52100 Millie, tell me the good the bad and the ugly I’m considering getting one

[Fireman]

I could use your help in making a decision on buying a military in 52100. I found a new one for $280. Please tell me the good the bad the ugly and your user experience with it. I like the carbon fiber scales and the toughness of the steel but I am aware of the corrosion. What did you to do overcome the corrosion? Thanks!

[Evil D]

I let mine patina and polish it off at the first sign of pitting and start the process over. It's a very rewarding steel to sharpen, you'll get some of the best edges you've ever had from it.

[Fireman]

I like the fine grain structure of the steel that would strop up well. I have become a fan of fine grain structure lately with my delve into ZDP-189. I would use it as a work knife so it would get sweaty and need constant rust patrolling. I have the S30V millie but I am not a fan of the chippy quality inherent in the steel. I would probably get a sealer to help with corrosion as well as putting a polish on it to reduce the ability for corrosion to grab hold.

[DrHE]

More of a steel comment vs the knife itself but I hope this helps. I have a 52100 fixed blade and it will take a great edge (as most carbon does) and it is tough as heck. Toughness may not be as helpful in a mille but it is ball bearing steel so it can take a beating. Also to get most out of it edge wise I do recommend having a strop with compound (black or green work well) as it takes a hair whittling edge easily.

[Fireman]

Thanks. I do have compounds down to .5 micron. Toughness helps with edge stability from my understanding, so even a folder for hard use can benefit.

[JonLeBlanc]

The only ugly I would consider on the knife you are looking at is that price (ouch). But it is a rare one now, so I guess that's to be expected. Other than that, the 52100 Military is possibly the best knife I own (I have two actually). I spent about 30 minutes looking at my backup under a loupe for flaws and couldn't find one, and my user is an absolute workhorse. Keep it clean and dry and you shouldn't have to worry about corrosion.

[jdw]

The 52100 Millie is my favorite Spyderco that I own. I am not particularly great at sharpening and I can get it hair popping sharp. It holds an edge really well for the ease of sharpening and as others have noted, it's really tough. I live in a relatively arid area so I don't really have problems with corrosion with light maintenance. It's my go to hard work folder and I am obviously a huge fan. $280 is a lot but it's worth every penny as a tool.

[vivi]

I bought one earlier this year.

The good - it was the smoothest, most well put together Military I had ever used.

The bad - trying to find one for sale for a good price

The ugly - Mine had such a weak detent it never even made it into my pocket.

Shame, I was excited about that one.

[FK]

Vivi,
Weak detent can by adjusted by taking apart knife and bending the locking bar to add additional pressure. We discussed this issue in May 2021, did you not not follow up and attempt to modify ?

Ulltimate solution = nylon belt pouch,,, BM has one that fits perfectly with Military. Eliminates snags on SUV seat belts, marked up paint on vehicle and furniture, etc.

I have a nice collection of older and new CQI Military and all have excellent detent retention.
One is used 52100 with franken assembly having dark green G-10 scales from sprint CTS 204P model. Blade is slightly black spotted with minor pits,,,, I now use EDCi for rust prevention and it is a gem.
I plan on cleaning up the staining with diamond paste on small leather strop
Have a second back up 52100 original NIB.

Regards,
FK

[VooDooChild]

52100 pm2 is my favorite pm2.

I tried to mirror polish the blade with a power sander. All I really did was remove the logos and mess up the tip.

Really like the steel and wish spyderco would do another run of it.

The bad... its not a do everything knife in the sense that Ill never take it on the boat or get it wet. But if you want a great high carbon steel to carry around on nice days its perfect.

[FK]

The ideal Military for boating especially on salt water is the S110V.

Regards,
FK

[vivi]

Vivi,
Weak detent can by adjusted by taking apart knife and bending the locking bar to add additional pressure. We discussed this issue in May 2021, did you not not follow up and attempt to modify ?

Ulltimate solution = nylon belt pouch,,, BM has one that fits perfectly with Military. Eliminates snags on SUV seat belts, marked up paint on vehicle and furniture, etc.

I have a nice collection of older and new CQI Military and all have excellent detent retention.
One is used 52100 with franken assembly having dark green G-10 scales from sprint CTS 204P model. Blade is slightly black spotted with minor pits,,,, I now use EDCi for rust prevention and it is a gem.
I plan on cleaning up the staining with diamond paste on small leather strop
Have a second back up 52100 original NIB.

Regards,
FK

I didn't want to take apart a $250+ discontinued sprint to try mods I had no experience with when I had an S30V DLC Military that honestly fits my needs better, but maybe someday I'll give that mod a shot. I appreciated your detailed advice either way, and will refer to it in the future if I need.

[Archimedes]

Loved the steel for sharpening. Could get a wicked sharp edge.

Gave it away because I could not stand the lack of corrosion resistance. It convinced me that I am a 100% stainless steel guy.

[wrdwrght]

I have 52100 in a PM2 and a Millie (with a “pre-need replacement”, rare for me, of the latter).

What 52100 lacks in edge-retention, it makes up in sharpening response. What burr?

Like H1, it holds an edge better the more acute the bevel. And, being highly fracture-resistant, 52100’s edge will roll before it chips.

Given a Millie’s pronounced distal taper, 52100’s fracture-resistance is a comfort.

Moreover, 52100 patinas quickly and darkly. Not only does the patina’d blade look good to me against CF scales, it can take some neglect in this state.

[Brock O Lee]

Mine was a perfect execution of the latest CQI Military, with a smooth action and solid lockup. CF adds a bit more spice. 52100 is dead easy to sharpen, the trade-off being less edge retention. If you run a thin edge this is less pronounced. Let it patina naturally, or apply a light coating of Vaseline to keep oxidation at bay.



If you get tired of the patina, clean it off with a metal polish and start fresh like I did here:

[sal]

52100 is a very special steel in my opinion. It is the steel that I forged when I was forging. The ability of this steel to get very sharp is rewarding. That's why we made a Mule from it. A 52100 Military is a very special model. If you like to carry really sharp blades, you could do worse than 52100. It does require attention and care. Not stainless.

sal

[Zive]

If you're not able to decide after that, there's nothing any forum member can write to help you make up your mind.

[Fireman]

I guess I am trying to convince myself to use it for work even though that would be impractical over my S30V model due to upkeep from corrosion without constant maintenance due to what I do and proximity to the ocean. Maybe I just use it as an off duty millie to solve that issue. That and I spent waaaaaay too much on knives the last few months and still need to buy more Christmas presents. I love the millie and
am on my second one and this one may be my third. I was lucky to find a new one and one that is pretty rare and an old sprint run to boot. Once my christmas shopping is done I may just nab it. All my knives need a purpose. No safe queens. I only have one that is a rare collectible but even that one I still carry and use for light stuff. Carrying a knife is a part of my ethos to always be prepared and I now have a decent amount of knives to be prepared for almost anything.

[Superflex]

I know some will scream heresy, but force a patina on your 52100 and you'll never worry about rust.

[steelcity16]

I'd love to see a 52100 Micarta Military. Great steel, especially in this model, but I sold mine because I dont care for CF.