para ?

J

jpnix56

Joined
May 7, 2009
Messages
38
i just got a para military and love it. i do have a question about the tip though. it seems rather thin and i am worried about breaking it. i do not abuse my knives but i do use them. does the tip have a reputation of breaking? i also have a endura it just seems more strong
 
As long as you use it for cutting, you'll be fine. Start prying and you will break it
 
jpnix56 said:
i do not abuse my knives but i do use them. does the tip have a reputation of breaking?
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Abuse and use are two terms that a lot of people define differently IMO.

Most would agree that if the knife tip breaks, whatever your were doing was abuse (except for some pretty odd circumstances that would be covered under warranty).

So in summary, the tip is very strong for its designed purpose.

Perhaps if you describe some of your typical "use" some members can provide insight regarding likelihood of tip breaking?
 
spyderco says it is a hard use folder what do they mean by this? i do some light prying with most of my knives and was wondering how careful i will have to be with this one. a knife as most people i know would decribe it is a tool not just a slicer. is this knife just a slicer?
 
I'm pretty rough on my knives, and chipped the tip of my para (the cpmD2 one), but I'd still have to say that its my favorite folder overall. I just put it to the belt sander and rounded the top of the blade slightly. It doesn't have the super sharp tip any more, but i never really use the tip anyways. Now it subtly resemble the sheepsfoot style grind that the Salt knives have
 
Frankly, there is a difference between hard use and misuse.

Prying is misuse. If you really need to pry, get a beefy fixed blade or, possibly, an Emerson "A" blade.
 
If you dropped the knife and it landed tip first onto a hard surface like ceramic tile, it could break. I've had this happen to a VG-10 santoku with a relatively dull tip, so it wouldn't be surprising that it could happen to a Para with that shape.

With normal use, I can't see how it could break.
 
A para is a pleasure to own. The tip is not too flimsy, but not extremely tough like an endura. The blade shape gives the knife a beautiful belly with a nice tip. I've dropped mine tip first on concrete with no chips at all! (although I do not recommend you do that)
 
I lost a little of my Para's tip when I scratched off paint from an old window frame. I didn't use too much force but what with such a delicate tip you'd be better off not torquing it transversally.
 
jpnix56 said:
spyderco says it is a hard use folder what do they mean by this? i do some light prying with most of my knives and was wondering how careful i will have to be with this one. a knife as most people i know would decribe it is a tool not just a slicer. is this knife just a slicer?
Click to expand...

This can be an interesting topic. I posted a similar question (asking for definition of "abuse" on another subforum).

I do not know of any "hard use folder" that the manufacturer would recommend for use on ANY prying type action. Many people make the mistake of assuming that hard use means you can use it hard for just about anything...that simply is wrong.

Most folders are not designed for prying, in much the same way that most pry bars are not designed for cutting. Oddly enough most people will not attempt to cut with a pry bar, but can you imagine seeing a pry bar with a sharp edge? I can thing of a very good reason why you really do not want a blade on a prying tool.

I love my Para, but if I ever find myself in a situation where I for some reason *have* to pry with it, I expect that the tip will break.
 
It's a hard knife to beat for slicing and cutting, but prying is not its forte. Hard to find a knife that will cut as good as a Para and still work as a crowbar. I bought it precisely for cutting and I personally don't care for blunt, thick tips but they obviously have their uses.
 
When does the military do a lot of slicing I guess I just thought it would be a little beefier of a knife/tool
 
its a hard use knife. not a hard use knife/prybar.

use it hard as a knife and you won't be dissapointed.

if you want to pry and dig and baton and all that stuff, get a fixed blade.
 
There is no way in hell i would describe the para as 'hard use'
I think it is one of the most over used phrases in the knife industry.
 
Tenacious said:
There is no way in hell i would describe the para as 'hard use'
I think it is one of the most over used phrases in the knife industry.
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i agree after getting the para, a great knife if i want to peel apples but if i have to worry about dropping it that sucks!!!!!!!!!!
 
Yeah it always made me laugh when people were banging on about how strong the lock is. That blade is always going to give up a long long time before the lock.
 
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