated closing attempts. Not really a safe user. Any backlock and CBBL is way safer. This is most pronounced with the Shaman, but is also present on all PM2 models.

Hyping the comp lock is a big disservice IMHO.

 

[sharp_edge]

When the Military was first released in 1996 Spyderco hadn't invented the Comp Lock yet. By the time time the Para Military was released in 2004, they had developed the Comp Lock, and as the superior lock, they used it.

Subsequently, the Para 2 was released and is a smash hit, prompting the Para 3. Both models I suspect are selling more then the current Military. At this point the best way to rekindle interest in the Military is to bring it in line with the more successful and refined design (Comp + 4 way) of the Para 2 and 3.

Changing locks is also not unprecedented for Spyderco. The original Manix / Mini Manix were both lockbacks. The Manix 2 is now a Ball lock, but still a Manix.

I have never heard that Military does not sell as well as PM2 and Para 3 because of the lock type. It is mainly because of the size; the tip-down only carry might contribute a bit too.

 

[ferider]

Some people argue and I agree, that calling a comp lock Military a Military 2 is a misnomer.

It gives the false impression that a higher version number represents progress and is an improvement over the old model (not true).

A more proper name would be Para Military XL. And a Para Military 2 with a Walker liner lock should be called a Mini Military.

When we say to leave the Military as it is, that includes the name too.

And lets not forget that the PM2 and the Para3 were the ones violating the muscle memory and familiarity, since the Military is the original and oldest model.

For me the naming is important, as I have had high hopes on further CQI'ed Militaries with different steels. Say, CMP CW, Magnacut, S45VN, etc.

If a Comp-lock version would be called Military 2 (as happened to the Paramilitary), the Military without comp lock would be dead. What a pity that would be.

 

[David Nowlin]

Military Auto? Or OTF?
Shirley i jest!
I agree with leaving the original the way it is. I like the addition of the 4 way carry options to the compression model(Military C?) Don’t know if it should be added to the original military but it is just holes?
I presently carry a Para 3 and my son has both Para Military knives in tanto blade.
My comprehension lock on my Yojimbo bites the hell out of my hand 95% of the time? Haven’t noticed it on the para 3. All in the grip I suppose.
DN

 

[David Nowlin]

Some people argue and I agree, that calling a comp lock Military a Military 2 is a misnomer.

It gives the false impression that a higher version number represents progress and is an improvement over the old model (not true).

A more proper name would be Para Military XL. And a Para Military 2 with a Walker liner lock should be called a Mini Military.

When we say to leave the Military as it is, that includes the name too.

And lets not forget that the PM2 and the Para3 were the ones violating the muscle memory and familiarity, since the Military is the original and oldest model.

Military,PM2,P3?
If the PM2 and P3 were just the Military scaled down then they should have been called Military 2 and Military 3 i think? Not sure why we have a 2 and a 3 in the smaller knives? Would think it should just be Para Military and Para? Or Para Military 2 and Para Military 3? If so does that make the Military with the Compression lock a Para Military 1? That would be my logical conclusion of the rambling ramble!
DN

 

[David Nowlin]

Or Para Military 2 XL

 

[J85909266]

I don't care if the next iteration of the Military is Comp or Liner. Just clean up the design a bit and fix the pocket clip situation. I'm fine with either lock.