Para 2 vs 530 Pardue

J

jasperjb

Joined
Jul 24, 2012
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So, if you had to pick one, which one and why? Keep in mind you won't be able to buy the other one later.
 
jasperjb said:
So, if you had to pick one, which one and why? Keep in mind you won't be able to buy the other one later.
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Para 2. I was skeptical, now I have it and I'm never letting go. Rarely needs even a light sharpening and I use it every day. Great in the hand in any grip, follows the lines of your thumb, can do great delicate work and to be honest it would be amazing in a self defense situation. Piercing power and all that. Easy to close and you can treat it as a typical lockback or let it swing down like a Benchmade. Very tough knife. Can't go wrong.
 
RemyKaze said:
Para 2. I was skeptical, now I have it and I'm never letting go. Rarely needs even a light sharpening and I use it every day. Great in the hand in any grip, follows the lines of your thumb, can do great delicate work and to be honest it would be amazing in a self defense situation. Piercing power and all that. Easy to close and you can treat it as a typical lockback or let it swing down like a Benchmade. Very tough knife. Can't go wrong.
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What would make the Para 2 superior to the 530? I also have a military by the way :).
 
jasperjb said:
What would make the Para 2 superior to the 530? I also have a military by the way :).
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That Pardue is a really thin knife. Thin blade, thin handle. Definitely not as easy to open, and I have smaller hands than most so larger hands would have a harder time with it. To me the Pardue is a "forget I'm carrying it" knife. The Para 2 also falls into that category but is much beefier with cleaner lines. I thought I'd have trouble with slicing based on the thickness but the edge actually parts materials much easier than a thinner slicer like say an Opinel. Plus, I'm biased towards s30v and vg-10 for their edge retention. I would compare the Pardue to the Centofante 3 and 4, based on handles, thickness, weight etc. Matched against the Para 2, there is no comparison.
 
For a work knife I'd take the G10/S30V/Compression lock & Ergos on the P2 all day long. The 530 might be a nice, light knife but the style isn't for me. Looks too much like a switchblade/auto style knife.
 
PM2 because:
S30V over 154cm
G10 over FRN
Compression lock over Axis lock (though just barely, they're my 2 favorites)
The PM2 feels way more solid compared to the 530, which I feel like I would break if I had to put any pressure into the cut, especially lateral pressure.

Of course I have 5 PM2's and no 530's, although I got to handle the Gold class 530 which was awesome and felt way better as far as strength, I would be much more likely to get one of they did a 530 in G10 I think.
 
I have both (lots of Para2s). The 530 is a great knife but IMO very specialized, useful only for light(er) use when light weight is the controlling factor. The Para2 would be my choice easily as a reliable, reasonably bullet-proof general purpose folder.
 
Para 2; the blade shape is so much more practical for general use than a spear point.it also has a much better handle grip,just a better all around knife than the 530...
 
The Para2 was my first real EDC and started it all for me...since then, I've purchased about 9-10 other knives mostly out of curiosity sake ranging from $40-200.

As much as I love my Gayle Bradley, 581 and Manix 2...I absolutely love the ergos, light weight and the compression lock is my favorite of all that I've used.

The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of the the blade profile (as I don't like a ton of belly) and the S30V was fine, but just so-so compared to all the other steels I've used. So I now have an M390 version in the mail, and I'm pretty sure it will be the perfect knife for me, just as it is with many other people.

Personally I don't like the looks of the 530 at all.
 
Thanks for the reply guys! The 530 is the only benchmade I'll ever be able to get though, so I'm undecided. I can probably pick up a pm2 down the road though. I live in Australia, so the laws are a bit harsh.
 
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