Spyderco Paramilitary Pass-Around Review

[gud4u]

Thanks, jhillas, for the opportunity to inspect this knife!

My perspective in this review will largely be a comparison of properties between my long-time-carried Military 440V and the Paramilitary - pretty much ignoring the obvious differences in blade-length (1") and blade alloy (S30V).

First Impressions:
- Overall quality of this knife is excellent, with no blade-play in any dimension.
- The Paramilitary is structurally a stronger and more rigid knife than the Military.
- Stronger Paramilitary structure allows elimination of the back-spacer of the Military.
- Paramilitary grip, user-ergonomics, blade shape and blade tip-strength essentially identical to the Military.
- Some will prefer the easy inertial-opening and easier one-handed closing of the Military over the Paramilitary.

Some Carry Properties:
Paramilitary Military
Carry Weight: 3.750 ounces 3.975 ounces
Handle Width: .450 inches .420 inches.

Some Structural Properties:
Paramilitary Military
Nested Liners: Dual Single
Scale Thickness: .140" .130"
Lock Liner Thick: .055" .042"

Structurally, the Paramilitary is clearly superior to the Military.

Paramilitary Compression Lock:
Spyderco rates the Paramilitary compression lock as stronger than the liner lock - and the locking-liner of the Paramilitary is clearly beefier than that of the Military.

The compression lock release lever seems less exposed to accidental unlocking then the liner lock lever.

The compression lock has strong resistance to initial opening - accidental opening in the pocket is very unlikely - but inertial-opening of the Paramilitary is difficult-to-impossible, without either thumb or lock-release assistance. Clearly, this is an intended 'feature' of the lock design.

One-handed closing of the Paramilitary is possible, but more difficult than for the Military.

Some Obvious Similarities of Paramilitary and Military:
- Blade width, shape, grind and tip-strength essentially identical.
- Grip and user-ergonomics essentially identical.

Summary:
- The Paramilitary shares the excellent ergonomic features of the Military.
- The Paramilitary is very slightly lighter, but very slightly wider in carry-properties.
- The Paramilitary has dual nested liners - versus the single-liner Military.
- The Paramilitary locking liner is thicker than that of the Military.
- The Paramilitary scales are thicker than those of the Military.
- The beefier components in the Paramilitary eliminate the need for a back spacer.
- Accidental opening of the Paramilitary in the pocket is very unlikely.
- Inertial opening of the Paramilitary is difficult-to-impossible without thumb or lock-release assistance.
- One-handed closing of the Paramilitary is a bit clumsy.

Some will be troubled by the less-flickable nature and clumsy one-handed closing imposed by the compression lock.

The Paramilitary is really a fine knife. It's hard to argue against a rigidly-constructed knife with a really strong lock and the excellent ergos of the Military.

Personally, I'd prefer a Military evolution incorporating the excellent structural improvements of the Paramilitary (dual nested liners, thicker locking liner, thicker scales, absent backspacer) - with the excellent Military liner-lock design retained. I wouldn't trade my current older Military for a new Paramilitary.

 

[KeithAM]

Thanks for the review. It came at a great time since I am considering the Para as my next knife (my birthday is in September).

I handled one at the local knife store. In the few minutes that I played with it, I was unable to get it to close one-handed. I guess it takes practice.

 

[Stockman]

I was unable to get it to close one-handed. I guess it takes practice.

My Para was a little stiff new, but after about 2 weeks of work, loosened right up, the weight of the blade, once the lock is pressed, opens and closes it now.

 

[Planterz]

I've only handled one, but I found I could fairly easily close it like the lockback Spydercos. Unlock it with your thumb, and flick it closed (or at least far enough so the lock doesn't engage again, then finish it with your hand). Not as easy as a liner or framelock, but it can be done with practice

 

[j.h]

Excellent review. Spot on in my opinion in most aspects.

I am very slowly warming to the compression lock, after owning and quickly ridding myself of a Salsa and a Vesuvius. Just did not lock the mechanism.

However, after handling the new Lil Temp that's currently in passaround, I found a whole new appreciation for it. The Lil Temp was so awesome and smooth right out of the box, but now I have been carrying my own para for a few days, and I can feel it starting to loosen.

It is a forefinger thing. Holding the knife in my right hand, I use my index finger to depress the lock, and flick it closed. With the Lil Temp, I could flick it open or closed that way with very little effort.

I too love almost everything about the Para, and I do love both the old and new Militarys that I own. However
One of the most wonderful things about the Para in my opinion is that it does not say
MILITARY
on the side of the blade.

That always made me feel weird taking it out in public places. The Para is nice and discreet, with (almost) all of the best features of the Millie... Yes, I do carry it more than the Millie.

Oh, and don't thank me. Thank DaveH for getting the whole passaround thing started, and thank Sal Glesser and Joice at Spyderco for Donating these knives for us all to play with.

By the way...there are several passarounds available at this very moment...