Military Lock Reliability?

[Jeremy McCullen]

I am looking to buy a Military for an EDC and duty knife. I want to know if there are many problems with lock failure. I saw a YouTube video that show a Military's lock fail after it was hit on the spine on someone’s leg. I know that all locks have a fail point. My current EDC and duty knife is a 710 in D2 PE. But I really want a full flat ground blade.

[imatyssik]

Saw that video as well, not impressed.
I got 2 Millies myself none of them fail a really good and strong hit on the back against a tree.

Conclusion, the guy who showed it did not open blade fully and lock was not engaged. :cool:

[Lord vader]

Saw that video as well, not impressed.
I got 2 Millies myself none of them fail a really good and strong hit on the back against a tree.

Conclusion, the guy who showed it did not open blade fully and lock was not engaged. :cool:

Sometimes people will do that to make a product look bad.

[vampyrewolf]

I think the millie is rated at 150lbs/inch (think it's just heavy, not mbc). That said, I beat the **** out of my first one (440v, eccentric pivot) for 3years before it went to zambia with clovisc... and still survived that. Working on my 2nd one (s60v) for at least a year now.

Short of twisting, you can do just about anything a fixed blade can with the millie without worrying.

[Tom v S]

I had a failing one two years ago. It is the old single liner failure, more then 10 years old and EDC most of the time (Not by me).

I did search the Internet back then to see if someone else had a problem, and couldn't find a single one. So I guess if you ad the Youtube clip that makes two failing ones form the thousands and thousands of Millies around.

That said, I have a new one as well (CF BG42) and that lock is very strong. It's reliable and proved over time.

[CombatGrappler]

If that video had showed the knife rolling off the production line in Golden, getting through QC, then closing when tapped against someone's leg, then I would be worried. God only knows what happened to that knife before the guy made the video.

It's kinda like someone posting a video of their car breaking down. Did they take care of the oil, coolant, transmission fluid, belts, hoses, etc etc? You just don't know what happened to it. Don't trust youtube.

[kgriggs8]

I have owned about half a dozen Military knives over the years. I had one of the half dozen with a lock problem. The liner would slip a little when pressure was applied. It wouldn't unlock but it felt like it might. I sent it to Spyderco and they fixed it for me for free.

That is the same SE Military that I carry now and the only one I own. I trust it and the lock. Even with the lock partially slipping, it never actually failed. It just slipped about half way and then locked up.

The Military is one of the best liner locks out there. In good shape, you will not have a problem. I got mine off E-gay and I got what I deserved for buying from them. I got mine used. Ebay is known as a place where people can sell defective knives or knock offs so beware.

My advice, buy a new Military from a respected shop or online retailer and you won't have any issues. Also, the SE Military is one heck of a beast! It makes a great self defense knife as well as a good user for everyday tasks. Cuts rope like it was made for it. I had one of the Carbon Fiber ones and it was nice but the plain old G-10 weighs about the same and is just as strong so I don't think the CF Mili is worth the extra cash.

[Jeremy McCullen]

Thanks for all the good information. I will be going to the Dixie Gun and Knife Classic, Raleigh NC this weekend. I hope I can find a Military there for a good price.

[Diamondback]

I remember years ago when Jeff Randall of Adventure Training fame used to take various knives and survival equipment deep into the Jungles of Peru for extensive testing. This period was before Jeff had developed his RAT series of knives. He and his mates beat the snot out stuff, and then posted their evaluations on the Adventure web site. Sal gave him a CMP-440V Military to test; that folder was absolutely abused. There were photos of the knife being used to process vegetation for shelter......skin, slice and dice cayman for the stew pot....and even split firewood. The Military received a Triple A+ endorsement from all who used it; the lock never failed ! Unfortunately , once Randall developed his own line of knives, the test results were eventually removed. Too bad...it made for some good reading. Just as an aside, after having read Randall's review of the Spyderco Military I promptly went out and bought a Military and then signed myself up for a seven day canoe expedition down the lower canyons of the Rio Grande, south of Big Bend National Park....intending to put my Military through it's paces......and perhaps skin a hippo or two, was I. :eek: After all was said and done I think the most challenging task the knife performed was to snag the remaining pickle from the bottom of the jar during a lunch stop. :) Despite the fact that the canoe trip fell slightly short of a National Geographic expedition to the remote wilds of my youthful imagination......I had a fine time, and am very pleased to own one, tough, folding knife !

- regards

[A.P.F.]

If that video had showed the knife rolling off the production line in Golden, getting through QC, then closing when tapped against someone's leg, then I would be worried. God only knows what happened to that knife before the guy made the video.

It's kinda like someone posting a video of their car breaking down. Did they take care of the oil, coolant, transmission fluid, belts, hoses, etc etc? You just don't know what happened to it. Don't trust youtube.

In a past thread, I did a freeze frame of that video, which showed the demonstrator releasing the lock before the spine tap. It was quite subtle, but quite visible as well.

The Military is my most favored knife of all that I own. It is light, yet tough enough for camp use and has a blade that is also handy in the kitchen. IMO, the Millie is one of the best made knives there is.

[RazorSharp86]

I Have 5 Millies now. The first one I ever bought has been my EDC folder for over 3 years now. I don't have any lock-up problems whatsoever, and I check the lock on daily bases.
I know I've said it many times on this forum, but I'll say it again.
The Spyderco Military is the best liner-lock production folder ever made. IMHO of course...

[D-Roc]

Saw that video as well, not impressed.
I got 2 Millies myself none of them fail a really good and strong hit on the back against a tree.

Conclusion, the guy who showed it did not open blade fully and lock was not engaged. :cool:

The guy that did that on utube probably worked for benchmade.... :rolleyes:

[fredswartz]

I think that you can see anything on U-tube and you have to take most of it with a grain of salt. From my personal experiences owning Militarys you would have to place the knife in a vise, insert the blade into a pipe and use untold amounts of pressure and then something has to give. The blade may bend or break or the lock may fail. The whole premise of a lock failing on this knife even in the most extreme actual use conditions is ludicrous.