After I started getting more seriously interested in knives in late 2013, I came across a few issues of 'Blade Magazine' and 'Knives Illustrated' dating from 2008-2009; I was surprised that they had survived the cull of outdated magazines months earlier, and was interested to see what might have changed in the last few years. I had bought them/forgot them after a failed start, a time when I was more concerned with kitchen cutlery. Going through the heavily redundant issues, I came across an article that would probably make a lot of forum members cringe: The '5 Greatest Tactical Knives' roundtable. A number of respected writers, collectors and makers were asked to make their lists, and then the voters were asked to give their picks and discuss the results. In some ways, a lot has changed since then. Other things have not.
The Sebenza was on everyone's list, even if it wasn't always the top pick, so it was the consensus winner. Other names, like the Al Mar SERE, are clearly losing their relevancy. Some variation of the Emerson CQC did well, and Emerson knives are perhaps just as popular today. Unbelievably, the CRKT M-16 made the list; I doubt any truly knowledgable person would let a CRKT share the same list as a CRK. At that stage, however, I was very disappointed with CRKT and Buck, etc. But the other pick was a Spydero Military. Two other Sydercos made the list of 10, since the last 5 were labelled as the 'Runner's Up': the Spyderco Endura and Police.
The Spyderco knives I had seen online and the magazines were not anything like the sleek, dangerous-looking knives that I was drawn to, initially. The more I saw of them, however, the more I came to appreciate their refined and unique designs. Their entire image was a refreshing change from the one that CRKT or Cold Steel tried to sell. It became evident that this was a knife-maker who created designs that were perfectly suited to their stated task. Function first, looks second. It's no secret that good design, efficient design, is the foundation of style. The Military was the knife I was really hoping to start with; self-defence was one of my main reasons for carrying a knife, even if we Canadians are supposed to let the government pull our claws. No guns, and even a legal knife becomes illegal if you tell them it's for self-defence. Regardless, I ended up buying the Endura, and was very impressed with the long, stork-like profile and cutting edge... it was far sharper than any knife I'd owned before it, and very comfortable.
The Stretch followed, and the ZDP-189 San Mai Caly 3.5 after that. When I bought my first Golden, Colorado Spyderco, however, that was when I really got hooked. The Manix 2 XL and Paramilitary 2 became instant favorites. After learning a bit more, and hearing the rave reviews about the PM2 and Manix, I chose them over the Military. Now, almost 15 Spydercos later, I still haven't picked up a Military, even though it was the knife that sold me on Sal Glesser's brilliant designs. I think that's all the excuse I need to pull the trigger on a fluted titanium Military.
