Spyderco Para-Military 2

I've been carrying this one on and off since I received it and it was intended as a replacement for the well-used Para-Military mainly to contrast the two versions and to judge, for myself, the improvements made.

Both feature S30V blades, black G10 handles, stainless liners, and the Compression Lock. The original (C81G) was 7 7/8" overall with a 3 3/32" blade length and weighed in at 3.75 oz. The new model (C81G2) is 8 9/32" overall with a 3 7/16" blade length and weighs the same 3.75 oz.

There were some additional refinements to the knife including the enlarged lanyard hole, the smoother transition from the hole to the pivot when the knife is closed, and the ability to move the clip for tip-up or tip-down carry. There is also a Bushing Pivot System to further smooth the action.

My only gripe about this knife or the Para-Military was the uneven edge grind. The C81G came with the edge ground too thin right at the plunge line and I've been trying to fix it ever since and the C81G2 has a wobbly grind on the right side.

Both of these issues will work themselves out in time but it's frustrating to purchase a new knife and have to immediately work on the edge to clean up a manufacturing issue.

I'm not sure I've even used the P-Mil2 enough to break it in yet but it's getting there. I just constantly grab the P-Mil because it's so comfortable in my hand and still gets the job done. It's also so smooth that the blade will fall open or closed when I press on the compression lock and the P-Mil2 isn't there yet.

Having them side by side, you can tell where the C81G2 comes from but I think of it as a distinct knife in the lineup instead of a re-release of an existing model. It's slightly longer blade, cleaned up transition from the hole to the pivot, and the refined blade shape make it an entirely different animal in my opinion.

Either way, it's still a heck of a knife made with some high-end materials and can be found online for around $100 when in-stock and that represents quite a value.

Thanks for reading,


B