A good friend of mine is getting married later this year and I've been on the hunt for a gift. He's a bit of a yuppie but he's coming around on things like 2A and generally being more aware/prepared. I've convinced him to carry a knife full time, but the knife he carries...

Here's where the Para3 enters the conversation. I'm a sucker for a deal, so why buy one for $79 when you can get two for $158. I've carried the PM2 for the better part of 10 years, she's rode hard and put away wet with plenty of fight left in her, so I doubt the PM3 will replace it, but the smaller footprint and blade will come in handy from time to time.

My two Para 2's came in the other day.
Can't really see any blem.
The one thing is I noticed is that they are sharp .
Plus now I need to sharpen my other two Spyderco's - Para + Para 2.

Can you guys help me with a dumb question (so I can prepare for the next time)?

I've always bought knifes with the ball bearing style lock (Manix, BM Griptilian). This lock is easy and seems safe. I'm okay with back lock but I'm hesitant with liner lock - worried that under duress or pressure, liner lock is most likely to collapse. These are all probably unwarranted concerns.

What is the attraction of the Para over the Manix? The Para look like fine products, just I'm hesitant w/ the liner lock. What do I need to know to such that I could be indifferent or maybe even prefer the Para for certain uses over the Manix?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Can you guys help me with a dumb question (so I can prepare for the next time)?

I've always bought knifes with the ball bearing style lock (Manix, BM Griptilian). This lock is easy and seems safe. I'm okay with back lock but I'm hesitant with liner lock - worried that under duress or pressure, liner lock is most likely to collapse. These are all probably unwarranted concerns.

I guess you are referring to what Spyderco calls the compression lock.

From Spyderco
"COMPRESSION LOCK®
A lock mechanism that uses a leaf-like spring from a split liner in the handle to wedge laterally between a ramp on the blade tang and the stop pin (or anvil pin). Developed by Spyderco, it provides extreme lock strength and ease of use."

I have a Lil Native Black G10 that has that lock. I've carried it a lot but used it infrequently. It's part of my little gym bag. The lock seems extremely solid and I have no fears it will fail.

quote:

What did you get?

I bought a Parata. Fortuitous perhaps that one of the few things left when I was able to get the sight to work, was what I actually wanted.

I'd almost bought one a year or more ago, but the reviews and the price scared me off. I was really surprised by it, because all the reviews I'd seem the first time and a couple this time, led me to believe it was a large honking knife. Big, bulky (maybe heavy). But it's anything but that. Smaller folded than expected, much lighter and thinner than expected. I was figuring on something like my Yojimbo, only worse, but this is much smaller and lighter. I'm almost semi disappointed, expecting a honker of a knife.

I haven't gone over it in fine detail, but the only obvious blemish I see is a slight grind/polish mismatch up by the hole. You can see a dark area in the last photo, where it starts and stops is much more defined in person,just won't show up on camera.

Not a 2nd, but Spyderco ran a very short lived sale to kick start the summer lull in the knife market.

I couldn't resist the markdown from $310 (MSRP) or $217 (Knife Center) to pick up a Yojimbo 2 for $140

I have a couple.



The H2 yellow one was my kayak knife, which I haven't done in far too many years. So every now and then I stick in my pocket. The Endura Emerson... eh, I kept meaning to grind the "wave" hook off it. That was an IWB test project I gave up on. The Military... I'm also pretty "eh" on. Don't know why. The "OG" Police model, I bought that August of 1992, carried it every day for 17-18 years.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
A good friend of mine is getting married later this year and I've been on the hunt for a gift. He's a bit of a yuppie but he's coming around on things like 2A and generally being more aware/prepared.

Well done, I can't think of a better gift. When my oldest and closest friend got married in 2015, I got him a Manix 2 XL as a wedding gift. He still carries it.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
My two Para 2's came in the other day.

Good choices, I started with a blurple PM2. You'll like that knife.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
I bought a Parata.

Oh, nice. Yeah, I was eyeballing that one for a second. It's a neat design, I imagine it's very slicey.

Some Yojimbo love in this thread, too. I know that knife has a following, I may have to try one out some day. I don't think I've ever owned a Wharncliffe/Sheepsfoot/"reverse tanto" knife, so I'm curious how one would work out. I, uh... I like mine stabby. I'll include a pic below.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
What is the attraction of the Para over the Manix? The Para look like fine products, just I'm hesitant w/ the liner lock. What do I need to know to such that I could be indifferent or maybe even prefer the Para for certain uses over the Manix?

I really like both designs in both form factors. Sal Glesser, Spyderco's founder, came up with the Military, and in 2003 his son, Eric Glesser, came up with a 2/3rd scale version to answer complaints that the Military was too big. That was the debut of the compression lock. They smoothed some edges and trimmed some fat and re-released it as the Paramilitary 2. As of about 2015, there were only a few models that used it, the other two I can think of being the Yojimbo and the Szabo (the big honker at the bottom in the picture below). There's others now, but that's a more recent development. If I handed you the Szabo and you opened it, I guarantee it would alleviate any concerns about the compression lock. It feels like a fixed blade when it's locked open. It is a stout lock, and though I've only had that knife in and out of the box a few times, I've never had my PM2 unlock during use, and I've used that knife. In fact, I'm on my second. It liked the original I bought so much that I bought a second when a deal popped up for cheaper than I originally paid, then traded the used first one for an unused S110V Military. They're coming out with the Military 2, and afaik, the only thing that's changed is they converted it over to the compression lock, and in my book, that's a massive upgrade.

Compression lock on yuge knife:


For me, the big difference between the Military/Manix designs in either form factor is the type of cutting performance you get. The Military family is extremely slicey. If you like drawing cuts, you get that in spades. If you need to stab or puncture something, they're great for that, as it comes to a very fine point in either form factor. I've not broken a tip off, but I could see it happening with serious use. The Manix is a tank in either size, and a much stouter design overall in my opinion. Also, in the pocket, a wider footprint than it looks in a direct comparison. My first Spyderco after the Tenacious my ex brother-in-law gave me was a Manix 2 XL in S30V, just the plain Jane standard model. I have beaten that knife like a rented mule, and it has laughed off everything I've thrown at it. It's my pocket sword. The standard Manix 2, the smaller size, I had one for a while years ago and it was really nice. If you do a lot of work with the tip of a knife and want fine cuts, it's great. It's the drop point of all drop points in my experience so far. I feel like the Military and PM2 are the gentleman's knife versions to the Manix 2's pure utility, like the latter is a refined step in a more brutish direction if that makes sense.

Here's what I haven't moved to the other house yet, and doesn't include the import knives because I'm not sure where all those are at right now. Like Cas, I like big knives.

Nice comparison and first hand accounting. Thanks. Sounds like I’m okay w/ the Manix (I have both sizes as well but carry the XL; my only complaint is that it’s larger and heavier than the large Grip I used to carry). Still, next sale I may pick up a Para to try them out.

quote:

Originally posted by motoboy:
^^^^^^
I am a fanboy of the PM2 and have had that model on my to get list for some time.

For you to snag one for $79 is a true bargain.

The Maxamet is a awesome steel and I am envious.

Congrats!!!

Thanks, it surprised me that is was available.

Thanks P220 Smudge! Totally agree. The thing is razor sharp and cuts through cardboard as well if not better than a box cutter.

Received mine late last week, specified USA made and picked up a Siren Black/Blue G-10 (Top) and Lil Native G-10 SLIPIT

You guys wouldn't need to buy factory seconds from Spyderco if the bastards hadn't doubled their prices from just a few years ago, and started giving us Chinese shit to boot.

Spyderco turned into Busse, with all the fanboys convincing these companies that they are producing the Knives of the Gods.

This knife - In 2017, I bought one new off of Amazon for 98.00

This knife - In 2016, I bought one new off of Amazon for 79.94

Oh, Para, that's a long time ago. Not really, and especially not for these greedy bastards huge price increases.

Thirty years ago, I purchased a Glock G19 for 408.00. Today, how much is that pistol? Maybe 150 or 175 dollars more? After going through further R&D of several generations and an improved product in many ways, with many more parts, whereas these knives have had no further development, yet Spyderco fucks you up the ass with their pricing.

Pretty dramatic price increase, and no stock which is interesting.

For reference, I bought a Boye Sheepsfoot Folder with Marlinspike "2nd"for $127 in 2014. Today, exact same knife, on sale as a 2nd, is: $199.00 Sale (Regular price $219.00)