Spyderco Paramilitary 2 vs Spyderco Southard

J

JDX

Joined
Mar 2, 2014
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So a friend of mine got the southard for Christmas and isn't a fan of the flipper, which I don't mind at all. I can get either blade for around $100. I was curious as to which I should go for.

On one hand, the southard has a superior steel, on the other, only one side of the handle has g10, which gives it the unfinished aesthetic imo.

On the other hand, the paramilitary 2 is very popular and highly rated.

So price aside, which blade makes for a solid, quality edc?
 
If you can get a real, not fake, Southard for $100 do it now, don't ask questions. I like the PM2 more, but the Southard is a great knife and that's way less than it should be selling for.
 
Get the Southard for $100. If you don't like it, sell it and get the Para 2 :)
I prefer the Para 2 to the Southard. Superior ergonomics for me.
 
price aside, southard all day.

I really dislike the paramilitary lock. I think it is annoying, and unsightly. Go for the millitary :p
 
Most any Spyderco makes a good solid edc. Ignoring price, I'd choose the southard over the pm2 every time.

The compression lock is innovative, very strong, and fun to play around with. In use though, I just don't like it. My fingers are either too long or not flexible enough to quickly and comfortably unlock the pm2 after use.
 
I almost exclusively either carry a PM2 or my Southard, and they are both great options. I will get this out of the way, for $100 you should just get the Southard because you could always find a PM2 for close to that price anyway where you will be spending twice that for a Southard.

As far as comparing the two knives, these are my thoughts...

Southard advantages-
Smaller footprint in pocket
More cutting edge
Better steel
Feels higher end

PM2 advantages-
Fits my hand better
Better slicer
Lighter

They both easy to deploy so that is entirely preference, my Southard flips incredibly well, but my Para 2 flies open with a flick of the finger just as easily.
 
They're both fantastic knives. I own both and I can't pick a favorite. They're too different from one another to compare. It just comes down to what features you prefer. Find a knife shop and hold them both side by side if you can.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
If you can get a real, not fake, Southard for $100 do it now, don't ask questions. I like the PM2 more, but the Southard is a great knife and that's way less than it should be selling for.
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I owned a Southard briefly, but as far as flippers go, I was not impressed. If I were you, I'd buy the Southard for $100, sell it for a profit, and buy a PM2 in a steel other than S30V. There have been sprint runs in S35VN, Elmax, CTS-204p, and a few others I believe.
 
coop1957 said:
A real Southard for $100.00. I smell something fishy.
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It would be fishy, but I've seen the certificate of authenticity and the box. There's nothing wrong with it. But he's asking either $200 or $100 and trade. So I'm paying $100 and giving him my Kershaw blur in s30v. Which runs for $65. But I deassisted mine and he's not the type of guy to spend time (or as he says "wasting time") on customizing or taking apart his knives so he called it even. And I own two s30v blurs so it's no issue for me. Didn't include this part because I knew I'd be writing a paragraph lol
 
Moxy said:
They're both fantastic knives. I own both and I can't pick a favorite. They're too different from one another to compare. It just comes down to what features you prefer. Find a knife shop and hold them both side by side if you can.
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unfortunately there's no knife shops near me. Unless I take a 4 hour drive which I'd rather not. So I usually purchase from friends, websites or occasionally Amazon but only if I'm getting a budget production knife like Ontario rat 1, my spyderco tenacious etc etc
 
Price considered, Para 2 over Southard.

Price not considered, Southard over Para 2.
 
My only gripe with the southard is the fact that it is not left hand whatsoever. Its a beautiful knife and id love to have one. Coming from spyderco id expect some lh friendliness but not on that model. No lefty carry option and the lock bar is difficult to open. Such a shame because its a great knife.
 
JDX said:
It would be fishy, but I've seen the certificate of authenticity and the box. There's nothing wrong with it. But he's asking either $200 or $100 and trade. So I'm paying $100 and giving him my Kershaw blur in s30v. Which runs for $65. But I deassisted mine and he's not the type of guy to spend time (or as he says "wasting time") on customizing or taking apart his knives so he called it even. And I own two s30v blurs so it's no issue for me. Didn't include this part because I knew I'd be writing a paragraph lol
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What's this "certificate of authenticity" you speak of???
 
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