The history of the Military and Paramilitary

[Flatlander1963]

On another thread a fellow is discussing putting a Military blade in a Paramilitary handle and this got me to thinking about the two designs. I'm assuming that the Military came first and that the blade design happened first and a handle was engineered around that blade to meet the light weight, slim line concealed carry requirements for a tactical folder.

I'm also assuming that the demand for a smaller package based on the Military's popular design led to the Para's Handle being designed first and the Military type blade profile being cropped and shortened till it fit the desired handle size.

Did this downsizing create the need for the compression lock? Why wasn't the Military's liner lock sufficient for the Para?

I'm sure all of this has been discussed in detail but I'm new to Spyderco. Anyway, just wondering.

 

[Buffalohump]

What I do know is that while many were fans of the Military's design, they found it somewhat oversized for an every day knife.

So Sal designed the Para, which is exactly two thirds the size of the Millie, so it had all the original features of the Millie, but in a smaller package.

Now as for the compression lock, many would venture that this was a significant improvement on the liner lock and the Millie should now be re-designed to incorporate this excellent devise.

But we shall have to wait and see about that.....

 

[Flatlander1963]

Oh I'm sure we'll see a compression lock Millie down the road.
So you think that Sal set the size of the Para handle first and blade and lock design came next?

 

[carrot]

What I noticed is that the blade and handle thickness on the Para is the same as on the Military, and with the compression lock as well as shorter, stouter blade, makes for a slightly more robust knife.

 

[Lycosa]

Well said, veggie.

 

[ExMachina]

What I noticed is that the blade and handle thickness on the Para is the same as on the Military, and with the compression lock as well as shorter, stouter blade, makes for a slightly more robust knife.

exactly. that lock makes the closed blade stick out weird.

the Para is too FAT (though many here read that as 'pfat' )

 

[spoonrobot]

I heartily recommend you track down a copy of The Spyderco Story for more details on the Military and other Spyderco knives.

In the meantime here's a good synopsis on the Military from Sal.

"Gene - Thank you. The Military Model was designed to be the ‘state of the art’ production folder of the time. We believe the 2nd generation version is that. Every one of the many parts in this model was examined and refined. We listen to all of the comments (good and some negative), but our own constant testing enforces our beliefs. We believe that nested liners are more evolved and stronger than separate liners. And more expensive to produce. (Ask for favorite custom maker how much more they will charge you to nest their ‘full liner’ just inside the scale like Spyderco's Military). ‘Form’ in addition to the ‘pins’ create rigidity. It may be possible to ‘white knuckle’ a lock release, but this hasn't happened to our knowledge. Being able to easily close the knife after hard user with gloves on was a major consideration. Any of you that have had a folder lock open and not be able to close it? It's like a chain saw that won't stop . . . what do you do with it? The new ‘SecurLok’ that Frank Centofante invented is scheduled to be added to the Military Model sometime in '99. This would eliminate the fear of accidental lock release.

The Military Model was not designed as a fighting knife, nor was it designed for suit and tie carry. It was designed to be the most dependable cutting tool accessory a soldier might need while in the ‘bush.’ The handle is a little larger to afford the dual grip potential. Design is always a great discussion, because there are so many points of view, e.g., blades are for cutting, handles are for holding. A 2" blade specifically designed for controlled cutting loses its ability to control if the handle is only just long enough to cover the blade. Nothing to purchase on. A scalpel is a good example of this. What is the knife designed to do? To look at? By all means, balance the sizes to appearance. To use? Tougher problem here. Just one designer's point of view. I have avoided responding to this thread, as it was my design in question and this was a comparison type question. It would be expected that I would be biased."

"The designer is Sal. He has a teen-age son. He designed the Military Model with the idea that if his son had to go to war and could carry only one knife, the Military Model is what he would want him to carry. Sal's came up with this model because he wanted a ‘survival,’ ‘camp,’ ‘all-around’ knife that could perform any task in the field, from cutting branches and small trees, field dressing animals, to personal survival."

From this page.