SnG v. Spydie Para

T.K.C. said:
I would take a frame lock SNG over the compression lock Para any day of the week. I hate the compression lock. It makes the knife look ugly. I am probably the only person that does not like the Para.
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I'm with you on the lock. Not that I hate it; on the contrary, I think it is wonderfully effective. But it most certainly does fuglify the knife by requiring the tang to stick out like that. And just the look of the lock itself--its location, appereance, etc.--is pretty awful. It looks kinda gimmicky.

But overall I do love the Paramilitary, especially the sprint run D2 version.
 
Number of knives each owned and used by the military? Hands down, the Spyderco, sold in AAFES worldwide.

No brainer.

Does very well for troops cutting upon the pull apart MRE pouch, cleaning fingernails, etc. No doubt a great knife companion to a SAK.

One the other hand, the Striders are NSN's and issue to Marines and others with savvy commanders. They need a knife built to take their special duties, order them, and get the results that they expect. Spydies are available to them, Striders are the choice.

As for the civilian market, well, most semi-auto M16's aren't being used by local SWAT team members - they're owned by the same people who probably buy up all the available Striders. I agree, way less than 50% have even served.

Ain't America great, posers are the lifeblood of the mercantile system. Just ask Harley Davidson who really buys most their bikes these days.
 
tirod3 said:
The SnG is a hard use knife designed to withstand the expedient use that a soldier may need in the field. A para is a knife designed for civilian peacetime use by suburbanites who think a tough name and look qualify to rub off on them.
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Spoken like someone who has never owned or used a Spyderco Paramilitary, and very ironic considering the verified military backgrounds, as opposed to the claimed military backgrounds, of a certain pair of makers!;)
 
tirod3 said:
Number of knives each owned and used by the military? Hands down, the Spyderco, sold in AAFES worldwide.

No brainer.

Does very well for troops cutting upon the pull apart MRE pouch, cleaning fingernails, etc. No doubt a great knife companion to a SAK.

One the other hand, the Striders are NSN's and issue to Marines and others with savvy commanders. They need a knife built to take their special duties, order them, and get the results that they expect. Spydies are available to them, Striders are the choice.

As for the civilian market, well, most semi-auto M16's aren't being used by local SWAT team members - they're owned by the same people who probably buy up all the available Striders. I agree, way less than 50% have even served.

Ain't America great, posers are the lifeblood of the mercantile system. Just ask Harley Davidson who really buys most their bikes these days.
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Quoted for humor!:D
 
ince we are not using price point as a comaprison, I think a better comparison would be the Tenacious to the SNG. One is $35. the other is more than 10x that amount.

You get what you pay for and the Para is just that when compared to the SNG.
 
I don't really worry about what other people think of my choice in knives. I buy what I like and that's that. I have an SNG and I think it's fantastic. I don't have a Para...yet ;) Mainly because I'm not buying anymore knives for a while, I have a lot right now that suit my needs.

And just so I appear less bias I'll say something negative about the SNG. Lockup is amazingly tight and solid. But, before it is broken in, it can be a real pain to unlock one-handed. But once it's broken in then there's no trouble at all, very smooth. Very unlike my Sebenza which was silky smooth from day one.
 
NSNs? Ontario, Benchmade, Spyderco, Gerber, Colonial, Blackhawk, Leatherman...

big whoop
 
colubrid said:
You get what you pay for and the Para is just that when compared to the SNG.
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I would suggest you're getting far more knife for the money in the Para relative to the price of a SnG. IMO, the SnG (and my 3 year+ edc, a sm Seb for that matter) isn't really worth the price relative to some of Spyderco's and BM's offerings. Just my opinion, though. If I really had plans to own one knife for an indefinate period of time, I'd look at the Strider for the iron-clad warranty, as that's what I feel seperates it from pretty much any other production folder on the market. Features, materials and overall performance aren't that much better, based on my experiences.
 
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tirod3 said:
The SnG is a hard use knife designed to withstand the expedient use that a soldier may need in the field. A para is a knife designed for civilian peacetime use by suburbanites who think a tough name and look qualify to rub off on them.

Considering the huge number of tactically named and decorated knives on the market, there's a lot of self esteem that needs propping up. Unfortunately, if they have enough money, they cut to the chase and buy the real thing. It still doesn't mean they have the need on a daily basis.

The Para is obviously better at nail cleaning and slicing lunchmeat.
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Just wondering something; why the snide attitude towards those who aren't in the military?
And as a follow-up question, what light does such "civilian bashing" shed on the knives in question?
 
When I joined the Armed Forces one in ten Americans had served in the military. Most Americans had a close family member or relative who had served. Now, the ratio is one in one hundred. I see far more civilians buying military oriented gear now with no idea of the actual conditions of service. It seems their impressions come from "Call of Duty," not having answered it.

Debating the qualities of "which knife is best?" then amplifies the lack of knowledge that exists about military use of a knife. Cutting open a MRE pouch that can be torn open by hand, or cleaning fingernails, REALLY IS what knives in the military are used for. Dump 50 duffle bags out on the ground for customs inspection and you will find a PX liner lock and a SAK as the top two blades.

I don't get into the ethics of the dozens of makers of tactical military knives - but I certainly question the knowledge and ethics of those that buy them, as most will never see a day in uniform, but carry them as if they were a badge of honor.

We cast aside our real heroes and celebrate the pretenders.

I sold my Military and bought a SnG, just to commemorate by retirement from the Reserves. Thanks for supporting the troops.
 
tirod3 said:
We cast aside our real heroes and celebrate the pretenders.
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this is getting epic

an yes, carry what the troops carry, which is often the SAK, GAK, demo knife, etc.

wait a minute, what does the A stand for again?

Don't forget, all high speed operators carry folders to deal with the trials and tribulations of warfare. The rifle is so passe.
 
A rational person is going to buy a knife because it appeals to him for some reasons, and he is going to be able to come clean about that. Obviously some of those reasons might be purely practical, but they don't necessarily have to be.

There's no point in debating the validity of the metrics. People buy things for a broad range of reasons, including the simple desire to accumulate them.

I think anyone with reasonable self-esteem would agree that the Internet is full of weak-minded ding dongs looking to identify with some sort of cause; but the military has no monopoly on that.
 
For me, the Para is a knife I would never buy. It's just too darn ugly. But then again ,any knife with a hole in the blade, that is visible when the folder is closed, is just plain ugly to me. I don't care how good the knife actually is, if I can't even appreciate how it looks, then it's not for me. I've thought of getting a Spyderco knife in the past, but I just can't get past that ugly hole in the blade. No offense to anyone that likes Spydercos and other knives of their ilk.
 
The things that the Para can't do that the SnG can do are better off done with a tool that's not a knife anyway. Pair the Para with a $15 SAK and you have a much superior set up than the SnG. I really like the SnG, but the idea that it's somehow magically is more fit for military use is crap.

If money wasn't an issue, I definitely take the SnG over the Para. If there were a $400 Para that was built as tough as the SnG, I'd take the Para. Not because the extra strength is necessary, but because I can appreciate higher quality knives.
 
tirod3 said:
Number of knives each owned and used by the military? Hands down, the Spyderco, sold in AAFES worldwide.

No brainer.

Does very well for troops cutting upon the pull apart MRE pouch, cleaning fingernails, etc. No doubt a great knife companion to a SAK.

One the other hand, the Striders are NSN's and issue to Marines and others with savvy commanders. They need a knife built to take their special duties, order them, and get the results that they expect. Spydies are available to them, Striders are the choice.

As for the civilian market, well, most semi-auto M16's aren't being used by local SWAT team members - they're owned by the same people who probably buy up all the available Striders. I agree, way less than 50% have even served.

Ain't America great, posers are the lifeblood of the mercantile system. Just ask Harley Davidson who really buys most their bikes these days.
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The ruggedness of a folder is hopefully not high on the priority list of US commanders:p

Soldiers can carry fixed blades and have better tools for prying than folders:D

While I was in the service mid sized fixed blades and multitools were carried by most soldiers. We were issued guns and other fun things for our other needs..

Edit: I'd take the Para even though it isn't a favorite Spydie for me..
 
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tirod3 said:
When I joined the Armed Forces one in ten Americans had served in the military. Most Americans had a close family member or relative who had served. Now, the ratio is one in one hundred. I see far more civilians buying military oriented gear now with no idea of the actual conditions of service. It seems their impressions come from "Call of Duty," not having answered it.

Debating the qualities of "which knife is best?" then amplifies the lack of knowledge that exists about military use of a knife. Cutting open a MRE pouch that can be torn open by hand, or cleaning fingernails, REALLY IS what knives in the military are used for. Dump 50 duffle bags out on the ground for customs inspection and you will find a PX liner lock and a SAK as the top two blades.

I don't get into the ethics of the dozens of makers of tactical military knives - but I certainly question the knowledge and ethics of those that buy them, as most will never see a day in uniform, but carry them as if they were a badge of honor.

We cast aside our real heroes and celebrate the pretenders.

I sold my Military and bought a SnG, just to commemorate by retirement from the Reserves. Thanks for supporting the troops.
Click to expand...

I'm a veteran but I don't cop an attitude about those who didn't serve. And if any product geared toward a tactical flavor is available to the general public then the last time I checked this is still America.

Perhaps your issue should be with Strider and not the civilians who buy their knives. Just like the "war on drugs", the target tends to be the dealer, not the user. Ask Strider why they sell their products to people who don't or never served. My guess is they are still in business because so many civilians want a strong knife that has a good warranty.

I think this thread is going south when it shouldn't. Stick with the OP's question . . . And take a chill pill on those who didn't serve. It was a choice.
 
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On the SNG I love the nice thick framelock. It's a comfortable knife to hold and use. Great ergonomics. It gives you the feeling that you can do anything with it and abuse it.

The problem is it is so thick it doesn't slice as well as the Paramilitary. I use knives for slicing.
The paramilitary has great in hand ergos. Slices like a champ. Nice sharp point for pointing!
The paramilitary is definitely strong enough for 99.99% of reasonable cutting needs. I made that statistic up. But come on people! People who really lived a tough life way back when and depended on their knives were getting by with sodbusters and other slim bladed - simple carbon steel blades.

I wish there was a SNG with a blade thickness and grind like the paramilitary. :D
 
I am speachless. Spyderco para or Strider. Para needs to get a blade as equal to the large handle. Cannot stand the Para, STRIDER hands down. I cannot believe that I even responded to this, but I felt compelled for sheer stupidity.
 
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