Spyderco Forums

My first Spyderco: a Paramilitary 2 with 52100 steel and carbon fiber scales. I used apple cider vinegar to force a patina, and also attached a MXG Gear deep carry clip that matches the color of the patina on the steel.
Let me know what you guys think!

Looks nice, what are you thoughts on 52100 steel in general?

52100 is a great steel if maintained properly! The patina is a great start for rust prevention. I also keep the blade well oiled to further protect it from the elements.

Wow, very jealous.

I have one as well and love it. I have the combo blade that I only used apple cider for the blade up to the ricasso. Now I gotta figure out how to patina all the way to the rounded edge of the g10 to fully finish it out.

I’m surprised with the amount of patina mine sustained just from cutting some strawberries. I was going to soak in AC vinegar but the action is so smooth I haven’t wanted to take it apart and now want to see how much natural color I can get with it. I’m really liking the edge I can get on this thing too.

When I forced the patina on mine, I removed the blade completely and soaked in the vinegar. Fortunately it did not affect the action on the PM2 upon reassembly and it is still butter smooth.

Yeah this Sprint of the PM2 was o e of the smoothest out of the box. And I've got every model.

The action on mine was better after I took it apart. It was starting to rust near the pivot so forcing the patina on it I believe will help prevent that now. I soaked mine for 4 hours in some lime , mustard, vinegar combination that smelled horrible. :)

My version of a forced-patina. Started with a white vinegar bath to get the grey hue then moved to white wine vinegar to obtain movement. Then added balsamic vinaigrette for the rich colors. Moved onto another white vinegar to blend them all a bit. Resharpened. Viola. Thanks for your encouragement.