Spyderco Military S30V OR Benchmade 710 D2 for EDC?

Z

ZachWhite0

Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
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Hey guys I am trying to decide which knife would be better for a EDC knife.

The Spyderco Military made of CPMS30V

OR

The Benchmade 710 made of D2 Tool Steel

In all honesty I really dont cut a ton of stuff all the time. I maybe cut 1 or 2 things a day. This will also be my Self Defense knife since it will be with me all the time. I do like the idea of the axis lock ease of open & close. Does the Spyderco have anything like that? Right now I am using a Kershaw Black Out with 440A Stainless Steel ti-nitride coated blade and from what I read either one of those steels will be a upgrade.

Which one would you go for?
 
Both are good, so it's back to personal taste.

I would go for the Benchmade :) I just love the look of that knife.

Also if you can, try to handle both in a store, thing I can't do :(
 
I have owned two 710's and three Military's, both are very nice knives, like cybrok said it just comes down to personal preference.

I decided to sell the 710's because the recurve was a pain to sharpen and the thumbstud was very close to the scale making it tricky to open sometimes. I found the Military easier to open, easier to sharpen, it's lighter, cuts better and I found the ergonomics to be better.
 
Well, if you don´t cut alot stuff and only consider sd, why not staying with the Kershaw? What´s wrong with it?

Most ppl. would agree, that, besides sd, the 710 is more edc friendly overall but the Millitary is the better cutting machine.
 
I have a pair of Millies (old serrated 440V and plain edge S30V) and a pair of identical plain edge D2 BM710s.

I have to say it's a hard choice. I would have said 710, but I recently got to cut some 1-2" roots in the back yard with the serrated military, and the handle shape (pommel shape specifically) and the longer handle and the big hole for opening while wearing gloves all worked so very well. I was a little concerned about accidentally disengaging the lock, but I wore heavy gloves and the knife hasn't been sharpened after a rozen hard roots, so I thought what the heck and kept sawing completely ignoring the lock, and the lock didn't even move.

I'm not sure I could repeat that with the 710, the pommel on the knife wouldn't prevent the hand from slipping that much, my knuckles would bump into the root (where with Military's longer handle my hand was on the back 2/3 of the handle, away from what I'm cutting) and the slightly bent shape of Millie's handle allows to bring more forward pressure, and thumb resting on the thumb rest with notches on it I could put all my weight into a cut.

In short, 710 is a very classy knife you can carry anywhere, and it will perform any task very well. But if you want brutal cutting power and extremely secure handle that would prevent your hand from sliding onto the blade or your hand off of the pommel, I'd go with the Military. But Military WILL raise eyebrows, especially a serrated one, whereas 710 looks a little too urbane to really scream "WEAPON!", I don't know if that's a concern or not.

About the ease of opening, I would go with Military again. That BIG HUGE opening hole is very hard to miss, with the round cutout on the front scale your finger will end up there all by itself, then spin, and it's open and locked. With 710 I might have issues upening it really fast, you have to find that stud first, and it offers a lot less purchase than the hole. For closing, Millie is just a liner lock, press it with your thumb, push the blade spine with your index, pull your thumb out, close the blade. With 710 I just close it on my leg pushing on the spine and thumb disengaging the lock. So one-handed opening and closing is easy enough with either one, but when it comes to depoyment speed, I'd go with Millie, it has the biggest hole, can't miss it, and now that they don't bevel the hole edges, your finger is unlikely to slip out once it's in there.

It's funny, really. A few weeks ago I'd have said 710 and have no doubt in my mind. Mind you, I do carry the 710 and not the Millie when I go out, but Millie is waiting for me at home, and deals with all the nastiness in the yard. I'm actually thinking about getting a new serrated Millie, the old one is almost toothless after so much work.
 
I'd go with the Military. I also don't like the thumb stud being so close the the handle on the 710. D2 vs S30V doesn't matter to me much. You shouldn't worry about it either because your cutting tasks are minimal.

Spyderco has the P'Kal which is intended for SD and has a similar lock to the axis. It's designed with a particular SD system in mind, which I'm not a fan of (designing around a specific system, not the system itself), but based on my experience with holding it, I don't see it's design as much of a hinderer for any type of SD system or fighting style. It also comes with a removable wave feature, which I think is great.
 
ZachWhite0 said:
Which one would you go for?
Click to expand...

I can tell you which one I recently went for, I drove almost 2 hours to a store to make a "hands on" choice between a Al-Mar SERE, a Spyderco Military or Manix, and a Benchmade 710.

Spent about 90 minutes debating in the store, but this one came home...

710D2-1.jpg


710D2-3.jpg


The 710D2 is an amazing knife. Carries extremely well in the pocket, even though it's by no means a small knife. For a production EDC, it's just about perfect.
 
I've been a Spyderco fan for years and used to frequent the factory outlet store in Golden Colorado when I lived in Winter Park a few years ago...they offer GREAT prices that you can't get online even!

Anyway, I've carried a Military for several years and LOVE IT! It's super light weight and thin for it's size. I have the spyder edge? which is mostly serrated with the tip of the blade a straight edge. It cuts like a beast with this configuration and with the ceramic sharpening system they sell, very easy to resharpen. I'd hate to be on the oppostie end of this knife. The liner lock has always worked well for me without failure, but I'm not too agressive with it. I actually broke the very tip off one previous Militray that I had, but was using it as a screw diver or something stupid like that, so I can't fault the blade. It is a little thin at the tip compared to larger or other blades.

Overall, I'd buy it again. I just bought a Benchmade Skirmish 630BK however which is nearly the exact size as the Military. The blade is wider and about 1/4" + longer however and weighs a little more. It's much more stout and it does carry a little more noticably in my pocket. It's worth checking out if you're considering the Military. Hope this helps.
 
As nice as the 710 is, I still have to recommend the Military.
I just think it cuts better.
 
I've had my 710 since the original model came out, and it used to get a lot of use. It cuts real well, good big handle, and you can open and close an axis lock by pulling back the lock bar and flicking your wrist. Careful where you do that or you'll get zapped for carrying a 'gravity knife'.

I recently got a couple of the Military, one S30V and one BG-42. Haven't gotten to use the BG-42 because the S30V is almost always in my pocket. Especially with winter coming, a giant handle with that big thumb hole means I can pull this knife out and open without a problem, heavy coats and gloves notwithstanding.

Anyway, whichever you get, you'll have the best in it's class. They are both first-rate daily carry knives, if you're looking for a big, hard-working knife.
 
The millitary is lighter, and will usually carry better. It's also a better slicer. The 710 is sturdier, and has a more solid feel to it. The milli is tip down, the 710 tip up. The milli has a grippier texture to its g-10. 710 has the axis lock. Milli has a thin tip (could be good or bad). I perfer d2 to s30v, myself. I also perfer the handle of the 710 also. I'd look for a 710 with a coated d2 blade personally, but it could go both ways. Get one, then start saving for the other is my advice.
 
I would go with the 710. I have held the military and it is super lightweight and does not feel very sturdy to me, and I have seen two broken millitaries no more than three weeks apart here on BF. I have always had good experiences with Benchmade and Spyderco, but on this one I would go with Benchmade.
 
I would pick the Military. The 710 did not fit my hands very well and I felt no grip security. I just got my own Military today after fondling one at a store and I have to say I have no regrets picking it. It is a big knife, and not as elegant looking as the 710 but if you're looking for a knife to really use the Military aught to be up to any task. It is slim and lightweight but in no way feels "weak" or lesser than the 710.

I have heard of lock failures on both knives but by no means is this a common occurrence for either of these two top-rate companies.
 
I picked the 710D2. It is an amazing knife. The has as much blade in a smaller package.
 
I'd pick the 710. The lock on the Military isn't secure enough IMO. The Military is a better cutter though.
 
I've had a 710 for 5 or 6 months and really love it. But as the weather gets colder and gloves become a necessity I'm thinking a Millie might be the way to go.
 
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