From safe queen to pocket carry (PM1)

[spydutch]

Hi folks,

I've always had a love and hate relationship with the PM1. The ones I did have in the past came far from perfect. Off centred and vertical play (back in 2006 or so)
However the knife felt great in the hand but only when using the choil. Without it felt downright awkward. So I got rid of the ones I had.

But then Spyderco decided to make a Military and Para Military in CPM D4. Well the spyderedge purist I was I nagged Sal to bring them out in full SE as well. Was not gonna happen.

But to my big surprise Taz asked me one day for my home adress and a few weeks later there landed a fully serrated Military in D2 on my doormat and not that much later his little brother.

Being one of a kind Spydies I kept them in my display untill a few days back. I don't have any funds to buy ANY new spydie at the moment so I figured I enjoy the ones that I had left and my eye fell on the Para.

This one came to me PERFECT. Centred blade, smooth action and no play. But the handle remained.

So I put on my superman cape, took a file and sandpaper and rounded of the butt of the handle. Now it is comfortable in both grips (choil and no choil)
I don't think Sal will mind because now it takes part in my EDC rotation en gets used. Just like Sal intended I guess.

Well to make an already too long story short: :p

Here's the knife when it arrived back then:



And this is how it looks right now:





Thanks again Sal :cool:

I carry the knife clipless (as with most Spydies nowadays) in RFP.

Just wanted to share :D

[MattM68]

You did a great job sanding down the hump! :) Happy to hear you're carrying a Spyderco again!

Matt

[Brock O Lee]

It is great to see that you decided to use a knife with so much potential after so many years! It must have taken some bravery to modify a unique model like this D2 SE PM1...

I have also modified quite a few of mine. Not necessarily huge mods, but useful changes to make a knife more friendly for myself: reprofing an edge, adding a deep carry clip, sanding a few sharp G10 corners etc. I find that I use and appreciate a knife a lot more after we went through such a bonding process together. :)

[Surfingringo]

Glad to see you using it. Enjoy that thing...life is short. :)

[Liquid Cobra]

Great story, and an inspiration. If you can find a way to use such a unique knife, I should be able to stop babying so many of mine!

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Looks really great Spydutch! The handle looks tremendously more comfortable now. :)

I agree with yours and Lance's view on using the safe queens. I've unloaded a fair amount of my collection the last two weeks, giving me the opportunity to play with many that haven't seen human contact for a while. I put a few I really liked into rotation and am happy the rest went to folks that will likely use them. These foliage green babies aren't going anywhere though, and I thought folks might like to see the three "Military" variants in that color (which changed slightly over the years ). Mine sadly have no teeth! Cheers, Radioactive :)

[Liquid Cobra]

I always suspected the elmax PM2 came with lighter foliage green scales. Now I know I was right!

[Fred Sanford]

Whatup brother? Good to see you. Nice job you did on that Para handle. That was one of my favorites, the CPM-D2 Para.

[JD Spydo]

Sal himself has said so many times that he makes these great blades to use>> and I tend to be a sentimental fool at times thinking that some of them are either just too pretty or just too rare to scratch up>> but when you think about it does any mechanic do that with any new "SNAP-ON" tools he might aquire? You know that answer :rolleyes:

This has got to be a valid case for re-introducing some of those sterling/classic models to be once again available in Spyderedge. Even if they only do like 10% or so out of each batch>> you know they could move that many SE blades.

I'm having the darnedest time using an SE JD Smith model that I got from a great Brother here on the Forum a few months back. But again that JD Smith is a combination of really pretty and there is also a rarity aspect to it as well.

But with all of the forum noise about the Military and PM both being desired in full Spyderedge you just got to know that there are more folks out there thinking the same thing.

[DougC-3]

You have guts Mr. spydutch. I have 2 D2 PM1's and a D2 Millie, all three "used," but I use only the oldest, most worn para so far. I bought the Millie from a very highly respected forumite thinking it was used but in "perfect" condition without box. When it arrived, it was in it's protective plastic bag and appeared to be totally untouched and with its original grease on the blade, apparently in mint condition. Can you imagine somebody being disappointed that his new knife was in too perfect condition? This one was going to by my Millie user, but so far it's remained virtually untouched. In addition to the other constraints against using safe queens, there's the possibility that one might fall on harder times and have to sell some of these things.

You may have just inspired me to use the D2 Millie and at least to try my D2 para without a clip, as I carried every knife in my BS (Before Spyderco) decades. I only have 2 or 3 safe queens now and every time I have sprung one from confinement it's been even more of a thrill than getting a new knife.

[Kirko]

"Safe Queen's" in anything are great when you sell the item whatever it is or start to use it yourself ..... Preferably use it life is fleeting