Questions about Spyderco Military Frame

G

GLDNDomer

Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
322
For the past six or seven months I've been dreaming about getting a Spyderco Millie for myself. I'd read up on what I felt was almost everything about them: specifications, hard-use, first-hand impressions, prices, and pros/cons. I finally decided about a week ago to order it around Christmas, and then yesterday I found a YouTube video discussing the idea that the Spyderco Military modern version has a weaker screw construction in the three main frame columns than say a Para 2.

From what I tried to gather, the Para 2 has both part of the column AND the screw nestled into the g10 handle, while the Military only has the screw recessed ("nestled") into the handle (no column part is inside the G10 handle). The YouTuber was saying how this is inherently weaker due to the forces applied on the knife blade, with particular reference to the handle's stop-bar.

This logic seems sound, but I've never handled one in real life, and I'm not sure if what he says about the screws/columns is true. I haven't been able to find anything about this - it's hard to find cons with Spyderco knives. I don't believe everything I see on the internet, so I'm asking you all for second opinions.

Questions:
1. What do you think about this weakness in the Military frame?
2. Will it hold up to hard use?
3. Would the Para 2 be a better hard-use folder for camping/carving because of this Military weakness?
4. Would the Para 2 be more user-serviceable than a Military due to the manufacturer's threads having Loctite?

Thanks so much

Here is the video, it's about 1 minute in and he rambles a whole bunch up until 5 minutes. I like liner locks and don't plan to do anything that will make the lock fail, so that is a non-issue. I'm not sure if I can post YouTube videos that aren't mine here, so mods please take it down if necessary.
 
The dude is full of crap!
I do not think that people realize how strong steel is compared to skin and bone. You will break your hand before you break the military.
Obviously, it's not made for prying or digging or hanging against the lock. It's a cutting tool, plain and simple. It's a well-built and well thought out folding knife which begs to be used as such.

As to the stop pin issue, I'm not so sure that the guy has ever owned a military. On ALL versions of the military the stop pin is recessed into the steel liner(s). Older versions only had a steel liner on the lock side. Current versions have steel liners on both sides, and are noticeably beefier. G-10 is beefier on the modern versions too. The original version is confidence inspiring, and the current version even more so.

But more to the point, if you look at the construction you'll see that the stop pin is adequately supported by the steel liners and reinforced by the screws passing through the G-10 scales. So you get a double whammy - 1. "nestled" stop pin, and 2. screws passing through G-10 & steel liners. You could also consider the nested steel liners as a bonus triple whammy. Point is: You will bruise your hand before you could apply enough force to the knife handle while cutting to shear the stop pin &/or scales.

Get the military!! You will not regret it!!

-nate
 
Last edited:
I've had both the Para-2 and Millie, they're both great knives for EDC IMO. The Para-2 feels like a more refined Military to me. Which is understandable since the Para 2 is a newer knife and the Millie has been around since the mid-90s IIRC. The only problem with the Military's liners are they let the G-10 move making the blade look off center. Its not hard to fix it, so no biggie. I wouldn't consider either of them "hard use" due to the thin stock and needle tip. Which really wouldn't be a problem, but Spyderco won't replace any broken blades. Either knife is fine and will serve you just as well. I personally prefer the Military.
 
It's an utter, 100% load of BS. Most knives with pillar construction don't have pillars that extend in to the G10 and this guy is making garbage up to get views.
 
I haven't broken one yet.

milliefamily2.jpg
 
bull, been using an orange military for a couple years now and its a solid knife without being overbuilt and pocket heavy like my ZT.

Probably the most functional folder I own, great slicer, good carver, bet I have cleaned and filleted 60 to 80 trout with it. Awesome for kitchen/food prep duty, will actually slice onions thin with the flat grind.

Stock is not that thin, trying to break 4mm of s30v is going to be a challenge unless you have a hockey mask. The fact it has a needle tip is one of its great features for actual use, save the tough stuff for closer to the handle.

Get the military vs para unless you have smurf hands, I like the bigger handle and the extra blade for minimal extra weight.
 
I, for one, have always been confused by what, exactly, "hard use" means. Short of putting the blade in a vise and really trying to break the knife, I really don't see how any one could break a Military except in the most ridiculous situations. I've never had a reason to hang weight off the blade, nor have I needed to baton with a folder. All the nonsense about "cutting myself out of a car" in a car wreck is absurd--if you ever find yourself in a car wreck that you can't simply cut your seat belt and get out of, then you are going to need the jaws of life. No knife is going to "cut you out of a car."

Maybe I could see something along the lines of an ESEE 5 or a thick Busse prying or being hammered through a stuck hinge, but that's not really something you are going to be able to do from the inside of a car.
 
singularity35 said:
Hehehe youtube? As has been mentioned, anybody can post there.
Click to expand...

....or here.

The Military is a great knife. Perhaps not a great hammer, screwdriver, pry bar, hatchet/axe, or wood splitting wedge....but it is a great knife;)
 
4. Would the Para 2 be more user-serviceable than a Military due to the manufacturer's threads having Loctite?


It's very easy to get rid of locktite (for example, boiling or touching a soldering iron to it), so I wouldn't worry about that. Actually I don't remember having any Spyderco with locktite on the screws that couldn't be broken just with a screwdriver. Keep in mind you're voiding the warranty just taking it apart, though.
 
JNewell said:
Sarcastic post edited, emoticons remain...

:eek: :( :rolleyes: :barf:
Click to expand...

Haha ok thanks guys I think I'm getting the picture.

Hard use in my eyes is woodwork, like feather sticks NOT batoning. I guess that's mainly it, shaving wood, because that's what I like to do around a campfire.

Does the Para 2 also have Loctite in the threads?
 
If you can break a military with your bare hands your first name is Incredible and last name is Hulk.
 
1. What do you think about this weakness in the Military frame? I think it's a load of bull. The military is structurally sound, and very light. I've had mine ping on a year now and I've had no issues with
Flex or anything. Buy it!
2. Will it hold up to hard use? Yes, it was made for hard use. It took me a while to use it due to price, but once I got over it, it's the best knife I've ever owned and trust it with my life. Buy it!
3. Would the Para 2 be a better hard-use folder for camping/carving because of this Military weakness? What weakness? The only difference is size and lock. But it!
4. Would the Para 2 be more user-serviceable than a Military due to the manufacturer's threads having Loctite? I disassembled the military the night i got it, cleaned and lubed it and reloctited it. The loctite isn't overdone and doesn't need heat. I probably put more on than it came with. Buy it!

Subliminal message? What are you talkin about. :-D
 
The guy in your video is a joke, he doesn't know what he is talking about in that or any other video he's made.
 
That's crazy!! I edc a Millie @ work(electrician) and I can tell you that there is nothing weak about it. I suppose you could break a Millie if you really tried but that's true w/ any knife. The millie in my opinion is one of the best production folders on the market. There are beefier folders out there but w/ the Millie you get all the strength you need w/o feeling like you have a brick in your pocket.

Every Spyderco I have had, including the military, has locktite on the threads but they use the kind that is easily broken with a torx driver(no heat required). The locktite just keeps the screws from working out of the knife w/ use and isn't permanent. I would be suspicious of a knife that didn't come w/ locktite. In fact I keep some handy and reapply it whenever I take any knife apart.

As far as the neptuneknives video goes, he is probably the most ignorant knife guy on the internet. Watch his videos if you like but keep in mind that he really has no idea what he is talking about. I think he is doing a real disservice to the knife world by spreading misinformation about a subject he doesn't know much about. There are plenty of good knife channels on youtube but neptuneknives isn't one of them!

Buy the Millie and use the crap out of it! You'll just have to see for yourself how awesome it is.
 
The Military belongs in the pantheon of knife gods. Forget what some idiotic tuber says. I've been carrying a Millie for over 8 years. The most damage I've managed to do to one is to lose the lanyard tube after hammering with the butt end of the handle. As long as you don't do something stupid with the tip, you'll have no problems.

Picture047.jpg
 
Most of screw construction doesn't have the pillar / column nested in the liner. Is it weaker than those nested? Theoritically yes. Is it strong enough to handle the normal torque by using the knife? I'd say far beyond.

I've dropped my Enlan EL02 (cheaper, but much more heavier) on the floor from waist height, the handle slab & liner didn't budge although the impact is at the butt of one side of the handle. The resulting force or to say more accurately, impact (force divide by time) should be enough to move it. No nested pillar here too.

So, being lightweight, made by Spyderco, it should handle such thing much better than my cheaper Enlan!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top