Spyderco Paramilitary / Strider SNG Comparison

Buzzbait

Buzzbait

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Feb 25, 2001
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Here’s an interesting little (actually a somewhat exhaustive) comparison for you all. The Spyderco Military has been my EDC folder of choice, for years on end now. The Millie is easily the most functional knife I’ve ever laid my hands on, but has one drawback. When it comes to urban use, the Millie is not exactly well-received by the general public. To be more forthright, women and children run in fear when they see it. Dogs and cats crawl under the nearest table. It’s amusing at first, but you get the idea. The Military is a large and menacing looking folder. So I’ve been thinking about carrying a smaller folder for EDC use. Sort of a mini version of the Military. It sounds easy to find a new folder, but the Millie is a tough knife to replace. It has so many outstanding features, that you can’t bear to live without them. So I made a list of EDC prerequisites for myself. These are features that I couldn’t live without, along with a couple of new twists. Here they are:

1. Minimum cutting edge of 2 1/2 inches
2. Maximum cutting edge of 3 inches
3. Large enough handle to get a secure grip
4. G-10 scales for secure grip and durability
5. Finger choil for choking up on the blade
6. Locking system other than a standard liner lock
7. One-handed opening and closing
8. High performance cutting edge
9. Opening hole in blade (I’m not big on thumb studs)
10. Plain edge, no serrations
11. Fairly abrasion resistant stainless steel
12. Light as a feather
13. Full flat grind

As you can see, the list accounts for most of the major features possessed by the Military.
The only real changes are the length of the cutting edge and the lock. I love the nested liner on the Military, but felt like I needed a change.

So the search began. I hit the web sites for of all the major knife manufacturers. I read reviews. I searched over Bladeforums, as well as a few other forums. I Googled my heart out. By the end of my search, I was surprised to see how very few options I really had. My shopping list was not an easy one to fill.

The obvious replacement for the Military was Spyderco’s Paramilitary. The Paramilitary (affectionately known as the Para to Spydie fans) was created to be a scaled down version of the Military. Easy choice, eh? Not so. Previous experience with Spyderco’s compression lock had left me less than impressed. Actually, I hated it. I bought a Spyderco Salsa years back, and found it to be full of flaws. The lock was very hard to close one-handed. Also, my hand was often pinched by the compression lock. To make matters worse, the ball detent of the Salsa was very close to non-existent, for the purpose of holding the knife in the closed position. The Salsa instantly went to my dreaded knife drawer of doom, never to see daylight again. Needless to say, I was very wary of using another compression lock.
One knife that fit the bill perfectly was the Strider SNG. I’d always loved the look of the SNG, with its military tank-like sex appeal, but three things had kept me from actually buying one. One reason, of course, was the high price tag. Throwing $400.00 at a knife is not something I can afford to do very often. Also, SNGs are just plain hard to find. You have to be in the right place at the right time. And last, past Bladeforums reports of fit and finish issues also bothered me.

In the end, I decided to take the gamble on the SNG. You only live once, and I happened to have a surplus of funds at the time. If the knife didn’t work out for me, I could always sell the knife or trade it away. Wanting another and less expensive option, I jumped into perilous ground with the acquisition of the Paramilitary, at a cost of a little over $100.00. Some recent posts on the Paramilitary had perked my interest, and led me to believe that maybe the compression lock had improved considerably since the Salsa.

So there’s the story. A man on a financially dangerous journey, looking for paradise. Let’s see how I made out. I’ll dive right in and start comparing different aspects of these two excellent folders, and mull over the pros and cons of each.

Basic Ergonomics: Both knives have very disproportionate blade to handle ratios. I very much like the odd handle sizes, as they allow for a very good and comfortable grip. When I use a knife all day long, no matter what blade size it may have, I want comfort and security, not arthritic feeling hands. When I’m using a blade of less than 3 1/2 inches, the handle must be larger than normal for me to achieve and maintain a good grip on harder cuts. I know that some people get all freaked out over this subject, hating on folders with odd blade to handle length ratios, but that’s their opinion. I personally find knives with small handles to be very hard to manipulate.

The grips of both these knives have ergonomic shaped handles, as opposed to the straight handle styles of knives like the Sebenza. While straight handle designs are probably more versatile in terms of the number of grips that can be used effectively, I find that 95% of the time, I use a basic saber grip. I have no dreams of using my knives for self-defense, so I really have little need for reverse grips, and don’t much like the control afforded by a hammer grip on a small knife. I do use a hammer grip once in a while, as well as sort of a sideways grip, but not often.




The Strider SNG is very comfortable and very secure. Despite the fact that one scale is made of titanium, this knife really locks into my hand. The scale that really matters, which comes into contact with the meat of my finger tips, is made of G-10, and is extra grippy. The texture of the SNG’s G-10 is the roughest I’ve ever handled. I can’t put into words how good this knife feels. It’s like sitting back in a luxury recliner. The SNG uses a large butt end to anchor the knife to your hand. It’s a very different feel than most other folders. I did find that my hand felt some fatigue over time, if I had to grip the knife very tightly. The thin handle, mixed with the rather deep handle cutout for the index finger, cramped my index finger a bit after extended use. My fingers are longer than normal, so this probably won’t not be an issue for most people.

For my hands, the SNG is completely devoid of hot spots. The traction grooves at the pivot end of the handle, which extend forward onto the blade, allow the thumb to comfortably and securely grip the knife. The finger choil of the blade is huge in size, and makes for a perfect spot to place your index finger when choking up.




The Para is also very secure, and perhaps more secure than the Strider. I attribute this added security to the thumb ramp of the Para’s blade. The thumb ramp allows you to put a large amount of forward pressure onto the blade with your thumb, without any chance of the thumb slipping forward. The ramp has almost excessively aggressive jimping to hold the thumb in place. I do not find the Para to be as comfortable as the SNG, but found it to be less fatiguing over time. Don’t get me wrong. The Para’s ergonomics are very good in comparison to other folders on the market, but that lounge chair feel of the SNG just isn’t there. I believe the lack of fatigue associated with the Para has much to do with the pocket clip. The pocket clip is very long and is positioned at the pivot end of the knife. When gripping the Para in a saber or hammer grip, the pocket clip nicely adds to the thickness of the rather thin handle.

The mid-handle swell in the G-10 grip is nice, but it causes the butt end of the handle to feel a little loose. Also, the finger choil is not quite as generous as the one on the SNG, and the thumb ramp jimping is a little on the sharp side. I much prefer both the aesthetics and comfort of the traction grooves on my older full-sized Military, as well as the grooves on the SNG.

Easy of Carry: Both knives carry well in the pocket, but neither is exceptional in this department. Neither knife allows for anything resembling deep pocket carry, and neither knife allows for any carry option other than the configuration it is shipped in.



The SNG carries tip-up in the right front pocket. I love this carry position, but have experienced problems with premature blade opening. The unintended blade opening occurs when drawing the knife from my pocket. It most often happens when drawing the knife from the seated position, as well as when drawing the knife from sweatpants in any position. I don’t find this to be particularly hazardous, as the knife never opens during actual carry, but it is reason for concern. I normally draw the knife with the intention of using it anyways, but the knife sometimes opens when removing it from my pocket for the day. I don’t normally expect the sharp part of the blade to be exposed when throwing it on my dresser at night. I have a feeling that my pocket snags on the stop pin, which is cleverly built into the blade, and pops the blade out of the handle on withdrawal.

The tip-up configuration does allow for a lanyard to be added, which really helps to draw the knife from the pocket. This is more needed than you might think, simply because the SNG’s pocket clip is really tight to the pocket. I mean REALLY TIGHT, even after bending the clip outward a little bit. It certainly isn’t my favorite clip for pants carry, but I could see it being far superior when clipped to a less secure area such as a pack. The SNG does require a pocket dedicated to carry. The butt end of the knife is very wide, and makes it hard to reach into the pocket for anything else. This is no big deal for me personally, as my present Military also requires a dedicated pocket for carry.

The carry of the Paramilitary also has its ups and downs. I don’t dream at night about deep pocket carry, but the Para raises itself to new heights of “Sticking-Out-Of-Pocketitis”, to the point where it even sometimes bothers me. The clip is also extremely long, and has a tendency to scrape things as I brush by them. I’ve also noticed this with my full-sized Military, which has the same exact pocket clip. One good thing about the Para’s pocket clip is that the spring tension is absolutely perfect for normal carry. You don’t need the grip of death to remove the knife, as you do on the SNG, but the Para still stays in the pocket securely.

The saving grace of both knives is that they are light and reasonably thin. I particularly appreciate these aspects during the summer months. Bulky and heavy folders tend to feel like a brick in my pocket, when I’m wearing thin materials. The parts of these knives that are in the pocket are almost completely unnoticeable, even when wearing thin materials.

Fit and Finish: This is an area where the $300.00 difference in price really shows. The Strider, other than a very slightly off-center blade, has an immaculate level of fit and finish. Better finish than a number of my handmade knives. Everything about the manufacture is top notch. Everything, including the traction grooves, is perfectly rounded on the edges. The lock bar position, when the blade is fully opened, is perfect. There is no vertical blade play whatsoever, and no horizontal blade play either. Opening is buttery smooth. Okay. Nobody gets off that easy. Not even Strider. I do have one minor quibble about the finish of the knife. The screws that secure the pocket clip and lock stabilizer are a little too long, and stick out into the inside of the handle. This doesn’t create any functional issues, but it would have been nice to see the screws ground down to the proper size.

The Paramilitary is typical Golden Colorado manufacturing. Fit is impeccable. No vertical or horizontal blade play. Finish is excellent for a mass-market production folder, but without the handwork of the Strider. Like any production knife, the spine of the blade can feel a little sharp sometimes, and the jimping of the thumb ramp can be a bit uncomfortable after prolonged usage. I would characterize Spyderco’s American made knives to be almost the pinnacle of production knife fit. If I have one bone to pick with Spyderco on finish, it concerns the screws on the pocket clip. The black paint on the screws had almost completely rubbed off after the first week of ownership. If Spyderco is going to use black screws, they need to find a way to make them stay black longer than a week. Permanently would be preferable. I may end digging through the black oxide screws of my RC trucks, to see if I can find screws that will fit the Para.
 
Locking Mechanisms: I’m not going to delve too far into this topic, as it is a bit worn out. I’m not the kind of guy who looks for the ultimate lock strength, if it means compromise in another area of the knife. As long as the lock is reliable enough for the work I do, it’s okay by me. But I will make some basic observations.



The SNG’s frame lock is solid, and kicks in with an authoritative “thunk”. This sound always brings a smile to my face. The lock appears to be very strong, and I have had no issues with it coming unlocked. I was able to white knuckle the knife, and maybe force the lock bar to go a bit further across the blade tang than expected. This did not appear to hurt the lock in any way, but did make it a small challenge to release the lock. There was a small amount of lock wear over the first couple weeks of ownership, but that wear seems to have halted entirely, now that the lock is broken in. The lock bar sits just past the halfway mark on the tang. It is possible that lock wear could be an issue over time, causing problems, but only time will tell. The SNG does use Strider’s “bull pivot”, so pivot strength should not be an issue. The SNG also uses the Hinderer lock bar stabilizer, which according to Mr. Hinderer, should prevent loss of lock bar strength from over-travel of the lock bar when unlocking the knife. The stabilizer is also supposed to cure torque issues associated with frame locks, although I do not fully understand the physics involved.



The Spyderco compression lock is very interesting, but hard to accurately describe, without going into great specifics. I will say that I’m very confident in this lock’s security. The lock bar, when in the locked position, actually rests in between the blade tang and stop pin. Theoretically, for the lock to fail, the lock bar would probably have to shear at the blade tang. While the lock bar is not overly thick, like the one on the SNG, the lock bar is wide, which is what matters on this type of lock. My confidence level is extremely high on this compression lock. Lock wear is unlikely, as the stop pin should keep the blade tang from unduly wearing the lock bar. The weak points are most likely the pivot and the nestled nature of the Para’s liners. I am happy to say that the implementation of the compression lock on the Paramilitary is light years ahead of my previously mentioned Salsa. I have had no pinching problems. Access to the lock bar is much better, and the detent is much stronger.

As far as downsides to the locks, I only have minor quibbles, and one major issue. It is the nature of the frame lock design, that you have to position your finger into the travel of the blade when closing the knife. It is the nature of the beast, but definitely not a good thing. On the other hand, the compression lock does not suffer from this problem. Once you become accustomed to the Para’s compression lock, it is very safe and quick to open and close. The compression lock does require some getting used to though, if you’re a long time user of liner and frame locks.

One downside to both locking mechanisms, which I consider to be a large factor, is the fact that neither locking system provides a very positive means of holding the blade in the closed position. I love the fact that the lock back and Axis lock holds the blade closed under spring tension. The detents used in liner locks, compression locks, and frame locks pale in comparison. If the blade overcomes the small detent, there is nothing to keep the blade from swinging open. I would love to see a manufacturer develop a spring assisted closing method for a frame lock, compression lock, or liner lock.

Cutting Ability: This is a complicated subject here, like lock strength, which I will not delve into too deeply. Fortunately for me, these two knives have a few things in common, to reduce the need for excessive comparisons. Both knives have the same steel, similar heat treatment and similar blade geometry. If you were to chop off the spine of the SNG, on a straight line, the blade shapes would even be very similar. So overall cutting performance was similar. There’s no magic or voodoo here. The Paramilitary seemed to be ground a hair thinner, so you can expect slightly higher cutting performance from it, at the cost of slightly lowered strength. The Strider had the stronger tip, but lacked some of the precision of the Para’s tip. The Para’s initial sharpening angle was very thin. Probably close to a 20 or 25 degree included angle. The Strider’s edge was much more obtuse, so I reprofiled the edge to a 30 degree included angle, which is about where I like my EDC folders. Both knives shipped very sharp. They cut extremely well, and the edges have held up beautifully. If you are very tough on your knives, the SNG would probably be more suited to your tastes, although I’d get the tanto blade version if I had any plans of prying with the knife. I REALLY liked the shape of my SNG’s blade. The Para is definitely for people who want scalpel-like precision and performance, but don’t need a ton of tip durability. The tip is very thin and very pointy, but also delicate. I experienced no chipping or rusting problems with either blade.

The only cutting problem I had occurred with the SNG. Whenever I was cutting large sections of cloth, plastic or whatever, the sharpening choil in the blade would snag on the substrate to be cut. When cutting large sections of something, I like to stab the material to be cut, and let the blade penetrate the material until the material hits the tang. Then I slice away. The SNG has a large sharpening choil, and on a blade of this size, I find it to be problematic. It effectively shortens the already small cutting edge by an extra 1/2” beyond its physical size, just to keep the choil from snagging on what I am cutting. It has driven me mad on a few occasions, and requires focused attention, to make a long cut without snagging at first. I will need to adjust my slicing technique when using the SNG. The sharpening choil makes the blade look very nice, but greatly hampers the knife’s overall functionality.

I really like S30V for its combination of corrosion resistance and edge holding. At the same time, it reprofiles easier than some more wear resistant steels (440V), but is not exactly easy to work with without the proper hones. I hold S30V to heart almost as dearly as I hold well heat treated D2 (think Dozier). S30V is an excellent steel for my type of EDC use, on small to medium sized knives. Overall, both Spyderco and Strider have done a great job on the blades, with the exception of the Strider sharpening choil.

Miscellaneous Ramblings: I don’t know where to categorize certain things, so I’m just going to ramble on for a while.

The Para stayed much cleaner than the SNG, due to its lack of a back spacer. Dust, dirt and pocket fuzz, which ordinarily collects inside of a folder, passed right through the Paramilitary.

I was taken aback by the lanyard hole on the SNG at first. The hole extends through both scales, but the sharpened blade edge blocks half of the hole. If you were to run a lanyard through both scale holes, the blade would surely cut the lanyard in no time. For this reason, Strider recommends that you run the lanyard through only one hole. This method worked very well on the titanium scale side, and I had no issues with the lanyard fraying or being cut by the blade. As a matter of fact, it solved a problem that I’ve long had with other folders. When you use a lanyard with many folders, the lanyard has a tendency to stick out sideways from your pocket, and dangle in the air. With the SNG, the lanyard hangs very nicely along the side of my pocket.

I’m not exactly sure why Spyderco bothered with a lanyard tube on the Paramilitary. With a tip-down only knife, a lanyard serves little purpose. I’ve also found Spyderco’s rivet lanyard tubes to be on the weak side. My original 440V Military had the same lanyard tube, and it eventually fell apart and got lost. The Para’s lanyard tube most likely won’t be a problem in the future, but my experience with my Military adds a sense of unease. Considering that the Para is a tip-down knife, a more trustworthy anchor point at the end of the knife than a riveted tube would make more sense.

The Para is definitely the easier of the knives to open via the opening hole. I assume this is because of the large thumb ramp and larger opening hole. The smaller Strider opening hole, mounted closer to the handle, sometimes requires focus to open, where the Paramilitary can be opened in my sleep. The Paramilitary can also be flicked open, by pinching the handle between the thumb and middle finger, and depressing the lock bar with my index finger. This flicking method is fairly simple and lightning fast. The flicking method can also be used to close the knife quickly, although the flicking motion sometimes causes the blade to close and pop right back out of the handle again. The SNG, for me at least, is much easier to close one-handed. The Para can be closed one-handed, in much the same manner as a liner lock, but it is not the type of closing that takes zero skill, zero thought, and zero time.

Conclusion: Have I been overly picky in this review? Definitely, and I’ve also shown my strong personal preferences in certain areas of knife design. I’m looking to replace a knife that I truly love, and want another knife that will live up to my high expectations. In truth, both folders are pretty close to my personal ideal of the medium sized EDC knife. They are fantastic knives, and I could live the rest of my life with either knife in my pocket. Yes, they both have some flaws, according to my own personal preferences, but stand out from the rest of the knife pack through exquisite design and manufacturing. These knives, IMHO, are the cream of the crop when it comes to medium sized EDC’s.

The SNG is handmade quality, and is extremely well designed. Its extraordinary strengths are only shadowed by one real weakness, its sharpening choil. I also wish that the SNG had a more positive method of holding the knife closed than a simple ball detent. That is also true of every other frame lock on the market, so I really can’t rag on Strider without berating every other knife company that produces integral frame locks.

The Paramilitary is functionally the superior knife for me personally, due to its lack of sharpening choil. It is not quite as robust in tip strength, and has nowhere near the finish of the SNG. I also wish that the Para had a better method of holding the knife closed. But the Para holds securely in the hand and always makes the cut. Also, the Para is a ton of fun to play with, allowing for a variety of different opening methods. The Para is not perfect, but stands out as an extraordinary value for 1/4 the price of the SNG.

Which knife will I carry? As great as the SNG is, I’ll probably end up carrying the Paramilitary most of the time. The Para is a bit lighter in weight, and I really like this implementation of the compression lock. It is a very nimble knife, and fast in the hand. The compression lock isn’t perfect, but I feel that it’s a step forward from liner and frame locks. The Para also has that great Spyderco large opening hole that I’ve come to love. The SNG is an outstanding tank of a knife, and I positively love the shape of the blade. If my daily cutting tasks required a more durable tip, I would have chosen the SNG over the Para, with no hesitations. I’d also have gone for the SNG if my carry required a higher level of security in the pocket clip. There really wasn’t a bad choice to be made. As of today, the SNG is just a little more overbuilt and rugged than I require for everyday carry. I could easily see others requiring the exceptional features of the SNG. My hat goes off to both Spyderco and Strider for raising the bar in high performance, medium sized folders.
 
Very thorough, thank you! This should be an example for other reviews to emulate. :thumbup:
 
Great review! I have come to expect such excellence from you. I enjoy reading your work.

How do you think the mini manix would compare to the SNG?
 
If it weren't for the extra weight (5.5 oz) and bulk, I'd probably choose the Mini-Manix over any folder in this size class, assuming that it's as well-designed as my full-sized Manix. I'm very conscious of weight though, and wouldn't feel comfortable going any heavier or thicker than the SNG (4.4 oz) for EDC use.

That's just me though. For people who aren't as conscious of weight as I am, it's hard to beat the Manix series for strength, security, and awesome ergonomics. I love lockbacks, and they don't get much better than the Manix. My full-sized Manix is an absolute tank, but still cuts like a demon. I carried mine for a few months, last year as an EDC. I was fine in the cooler weather, but felt very weighed down during the summer months.

My Manix is still the knife I use on dayhikes, where I'm carrying a pack.
 
Great review! I just recently purchased a Para and a Mini-Manix. You hit the +s and -s of the Paramilitary spot on. I use my Paramilitary for EDC and the Mini-Manix for weekend blue jean duty. I much prefer the ergos of the Mini-Manix when push comes to shove though. Strider is way out of my price range so it was great to see the comparison on what I am not missing.
 
Keep a close eye out for the release of the Calypso3. The knife will be a hair smaller than the Mini-Manix, but it will have some oustanding features. Even deep pocket carry. :D
 
Buzz, that was a fantastic review, as always.

You may have even persuaded me to give the compression-lock another chance (I hated that lock on the Vesuvius and the Salsa).

The sharpening choil makes the blade look very nice, but greatly hampers the knife’s overall functionality.
Click to expand...

You also right on the money about the sharpening choil.
My old Griptilian had the same problem.
 
The compression lock on the Salsa drove me positively mad. I swiftly vowed never to get roped into a compression lock again. I'm glad now that I broke my vow. The implementation is much better on my Para. I'm starting to think that the compression lock may have a good future ahead of it. I still prefer the Axis lock and lockback, but on a knife this light, the compression lock is an excellent compromise.
 
allenC said:
Buzz, that was a fantastic review, as always.

You may have even persuaded me to give the compression-lock another chance (I hated that lock on the Vesuvius and the Salsa).



You also right on the money about the sharpening choil.
My old Griptilian had the same problem.
Click to expand...
I'm with you guys on this, the only thing wrong about my BM mini-grip, snag city!
 
Grubbster said:
Strider is way out of my price range so it was great to see the comparison on what I am not missing.
Click to expand...


Hey man believe me, you are missing a lot. It is something you can't understnad until you actually own and use a Strider for a little while. Then you will understand.
 
severedthumbs said:
Hey man believe me, you are missing a lot. It is something you can't understnad until you actually own and use a Strider for a little while. Then you will understand.
Click to expand...
Some day maybe.......where is that lottery ticket??????????
 
Buzzbait-

I really have to thank you for writing that review, and hope you will do more like it.

I don't have much personal interest in those two knives, but I really appreciate the depth to your reports. You seem to have enough experience to really know exactly what you want, and what you don't want. And more importantly, you know why, and are willing to point it out.

I'd much rather see a review with some real critical thinking about design, than the folks who just recieved the latest toy that caught their eye and write about whether the grinds are straight- with no regard whatsoever to why the geometry of the grinds are proper for their use, etc.
 
I agree with Thumbs. Grubbster, you are missing a lot. I have a Military, Manix, and SMF, and the SMF is the best overall knife by far. However, the Manix and Military (and the Para as well) perform just as well and are better bargains. You shouldn't feel empty for not having a Strider. But if you ever have the money to spend on one, I'd seriously consider it (versus getting a handful of Spydercos, BMs, Kershaws, etc...)

It really just depends on your priorities. Knives are pretty much my only hobby, so they are the only thing I spend money on outside of my needs like rent, food, and gas. So for me, spending 500 bucks on an SMF makes a lot of sense. For someone that is into knives but is also into fishing, flashlights, videogames, nice clothes, DVDs etc... buying an SMF would make your other hobbies suffer.
 
Buzz,

Have you found that people react more positively to the Para or the SNG? I'm asking because a lot of people would also consider the Para and the SNG to be large knives. I also carry a Military, but I'm unwilling to give it up. I found another way to avoid scaring the knifeless--carry another smaller knife. I EDC my Military and a smaller William Henry Spire. That way I can carry my knife of choice. Plus I get to carry two knives. More is better right?
 
I haven't found that either knife is more sheeple friendly than the other. Both are sort of menacing looking, but not nearly as conspicuous as a full-sized Military.

I thought about carrying the Military along with a small sheeple-friendly folder, but just couldn’t see the sense in it. I carried a Millie to use it. If the Military stayed in my pocket all day long, there wasn’t much sense in having it with me. Know what I mean? I use my knife at work quite frequently. It made more sense for me to scale down my carry, to something large enough to do what needs to be done, but no more. I wanted no compromise in performance, versatility, comfort or reliability. I did lose a little bit in comfort and versatility, but feel pretty good about the rest.

As it stands, if the smaller size gets to be a problem, I’ll go right back to carrying my Military. I still believe that the Military is the best folding utility knife ever made.
 
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