Best slicer - PM2 or GB???

[Dafke]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a new knife and I have a quick question:

What is the best slicer? The most efficient cutting tool? The PM2 or the GB?

The PM2 has the full flat grind and the very good S30V steel going for it... while the GB has the excellent M4 steel.

Even tough the M4 GB will stay sharp longer... will it also cut more efficiently?
Or does the PM2 out-slice the GB any time?

Pls advise!
Regards,
Dafke

[kbuzbee]

They are both great. Out of the box, I'd say the GB, due to how thin it is behind the edge. But if you reprofile the PM it can get just as good.

But part of this question hinges on 'what are you slicing?' Thick, stiff materials eeem to do better with FFG (which is where I think your question was leading?)

Ken

[dalefuller]

They are both great. Out of the box, I'd say the GB, due to how thin it is behind the edge. But if you reprofile the PM it can get just as good.

But part of this question hinges on 'what are you slicing?' Thick, stiff materials eeem to do better with FFG (which is where I think your question was leading?)

Ken

Based on my use of both knives, I agree with Ken. My GB seems to excel at cutting outdoors (natural materials) in my garden and in the woods. My Paras, OTOH, do very well with man-made materials in the warehouse (cardboard, styrofoam packing, plastic sheeting, walboard, etc.). The GB is a hollow grind with a pretty thin edge, which makes it a great cutter if the material isn't as wide as the blade or if it's pretty flexible. For wider and stiffer materials like cardboard, wallboard, and packaging materials, the FFG of the Paras and Millies seems to help them move through the materials after the edge makes the cut.

[Dafke]

Thank you for the replies guys!

The material I usually cut is either cardboard, wood (soft wood or young bamboo) and fruit!

The PM2 should be better at cardboard and the GB will probably be better on wood then?

I started out really wanting the GB (I'm a fan of Rockstead - but they are out of my league) so I was lusting after the 65 Rc M4 blade - but now I have handles my brothers PM2 the last few days I'm very impressed with it and I'm starting to think it might be the better choice for EDC purposes!

[chuck_roxas45]

Thank you for the replies guys!

The material I usually cut is either cardboard, wood (soft wood or young bamboo) and fruit!

The PM2 should be better at cardboard and the GB will probably be better on wood then?

I started out really wanting the GB (I'm a fan of Rockstead - but they are out of my league) so I was lusting after the 65 Rc M4 blade - but now I have handles my brothers PM2 the last few days I'm very impressed with it and I'm starting to think it might be the better choice for EDC purposes!

It won't let you sleep until you get it. :D

[jackknifeh]

Thank you for the replies guys!

The material I usually cut is either cardboard, wood (soft wood or young bamboo) and fruit!

The PM2 should be better at cardboard and the GB will probably be better on wood then?

I started out really wanting the GB (I'm a fan of Rockstead - but they are out of my league) so I was lusting after the 65 Rc M4 blade - but now I have handles my brothers PM2 the last few days I'm very impressed with it and I'm starting to think it might be the better choice for EDC purposes!

It won't let you sleep until you get it. :D

I'm not sure but I think Chuck wants you to get the PM2. I want you to get the GB. :) If you get the PM2 and Chuck lets you sleep, I'm going to haunt your dreams until you get the GB. :D

If you want another night of restful sleep you better get both. :D

Jack

[Dafke]

:D you guys are killing me!!

Glad I'm not getting much sleep at all the last couple of nights due to the heat!

gives me plenty of time to think about PM or GB... :D

[phillipsted]

Go ahead and cut to the chase - get both! I have been a long-time Para fan, and these Enablers on the Forum finally twisted my arm and convinced me to join the "Cult of Gayle" last week. :rolleyes:

TedP

[jackknifeh]

Go ahead and cut to the chase - get both! I have been a long-time Para fan, and these Enablers on the Forum finally twisted my arm and convinced me to join the "Cult of Gayle" last week. :rolleyes:

TedP

Did you get it yet?

Jack

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

I am always going to vote for the GB. It is my everyday EDC, and the days I carry something else, I find myself wanted the GB instead. I've used it on all kinds of material and I have also used my 20CP Para2 on a lot...and the GB wins every time. Ok, not quite true, on double thick, slightly wet cardboard the Para2 was a little better.
But since the GB wins cutting everything else...I say that you should get the GB.

[jackknifeh]

I am always going to vote for the GB. It is my everyday EDC, and the days I carry something else, I find myself wanted the GB instead. I've used it on all kinds of material and I have also used my 20CP Para2 on a lot...and the GB wins every time. Ok, not quite true, on double thick, slightly wet cardboard the Para2 was a little better.
But since the GB wins cutting everything else...I say that you should get the GB.

I hate to go on and on about a knife (sort of) but the GB is one you always love coming home to. I got a knife about 3 months ago and loved it, a lot, still do. However it had problems and I had to send it to the Spyderco ER. Being a little down about it I picked up the GB to use while my new knife was in the hospital. I hadn't touched it for about 2 months and immediately remembered why I love the GB so much. It opened smooth as glass and locked open with authority. :) The sick knife is home, healthy and getting plenty of use and will be trading time with the GB. I've never used a PM2 but know it is a great knife by the opinions of others. Maybe I'll get one someday.

Jack

[Evil D]

It really depends on how deep you slice into something. I use thick cardboard as a test and i can tell you that no hollow grind can hang with a FFG blade unless the hollow grind is extremely thin all the way to the spine. If you cut something soft that separates easy then the GB is the winner since it's thinner behind the edge for a larger percentage of the blade, but once you hit the flat spot on the blade it's going to bind up. The wedge nature of a FFG allows the entire blade to move through something without any binding.

My biggest issue with hollow grinds is that when cutting some things like cardboard the blade can steer itself through the cut. I've only really experienced this with my old Manix 2, but it was enough to turn me off on HG. The material you're cutting can push against the curve of the HG and push the blade side to side making it hard to make a straight down cut through it. I've posted about this before and nobody could understand what i meant so maybe it's just me, but i've probably cut an average person's lifetime amount of corrugated in a 6 month period before lol. Another instance this kind of happens is with whittle/shaving wood. I carved up a big branch one with the M2 and it wasn't very fun.

In all reality though, the Para 2 isn't the best slicer either since the blade is so thick. It'll get the job done like any other knife but both of these knives are too thick to really be efficient slicers.

[sir_mike]

I would say get the PM2. Although the GB is a great slicer, it doesnt do the cardboard, packaging material or anything along those lines as well as the PM2 but the PM2 is pretty close to being a great slicer as the GB so all around, my vote is PM2.

The real answer is to get both as that is how we roll here! :D

[Ken44]

The PM2. The FFG blade with a great deal of distal taper in it, (and the full sized Military), makes for one awesome slicer.
If you are cutting with the edge only I don't think you would see much difference. But if the blade is going all the way through what you are cutting I think the FFG blade with a lot of distal taper will be the better cutter.
Thats just my opinion though.

[Evil D]

The PM2. The FFG blade with a great deal of distal taper in it, (and the full sized Military), makes for one awesome slicer.
If you are cutting with the edge only I don't think you would see much difference. But if the blade is going all the way through what you are cutting I think the FFG blade with a lot of distal taper will be the better cutter.
Thats just my opinion though.

That's just physics :D

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

It really depends on how deep you slice into something. I use thick cardboard as a test and i can tell you that no hollow grind can hang with a FFG blade unless the hollow grind is extremely thin all the way to the spine. If you cut something soft that separates easy then the GB is the winner since it's thinner behind the edge for a larger percentage of the blade, but once you hit the flat spot on the blade it's going to bind up. The wedge nature of a FFG allows the entire blade to move through something without any binding.

My biggest issue with hollow grinds is that when cutting some things like cardboard the blade can steer itself through the cut. I've only really experienced this with my old Manix 2, but it was enough to turn me off on HG. The material you're cutting can push against the curve of the HG and push the blade side to side making it hard to make a straight down cut through it. I've posted about this before and nobody could understand what i meant so maybe it's just me, but i've probably cut an average person's lifetime amount of corrugated in a 6 month period before lol. Another instance this kind of happens is with whittle/shaving wood. I carved up a big branch one with the M2 and it wasn't very fun.

In all reality though, the Para 2 isn't the best slicer either since the blade is so thick. It'll get the job done like any other knife but both of these knives are too thick to really be efficient slicers.

I would agree that the M2 isn't the best at slicing, the GB far far surpasses it in ability. As for the "steering" I can see how it might happen, especially if you aren't pushing really straight through the cut, or if the material has a pattern, or directionality that would pull at the ridge between the grind and the flat.
With wood, I can see that the M2 would kind of suck...the HG is pretty low on the blade and the blade is pretty wide. The high HG on the GB along with a slightly narrower blade would make it better at that, but still not ideal. But I don't believe that the Para2 with its pretty thick blade and being pretty thick behind the edge would do spectacularly either.

[Evil D]

Yeah i meant to add that i think the GB is at an advantage since the HG is much higher on the blade. Even all this aside, my next planned purchase is gonna be a Yojimbo 2 so we'll see if i can live with a HG again or if i'll be the first one to Krein FFG it.

[Onionman]

I do not have the GB but I have used by PM 2 out in the yard to trim out the weeds that grow in my boxwoods. While I have to say it did an admirable job cutting small to medium size weeds and vines for a plain edge, nothing compares to using my Military SE, which rips through even the thicker vines with one stroke. So if you need even, neat slices, then the PM2 will get it done. If you need something sliced fast and efficiently, I would recommend a Military SE or any of the larger SE folders.

[Evil D]

I do not have the GB but I have used by PM 2 out in the yard to trim out the weeds that grow in my boxwoods. While I have to say it did an admirable job cutting small to medium size weeds and vines for a plain edge, nothing compares to using my Military SE, which rips through even the thicker vines with one stroke. So if you need even, neat slices, then the PM2 will get it done. If you need something sliced fast and efficiently, I would recommend a Military SE or any of the larger SE folders.

I was just doing some yard work the other day and used my PE Military to push cut through a ~5/8 thick sapling growing along my fence line and i was shocked that it went through with one push and cut clean through. Stuff like this isn't technically slicing by definition though. To me, slicing means you're cutting something wider than the blade itself is. In other words, you slice a tomato, you don't slice paracord.

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

Don't try to cut soft cheese with a Para2...cause I can tell you it reeeeeeally sucks at that. A big chunk of a nice fresh mozzarella, binds up like mad. Feels like trying to cut through semi hard concrete...M2 did it better.