I was wrong about the Spyderco Military

[trevitrace]

 

[Joshua25]

I once posted that the Spyderco Military was one of the few knives that I would perform no modifications to at all (aside from adding a deep carry pocket clip), despite once thinking I would get one and tip up mod and wave mod it.

I was really right that it should remain tip down. Tip down is a fantastic way to carry knives that I was sold on by my first, and so far only Military, the sprint run in CTS-204P with OD green peel ply G10 scales.

The Millie is a great user knife, super comfortable (for a folder), has a great blade to handle angle, but actually a really annoying blade to handle size ratio, though. And even though I once liked lanyards fobs on pocket knives, I no longer do, and really, there is no point of one (or a hole for one) on a tip down knife.

So was I ever wrong to think that I would never want to mod it in some other way. My Millie is much better for me like this.

Mate.... I love love LOVE your mod!
Before seeing this, I had absolutely no reason to get a Military. Seeing this mod is the first time i have ever been interested in this knife!

Your mod seems to have the curved styling if the Byrd Raven 2, but in a nice longer size! I personally love my Raven, handle and blade.

Wow mate, wow, I really enjoy this knife mod! You did amazing!

 

[David Mary]

Wow, thanks a lot for the kind words Joshua! You know, I didn't even think about the Raven when I did this, but you are so right. And I was actually wanting to get it at one point, but I held off because the blade shape was just a little bit off from what I like, and the choil was just a bit too big. So now that you mention it, I realize that my Millie done like this is basically everything I would have wanted out of the Raven, but with nested liners, no extra pocket clip holes, and awesome Carpenter steel in a blade shape perfectly balanced for precision and utility cutting.

 

[David Mary]

Now I want to see that Jumpmaster in its present configuration

Fine, but it's not very well cleaned up. Sharp and good geometry, though. It's still perfectly functional, but the taller blade would have allowed me ever better geometry. At the time, I just wanted to have the lightest possible rustproof EDC fixed blade.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I find the Millie very easy to carry as is despite the substantial handle. You can put a lot of pressure on that elegant swept blade with that big grip.

 

[David Mary]

This is very true. I find in my uses, however, that if I needed to apply a lot of pressure in a cut, I used a choked up hammer grip all the way up to the finger choil, at which point the rear portion of the handle was no longer in contact with my hand, but stuck out from my hand by an inch and a half. To each his own, of course.

 

[Wowbagger]

PS: the edge length of the Ti Lite IV is the same as my Mili.

I ran across it by accident. I couldn't find it when I was looking for it the other day. Here is a LINK > > > to a couple of photos of my Mili next to my fave four inch work knife just for comparison of handles and blade length. If I only had M4 in the Ti Lite . . .
The CTS-XHP is no slouch though.

 

[David Mary]

EEEEEEKK! Zip ties! EEEEEKK, I see zip ties...! Make them go away!

[...]

Keep on modding.​

As you wish sir. Let's see if I can do both?

So it seems I am settling into the following preferences with regard to large folders:

Tip down carry for knives having handles longer than 4" and bearing an opening hole, and pocket clip holes in the right places. Spyderco Military, Spyderco Shaman, Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Resilience, Spyderco Manix 2 XL.

Tip up carry with pocket snagging components for knives that leave no option for tip down carry. Cold Steel Voyagers, Cold Steel Recon 1s, Cold Steel Espada, Cold Steel Talwar.

And, as can be seen by the tips on the Recon 1 above, formerly spear point, and the Voyagers, formerly large clip point, and XL tanto, the Spyderco Military tip style has come to dominate my desires in a blade of 3.5" or more.

And given this I started this thread to muse upon the Military and its mod possibilities, I thought I'd share the updated pic of that as well. I have removed a hair more length from the handle by ever so slightly rounding the butt even more, I have chamfered the scale edges and I have ground the front part of the scale at the finger choil to expose more of the jimping. The lock-side liner takes up a lot of room in the front of the knife, so I did not grind as deeply as I would have liked, since to do so would have exposed it, which would ruin the aesthetics of the knife in that one spot.

 

[whp]

I ran across it by accident. I couldn't find it when I was looking for it the other day. Here is a LINK > > > to a couple of photos of my Mili next to my fave four inch work knife just for comparison of handles and blade length. If I only had M4 in the Ti Lite . . .
The CTS-XHP is no slouch though.

Wowbagger
Those a couple of nice knives in that linked picture. Your work knife makes me wonder what kind of work you do. You re not a mugger are you?!!

 

[jux t]

As you wish sir. Let's see if I can do both?

So it seems I am settling into the following preferences with regard to large folders:

Tip down carry for knives having handles longer than 4" and bearing an opening hole, and pocket clip holes in the right places. Spyderco Military, Spyderco Shaman, Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Resilience, Spyderco Manix 2 XL.

Tip up carry with pocket snagging components for knives that leave no option for tip down carry. Cold Steel Voyagers, Cold Steel Recon 1s, Cold Steel Espada, Cold Steel Talwar.

And, as can be seen by the tips on the Recon 1 above, formerly spear point, and the Voyagers, formerly large clip point, and XL tanto, the Spyderco Military tip style has come to dominate my desires in a blade of 3.5" or more.

And given this I started this thread to muse upon the Military and its mod possibilities, I thought I'd share the updated pic of that as well. I have removed a hair more length from the handle by ever so slightly rounding the butt even more, I have chamfered the scale edges and I have ground the front part of the scale at the finger choil to expose more of the jimping. The lock-side liner takes up a lot of room in the front of the knife, so I did not grind as deeply as I would have liked, since to do so would have exposed it, which would ruin the aesthetics of the knife in that one spot.

Wow, your mod work is impressive! Wish I had some of those configurations. May I ask what you used as a wave device on the cold steels?

 

[David Mary]

Wow, your mod work is impressive!

Thank you!

Wish I had some of those configurations. May I ask what you used as a wave device on the cold steels?

6-32 x 1/2" machine screws and nylon lock nuts with folded .080 kydex I freehand my 2 x 42 belt grinder. They work flawlessly, in forward or reverse grip draw, and they won't tear up the pockets due to softening the edges with a file since taking those photos. They should fit any recon 1 or voyager. I'm thinking I'll try to sell some on eBay. Of course, those ones will receive a little more TLC than these four prototypes which I literally whipped up in about 10 or 20 minutes.

If you PM me your address, I'll be glad to send you one. Do you want black or white?

 

[jux t]

Thank you!



6-32 x 1/2" machine screws and nylon lock nuts with folded .080 kydex I freehand my 2 x 42 belt grinder. They work flawlessly, in forward or reverse grip draw, and they won't tear up the pockets due to softening the edges with a file since taking those photos. They should fit any recon 1 or voyager. I'm thinking I'll try to sell some on eBay. Of course, those ones will receive a little more TLC than these four prototypes which I literally whipped up in about 10 or 20 minutes.

If you PM me your address, I'll be glad to send you one. Do you want black or white?

I’m not a paying member so can’t pm, but I really appreciate the offer. They look like they’d work nicely! I have a few Snaggletooth wave devices on some of my cold steels as it is, and they work well. I’d be happy to buy one if you ever do offer them.

Again, very nice work and redesigns you’ve made!

 

[BladeScout]

As you wish sir. Let's see if I can do both?

So it seems I am settling into the following preferences with regard to large folders:

Tip down carry for knives having handles longer than 4" and bearing an opening hole, and pocket clip holes in the right places. Spyderco Military, Spyderco Shaman, Spyderco Endura, Spyderco Resilience, Spyderco Manix 2 XL.

Tip up carry with pocket snagging components for knives that leave no option for tip down carry. Cold Steel Voyagers, Cold Steel Recon 1s, Cold Steel Espada, Cold Steel Talwar.

And, as can be seen by the tips on the Recon 1 above, formerly spear point, and the Voyagers, formerly large clip point, and XL tanto, the Spyderco Military tip style has come to dominate my desires in a blade of 3.5" or more.

And given this I started this thread to muse upon the Military and its mod possibilities, I thought I'd share the updated pic of that as well. I have removed a hair more length from the handle by ever so slightly rounding the butt even more, I have chamfered the scale edges and I have ground the front part of the scale at the finger choil to expose more of the jimping. The lock-side liner takes up a lot of room in the front of the knife, so I did not grind as deeply as I would have liked, since to do so would have exposed it, which would ruin the aesthetics of the knife in that one spot.

Im not a fan of zip ties on knives. Nor of any wave device on knives come to think of it.
Zip ties on knives looks naff. It might work or not but it still looks naff.
I dont need to open my knife very fast. The Spyderco hole is very fast and works fine for me. I dont carry a knife for SD and even if I did the Hole is plenty fast. Ive owned Emerson and 'Kemerson' knives. They are not for me. I dont need the Wave and I dont need to tear up my pants pockets.
Ive tested various wave-like devices. The homemade kydex version as well. As you touch upon, they are easy to make and like most Wave devices, they work after a fashion.
There is no reason to buy a Wise Men Company Fang except for the heck of it; I made a kydex wave device in a manner of minutes and it works as well as the WMC Fang.
I made this back when I experimented with the wave devices; homemade kydex and titanium chain ring bolt device compared to WMC Fang below.
The above purely my opinion and what works for me (& what doesnt work for me) and as such to be disregarded if others absolutely love their waves and feel that it works for them. YMMV.

 

[David Mary]

It's just a bit of fun.

 

[BladeScout]

A

It's just a bit of fun.

And thats just fine/how it should be
If I hadnt thought it fun to try out the various waves, I wouldnt have experimented with the different wave methods in the first place (nor bought an Emerson CQC13, if I hadnt been intrigued by the concept).
Besides, gathering empirical evidence is an excellent way to help one form an opinion on a subject.