Which one?

M

Medic402

Joined
Aug 31, 1999
Messages
22
Trying to decide b/w a straight-edge Military, Tim Wegner full-size or a Starmate. These 3 seem to be the most popular of Spyderco's upper end. Comments or suggestions?

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I don't own a Wegner, but I have both a Military and a StarMate. I think that the StarMate comes about as close to perfection as I have seen in a knife. The blade is somewhat narrower, making is easier to manipulate, and the hilt is rather smaller, making it easier for my hands to hold and rather less intrusive. Besides, the appearance is "drop-dead" gorgeous.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh


 
I'd vote for the Military. It's a very large knife in profile, but surprisingly slim and light. I like the full flat grind better than the much shorter hollow grind on the Wegner and Starmate. It's also tip-down with a great big hole, which makes it faster to deploy than the other two, in my experience. The 440V's the best production stainless you can get, though the Starmate also offers it. The grip has the most versatility of the bunch, letting you "choke up" for precision cutting. I think the Military's a fairly ugly knife, but I don't consider any of these three a winner in looks. Where it shines is in pure performance per ounce.

I own all three and I don't think you could go wrong with any of them, but the Military's my top choice.

-Drew
 
All three are terrific knives. IIRC the Wegner has 1/8" blade stock while other two are both 5/32". The Military has a full flat grind, the other two are hollow ground. The Starmate should take the least space in your pocket, the Military, the most. The Military likely wins for keeping your fingers away from the blade, while the Starmate likely has the least secure grip (of these three knives -- it still has a great handle). All three are secure enough in the hand that this last criteria may only matter if you plan on spending a lot of time stabbing phonebooks and trees.

I voted with my checkbook for the Starmate, but I feel that there's probably a (toothy) Military somewhere in my future (though it may be far enough off that I can hold out for an exciting new lock).

You've not described what you want to do with the knife (camping/outdoors? defense? box-opening? general utility? whittling? food prep? impressing your friends?), nor what aspects are most important to you (size? strength? appearance? grind? particular cutting tasks?), nor what else you may be carrying around at the same time. You may get more detailed answers if you elaborate a little...

-- Carl
 
What are you going to use it for? Are you looking for a general carry utility knife? For defensive purposes?

You cant go wrong with any of the knives. I have all three and like them all fr one reason or another. The Wegner is the most ergonomic. The Starmate is the prettiest and sports 440-V. And the Military is the biggest and also has 440-V. I think you will like which ever one you pick.

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-Dennis-


 
I work in EMS, so utility is important. The knife would also be a daily carry, as well.
 
I don't have any experience with the Starmate so I can't really comment on that design. I love the Military a lot, it is one of my most often carried folders. For EMT work you might consider the Wegner for two reasons.
1. The Military is very big and does tend to scare some people. This is not a big concern for me but in a job situation it is something to think about. If you work in less than friendly areas the size may be a big plus too.
2. The Military has a very pointy point! If your shears are unavailable and you had to cut a patients clothes off in a hurry that point could cause problems. The Wegner has a nice belly to it and would cut clothes off well I think (since it is designed to remove a deer from its "clothes" without doing to much damage).

These two reasons may mean nothing in the kind of work that you do though. I hope this helps some.
Paul
 
I have the Wegner and Military. They are both awesome knives. I haven't handled a Starmate yet.... but soon. For utility purposes I would recommend the Wegner. I'm sure you would be happy with any of the three. Good Luck
 
I think you should get a Military since you have already considered a Police. It seems you want a really large knife, and i think the Military is anexcellent large utility knife. I know that it can slice cardboard boxes forever!
 
when i was in LEO i carried andstill carry a fully serrated catcherman. it is light and will cut anything i have atempted to cut with it. i dont believe it is made in the serrated blade anymore but u might try the combo edge. it really did whaty i needed it to do cut seatbelts and clothes from victims when it was needed.
 
I would have to recommend the Wegner. Great for utility and excellent for defensive use as well. I think it would suit your needs better. However, I still think you wouldn't be disappointed with any of your options.

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-Dennis-


 
Medic403,

I went through this same issue well over a year ago on behalf of my son who is a navy corpsman serving with the marines. I received a tremendous number of responses from current and former military medics as well as EMTs such as yourself. All pointed out that their basic kit contained scalpels and such. Of the one-handers the Spydie Rescue ranked high, but ironically the vast majority advocated a short fixed blade. No chance of loss like a folder clipped on the outside and very fast to deploy from a sheath affixed to your duty rig. I ended up buying him a Spydie Moran which at the time came with a nice looking but rather non-utilitarian leather crossdraw sheath. So I had Edge-Works cook up a super multi-attachment kydex sheath geared towards military use. It was and continues to be a tremendous hit with him and his peers. The newest version of the Moran comes with a kydex sheath which permits various carry modes too. I haven't seen it myself and have an admitted bias towards the sheaths that I was involved with, but either way I don't think you can go wrong.

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-=[Bob Allman]=-

I did NOT escape from the institution! They gave me a day pass!

BFC member since day one
AKTI membership pending
VHA and NRA member


 
Let us know which one you decide on.

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-Dennis-


 
The Military seems much better suited for general utility than the Starmate. I don't (yet) have a Wegner. I think the Military Jr. Rolling Lock will be the best utility folder yet.
 
STOP TORTURING YOURSELF! Get all three models - you're going to do it in the long run ANYWAY!

I have both the plain AND serrated versions of these knives, but I can HONESTLY not pick any ONE of these to recommend, as I use ALL of them in different scenarios...
 
I think that I will go with the C48 Wegner with a straight edge...the Military was my first choice but I believe the size will be a factor with carry at work. Maybe I'll get a Military with a straight edge for off duty carry....The Starmate is a beautiful knife but just not my cup of tea...Anybody have a Wegner or Military for sale?
 
Any thoughts on the Centofante...Don't hear too many people commenting on this one...Also, what is a good lubricant to use for a Spydie? Does Sal have any recommendations?

[This message has been edited by Medic402 (edited 20 September 1999).]
 
I agree, you would expect to hear more about the Centofante. It is a nice knife. But perhaps folks view it more as a large gentleman's knife instead of a utility folder because of its lack of belly.
 
Get the Military also if it's in your budget. My previous post in this thread was in no way meant to imply that the Military wasn't a great design. The Centofante is a nice knife also but I don't think it would be as useful for your line of work as the other three models you have mentioned. Have you been able to handle any of these knives? If you can find somewhere to do that that would be ideal. If there is no one in your local area see if you can't find a mail order dealer that would let you put your top two choices on a credit card with the understanding that you will return one of them in pristine condition in a short period of time. This may cost you more on shipping but you would be better able to tell which one feels the best in your hand. Not all dealers would go for something like that but it is worth a try. You could be sneaky and just order two and return one also.
wink.gif
The danger in this is that you may end up with two knives!
 
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