Spyderco Military

Andrew Colglazier said:
OK, so fill me in - what makes the Military such a great knife? I have a Police, which is a nice heavy duty folder. Comparing the two, what makes the Military "better" than the Police?

Just curious, here.

Andy
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Vivi said:
Andy, these are my observations comparing my Police 3 and BG42 Military, two of my favorite EDC's:

-Military has a thinner tip which pierces materials better. I have not had any durability issues with the tip, but I do not pry with folding knives.
-Lighter weight
-More comfortable handle design
-Blade profile works better slicing foods on a cutting board, something my folders frequently do
-Easier to open (Less resistance, larger opening hole)
-Higher end blade steels available, and CF handles are a nice touch
-Overall curvature of the knife, with the blade angled more downwards than the Police, is more efficient for slicing cuts in my experience


P3 has advantages over the Millie as well (4 way clip and thinner handle carries better for example) but these are the things that make my Millie see more pocket time.
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Basically what he said. ;) Variations on the original design make it possible to match whatever steel you want. S30V is an upgrade from the VG-10. I like the blade and handle shape as well. I think the Military is lighter then the P3, but I could be mistaken.
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
OK, so fill me in - what makes the Military such a great knife? I have a Police, which is a nice heavy duty folder. Comparing the two, what makes the Military "better" than the Police?

Just curious, here.

Andy
Click to expand...

I think the Police is a better knife for heavy duty work. But for pure cutting efficiency, no other modern folder compares to the Military. The thin tip and full flat grind makes cutting tasks easier. The handle has superb ergonomics, and the G10 handle gives better purchase than the stainless steel handle of the Police. As Vivi noted, the enlarged Spyder hole makes one-handed opening incredibly easy. The light weight makes it easy to carry.

Other knives are better than the Military in specific aspects. The Griptilian is cheaper. The Sebenza carries better. The SMF is tougher. But if you are looking for a super-efficient cutting tool, the Spyderco Military is hard to beat.
 
Again - thanks for all the comments and opinions. Can I ask walleyeguy7 why you suggest geting the satin blade, please? Is it just a personal preference or is there some particular reason?

I have to say that the black blade is my preference but the combo edge is (sort of) a requirement.
 
kelvin1645 said:
Again - thanks for all the comments and opinions. Can I ask walleyeguy7 why you suggest geting the satin blade, please? Is it just a personal preference or is there some particular reason?
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The black blade is good if you need increased corrosion resistance, I guess. It also looks super-cool. But Spyderco's blade coating does make some cuts more difficult. Under certain circumstances, the blade coating actually causes a huge amount of extra drag on the material being cut.
 
kelvin1645 said:
Again - thanks for all the comments and opinions. Can I ask walleyeguy7 why you suggest geting the satin blade, please? Is it just a personal preference or is there some particular reason?

I have to say that the black blade is my preference but the combo edge is (sort of) a requirement.
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Why do you require a combo edge? If you are going to be cutting a lot of rope, cardboard, fibrous stuff, just go fully SE.

Otherwise, plenty of people will tell you that there's nothing a SE can do that a PE can't do better if it's sharp enough. ;)
 
As previously noted, get either fully serrated, or plain edge all the way. Also, save and get the real thing. If you buy something similar you will still want that Millitary and have to get it later.
 
Vivi said:
Andy, these are my observations comparing my Police 3 and BG42 Military, two of my favorite EDC's:

-Military has a thinner tip which pierces materials better. I have not had any durability issues with the tip, but I do not pry with folding knives.
-Lighter weight
-More comfortable handle design
-Blade profile works better slicing foods on a cutting board, something my folders frequently do
-Easier to open (Less resistance, larger opening hole)
-Higher end blade steels available, and CF handles are a nice touch
-Overall curvature of the knife, with the blade angled more downwards than the Police, is more efficient for slicing cuts in my experience


P3 has advantages over the Millie as well (4 way clip and thinner handle carries better for example) but these are the things that make my Millie see more pocket time.
Click to expand...

Very good, all things I didn't know. Thank you!

Andy
 
kamagong said:
I think the Police is a better knife for heavy duty work. But for pure cutting efficiency, no other modern folder compares to the Military. The thin tip and full flat grind makes cutting tasks easier. The handle has superb ergonomics, and the G10 handle gives better purchase than the stainless steel handle of the Police. As Vivi noted, the enlarged Spyder hole makes one-handed opening incredibly easy. The light weight makes it easy to carry.

Other knives are better than the Military in specific aspects. The Griptilian is cheaper. The Sebenza carries better. The SMF is tougher. But if you are looking for a super-efficient cutting tool, the Spyderco Military is hard to beat.
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Very good, thanks!

Andy
 
If you want a cheap alternative with similar function/features (spyderhole, flat grind, liner lock, G10) then check out a Tenacious, they're very cheap and a great value. It definitely cannot compare to the military but it is a great knife with great features for an exceptional price, and it will scratch the knife bug itch while you save up for a mili.
 
Black blades look cool when new. However after a while the black can get scuffed up. I have two black blades- Military PE and a Benchmade 710. The satin finish blades just seem to age better imho.
 
Byrd Cara Cara?

BY03G_M.jpg


about the same size as the millie, steels not as good, ergo's not as nice, but WAY cheaper
C36G_M.jpg
 
scotchleaf said:
Byrd Cara Cara?

BY03G_M.jpg


about the same size as the millie, steels not as good, ergo's not as nice, but WAY cheaper
C36G_M.jpg
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The Cara Cara is a nice knife but it is not in the same ball park as the Millie.
The Millie with its full flat grind is a much better slicers.
 
While I'm a big fan of the Military, the only real alternative I could suggest is the BM 710 McHenry & Williams. I have no idea how much these are selling for these days though...
 
Save...........I picked this up right here on the exchange for just over $100

The Cara Cara is not even the same friggin planet, nowhere near USA, Earth.

millieblk1.jpg
 
Phew!! Thanks for all the advice and info. After reading all your comments, I've decided I'll hang out for the Military......after spending a long time scrutinising the blades, I've re-considered and I think I'll go with the satin finish/plain edge.

Uses?? Mmmmmm - well, I live on a 100 acre property just out of Canberra (the capital of Australia) and you'd be amazed at the number of times I NEED a blade and I don't have one with me. This beauty I could keep with me at all times.

I'm sure I could probably get by with something less exotic (and less expensive) that the Military, but you know how it is when you see something that fills your eye like this does, and you just WANT one!?
 
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