Someone Explain it to me please.

Arcrobe

Arcrobe

Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Messages
176
Hello everyone, the para 2 has been on my mind recently after seeing it in a dream, and all over the forums. I always avoided it though because of the handle size being so large compared to the blade, or it just being too plain of a knife for me (which is why i'd probably buy a sprint). I just never understood it. Keep in mind I have never held one.

Please tell me what it is about this knife that makes it magic for you.

Thanks :)
 
No magic involved. Just a very well built knife, made in the USA, cuts well, and has a great lock.
 
Its a slightly smaller version of the mili! How can it not be magical.
 
The handle is large for the edge, but the PM2 is a joy to use in part because you get a full-sized handle in a pocket friendly design.
 
It carries very well and is a tough folder. Mine has been used a lot and it holds a great edge. Try one and you will see.
 
I actually had one, the tan handled S35VN, and I was like "meh". Then I became addicted to the Millie and never really thought much more about it. Then KW did the green CTS-204p version, and it was all the rage. I figured I'd give it another look. I bought one. When it arrived I was "meh" again. I actually put it in my safe BNIB to decide if I was going to keep it or flip it. Being that I LOVE the steel decided I would give it a chance. Really carry it and use it and shake it out. It just happened that it started getting warm here, and I broke out the shorts. THAT is where the PM2 shines. It really carries well in shorts, or where the Millie is a tad too big. I can now say 100%, the PM2 is a keeper! It clips in my pocket well, carries super light, does everything the Millie does in a smaller overall package. I am now a big fan. Once I really carried it and used it, it's staying FOR SURE. :) Being CTS-204p doesn't hurt either.
 
tvenuto said:
The handle is large for the edge, but the PM2 is a joy to use in part because you get a full-sized handle in a pocket friendly design.
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This is part of the attraction for a lot of people. Some look at the aesthetics of the PM2 with a particular set of visual parameters in mind and decide that it doesn't fit in their world. Others (like me and tvenuto and 425,351 more) look at the nice, full-sized, easy to hold and use handle with a reasonably-sized blade and consider that Sal & Eric had a flash of divine inspiration when they came up with the PM2.

I think that the PM2 is a user's knife, not a piece of artwork. Some knives are designed to be aesthetically pleasing while being functional, and others are designed to be functional first, and they leave the user to find beauty in their functionality. Personally, I find the PM2 to be attractive apart from it's usefulness, but I've lived with Spydercos for so long now that they don't look any different to me than any other knife.
 
I consider it a working man's knife. It has great ergos and feels good in the hand and the FFG blade slices like a demon.It is very carry friendly and lightweight.The PM2 is truly a value at just over $100 and is made in the USA.There is no magic involved.It's a popular knife for many reasons and seems to hold it's value on the secondary market if you decide you don't like it.Go try to find one so you can try it for yourself......Please let us know how the PM2 works out for you.
 
I guess I don't see it as large but then again I bought it after the military. The reason IMO for the extra length is for the choil. It acts as a place to put your finger if you need to do tip work like opening boxes or piercing plastic but it's also a safety feature. If for some strange reason the lock would fail the choil will hit your index finger instead of the blade.

I really liked the size and the ergos on the PM2. It's one of the better feeling knives in hand I've used. The only reason why I gifted it away is because I just could not warm up to the compression lock. Some people love it but for me it tended to snap the webbing of my hand when I opened it and it was just too awkward for me to close. If they ever offer this knife in a frame lock I will snatch one up without hesitation.
 
You must feeeeeeeeeeeel it :D
Hope you don't mind me adding some visuals to this thread. Snapped some quick phone shots of a scale swap recently... not the best, but they were merely for documentation.

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I always avoided it though because of the handle size being so large compared to the blade, or it just being too plain of a knife for me (which is why i'd probably buy a sprint). I just never understood it. Keep in mind I have never held one.
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This is very common phenomenom when it comes to Spyderco's in general.

Read this excerpt from Spyderco's website:
"Someone once said to Sal Glesser, Spyderco's owner, "You must design in the dark because your knives look so strange." True again. Our recognizable appearance is a result of designing ergonomic functional tools rather than applying lipstick and nylons to a pocketknife. We may look curious, homely, whatever, but we'll never be called unusable or undependable."

If you are able to get past your initial observations and actually spend some in-hand time with a Paramilitary 2 you will likely find that it is a very well designed knife. The Paramilitary 2 has what I like to call the 3 E's of production knives:

It is Ergonomic
It is Efficient
It is Economical

As simplistic that that standard may sound first consider just how few manufacturers actually pull it off, then compare how well those designs stack up to the Paramilitary 2, Manix 2 Lightweight S110V, Stretch, Endura, Delica, etc.
 
I bought my Para2 because I was slightly intrigued by it but mostly because I was bored with buying the same brands and wanted to buy a Spyderco. When I opened the box and then held and opened the knife, I thought, "ok, nice knife" and that was about it. Once I started carrying it and using it regularly, I grew to love it pretty quickly. It opens as fast as quickly and easily as any knife (even the A/Os) that I have, is a beast at slicing, holds its edge, sharpens easily, and is, to me, one of the absolute best values out there for a knife.
 
The handle is huge relative to the blade and for many that is where the love comes from. One advantage is you get the kind of leverage you would expect with a 4 inch folder, but in a blade size that is legal in more areas and generally more PC (the Millie will make someone uncomfortable real fast).

While the knife is not compact, it's still thin enough to carry well. You get significantly more control with the PM2 than you do most folders with its blade size. That extra control and grip is very useful for harder work. Additionally, it is more comfortable for extended work (I would argue a lot more comfortable) and it can help reduce the fatigue that some smaller folders can have.

While the blade is smaller, it's great. The FFG is great performing and easy to maintain. Between that flat grind, S30V, and the blade shape keeping a lot of steel on the edge, it's tough and the edge lasts a long time. The tip is capable of very detailed work requiring a fine tip, but the blade shape and grind gives the tip more toughness than many other folders. I also like the height of the blade, especially for certain types of food prep and 'rocking' cuts.

The lock is also great. Like AXIS, there are a billion different ways to open the knife and it helps make the knife easier to use in awkward positions (such as being in a tree and having to grab the knife from your right pocket with your left hand with a 'Spyder-Pinch" and do a wrist drop while pinching the blade. The lock also does a great job accounting for wear over time, is super easy to clean, and super easy to take apart and put back together; not to mention, it is a very, very strong lock.

Like the Griptilian, the availability of aftermarket parts, and the extensive amount of upgraded steel models is a nice addition as well. Also like the Grip, the PM2 is a very reasonable price for what one gets for their money.

For someone who wants ultra compact, it's probably not their cup of tea. But for someone who wants a hard utility knife capable of larger tasks, it is a good option. It's worth trying if you use a knife in a fashion in which you think the additional leverage may be useful and warrant the larger form factor.
 
I know this is a Spyderco forum and I'll be ducking thrown objects by saying this - - I'm glad I had the chance to hold one before buying or I would have been ticked.

Don't make the mistake (if at all possible) of buying a knife simply because of what you read about the particular knife in the forum of the knifemaker.

Everyone is different. At first I thought ( stupidly) if everyone said a certain knife was arguably the best EDC knife ever.......well - it must be incredible. WRONG! For me at least. I have never been so let down after having been so excited. I felt " I had been had" and the joke was on me.

But others swear by the piece. So what do you do? You'll never know till it's in your hand. Good luck. It may end up being your favorite knife. :-)
 
I bought the only one I own at Blade Show last year because it was the last one. I actually was looking at a ZT, but when they told me that the PM2 was the last one, well, the decision was made for me.

Honestly, I really never have warmed up to it. I carry it now and then, but I have others that I simply like better. However, since it's my only PM2, it's worth having.
 
I bought one.Will arrive in a couple days. I here so many talk up Spyderco had to try another one of their knives. The endura did not impress me at all. Actually sent it back in a week. But i do perfer beefier folders myself some that is probably the reason. Endura is a very good slicer but just wasn't built as strong as i like so trying a Para. I can guaratee will like it more than endura. Better built and should still be a great slicer. Would also like to try a Manix. But for most part my favorite company is still Benchmade. Even though every new knife i have bought from them has been dull out of box:). Really like their designs,locks, and just overall solidness.
 
Lycosa said:
Handle one. Then, you'll own one.
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For me this is why I don't own one. I still like and appreciate the knife for what it is, but once I handled one I knew I would never carry it. It's to large to comfortably carry. I would still.like to pick up someone's user in the marketplace and keep it in my truck.
 
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