- Joined
- Jan 12, 2012
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- 923
So recently I was sent a pleasant little package from Sypderco. In it contained the Yojimbo 2
It was a unique shape, but when I held it, I knew my famous Black M390 Paramilitary 2 would lose some pocket time. So here is a basic review of it.
Basic info (Off spyderco website)
length overall 7.55" (192 mm) blade length 3.11" (79 mm) blade steel CPM S30V
length closed 4.51" (114 mm) cutting edge 2.95" (75 mm) weight 4 oz (113 g)
blade thickness .156" (4 mm) handle material G-10 Made in America
Out of box impression:
It came in a signature red Spyderco box and had a unique look to it as you can tell. Picked it up and flicked it open with no problem, no odd sounds, no rattle, no compression lock problems. It had a nice glow because the Hollow ground blade kept picking up light at every angle (That is probably why it looks white in some pictures.) The blade had no corrosion or pitting which is good of course but also, the blade was a bit sharper then I expected. Out of box sharpness was remarkable! I tapped it on my arm thinking maybe a hair or two but it took off a massive chunk of hair.
A shaving sharp factory Edge isn't half bad as we all know.
EDCing it for a few days (A rough overview):
I popped this baby into my pocket for a few days (and I plan on doing it for the foreseeable future as well now) and went about my duties as usual. Took it around and cut paper out of notebooks and some ties and some string the first day, nothing too demanding. After that I went to go workout then practice. This is where the knife seemed to Shine (Bet you didn't expect that to come out here,) I forgot to take it out of my pocket and realized it after finished and rode my bike to another location. I stuck my hand in my pocket digging for my phone and found the yojimbo just chilling there like a sloth. Its shape makes it almost unnoticeable in the pocket! I am doing tip up right hand carry and I was amazed that I didn't notice it. My paramilitary 2 would usually remind me that it's in my pocket but wow! Great carriablity.
Now for the next challenge, The security guard I had to walk by was known for hassling people for anything that could be dangerous. Even though the cutting edge and blade were legal length, I didn't feel like being called a bad person so I put my thumb in my pocket and let my fingers hang, It made the knife completely disappear. It was a natural position and I really like that about the knife since I seem to get an earful from local College girls who believe a knife is only for mugging or violence. Great concealibility
(ya I am making up some words here but It is okay)
On the way up stairs I decided to unclip it and let it feel in my pocket as I moved. It isn't to heavy and the shape seems to rest in your pocket without making awkward outlines.
Next went to do some drills, That I didn't bring my trainer karambit, So I tried the Yojimbo since it was designed for self defense and Yojimbo literally translated to Bodyguard and it had a nice grip and feel to it. Hard to explain but I like it.
The next day I decided to take it to the most hardcore and brutal place ever.....Laundromat. I have a coat I picked up when I was in Da lat (Vietnam) that I liked but hated an annoying shiny black emblem on the back. While my clothes spun around I whipped out the Yojimbo 2 and tested the tip control by cutting it off by the threads holding it on
This required very delicate and precise point control. The Wharncliffe Shaped blade excelled in leaps and bounds without me having to do an awkward hand position like I would have had to do with another knife.
The edge is the perfect shape for the control, not to far back and not to far forward culminating in a nice point.
A unique little curve near the base of the blade made it so much easier to maneuver.
That tiny little curve ends up making it a whole lot easier to control the edge and tip without an awkward holding angle. It's the little things that truly make a knife great, and this design piece really makes the knife standout.
My only word of advice is try not to choke up to far on the blade. On dull knives, I choke up and wrap my hand around the blade, for some reason I tried doing it and the moment I barely tapped the blade....well
I got a nice little spyderbite that ended up later bleeding for a ridiculously long time. At least now I have broken in the blade.
After that hell day at the laundromat it held up well.
It held up well so I took it out and about to a cigar bar. What real men do to their cigar is Vcut it. Invented by the British military I believe, to cut their cigars. I prefer to cut a V into my cigars, not quite a punch, not quite a cut, just the ideal spot in-between with both of the benefits.
A nice aurora Sapphire was my choice and it cut through the tobacco SMOOTHLY without any dragging or tearing. Just a great smooth cut.
K lets get into the meat of the knife.
Steel:
It is CPMS30V which is a fantastic steel and has a great edge retention. It's corrosion resistance has been marked equal or above 440c which I must admit is nice since I live 3 blocks from ocean in a Port city. The toughness and wear resistance are also pretty high up there. Obviously a plus. It's a good steel and (In my opinion) is one of the top steels out there (excluding super steels because those are just insane)
After use, the edge still retains a shaving edge, no rust despite environment, no scratches on it from carrying it or using it, and I haven't broken the blade, which is always a plus.
Thickness:
I feel this picture says it all. Look at that spine.
Grind:
Hollow Ground
Blade Shape:
It is a Wharncliffe which has no belly. It is an excellent slicer and cutter and provides a nice use of the tip.
Handle:
G10 is a great handle, it's lightish but durable. I consider it to be the bulletproof option of handles, it's tough and it will LAST. The grip is nice, it has just enough grip to hold you in, but not enough to think you are holding sandpaper. The ergonomics is amazing, but I will get into that later.
Lock/ Open & Closing:
The compression lock is amazing, it is versatile and strong. Unlike a liner lock, it has 2 points of contact preventing the blade from moving. It is remarkably strong, but I am not going to wack the spin with a hammer like some insane people (I am not insulting anyone, I am just asking why would you need to use the back of your knife like a hammer?) but by pressing on it, I see no lock movement. It's design will allow you to open and close the blade without ever getting in the way. That means less bites which is good.
A theory (I tested it and I got positive results some have tested and got negative results) is that when the Compression lock does manage to fail (which it shouldn't unless you are beating it trying to break it) it develops an unnatural bend that makes it stronger then before. I wouldn't recommend trying it, just a fun fact that I have discovered.
Also, if you forget to remove your hand, spyderco made a little safety feature to prevent closing on the hand.
(right handed closing attempt on hand, it prevents being touched by edge)
(left handed with my index finger out of the way, it still stops on my middle finger)
Nice 2 finger little safety feature.
Clip:
It is a 4 directional clip like the PM2's and makes the knife south paw friendly.
(The right is the Yojimbo 2, the left is the Paramilitary 2)
Smell:
I sniffed it, and It was nothing out of the ordinary about it, then I just realized I smelled a knife for a review...... which seems to be out of the ordinary.
Detent:
After having a knife open on me in my pocket during a 5k.....I find this feature really important, especially with the new habit of local cops trying to shake a knife open so they can call it an auto. I can shake it like a polariod picture and not have the blade drop out, it can only be opened trying to open it which is nice.
A good detent in my books.
Now for the fun part
A side by side of the Paramilitary 2 (black g10 m390 steel) and the Yojimbo 2 (black g10 CPMS30V steel)
(Basic info on the PM2 can be found here http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=472)
Closed you can see the Yojimbo 2
As you can see, the clip angle is a bit off being straighter on the Yojimbo 2. Also the overall shape of the closed knife on the PM2 is like its blade, while the Yojimbo's closed form kind of is recurvish.
As you can see the blade shape is very different which will provide for different uses. I honestly, never knew I needed a wharncliffe blade til I started using it, don't pass it off just because of the blade shape as I heard some mention before.
(sorry for bad picture)
The spine of the Yojimbo 2 is remarkably thicker than the PM2 giving the Yojimbo 2 more mass on strikes and swings and the like.
Now back to the Yojimbo 2
Blade play:
Absolutely 0. Something I'd expect from a midtech or custom. I am grabbing by the tip and applying force in all directions and its not giving.
Blade Seating:
Dead center and because of the shape of the blade, no chance of touching the back spacers
It was a unique shape, but when I held it, I knew my famous Black M390 Paramilitary 2 would lose some pocket time. So here is a basic review of it.
Basic info (Off spyderco website)
length overall 7.55" (192 mm) blade length 3.11" (79 mm) blade steel CPM S30V
length closed 4.51" (114 mm) cutting edge 2.95" (75 mm) weight 4 oz (113 g)
blade thickness .156" (4 mm) handle material G-10 Made in America
Out of box impression:
It came in a signature red Spyderco box and had a unique look to it as you can tell. Picked it up and flicked it open with no problem, no odd sounds, no rattle, no compression lock problems. It had a nice glow because the Hollow ground blade kept picking up light at every angle (That is probably why it looks white in some pictures.) The blade had no corrosion or pitting which is good of course but also, the blade was a bit sharper then I expected. Out of box sharpness was remarkable! I tapped it on my arm thinking maybe a hair or two but it took off a massive chunk of hair.
A shaving sharp factory Edge isn't half bad as we all know.
EDCing it for a few days (A rough overview):
I popped this baby into my pocket for a few days (and I plan on doing it for the foreseeable future as well now) and went about my duties as usual. Took it around and cut paper out of notebooks and some ties and some string the first day, nothing too demanding. After that I went to go workout then practice. This is where the knife seemed to Shine (Bet you didn't expect that to come out here,) I forgot to take it out of my pocket and realized it after finished and rode my bike to another location. I stuck my hand in my pocket digging for my phone and found the yojimbo just chilling there like a sloth. Its shape makes it almost unnoticeable in the pocket! I am doing tip up right hand carry and I was amazed that I didn't notice it. My paramilitary 2 would usually remind me that it's in my pocket but wow! Great carriablity.
Now for the next challenge, The security guard I had to walk by was known for hassling people for anything that could be dangerous. Even though the cutting edge and blade were legal length, I didn't feel like being called a bad person so I put my thumb in my pocket and let my fingers hang, It made the knife completely disappear. It was a natural position and I really like that about the knife since I seem to get an earful from local College girls who believe a knife is only for mugging or violence. Great concealibility
(ya I am making up some words here but It is okay)
On the way up stairs I decided to unclip it and let it feel in my pocket as I moved. It isn't to heavy and the shape seems to rest in your pocket without making awkward outlines.
Next went to do some drills, That I didn't bring my trainer karambit, So I tried the Yojimbo since it was designed for self defense and Yojimbo literally translated to Bodyguard and it had a nice grip and feel to it. Hard to explain but I like it.
The next day I decided to take it to the most hardcore and brutal place ever.....Laundromat. I have a coat I picked up when I was in Da lat (Vietnam) that I liked but hated an annoying shiny black emblem on the back. While my clothes spun around I whipped out the Yojimbo 2 and tested the tip control by cutting it off by the threads holding it on
This required very delicate and precise point control. The Wharncliffe Shaped blade excelled in leaps and bounds without me having to do an awkward hand position like I would have had to do with another knife.
The edge is the perfect shape for the control, not to far back and not to far forward culminating in a nice point.
A unique little curve near the base of the blade made it so much easier to maneuver.
That tiny little curve ends up making it a whole lot easier to control the edge and tip without an awkward holding angle. It's the little things that truly make a knife great, and this design piece really makes the knife standout.
My only word of advice is try not to choke up to far on the blade. On dull knives, I choke up and wrap my hand around the blade, for some reason I tried doing it and the moment I barely tapped the blade....well
I got a nice little spyderbite that ended up later bleeding for a ridiculously long time. At least now I have broken in the blade.
After that hell day at the laundromat it held up well.
It held up well so I took it out and about to a cigar bar. What real men do to their cigar is Vcut it. Invented by the British military I believe, to cut their cigars. I prefer to cut a V into my cigars, not quite a punch, not quite a cut, just the ideal spot in-between with both of the benefits.
K lets get into the meat of the knife.
Steel:
It is CPMS30V which is a fantastic steel and has a great edge retention. It's corrosion resistance has been marked equal or above 440c which I must admit is nice since I live 3 blocks from ocean in a Port city. The toughness and wear resistance are also pretty high up there. Obviously a plus. It's a good steel and (In my opinion) is one of the top steels out there (excluding super steels because those are just insane)
After use, the edge still retains a shaving edge, no rust despite environment, no scratches on it from carrying it or using it, and I haven't broken the blade, which is always a plus.
Thickness:
I feel this picture says it all. Look at that spine.
Grind:
Hollow Ground
Blade Shape:
It is a Wharncliffe which has no belly. It is an excellent slicer and cutter and provides a nice use of the tip.
Handle:
G10 is a great handle, it's lightish but durable. I consider it to be the bulletproof option of handles, it's tough and it will LAST. The grip is nice, it has just enough grip to hold you in, but not enough to think you are holding sandpaper. The ergonomics is amazing, but I will get into that later.
Lock/ Open & Closing:
The compression lock is amazing, it is versatile and strong. Unlike a liner lock, it has 2 points of contact preventing the blade from moving. It is remarkably strong, but I am not going to wack the spin with a hammer like some insane people (I am not insulting anyone, I am just asking why would you need to use the back of your knife like a hammer?) but by pressing on it, I see no lock movement. It's design will allow you to open and close the blade without ever getting in the way. That means less bites which is good.
A theory (I tested it and I got positive results some have tested and got negative results) is that when the Compression lock does manage to fail (which it shouldn't unless you are beating it trying to break it) it develops an unnatural bend that makes it stronger then before. I wouldn't recommend trying it, just a fun fact that I have discovered.
Also, if you forget to remove your hand, spyderco made a little safety feature to prevent closing on the hand.
Nice 2 finger little safety feature.
Clip:
It is a 4 directional clip like the PM2's and makes the knife south paw friendly.
(The right is the Yojimbo 2, the left is the Paramilitary 2)
Smell:
I sniffed it, and It was nothing out of the ordinary about it, then I just realized I smelled a knife for a review...... which seems to be out of the ordinary.
Detent:
After having a knife open on me in my pocket during a 5k.....I find this feature really important, especially with the new habit of local cops trying to shake a knife open so they can call it an auto. I can shake it like a polariod picture and not have the blade drop out, it can only be opened trying to open it which is nice.
A good detent in my books.
Now for the fun part
A side by side of the Paramilitary 2 (black g10 m390 steel) and the Yojimbo 2 (black g10 CPMS30V steel)
(Basic info on the PM2 can be found here http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=472)
Closed you can see the Yojimbo 2
As you can see, the clip angle is a bit off being straighter on the Yojimbo 2. Also the overall shape of the closed knife on the PM2 is like its blade, while the Yojimbo's closed form kind of is recurvish.
As you can see the blade shape is very different which will provide for different uses. I honestly, never knew I needed a wharncliffe blade til I started using it, don't pass it off just because of the blade shape as I heard some mention before.
The spine of the Yojimbo 2 is remarkably thicker than the PM2 giving the Yojimbo 2 more mass on strikes and swings and the like.
Now back to the Yojimbo 2
Blade play:
Absolutely 0. Something I'd expect from a midtech or custom. I am grabbing by the tip and applying force in all directions and its not giving.
Blade Seating:
Dead center and because of the shape of the blade, no chance of touching the back spacers
