Agreed, the military is a great example of what a knife is supposed to do. Even the base model with S30V is really good. I've owned 15 folders, not much compared to a lot of people, but I use each of them hard, from benchmade to Kershaw, from ZT to Rick Hinderer. For tasks that a knife is actually required for, the military does it well. It's comfortable, the lock is sound, the blade profile and thickness is spot on, and there are several ways to open it quickly. It's a toss up which one I can open fastest, this or one with ball bearing pivots, but for number of ways to open it, the military wins. It's something most people don't think about, I know i didnt until I started screwing around with the military. It's meant to cut, and it does it well. It's meant to be comfortable, and it does it well. It's meant to be a utility knife, and it does it well. Any knife can have its faults exposed, but when you look at the reasonableness of those faults and what they mean to real people in the real world, the military has extremely few.
Having said that, it's tip down carry only. I'm usually a tip up guy but the tip down carry of this knife is what makes sense because of it's length. Its opening action is buttery smooth and if you flick it open, it flies. You can also open it slow and and smooth.
I can go on about the steel used but it's been covered. It's my preferred folding knife and I've owned a range of em. Not bad for a general design that hasn't change since I was a toddler.
I still like their mule team blades for sheer functionality, value, ergonomics, and the steels available. Even if you pick up a K390 on the secondary market for 150 bucks, that's a great steel and it's still a good price. It's damned hard to find K390, S110V, quality Damascus, 52100, Hitachi Blue Super, and a variety of other steels for what they cost on the secondary, let alone the original prices of about 80 bucks.
There are heavier, tougher built knives. Spyderco is designed to cut and slice, be easy to sharpen and clean, and be as light as possible while providing the strength needed for the jobs it's designed for. It's pretty often around here that people will talk about how it's the largest ( 4 inch blade) knife they've carried yet it is light enough to where one can get so used to it they forget it's there.
No, it's not designed for prying or batoning but it is designed for a long lifespan with very little maintenance.
There are a lot of reasons the knife keeps on selling year after year. Like Hondas or Toyotas owners get bored having them and buy more knives long before anything ever goes wrong or thinks about breaking or wearing out. The Base ( non sprint) S30V is an excellent performing steel. Pretty tough for a stainless , and that is coming from a guy that generally looks down on stainless blades and chooses Tool and high speed steels.
Unless abuse ( or a very different viewpoint on what folding knives should be used for) or extreme use are things you must have in a knife the Millie is top tier performance wise.
Joe
