Which Paramilitary to Get

Nathan Ihrke

Nathan Ihrke

Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
864
Alright folks, I am ready to take the plunge into the deep waters of the Paramilitary. After hearing great reviews of the knife for years I only really need to decide which is the best for me. I have narrowed it down to getting either the blue handled m390 or the carbon fiber s90v. Which is superior and why?
 
I'm finally going to get a paramilitary after being a spyderco fan for years. I have narrowed it down to the m390 or the s90v versions, input into which will likely be better is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nate
 
I dont know. Just to confuse the issue I'm getting the CTS-XHP and CTS-204p versions LOL. They will join my Gayle Bradley in CPM-M4 to give me 3 interesting high end steel blades. and 3 cool scales in orange green and CF.
 
The CF S90v i found is selling at $240, not sure if that is high for that model. Compared to the m390 it's a bit of a jump
 
Good luck finding one with S90V and CF. If you do, expect to pay twice what the Blue M390 is being sold for. Performance wise, the steels are a toss up. I don't really care for Carbon Fiber, so that makes the Blue G10 with M390 a no brainer. IMO:D
 
The s90v one i found was selling for around $240 so it is a price bump. At that price I could get a Gareth Bull! I'm def leaning towards the m390 now.
 
The CF/S90V is superior because...the demand seems to be higher, that's all. I absolutely love my Blue/M390 one, even though I haven't put it through its pace, yet. They are easier to find for now.
 
Nevermind... the site is currently out of stock for the s90v, guess that makes the choice pretty simple
 
I bought an s90v/cf para 2 for $275 a few months ago. I don't regret the purchase but I'm not sure if I would do it again. It's a great knife, and I love knowing I own one, but unless you can afford to drop the money for the exclusivity you probably would be better off going with a less sought for version. The blue/m390 combo is an excellent choice, and you'll be saving money. But I don't think I'd buy it because the blue handle isn't really a great color for me personally. I wish I would have grabbed a grey/c20p para 2 when they came out.

If I were to buy another para 2 (I have the cf and the regular satin blade one) it would probably be one of the all black paras.
 
I would get the one you prefer as far as color, not steel. This is just my opinion based on experience with different "magical" steels. If you like the blue, jump on it, if you like digital go for that. My opinion is the whole steel thing is more hype than actual verifiable performance.
I can't tell the difference myself in one stainless steel to the next save for H1 which clearly has rust resistance. To me stainless steels are pretty much all inferior for knives EXECPT when it comes to corrosion resistance. As long as the overall quality of the knife is high (Spyderco Para definitely qualifies) then what stainless steel is used is pretty insignificant, IMO. So I would never pay $300 for a Para because it has one particular steel or another. In fact before paying that much I would buy two currently available paras in different color configurations.

Lastly, I really dig the blue but it would be a backup alternative to a black, OD, digital, etc. for me.
 
There is a pre-order up at KW for a Para 2 in CTS-204P and Green G-10. 204 P is Carpenters version of M390 and the Green is rumored to be the same color as the Lil'temp.
 
I have the carpenter's steel Manix 2 and enjoy it fairly well, I have two other spydercos on pre-order though and want to get something in hand fairly soon. Based on how I like the m390 though I might have to get the cts version. Based on other posts it seems the para is fairly addictive
 
I wouldn't say addicting...
IMG_2245.jpg

Yes, I have the green and orange on pre-order too.
 
Nathan Ihrke said:
The CF S90v i found is selling at $240, not sure if that is high for that model. Compared to the m390 it's a bit of a jump
Click to expand...

An S90V P2 for $240 is either the bargain of the year or out of stock. :D Go with the M390 or pre-order the 20CP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top