I have been lurking here for about 6 months. I’ve only posted a few times. I thought I would review a couple of recent purchases in order to contribute something to the site I’ve gotten so much from.
The first purchase is a Spyderco Para-Military in D2. First off let me say that I am in the US Army. I have served for 23 years, about 19 years of those in special operations. I only mention this to establish my reasons for purchasing the knife. This is due to the fact that I don’t really like tactical knives and under normal conditions wouldn’t buy one. I have an Army issued Benchmade 9050 AFO. It is a fine knife and has served me well over the past 7 (+) years that I have carried it. However, technically I am not allowed to carry it off duty. Although I rarely do so, recently I almost had it seized by US Customs. Fortunately I had been escorted to the airfield by someone who was able to ensure that it would be shipped back to me through our regular cargo channels. So I decided to buy a knife that could serve as a carry knife without getting me into trouble.
After about 2 weeks of reading through the forums here I decided to order the Spyderco Para-Military. I was further enticed by a special at the time on Spyderco’s site for the Para in CPM D2 with Forrest Green G10 scales. I have been carrying it now for about 2 weeks.
I have never liked the looks of Spyderco’s knives. This one is no exception. If you are a Spyderco Fan I am sure you disagree. Please take no offense as none is intended. The fit and finish was flawless out of the box. Spyderco’s ergonomics are often raved about and this model deserves equal consideration in that regard. The handle is large enough to grip for heavy cutting and comfortable in my hand. The G10 on the scales feels as if it has been bead blasted, leaving a very “sticky” surface. This feature not only enhances grip but also makes it more secure when clipped in my pocket.
I am no metallurgist. So the difference between D2 and other tool steels is lost on me. I do however do a considerable amount of sharpening. I am a hobbyist woodworker that enjoys as much hand tool work as my time will allow. So when I examined the blade I determined that the polish on the bevel could be improved. I took it to my buffer and made several passes over a muslin wheel loaded with polishing compound. It barely had any effect. When I perform the same exercise with the 154CM on my Benchmade I am able to produce a nice edge. My conclusion is that the PM will be a bear to sharpen but will retain that edge longer. I found the long shallow belly of the blade pleasing to work with. It was able to slice cleanly through the end grain of both hard and softwoods with ease.
The PM uses a compression lock that holds the blade securely. It appears to be designed so that the lock will continue to hold the blade without movement even as the knife wears.
I do have one complaint with respect to the knife. The detent on the locking mechanism that holds the blade closed is weak. The effect of this weakness is that it is very easy to flick the knife open by snapping your wrist with the closed knife in your hand. While this may be an attractive feature to some, I think that it makes the knife less safe than I would like it.
Conclusion: This is a great knife at a very reasonable price. Its engineering is impressive, fit and finish flawless. It is also made in the United States which is important to me.
The first purchase is a Spyderco Para-Military in D2. First off let me say that I am in the US Army. I have served for 23 years, about 19 years of those in special operations. I only mention this to establish my reasons for purchasing the knife. This is due to the fact that I don’t really like tactical knives and under normal conditions wouldn’t buy one. I have an Army issued Benchmade 9050 AFO. It is a fine knife and has served me well over the past 7 (+) years that I have carried it. However, technically I am not allowed to carry it off duty. Although I rarely do so, recently I almost had it seized by US Customs. Fortunately I had been escorted to the airfield by someone who was able to ensure that it would be shipped back to me through our regular cargo channels. So I decided to buy a knife that could serve as a carry knife without getting me into trouble.
After about 2 weeks of reading through the forums here I decided to order the Spyderco Para-Military. I was further enticed by a special at the time on Spyderco’s site for the Para in CPM D2 with Forrest Green G10 scales. I have been carrying it now for about 2 weeks.
I have never liked the looks of Spyderco’s knives. This one is no exception. If you are a Spyderco Fan I am sure you disagree. Please take no offense as none is intended. The fit and finish was flawless out of the box. Spyderco’s ergonomics are often raved about and this model deserves equal consideration in that regard. The handle is large enough to grip for heavy cutting and comfortable in my hand. The G10 on the scales feels as if it has been bead blasted, leaving a very “sticky” surface. This feature not only enhances grip but also makes it more secure when clipped in my pocket.
I am no metallurgist. So the difference between D2 and other tool steels is lost on me. I do however do a considerable amount of sharpening. I am a hobbyist woodworker that enjoys as much hand tool work as my time will allow. So when I examined the blade I determined that the polish on the bevel could be improved. I took it to my buffer and made several passes over a muslin wheel loaded with polishing compound. It barely had any effect. When I perform the same exercise with the 154CM on my Benchmade I am able to produce a nice edge. My conclusion is that the PM will be a bear to sharpen but will retain that edge longer. I found the long shallow belly of the blade pleasing to work with. It was able to slice cleanly through the end grain of both hard and softwoods with ease.
The PM uses a compression lock that holds the blade securely. It appears to be designed so that the lock will continue to hold the blade without movement even as the knife wears.
I do have one complaint with respect to the knife. The detent on the locking mechanism that holds the blade closed is weak. The effect of this weakness is that it is very easy to flick the knife open by snapping your wrist with the closed knife in your hand. While this may be an attractive feature to some, I think that it makes the knife less safe than I would like it.
Conclusion: This is a great knife at a very reasonable price. Its engineering is impressive, fit and finish flawless. It is also made in the United States which is important to me.
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