- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
- Messages
- 10,394
I recently got my first Paramilitary, and following tradition in buying my first Military, I got one of the Sprint Run series. This one is made out of a non-stainless tool steel called D2. It's hard and takes an amazing edge. It's worth pointing out that it's about .5% away from the 12% Cr needed to call it a stainless steel.
The knife came pretty sharp out of the box, though not as sharp as my other Spyderco knives (wickedly scary). I gave it a ceramic rub down, and it shaved hair no problem.
Blade
As you can see, the blade on the para takes it's shape from the Militay, but it's almost an inch shorter. For me, I love it. I loved the Military's ergos and blade shape, but it is a big knife. The Paramilitary fits the bill nicely. It is listed as 2/3's the size of the Military, taking the blade to 3 3/32" long. It's close enough to 3" to be legal almost anywhere.
Handle
The handle similar to the Military, but shortened. It has a curved spine, and a very comfy grip to it.
Some have said that the finger choil on the bottom has been shrunk too much on the Paramilitary model, and it is smaller, but not terribly so.
I have no problems choking up on the blade.
Lock
The compression lock is a proprietary lock made by Spyderco. It's rated hard use, similar to the Ball Bearing lock. The best way to think of it is a wedge in between the blade tang and the stop pin. If you can't visualize it, then you'll just have to handle one.
No play in any direction, lock up was crisp and strong. It's very easy to release the lock in either hand, and it's not likely to disengage accidentally.
Comments
It's an excellent option if you've considered buying a Military, but are put off by it's large size. The Paramilitary is currently available in Right hand tip-down carry, so that does limit some options for those looking for a discreet knife.
The knife came pretty sharp out of the box, though not as sharp as my other Spyderco knives (wickedly scary). I gave it a ceramic rub down, and it shaved hair no problem.
Blade
As you can see, the blade on the para takes it's shape from the Militay, but it's almost an inch shorter. For me, I love it. I loved the Military's ergos and blade shape, but it is a big knife. The Paramilitary fits the bill nicely. It is listed as 2/3's the size of the Military, taking the blade to 3 3/32" long. It's close enough to 3" to be legal almost anywhere.
Handle
The handle similar to the Military, but shortened. It has a curved spine, and a very comfy grip to it.
Some have said that the finger choil on the bottom has been shrunk too much on the Paramilitary model, and it is smaller, but not terribly so.
I have no problems choking up on the blade.
Lock
The compression lock is a proprietary lock made by Spyderco. It's rated hard use, similar to the Ball Bearing lock. The best way to think of it is a wedge in between the blade tang and the stop pin. If you can't visualize it, then you'll just have to handle one.
No play in any direction, lock up was crisp and strong. It's very easy to release the lock in either hand, and it's not likely to disengage accidentally.
Comments
It's an excellent option if you've considered buying a Military, but are put off by it's large size. The Paramilitary is currently available in Right hand tip-down carry, so that does limit some options for those looking for a discreet knife.
