t1mpani
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2002
- Messages
- 5,529
...and I'm trying to keep an open mind. 
First off, nothing but compliments from a quality standpoint--excellent construction, fit and finish are superb, and I must say that this radiating fluting on the titanium makes it WONDERFULLY grippy for a Ti grip and I feel like I have every bit as good a purchase on it as I do G10. I also always appreciate Spyderco's ability to actually put an edge on their own knives, as it's a 30 minutes first-step I have to take when receiving products from so many other makers.
Much like the Sebenza, I can see why people like it. However, much like the Sebenza, I don't know that we're destined to be together for long.
This is the first Military that I've ever held, and...it's largely confirming the suspicions that kept me from purchasing one for years. Again, this is NOT a claim of faults in the knife, just how it sits in my own hand---it's so thin that I don't feel like I have a hold of it. Grippy or not, my fingers just have trouble being that closely mashed against my palm. The small size of the grip makes the pocket clip (which is almost exactly the same size as the one on the original Manix which I don't mind at all) really seem noticeable in my palm when I'm holding it. My hand also feels like it would just love to slide up onto the blade, and doesn't get a feeling of positive indexing the way it does from the Manix, Chinook, Stretch, or any of my other Spyderco knives (okay, with the exception of the little Dyad ). I mean, I could tell it didn't have a swell up front just by looking, but was hoping that there would be a "sweet spot" in the grip for me, but there just doesn't seem to be.
Speaking of the Manix, it and the Military may start out with the same blade stock thickness, but I have a whole hell of a lot of 1/8" thick folder blades that I think are likely more robust than this Mili with its extreme taper. I think I'd honestly be constantly worried about the tip, as it seems lighter even than a Buck 110. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every knife has to be a Busse, and I can fully appreciate the wonderful slicing geometry that this knife obviously would have, but I'm just not sure that I'm looking for a folding chef's knife to carry on me. The Manix slices everything I've ever put in front of it, while just being more reassuringly meaty for those tasks that make me pull out a big folder in the first place instead of my like-a-razor slipjoint.
It only just showed up, and I'm not yet resolved in my opinion of it, but it may end up being passed along to someone, and of course it's a finely crafted tool that would much rather be somebody else's pride and joy EDC than my continual "not today." I know that many of the things that make me not really all that excited about it are EXACTLY what many people love about it, and many of them would not care for the folding tanks I favor. We'll see. Of course, carrying it would diminish its minty value, and yet likely is the only way to become entirely sure of it. Choices, choices.
First off, nothing but compliments from a quality standpoint--excellent construction, fit and finish are superb, and I must say that this radiating fluting on the titanium makes it WONDERFULLY grippy for a Ti grip and I feel like I have every bit as good a purchase on it as I do G10. I also always appreciate Spyderco's ability to actually put an edge on their own knives, as it's a 30 minutes first-step I have to take when receiving products from so many other makers.
Much like the Sebenza, I can see why people like it. However, much like the Sebenza, I don't know that we're destined to be together for long.
This is the first Military that I've ever held, and...it's largely confirming the suspicions that kept me from purchasing one for years. Again, this is NOT a claim of faults in the knife, just how it sits in my own hand---it's so thin that I don't feel like I have a hold of it. Grippy or not, my fingers just have trouble being that closely mashed against my palm. The small size of the grip makes the pocket clip (which is almost exactly the same size as the one on the original Manix which I don't mind at all) really seem noticeable in my palm when I'm holding it. My hand also feels like it would just love to slide up onto the blade, and doesn't get a feeling of positive indexing the way it does from the Manix, Chinook, Stretch, or any of my other Spyderco knives (okay, with the exception of the little Dyad
). I mean, I could tell it didn't have a swell up front just by looking, but was hoping that there would be a "sweet spot" in the grip for me, but there just doesn't seem to be.Speaking of the Manix, it and the Military may start out with the same blade stock thickness, but I have a whole hell of a lot of 1/8" thick folder blades that I think are likely more robust than this Mili with its extreme taper. I think I'd honestly be constantly worried about the tip, as it seems lighter even than a Buck 110. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every knife has to be a Busse, and I can fully appreciate the wonderful slicing geometry that this knife obviously would have, but I'm just not sure that I'm looking for a folding chef's knife to carry on me. The Manix slices everything I've ever put in front of it, while just being more reassuringly meaty for those tasks that make me pull out a big folder in the first place instead of my like-a-razor slipjoint.
It only just showed up, and I'm not yet resolved in my opinion of it, but it may end up being passed along to someone, and of course it's a finely crafted tool that would much rather be somebody else's pride and joy EDC than my continual "not today." I know that many of the things that make me not really all that excited about it are EXACTLY what many people love about it, and many of them would not care for the folding tanks I favor. We'll see. Of course, carrying it would diminish its minty value, and yet likely is the only way to become entirely sure of it. Choices, choices.
