Military VS Police

[vivi]

Which one do you prefer between these two?




For me it's pretty much a coin flip. Both have their pros and cons, but have always been my two favorites spydies.



If I added up the total number of days I've carried some sort of Military vs some sort of Police, I think it'd be about 55/45 in favor of the Police, so I'll cast my vote for it, barely.

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The Spyderco Police & Military folders have always been my favorite two folders from Spyderco. 3rd-5th place have rotated between Native Chiefs, C95's, Pacific Salts and ATR's, but the top 2 has remained constant.

I've gone back and forth for years which I prefer.

When I got into Spyderco, both models were tip down only.



The only widely available Police was the stainless version.



So, initially I was team Military. Lighter weight, grippier, full flat grind, more hand filling grip.... I liked it better than the Police models I handled at local stores.



It was the first Spyderco I really liked.

I bought a lot of them. CPMD2, bg42, digital camo, S90V etc.






Then I saw the Police 3 prototype photos from the Amsterdam meet and knew the Millie was in trouble.



G10 scales, tip up clip option, full flat grind, longer cutting edge and slimmer in the pocket - the Police 3 had enough going for it I began to prefer the Police series.






Over the years I grew more fond of lockbacks and less fond of detent based locks, so the further refined Police 4 was an easy choice over the Military for me.






Then the Military 2 arrives and the tip up clip, better ergonomics and new lock make it an instant favorite for me. Found myself firmly back on the Military train.





Then I hear a salt version is coming soon? Been waiting decades for either model to get that treatment!

Since getting my Military 2's I saw some PD1 Police 4's with aftermarket scales that looked slick.

So I decided to build one.

Still waiting on scales, but today I'm carrying a Police 4.....



.....and I'm having second thoughts for the millionth time

Luckily I don't have to choose just one.

I can carry the Police 4 when I want something slimmer in the pocket, a longer cutting edge or a stronger self close.

I can carry the Military 2 when I want smoother action, a deeper negative blade angle or a beefier, more secure feeling grip.

Which do you end up carrying more?

[ejames13]

I had a couple Police 4's. One in VG-10 and one in K390. Sold them both eventually.

I do like the flatter blade and slightly ground down tip of the Police, but prefer the Millie for everything else. Opening and closing the Police always felt awkward in tip up config. I had to shimmy it around in my hands too much. Tried tip down and that just felt odd. Military feels much more natural in this regard.

Also, something about the balance of the Police + the extra blade length puts it more into the pocket sword category for me.

[Skar]

I haven’t tried the police yet.
However I prefer tip down carry, tip up is achievable I don’t see any advantage to it.

I may need to pick a police up now, still haven’t tried the military 2 either. A crucarta police would definitely fill a void for a trial run.

[vivi]

I haven’t tried the police yet.
However I prefer tip down carry, tip up is achievable I don’t see any advantage to it.

I may need to pick a police up now, still haven’t tried the military 2 either. A crucarta police would definitely fill a void for a trial run.

For me tip down carry has two main drawbacks.

The knife is wider where I reach my hand into my pocket, and my hand rubs against jimping which is less comfortable than the handle.

I have to adjust the knife a lot more every time I draw and open it VS tip up.

A crucarta Police 4 would be awesome!

[ejames13]

I haven’t tried the police yet.
However I prefer tip down carry, tip up is achievable I don’t see any advantage to it.

I may need to pick a police up now, still haven’t tried the military 2 either. A crucarta police would definitely fill a void for a trial run.

For me tip down carry has two main drawbacks.

The knife is wider where I reach my hand into my pocket, and my hand rubs against jimping which is less comfortable than the handle.

I have to adjust the knife a lot more every time I draw and open it VS tip up.

A crucarta Police 4 would be awesome!

You have to adjust more when in tip down config? Trying to understand how that could be the case since tip down puts your thumb right at the hole on the draw.

[8th_Note]

great info. This ties in well with my big back lock thread. Thanks for pics and detailed thoughts.

[Evil D]

Hard call but like we talked about recently, I only own 1 Police 4 but I own like 7 or 8 Military 1/2 variants so I think my answer has to be Military.

[SpeedHoles]

Tough call for me, but that's exactly why I own a few of both.

I wouldn't be able to tell Spyderco to stop making one in favor of the other, if they were that sort of company making calls like that to eliminate overlap and parasitic sales.

[SpeedHoles]

[Tgmr05]

If I had to pick one, I would pick the police. But it would be a tough choice. While I prefer the military over an all ss police, I have carried a police 4 more overall.

[Jeb]

I carry both of these and usually the Police4 in the back right pocket the military 2 goes front right pocket. All mine go tip up and have a lanyard attached. Great thread, I didn't vote yet because I carry both of these all the time, and if was limited to just one I don't know which I would leave behind lol.

Forever for me it was the backlock design knife I wanted, I have had those liner locks fold up on me when I would be really trying to cut something really hard like a really thick rubber mud flap.

It's a wonder I still have all my digits lol. Then came along Spyderco and a much more user friendly knife. Sold me right away. Now this compression lock on the military 2, well what's not to like about those...

So I carry both a mixture of backlocks and compression lock and all at the same time. Now while not part of the discussion here, just recently I been carrying a manix 2XL but, that's a whole different topic for later.

Edit: I made myself choose just one of these two on this topic, and if I had to only carry one mine would the Police4. So there, heck just choosing one makes me feel like you have disarmed me lol...

[vivi]

very nice line-up! I skipped a lot of the coolest Military 1 sprints because I was more into the Police at the time.

[SpeedHoles]

very nice line-up! I skipped a lot of the coolest Military 1 sprints because I was more into the Police at the time.

Thanks, yeah, you were mentioning back ups the other day in another thread. There's a few here that I wish I could have afforded backups for back when I bought them new (man prices were so much more reasonable looking back then too - I recently glanced back at a knifecenter order history and saw I forgot I cancelled some preorder REX45 knives that I was too impatient waiting for, they were only like $130-150 range brand new mannnnnn, should have waited them out)

The PD#1 there is unused still, haven't cut anything with it yet. But I might grab a K390 LW SE soon while they're still out there. Aside from the unconventional Civilian, it's probably the longest edge of pure SE you can currently get from the catalog, and I think disco'ed now.

I do like your Police 3 G10 with the swedge, that's one I passed on back then and regret it.

[vivi]

I haven’t tried the police yet.
However I prefer tip down carry, tip up is achievable I don’t see any advantage to it.

I may need to pick a police up now, still haven’t tried the military 2 either. A crucarta police would definitely fill a void for a trial run.

For me tip down carry has two main drawbacks.

The knife is wider where I reach my hand into my pocket, and my hand rubs against jimping which is less comfortable than the handle.

I have to adjust the knife a lot more every time I draw and open it VS tip up.

A crucarta Police 4 would be awesome!

You have to adjust more when in tip down config? Trying to understand how that could be the case since tip down puts your thumb right at the hole on the draw.

Tip down has the knife pointing a different way than I hold it when I open it. So I have to adjust my grip. I don't have to do that with tip up.

Here's a Military 1 vs 2....

Military - https://dubz.link/v/55738d

Military 2 - https://dubz.link/v/9b5843

[Jeb]

I agree, if time was concern, my knife is open just as soon as it clears the pocket almost... I don't have a single knife I carry "in pocket" that is not tip up.

[sal]

Hi Vivi,

Interesting thread and great pictures. Thanx.

Since they are both my designs, I'll be watching the thread.

I should add that the mods to the Military to become the Military 2 were Erics's input.

sal

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind".

[Evil D]

Hi Vivi,

Interesting thread and great pictures. Thanx.

Since they are both my designs, I'll be watching the thread.

sal

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind".

You do a real good job of hiding any bias that you might have for one model or another when topics like this come up, or when someone asks what your favorite model is but you've gotta tell us the truth on this one, if you could only have one which would it be?

[VashHash]

Military for me. It's one of the best folders to use with gloves on and it's lightweight. I carry my K390 police in the colder months but I always go back to the military.

[abbazaba]

Hi Vivi,

Interesting thread and great pictures. Thanx.

Since they are both my designs, I'll be watching the thread.

sal

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind".

You do a real good job of hiding any bias that you might have for one model or another when topics like this come up, or when someone asks what your favorite model is but you've gotta tell us the truth on this one, if you could only have one which would it be?

+1

Did Sal vote? :)

[CDEP]

I have both, including a Military and 2 Military 2s. My PoPo of choice is the K390, but I own a classic SS version as well as the PD#1 Sprint.

I carry the Military 2 in rotation as a daily EDC at home, but didn't carry the original Military regularly. It came out for big piles of cardboard or other large tasks. Once I got the P4 K390 the original Military was replaced for the big jobs.

The PM2 CruCarta is still my most carried in at-home rotation, but the M2 has had a lot of pocket time since it joined the CruCarta family. I prefer the ergos of the Miliie family to the Seki models, but both are great.

Between the M2 and the P4 I'd take the M2. I prefer the ergos and the comp lock beats the back lock.

Between the original Military and the P4 I'd take the P4 K390, or the Sprint PD#1 if we are including sprints and exclusives. Back lock beats liner lock for me.

They are both extraordinary models, and I'm glad I don't have to choose for real.