Why no 4-way clip on Spyderco Military?

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fivesense

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Jun 5, 2017
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Why doesn't Spyderco make a 4-way clip on the Military? I'm switching to the PM2 for daily carry because it has the capability of left side carry but I really like my Military. I can't say I mind because the PM2 is a great "alternative" but I'm curious nonetheless.
 
I would find the Military awkward and slower to deploy with one hand (size L gloves) if tip up. The Military is offered in a left hand model.
 
Tip down is totally the way to go with a large knife like this and I some times carry it in my left pocket and open it with my left hand even though I am right handed and it does great that way.
 
I think the lack of anchor points near the butt end of the handle has something to do with the Military being tip down only. The partial liners save weight, and tip up is less practical for thumb opening a very long folded length knife (as previously noted) because you'd have to scootch your hand up the handle after drawing the knife to access the hole. With tip down, your hand is near the hole as you grasp the knife to draw it out of your pocket.
 
It's less about tip down carry than the fact that the anchors for the clip on the Military are only on one side. I just don't understand the lack of the option to carry left or right side. If it can be done on the PM2 and other models, why not the Military? Is it an engineering challenge?
 
If you are willing to sacrifice the lanyard hole it is easy to bolt the clip in it. A 4 millimetre bolt fits just right. With a stainless torx bolt, nut and washer it looks almost " factory". This way you have tip up right or left.
 
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My major issue with tip down is I often carry my knives in my left pocket. Most my knives are right handed models though. Left handed models are harder to come by.

Carrying a tip down right handed folder in the left pocket puts the knife in a very awkward position for opening when the knife is withdrawn from the pocket. On the other hand tip up right handed knives in the left pocket if I reach into my pocket fingers first palm facingnforward the knife is in perfect position to open.
 
fivesense said:
It's less about tip down carry than the fact that the anchors for the clip on the Military are only on one side. I just don't understand the lack of the option to carry left or right side. If it can be done on the PM2 and other models, why not the Military? Is it an engineering challenge?
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The Paramilitary 2 was a completely rebuilt version of the Paramilitary 1, it was redone from scratch to make a NUMBER of changes that people had asked about, mainly improving the ergos on the handle/finger choil and fixing the exposed "corner" of the tang that was visible when the blade was closed. Since they were going to make a whole new frame anyway, they took the opportunity to make double, skeletonized liners, to allow for a 4 position clip and make a bigger lanyard hole as well. On the Military model, they didn't see a reson to redo the whole design, because it was working fine and still is. It's been the same since 1996. The Military has minimal liners to reduce weight and there is only one place to attach the clip. If you're left handed, there is a mirrored version you can get. A 4 position clip would possibly demand a completely remodelled version and I'm guessing they just don't think it's time for that quite yet.
 
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Yep, I'd own more than a few if it had right and left hand tip up carry positions.
 
many of us consider knives with quite long handles, like the Millie, to be optimized for tip down deployment. Tip up is extremely cumbersome and awkward on the draw unless you have gorilla like fingers. I personally have long fingers, for a human, and have experimented quite a bit and it just isn't a good draw.

It may have potential benefits for comfort of carry and things like that, but I think the draw will always be a negative with large knives and tip up.
 
Dr Heelhook said:
The Paramilitary 2 was a completely rebuilt version of the Paramilitary 1, it was redone from scratch to make a NUMBER of changes that people had asked about, mainly improving the ergos on the handle/finger choil and fixing the exposed "corner" of the tang that was visible when the blade was closed. Since they were going to make a whole new frame anyway, they took the opportunity to make double, skeletonized liners, to allow for a 4 position clip and make a bigger lanyard hole as well. On the Military model, they didn't see a reson to redo the whole design, because it was working fine and still is. It's been the same since 1996. The Military has minimal liners to reduce weight and there is only one place to attach the clip. If you're left handed, there is a mirrored version you can get. A 4 position clip would possibly demand a completely remodelled version and I'm guessing they just don't think it's time for that quite yet.
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Thank you. This is the explanation I assumed. The Military is sort of like the Glock 17; not much to do to make it better.
 
goodeyesniper said:
many of us consider knives with quite long handles, like the Millie, to be optimized for tip down deployment. Tip up is extremely cumbersome and awkward on the draw unless you have gorilla like fingers. I personally have long fingers, for a human, and have experimented quite a bit and it just isn't a good draw.

It may have potential benefits for comfort of carry and things like that, but I think the draw will always be a negative with large knives and tip up.
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To reclarify, I'm not interested in tip up carry; I'm only interested in having a clip that would allow left side carry on my standard Military.
 
Tip down on any knife is a no go... It's been done before and should be done. 4 Way is possible but Sal is more worried about the stupid things such as a bigger lanyard tube on a tip down knife.
 
goodeyesniper said:
many of us consider knives with quite long handles, like the Millie, to be optimized for tip down deployment. Tip up is extremely cumbersome and awkward on the draw unless you have gorilla like fingers. I personally have long fingers, for a human, and have experimented quite a bit and it just isn't a good draw.

It may have potential benefits for comfort of carry and things like that, but I think the draw will always be a negative with large knives and tip up.
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And many of us prefer tip up. That's the beauty of having multiple options, you appeal to a wider audience.
 
goodeyesniper said:
many of us consider knives with quite long handles, like the Millie, to be optimized for tip down deployment. Tip up is extremely cumbersome and awkward on the draw unless you have gorilla like fingers. I personally have long fingers, for a human, and have experimented quite a bit and it just isn't a good draw.

It may have potential benefits for comfort of carry and things like that, but I think the draw will always be a negative with large knives and tip up.
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That is actually true. I tried draws with the tip up arrangement and my fingers were allways too far from the opening hole and had to change the grip. So with a long handle folder tip down results in a better draw/open. The difference is the grip. I really don't like to have the clip against my palm the way it is in the original tip down setting.
 
HFinn said:
That is actually true. I tried draws with the tip up arrangement and my fingers were allways too far from the opening hole and had to change the grip. So with a long handle folder tip down results in a better draw/open. The difference is the grip. I really don't like to have the clip against my palm the way it is in the original tip down setting.
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Exactly. especially when I used to work with gloves on. Tip down Millie is quite easy to just pinch at the top of your pocket to draw, and either spydie drop, or small hand position change to open easily. Tip down takes much more exaggerated hand repositioning to open it.

Granted. I like traditional knives that take two hands to open, so it doesn't have to be such a big deal. But why carry a big, modern folder if you're going to carry it tip up and be reduced to two handed speed and ease of opening?
 
jimmyd1982 said:
And many of us prefer tip up. That's the beauty of having multiple options, you appeal to a wider audience.
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Military is fairly purpose built. And tip up clearly isn't part of that purpose. It would have to sacrifice weight for the additional mounting options, while Tip Up on a large knife only makes your draw slower and more clumsy. Especially with gloves on, which it's designed for.

There are plenty of knives out there that appeal to the tip up crowd, Military clearly doesn't have to appeal to that audience to sell well for the past 20ish years. It's not a showboaty "tactical" knife. It's a purebred work knife, and they place the clip accordingly.

I could understand feeling left out if I too insisted on knives being slower and more clumsily opened, and being reduced to having to carry the Military in a way that ergonomically makes sense, so I understand I'm lucky that I don't.
 
goodeyesniper said:
Military is fairly purpose built. And tip up clearly isn't part of that purpose. It would have to sacrifice weight for the additional mounting options, while Tip Up on a large knife only makes your draw slower and more clumsy. Especially with gloves on, which it's designed for.

There are plenty of knives out there that appeal to the tip up crowd, Military clearly doesn't have to appeal to that audience to sell well for the past 20ish years. It's not a showboaty "tactical" knife. It's a purebred work knife, and they place the clip accordingly.

I could understand feeling left out if I too insisted on knives being slower and more clumsily opened, and being reduced to having to carry the Military in a way that ergonomically makes sense, so I understand I'm lucky that I don't.
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Not sure why you are so booty bothered that someone has a different opinion than you. Don't mistake your slow, clumsy movements as the norm for everyone else in the world, I've handled plenty of tip up folders that size without any issues.
 
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