New PM2...G10 strength question

[Leadsled]

Just received my first Paramilitary 2 yesterday. It is the camo G10 with DLC blade. Before this purchase I bought a Cara Cara 2 with G10 and Meadowlark 2 with G10. Being relatively new to knife enthusiasm, I thought the strength came from their full steel liners.

The PM2 felt a little lighter and noticed the liners are recessed a bit. I was worried a drop on the edge would damage the scales. Also they are a bit translucent.

Starting researching G10 a bit.

Mainly my question is if there is a difference in strength of different colors of G10? Or is it all the same?

I came across this video of a knife made entirely of G10. I think any reservations about the resiliency of the PM2 have been alleviated. It is to be mainly carried as a self defense tool, but would like it to last.

https://youtu.be/npzZgqkTa_Q

[palonej]

Nothing to worry about Lead! G10 is incredibly strong! All colors have the same strength.
Many knives out there without steel liners and they hold up fine.
How are you liking the PM2???
Joe

[bearfacedkiller]

I have dropped a G10 knife on asphalt, concrete and tile. It may leave a tiny small mark but it won't break. It is super strong. It would probably be easier to break the blade than the handle. There are lots of knives with and without liners and even some with partial lines and some with only one liner. They all are plenty strong.

[Zendemic]

Welcome to the forum!

I regularly wedge my PM2 in doors to keep them open while at work, dropped it onto all sorts of surfaces countless times, and much more and the only thing to show for it is a couple minor surface scrapes and dents. You really don't have anything to worry about with normal EDC use.

[vivi]

No worries, they hold up great. Some knives are made with G10 handles and no liners even....I believe the Dodo was made that way.

[michaelm466]

My father used to be the head of maintenance at a paper plant, when they would have a steel gear wear out and break he would fabricate a copy of one out of G10, that would keep the machine running several days until they got the steel replacement, he was surprised to see it as a knife handle on the first Spyderco I bought him, and agreed it would make an excellent handle material

[palonej]

I play tons of pool and have a few custom cues. My cue maker has been using G10 connecting pins for years!
He took one and hammered it through a 2 x 4 and was still able to screw the shaft on the threads. Super strong!
Joe

[Evil D]

There was a video long ago of a guy hammering a sliver of G10 into a log and it didn't break or deform. It's not indestructible by any means, but it's pretty tough stuff. It's plenty tough enough for handle scales. Even with the liners skeletonized like your Para 2 have, Spyderco are smart enough to leave enough meat in the liners where strength is needed, while drilling out the less strength demanding areas to save weight. This is one of those aspects that go into the final cost that you're paying and what make these knives a notch above the competition.

[Joris Mo]

I remember hitchhiking through New Zealand about 6 years back I liked the idea that when I held my edc PM with blade closed the bottom end of the handle stuck out far enough and definitely is strong enough to make a great self defense tool without necessarily being life threatening.
I've also done some carvings out of G10 and I can tell you that it is very tough, will kill your tools.

[EDC Honeybee]

G10 will take minor surface damage if abused, but you would be very hard-pressed to crack it or create major damage. I often use 1/16 g10 liners to support wood scales. As a test I once bent it to try to break it. It took a ton of flex before it wouldnt return to its natural shape. The blade is probably much less tough than the g10 is. Use it, abuse it, and never worry about it. It is pretty impervious to water, oil, etc. When it gets dirty just clean with a magic eraser.