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sell me on the paramilitary 2....

S

steelhead seeker

Joined
Aug 1, 2014
Messages
519
I decided Im gona grab a manix 2 when I can find the one I want and my gf wants a spydie so I told her to browse around and see what she likes....she wants a para2 which im cool with but after reading up on it a lot I see a bunch of complaints about blade play and what not...from what ive read u can tighten it up but then the action isn't as smooth??....is this knife worth the $$ or is something out there better for the money....
 
uhhhhh, do a thread search! Not being a butt hole, but there is lots out there on the PM2! Enjoy!
 
Hold one in your hand, feel the ergonomic bliss. Actually use one for slicing tasks, it excells in this regard.

I was a doubter until I held one. Now that I EDC a Para 2 it has made me more of a man. My wife noticed immediately how it made me more well endowed and a better listener to boot. It even improved my reading and comprehension skills.

But seriously, it's the best 100 bucks your can spend on a knife.
 
I have the same problem with the blade play you just described, but I don't mind it, thats how good the knife is. I am super OCD with blade play and I cant stand it at all. This knife is so great that I dont even care if it has a little blade play.
 
If I tighten mine and open it with the hole I get zero blade play, but I loosen my pivot a bit so it swings freely when I disengage the lock, thats my prefered opening/closing method and I get the tiniest amount of side to side play solid up and down. Ive been using it since 2011 and I say its not my favorite... but I do carry it the most. Get her a deep carry clip
 
I think their are better choices from Spyderco for a woman. A Chaparral would be great, a Sage, Caly 3/3.5, or the "always safe" bet Delica. I'm not saying these are better knives because the PM2 might be the best all around knife that Spyderco makes and I love mine but the PM2 would be a large knife for a woman.

On a side-note. Spyderco sales thousands of PM2's worldwide. When you do a "Paramilitary 2 problems" search, a handful of "blade play" threads really in no way means that the Pm2 has a reputation for being a problematic knife.
 
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As someone who absolutely can't stand the para 2, let me give you my opinion.

The ergonomics are awesome, and I love the g10. The compression lock is one of my favourites ever. But that blade.... Ughhh I just can't stand it. I like the opening hole, but tht tip... Just no. No no no. And as a non hardcore knife guy, especially when it come to sharpening, I haaaate the standard steel on the para 2. It's just too hard for me to sharpen. Again this is just my opinion, and it goes against almost everyone here, but for me the blade ruins the para 2.

Which is a strange thing to say about a knife. Anyway my flame suit is on. Let's hear it
 
In that price range, I wouldn't rule out the Sage, Stretch ZDP-189, or VG10 Stretch or Chaparral (for a little cheaper). I love my Para2s(just got a second one) and EDC it often, but I carry my Chaparral and Stretch more than anything. The CF on the Sage1 and Chaparral just looks great and carry a little better than the Paramilitary. With the ZDP-189 Stretch, she can get the same blade length as the Para2 in a more premium steel in a knife that (at least to me) has slightly better ergos, is lighter and disappears better in the pocket. All that for a few dollars less than the Paramilitary 2 (although the Paramilitary feels like a more substantial and slightly more expensive knife)

If she likes the Paramilitary 2, it's definitely a great choice as well, and the compression lock is great. I've never had an issue with blade play or seen many complaints about it; Spyderco usually has solid products, especially from Golden, Taichung, and Seki City. There's a reason for all the hype, it really is an excellent knife. That said, unless she's set on the compression lock, I would at least encourage her to take a look at a couple of other knives. If she ends up with a Spyderco, I'm sure it will be a great knife.
 
I agree that the blade shape, although aesthetically very pleasing, is not the most practical, and especially in a decently hard steel like S30V, is somewhat prone to broken tip disorder. I don't find S30V particularly hard to sharpen though (definitely not the easiest, but not too bad).

There's no such thing as a perfect EDC though. You can take any knife out there and find another knife that does a couple of things better, and for some people certain things may be a deal breaker that aren't a big deal to someone else. It's just all about preference, and overall, the Paramilitary2 is an excellent knife for most people.
 
PM2's sell themselves...as has been said.
I've had maybe thirty; they are great. The compression lock is remarkable.
 
zkiller195 said:
I agree that the blade shape, although aesthetically very pleasing, is not the most practical, and especially in a decently hard steel like S30V, is somewhat prone to broken tip disorder. I don't find S30V particularly hard to sharpen though (definitely not the easiest, but not too bad).

There's no such thing as a perfect EDC though. You can take any knife out there and find another knife that does a couple of things better, and for some people certain things may be a deal breaker that aren't a big deal to someone else. It's just all about preference, and overall, the Paramilitary2 is an excellent knife for most people.
Click to expand...

I did a search for broken tip paramilitary and I don't see a lot. I'm sure people will be posting their tipless paras if that really was as big a problem as you make it out to be.

Here's the search BTW, https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=...LIuATkpICoBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=775
 
Thank you so much to everyone's quick reply's. My gf isn't some tiny fragile girl, shes 5'11 (as tall as me) and not a fan of tiny girly knives...she likes the bigger leafy shape spydies. She also hates lock backs, Ive tried to convince her to get a delica or endura or native but I dont think shed actually like them that much with how she feels about lock backs....ill take a look at the other knives suggested when I get home.
And to the guy above who didnt mean to be a B-hole but suggested I do a search, I did a search...I did lots of searching which lead me to finally ask on here....if everyone just did a search there would be no need to have this forum or any other for that matter and opinions change over time....so although you tried not to be a B-hole, you are.

Thanks again everyone else!!!!
 
steelhead seeker said:
Thank you so much to everyone's quick reply's. My gf isn't some tiny fragile girl, shes 5'11 (as tall as me) and not a fan of tiny girly knives...she likes the bigger leafy shape spydies. She also hates lock backs, Ive tried to convince her to get a delica or endura or native but I dont think shed actually like them that much with how she feels about lock backs....ill take a look at the other knives suggested when I get home.
And to the guy above who didnt mean to be a B-hole but suggested I do a search, I did a search...I did lots of searching which lead me to finally ask on here....if everyone just did a search there would be no need to have this forum or any other for that matter and opinions change over time....so although you tried not to be a B-hole, you are.

Thanks again everyone else!!!!
Click to expand...

I was gonna say that we don't know the size of your lady, so that "girly" knife comment was off base.

And for some reason, "B-hole" is waayy more mentally devastating than butthole. I don't know why.
 
Gratuitous pic.

jgn12li.jpg
 
The PM2 is a knife that needs to be handled and carried to be fully appreciated … I would suggest trying to find one "gently used" on the forums and let her carry it for a couple weeks … if she doesn't like it, you can likely get what you paid for it, but I'll bet she won't part with it once she lives with it for a little while … that's just how the PM2s are … just my .02 …

~ Edge
 
All of my screws are tight and I still can flick open with my index and middle finger and no blade play. I use to flick with my thumb but now I much prefer using my index and middle finger.:D I still use the thumb but for a controlled deployment.
 
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