Military Inquiry.

[Raus06]

Hi all.
So, within the next two weeks I plan on special ordering a Military. I had my sights set on a plain edge G-10 (regular blade not black, this is crucial.)
To my surprise, according to Spyderco's online catalogue, there are none of these available directly from them? Is this correct? Also, all prior argumentative precedents on this forum aside, what is a better choice on the Military if I'm planning on using it primarily as my EDC "defensive" blade, SE or PE? I can probably figure this out on my own, but would like some input. Personally, I think the PE just looks better on this one. Thanks in advance..

P.S.: How big in the hand is the handle when compared to the Civilian. It seems kind of oversized looking at the dimensions.. Are there any major differences between the two in terms of design and feel?

[severedthumbs]

go with plain edge definately.

[4077th]

Very little diff in size between the Mil and the Civ's handle. Good luck. By the way, go comboedge. Combo in the Mil is a real winner. It's like a 40/60 ratio. Getting a plainedge Mil is sort of like living in Montana and buying a two wheel drive pickup truck. :)

[Django]

Also, if you ever want to know the actual size of a knife based on the size of your screen, go to Ted's website and click actual size pictures.

[zenheretic]

Hey Raus, if you order from the States, won't you have trouble with your "Border Police" confiscating it? The military seems like a fairly easy one to "flick" open, which gets it confiscated at the Canadian border. Heads up if you don't know about that.

I follow knife guro Michael Janich's advice on defense blades and would go with the PE, as he found that SE catches on loose clothing during slashes. This can lead to an ungripping of the knife. That advide, of course, contradicts what everyone else posted, so I'm sure it is clear as mud now.

[The Deacon]

The handle sizes are nearly identical. However, the Military, unless you choke up on it and use the choil, places your hand further back on the handle that the Civilian. So, at least in principle, the Civilian can comfortably accomodate a larger hand than the Military.

I will second ZH's concern about shipping a Military from the US to Canada, three out of the four I have handled flick open quite easily, and one of those three would probably qualify as a gravity knife under NYS law as it "can be opened with a simple flick of the wrist, as if dealing playing cards".

[224477]

Go with PE if you want to carry it for SD.

[psimonl]

Hello,

First, I will go with all the prior comments and say, have it special order from a Canadian retailer. There are plenty of them and the hassle and stress of cross bordering is not your problems.

As for SD, well, it really flicks easily, it's not really non-KP friendly, but withdrawal is a little bit hard: G-10 is really grippy on pockets.

One last point, mine is PE and I wish I had gone the Combo way. Sometime, I wish I had those extra tooth to cut fibrous materials like branches and same sort...

Tell us what you ordered...

Simon

[JD Spydo]

Very little diff in size between the Mil and the Civ's handle. Good luck. By the way, go comboedge. Combo in the Mil is a real winner. It's like a 40/60 ratio. Getting a plainedge Mil is sort of like living in Montana and buying a two wheel drive pickup truck. :)

I couldn't have said that myself any better than you put it . For the life of me I can't understand why people can't/won't see the great versatility that a combo edge provides. Most of my EDC rotation have combo edges and I think they are great. If you need to cut a piece of rope, leather or anything else that is tough or fibrous then you can't go wrong with a combo edge. Both of my Military models are CE and the one I have as a USER gets plenty of work :spyder:

[swede]

Raus, As far as shipping to Canada, I've never had a problem. I just tighten the heck out of the pivot, so it's really a fixed blade. The recipient simply loosens it up again.
BTW, I'm also in the combo / serrated camp on this model.
Good luck,
Dave

[zenheretic]

I couldn't have said that myself any better than you put it ]For the life of me I can't understand why people can't/won't see the great versatility that a combo edge provides[/B]. Most of my EDC rotation have combo edges and I think they are great. If you need to cut a piece of rope, leather or anything else that is tough or fibrous then you can't go wrong with a combo edge. Both of my Military models are CE and the one I have as a USER gets plenty of work :spyder:

Well JD, the question wasn't in regards to EDC versatility but towards a dedicated SD role. In my book those restrictions necessitate a different answer.

[Raus06]

Firstly, I'm not planning on taking the risk of having some steel-happy, disaffected customs jerk confiscate my blade... I've never bought from the U.S. directly, and now I don't intend to what with you all reassuring me of the associated impediments. What I don't understand is that Spydercos are available all over Canada... Big ones especially.. How different is a Civilian from a Military or a Police in terms of one's wilful capacity to "flick" them open. Why in god's name can I buy these things in my country from legitimate businesses, and than have them taken away? Where is the logic behind that.. Furthermore, do the men and women guarding your borders truly believe that folding knives capable of intertia openings are not readily available to Canadian citizens? I'm not sure, but I suspect my government's confused, liberal stance on weaponry and what should be legal to carry is to blame... Man am I proud to live in a country willing to incarcerate me for killing someone unfamiliar and uninvited in my home past 2am..
Anyways, to those of you arguing for the combo edge, I just do not like the way it looks and never have, plus when it comes to defending myself from outside attack, i tend to gravitate towards what I know, which is serrated or plain and completely uniform hilt to tip. Call me old fashioned.
I've settled on the PE. Thank you for the input.

[Jimmy_Dean]

First of all, if you're interested in a Milie, absolutly go for it. It's a great knife all around. I am very pleased with mine.
I decided to go combo-edge on mine and haven't regretted it even though I am not really a serration guy. Normally SD guys will prefer PE for the knife because it can make razor-like deep cuts but I am sure I could do some nasty snap cuts with my knife and the teeth could also be used to inflict damage. I can't think of a good reason not to go combo-edge.
G10 is very grippy and the handle is vell designed. Here's a pic of my somewhat medium hands holing on the knife. Hope it helps

take care and let us know
-Dean

[Jimmy_Dean]

oh BTW, mine has been ordered through a canadian dealer. Although I've been pretty lucky so far with knife shipping, I can't say it's 100% safe. The milie does have an adjustable pivot so it can be tightened if needs be.

[Mr Blonde]

I wouldn't recommend the Millie as an SD blade actually. It works, but that exposed linerlock is risky. It's easy to accidentally unlock the knife in a strained or awkward grip, which is likely to happen when you're forced to use the Millie in your intended role. I would seriously consider a Chinook II (a flat ground version is in the works!) or a Yojimbo.

Though I don't carry any knife exclusively for SD (anymore), I wouldn't be so easy to dismiss the SE edgetype. True, they offer slightly more resistance when cutting, but in my testing this was minimal. In return, you get an edge that cuts more agressively. Especially when the serrations are sharp. I've had extremely sharp PE blades just slide over the target without making a good cut. The teeth grab and cut every time, hence the more 'felt' resistance. Plus, the tips on the SE edge protect the scallops. This helps keep the edge sharp when you come in contact with such things a belt buckles, watches or buttons. And if you only carry one knife, a SE edge is more likely to have a useful sharp edge because it stays sharp longer than PE. Don't forget to add a (Endura) drone to that order if you don't already own one. I have learned a great deal about knife SD from training with drones.


Wouter

[spydutch]

Well Raus06 here are some comparison pics of the Civi and Military and some in hand pics of the Mili with and without the choil(I have certainly no intention to outdo your post Jimmy Dean[your pic is better anyway ])

And furthermore I have to go with Wouter. I you get a Mili, get a fully SE one :D

[TheKnifeCollector]

I vote for a PE Military, especially if you intend to use it for SD.

[Jimmy_Dean]

no offense taken spydutch :)
I think you post gives a good idea of the size and grip.
All good tools for Raus06 to make a wise decision
-Dean

[Raus06]

Wow, you guys have been unusually helpful.. Thanks sincerely. As far as fully serrated, I have enough knives which are SE. I've been carrying my SS Police (SE) in the role intended for my Military when it arrives for nearly two years. I'm thinking it wont take long for the Mili to take precedent over my much loved Police in the morning when I reach for a sizable folder... Similar to selecting a tie.. I've used 3M carpet tape (as recommended by the Martialist) on the left handle to help with traction for as long as I can remember, so the G10 will be a nice change. I love the feel of it, but the only g10 knife I have at present is the Civi, and lets be honest, that thing is only useful for scaring your friends :) Anyways, I am truly thankful that I have you forumites to rely on for a more informed decision. Knowledge for less knowledge, what a trade. Pictures appreciated as well, I value this relationship.

Regards, Raus.