Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 Knife Review

About three months ago I finally broke down and bought the Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 Knife for everyday carry.  I had to see what everyone was talking about.  I know they have been out for several years now, but I had never purchased one.  I’m glad I finally did.

First off, if you haven’t owned a Spyderco knife before, the quality of construction and the materials they use are superb.  The ParaMilitary 2 features a CPM S30V blade and G10 handle scales.  You can pick up the knife with the standard variations of blade finish, either black or satin. You can also choose between a few different G10 handle scales including the standard black or DigiCamo.  I went ahead and picked up the DigiCamo version with a black blade for a couple of reasons.  First, I have many knives with black handles and I was in the mood for something a bit different.  Second, I went with the black blade because I wanted to see how the black finish held up over time.  I’ll address that in a bit.

The very first thing you notice about the ParaMilitary 2 is the size.  It is the perfect size for everyday carry.  The handle measures just under 5″ at 4.81″, thickness is not quite 0.5″, and width is about 1.25″ at the widest points.  This means it fits great in the hand but doesn’t take up too much space in my pocket.

The very next thing I noticed was how easy it was to open and close.  The iconic SpyderHole makes the blade simple to one hand open with your thumb.  Unexpectedly, the blade is just as easy to close one handed.  Just press the spine compression lock with your finger and give the knife a little shake.  Voila, the blade closes up and you can put the knife right back in your pocket.  Since you are able to do everything with one hand, what the ParaMilitary really delivers is freedom, speed, and ease.  You are able to get more things done in a faster time period because you don’t have to use both hands to access and deploy your knife.  You don’t even need both hands to close it and put it away.

The blade opens smooth.  The ParaMilitary 2 uses the Bushing Pivot System.  What is this?  It’s a fancy name for smooth as silk, smooth as butter, smooth as a cat, smooth as … whatever you want to put in here next, it fits.  Take my word for it, the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 opens smooth.   And once you have the blade deployed, the delight factor just keeps rising.

The blade delights with its classic Spyderco style and shape.  With a classic drop point blade curve on the cutting edge, the spine tapers down to a point to create a uniquely Spyderco look and style.  The SpyderHole has a steep thumb ramp behind it with fairly aggressive jimping.  When you hold the knife in the classic saber grip, your thumb is lined up right down the center of the blade to deliver maximum blade control and power.  I haven’t met a cut I don’t enjoy with my ParaMilitary 2 knife.  The sharp tip allows you to pierce everyday things with ease and the classic blade edge shape gives you serious cutting power.  The blade has classic flat grind which allows you to make slicing cuts with ease.  One of my concerns about the ParaMilitary 2 was the elongated shape of the tip.  I was nervous I would “tip” it (knife lingo for breaking the tip off your knife–generally happens when you aren’t using the knife blade to pry rather than cut).  I have used my knife hard over the past several months and have not broken the tip off.  In fact, we have sold hundreds if not thousands of these ParaMilitary 2 knives over the past few years and I haven’t heard of a single case where someone has broken the tip off.  So it appears my concerns were unfounded.  The blade has passed every hard use test I have put it through over the past few months with flying colors.

About a month ago, my oldest son was up visiting.  He saw I had the ParaMilitary 2 and asked if he could use it for a few days to see if he liked it.  I said sure and let him take my knife.  I have never missed one of my knives more. I tried carrying an older knife I used to carry.  It just wasn’t the ParaMilitary 2.  So after a week, I broke down and bought another one–this time with a black blade and a black handle.  Then I drove down to see my son and traded him the new one for my old, trusty Spyderco knife.

The knife carries good, cuts great, and is strong enough for hard work.  In my mind, the Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 is one of the best EDC knives on the market if you are looking for a mid sized folder that delivers.  Check it out, I’m glad I did.  By the way, the black finish on the blade still looks great.