military vs para 2

[knife nut404]

what are your feelings on the two knives and what are some things you like? since these are one of spydercos bread and butter knives.

[defenestrate]

mili is longer and a beloved standard. Para2 is a "best of breed" knife with refinements for ergonomic and functional purposes. I recommend holding both - blade restrictions are more of an issue with the military.

[knife nut404]

mili is longer and a beloved standard. Para2 is a "best of breed" knife with refinements for ergonomic and functional purposes. I recommend holding both - blade restrictions are more of an issue with the military.

i have held both i just wanted to know why people like both knives so much?

[Blerv]

Well the Para2 is the winner for me. A 3.5" blade is legal in like 85% more counties than a 4" one.

[KBR]

I'd suggest using the search function here in this forum....tons of threads/posts on the reasons why these knives are so popular.

[BAL]

My favorite two knives, toss in the Yo2 and Massad Ayoob as well though. My favorite is the Millie although the Para2 is probably the best all around knife. The Millie is 4mm thick, 4" blade, 4.2 oz and 9.5 total length while the Para2 is 3.5mm thick, 3 7/6 blade, 3.75 oz and 8 1/4 total length. The Military is really a beast and looks bigger that the dimensions seem to indicate. The handle is long and some have said that they don't like it that long, but I like it that way, you can get a seriously good grip, especially if using gloves. The Millie only has tip down carry though if that matters to you.
The Para2 has been modified and the ergonomics are exceptional, the best of any knife to me. Smooth to open and looks proportional in size. It has a compression lock that is diifferent than most knives, but is actually my favorite, it can be operated one handed very easy.

You can never go wrong with either, just know that the Military is a bigger knife which is either good or bad, depending on how you carry and what you will using it for.

[SQSAR]

I really like both. Both are light weight, have great ergos, and are all around winners. The only thing I don't like about the Milli is it can only be clipped to ride tip-down, which is opposite from how I carry all my other knives (excluding my Shabarria). If it could be carried tip up, I really don't know which I'd like better, the Milli or Para2.

[Tdog]

My favorite two knives, toss in the Yo2 and Massad Ayoob as well though. My favorite is the Millie although the Para2 is probably the best all around knife. The Millie is 4mm thick, 4" blade, 4.2 oz and 9.5 total length while the Para2 is 3.5mm thick, 3 7/6 blade, 3.75 oz and 8 1/4 total length. The Military is really a beast and looks bigger that the dimensions seem to indicate. The handle is long and some have said that they don't like it that long, but I like it that way, you can get a seriously good grip, especially if using gloves. The Millie only has tip down carry though if that matters to you.
The Para2 has been modified and the ergonomics are exceptional, the best of any knife to me. Smooth to open and looks proportional in size. It has a compression lock that is diifferent than most knives, but is actually my favorite, it can be operated one handed very easy.

You can never go wrong with either, just know that the Military is a bigger knife which is either good or bad, depending on how you carry and what you will using it for.

Bal, you summed this one up well. +1 on a concise and accurate comparison.

[JNewell]

One key difference for my uses is that the Military can easily be used with gloves. The compression lock on the Para and Para2, as great as it is, is much less glove-friendly.

[Ankerson]

The Military is the Slicer and cutter, that 4" blade has a lot of belly and with that long handle you can really get a lot of force on that blade for harder cutting tasks.

The Para 2 is also a great cutter, slightly shorter blade and more sheeple friendly.

One really can't lose with either model IMO.

[Leatherneck]

Spyderco has done everything just about perfect with these 2 knives.
-Light
-Solid
-Multiple steels
-Sprint runs
-Many colors of scales
-Great ergos
-Super slicers
-Goofy as it may be - cool names. May not have become cult if they were called the "Tater peeler" or "Mini Tater peeler" :D

[HotSoup]

i have held both i just wanted to know why people like both knives so much?

Because the Military is the best folder ever made.

No I'm not going to quantify that with evidence....

Just trust me :D

[MIL-DOT]

.......Goofy as it may be - cool names. May not have become cult if they were called the "Tater peeler" or "Mini Tater peeler" :D

Laughed Out Loud at that one !!! :D

[enduraguy]

Same rationale I use to explain my affinity for Glocks. "They just work". I'll never forget the summer I spent during my senior year in high school working with my stepdad at the gunstore he worked in as a gunsmith. He built "race guns" for competitive shooters. Some of these people would spend $2,000+ for him to take a "1911" style pistol, tighten up tolerances, polish this and that, swap out stock for custom parts, etc. I'd go to pistol matches and see some of his customers shooting these guns...those he had built and those he just worked on. I observed that many of them despite the heavy investment into them were "jammo-matics". "Bang, bang, click!"...tap-rack-pull the trigger...it may go bang or not.... I asked him once why go to all the trouble with these guns...why not just buy something like a Glock? He said something like, "Well, it's what people want". LOL.

Anyway, I prefer things work when I buy them. Some people I believe honestly prefer to gripe about how things do not work and possibly even sub-consciously seek out the things that do not work in life.

Gawd, that became a long post.

[KardinalSyn]

The Para2 is a benchmark standard knife for me.

Long ago, I had a liner lock knife fail on me and that somehow had a lasting effect in my mind creating a dislike for such designs. I still want to try out a Military as the key features in its design like the larger spyderco hole and the blade thickness appeal to me. I don't feel like investing 150USD plus shipping charges to just check it out. Reviews on the Military outside the Spyderco forum seem to convey mixed feelings. The worst review on this knife thus far is on the KnifeCenter website.

I am still checking eBay regularly for a used Mili to buy and try. Thus far no luck. I am hoping that the actual product may still convince me to invest in one for EDC purposes only. Like another forumite said, the things I cut don't run away from me or run at me. So the lock failing at a critical time is not a major issue. However, any kind of failure on a LL can have disastrous consequences.

[chuck_roxas45]

Same rationale I use to explain my affinity for Glocks. "They just work". I'll never forget the summer I spent during my senior year in high school working with my stepdad at the gunstore he worked in as a gunsmith. He built "race guns" for competitive shooters. Some of these people would spend $2,000+ for him to take a "1911" style pistol, tighten up tolerances, polish this and that, swap out stock for custom parts, etc. I'd go to pistol matches and see some of his customers shooting these guns...those he had built and those he just worked on. I observed that many of them despite the heavy investment into them were "jammo-matics". "Bang, bang, click!"...tap-rack-pull the trigger...it may go bang or not.... I asked him once why go to all the trouble with these guns...why not just buy something like a Glock? He said something like, "Well, it's what people want". LOL.

Anyway, I prefer things work when I buy them. Some people I believe honestly prefer to gripe about how things do not work and possibly even sub-consciously seek out the things that do not work in life.

Gawd, that became a long post.

I carry a Glock but I can say that nothing beats(well, a few) a well tuned 1911 style platform. Just like anything high performance, it takes a bit of tuning ang tweaking. 1911 triggers are also way better than a glock trigger. I'll take a 1911 platform for competition each time but I'll carry a glock for my defense needs.

Sorry for the OT.

[Allen R.]

I just got my first millie for x-mas, and have had a para 2 for awhile now, For me the military is my favorite folder hands down, I will carry the millie with me everywhere except work, and thats where the para 2 comes in the shorter blade is more people friendly but you get the same feel as the original just in a scaled down version. I am still in disbelief (the millie is in pocket right now ) that i have a knife that has a 4 inch blade and is 9 1/2 inches long (i believe) in my pocket right now. The knife is so light and thin you will forget its in your pocket. It is just amazing, ergos are great, i plan on buying another real soon, as im fixing to really put this knife through the paces and see just what all it can do. I would go as far as to say that if i could only have 2 knives for the rest of my life I'd be more than happy to have my Millie for everything but work and my para2 for work, yes they really are that good.

[JNewell]

Because the Military is the best folder ever made.

No I'm not going to quantify that with evidence....

Just trust me :D

Really, everyone who thinks they're a knife fan should own a Military at least once so they can really evaluate its merits first hand, in the hand.

[BAL]

Bal, you summed this one up well. +1 on a concise and accurate comparison.

Thanks Tdog.

[BAL]

Same rationale I use to explain my affinity for Glocks. "They just work". I'll never forget the summer I spent during my senior year in high school working with my stepdad at the gunstore he worked in as a gunsmith. He built "race guns" for competitive shooters. Some of these people would spend $2,000+ for him to take a "1911" style pistol, tighten up tolerances, polish this and that, swap out stock for custom parts, etc. I'd go to pistol matches and see some of his customers shooting these guns...those he had built and those he just worked on. I observed that many of them despite the heavy investment into them were "jammo-matics". "Bang, bang, click!"...tap-rack-pull the trigger...it may go bang or not.... I asked him once why go to all the trouble with these guns...why not just buy something like a Glock? He said something like, "Well, it's what people want". LOL.

Anyway, I prefer things work when I buy them. Some people I believe honestly prefer to gripe about how things do not work and possibly even sub-consciously seek out the things that do not work in life.

Gawd, that became a long post.

Not a long post at all Endura guy, very interesting. For what it's worth, I'm just an old redneck that likes simple things that work all of the time. No need for frills, although I do have some nicer knives and guns. But when it comes down to the meat and potatoes, I feel the best when I have a Military, Glock, pair of Rocky's, a Stihl chainsaw and my ole Chevy truck. (Can you hear the music in the background, Bob Seger I believe)