It’s a holy grail PM2….ignore the haters…the micarta is top notch….probably the best factory made ones ever…I’m almost 80 and have been a knife collector most of my life…you can believe my life knife experience or not. But if you get one of these you’ve made an excellent decision.
@wattsmichaele, I respect your opinion and am wondering what your thoughts are on the new 2024 Para 3 Micarta with full stainless steel liners? It's being released this year and I can't decide if I should get the PM 2 Micarta, or wait for the Para 3 Micarta. Thoughts?
You will not go wrong with either one. Since they are not too far apart in price relatively, your challenge will be getting one whenever they drop. Use an authorized dealer even if you find a previous one for sale or the upcoming models. The Para 3 lightweight would probably not be released because of the micarta not being as tough as the FRN. Follow the Spyderco forum from some great experts there and Sal Glesser regularly comments in there too. Good luck young man.
Mine is arriving tomorrow, so I guess I’ll see how I like it. I don’t like that they left that gap open because I think I’ll love it otherwise. I’m sure there will be aftermarket scales made for it soon enough… so I can replace them if it really bothers me… but it’s disappointing that I’d have to, because I like the looks of the originals.
I'm out on that portion with the gap too. I did already get mine and it's getting a skinny mod right away just to see if it works out and feels like the G10 one I did. I'll be looking out to see how you feel about it after some use.
The skinny should work perfectly on this one. I doubt I'll change mine. But I'll probably be making some scales for mine. I'll be waiting to see that skinny mod and what u think of it as well.
I already have a cruwear pm2 and a couple pair of custom scales so I'll likely pass. I am glad to see them put this model out though. Cruwear is a really great steel.
Full liners were explained by Eric Glesser at Shot. The micarta does not keep form like G10 does. The full liners were added in order to make sure the micarta didn't warp.
Yep, can confirm the blade swap. Cruwear is now on a g10 digicamo handle and micarta handle has s45vn blade. Both centered, no blade play and buttery smooth. ✌️🖖🤘
downside is that the aftermarket for different scales is gonna have to play a lot of catch-up. I’m sure they already have been. But the original PM2 scales are so easy to swap out with a plethora of options.
No need to, it's actually pretty smart to allow micarta in that area to bend under pressure, I'm sure the old L-shaped pad would be more likely to break if just done as is in micarta instead of G-10 . As I said in the comments under another video, it might not look nice in RU-vid reviews, but is designed to serve longer.
Although ive gotten grown away from the pm2, i will definitely be picking this one up. My only complaint is how faded/dry the micarta looks. I will definitely be mineral oiling mine. I like the deeper, richer brown look like the micarta shamans are
Great vid. I also felt compelled to make a vid after I got my hands on that lockbar cutout. I really enjoy the rest of the knife but man does that thin scale feel wonky. I can’t help but feel I’ll be replacing the scales sooner rather than later. Anyways Rock on!
It looks odd and unbalanced is all. I got mine 4 days ago and have carried it everyday which is odd for me. Partly because I really like micarta, my first, and second because I really want to break in the fiber.
Hi, new viewer here! Nice video! The impression I got from EG on a knife center video was the full liners would add rigidity so there’s no flex with the micarta. Outpost76 highlighted some wonky stuff w/Flytanium’s PM2 micarta. Now that you have in hand, what do you think?
It might be more durable around most edges of the scale. Aside from that gap In the spine. To me it's a huge eye/hand sore and allows that section to be more easily damaged. More than the original. Idk. I just don't see a lot if benefits to it personally but then again I'm not that hard on my folding knives unless I'm specifically testing a steel.
@@steel2stone yeah I just saw you in another video chopping some copper and aluminum blocks lol. It would have cooler if they did some thicker contouring like the shaman. Thanks for the response!
They did the full liners because they were having problems with the my card breaking around the edges so the full liners gives it more strength for the my cart I saw Eric talking about it in an interview
@@steel2stone I don’t think scale manufacturers that use Micarta or terotuf do make it work properly. I think everyone deals with blade play when they go to aftermarket scales that aren’t g10 or metal. This is likely an attempt to minimize the weakness of micarta (WE had the same problem with the Banter) while still offering it as a material and not an inlay or bolstered handle.
I don’t see how a skinny mod is going to be easier?? Normally you just take away some material of the scales. Now you have to take away metal from the liners too. So that doesn’t seem smart to do. And about aftermarket scales, they won’t fit this version. Because all of them fit the regular liners. Maybe someone wil make something that fits. But for me no, thanks. If I get the itch I wil buy a “regular” P2, and buy some aftermarket micarta scales, Flytanium has them also I guess. Will be a stronger in my point of view.
It can't be done correctly on a standard pm2 because the liners don't follow the shape of a skinny mod on the pm2 like it does on the para 3 or shaman. It's not that it's easier it's that it just can't be done on the regular pm2 without exposing the nested liners
@@steel2stone Ah yeah, know what you mean now. Just recently got my first PM2, and I thought it was the same construction as my Para 3. Which is very easy to mod the scales for 🙂
Cruwear isn't "extremely" tough, it's tougher than many super stainless steels, but it's still a very hard steel with great edge retention. The most difference will probably be on it's better edge stability compared to Super stainless steels, as also in the lack of stain resistant abilities, that usually all steels with better edge stability come with. What I would call extremely tough, would be a CPM 3V, a 52100 etc heat treated lower than 58-59 hrc and lower.
@@steel2stone You're right, I had to explain more! I wrote that, more for the people who believe marketing labels and get things wrong, rather than to correct you personaly. I've come to the conclusion, that marketing and marketing trends on RU-vid, have done a lot of "damage" to both nowdays knife designs and on knife knowledge itself. A ton of people have goten things wrong. So, what I was after, is to point out that you can't have it all on a blade. If it's super hard, it won't be super tough, it's always a trade. Also, many people don't understand, how importand bevel geometries are.or how important heat treatment is. Nowdays they all think that it's all about the steel, which is 100 wrong. and that's only one example, of the misinformation, that comes from nowdays marketing trends...! Please forgive me.
U tried loosening a body screw, pushing the blade over towards the side its tip is pointing too then tightening the body screw back down, while keeping tension on the blade? It works well usually.
With the Shaman; Spyderco already proved that they can do micarta with nested liners well. These “features” of this PM2 are there to lower production costs, no matter what other excuse they might offer. This model is a hard pass, for me.
What does the label „new recepture“ on the package mean? The ingrediants are getting cheaper. I do not get why everybody here on youtube is ok with this PM2 model. I got my version lately. Even poorer scales, edges fuzzy and not knocked down. Spyderco is cutting corners here. I do not care about „we can do skinny scales now“. Thats „new recepture“! Spyderco has lost a fan. Look at the Shaman. Micarta was better. Look at the Spyopera by Lionsteel. Thatös the eay it is done! Italy can do it. Is this the new „Made in US“ out of Golden? I got my Bradley 2 in M4. I do not like the Carbon G10 laminate that much. But compared, this Taiwan model blows this crude cheapo Cruwear cashcow out the window. And the steel alone does not save it for me when the package is not tight.
I just ordered one today before I watched any knife reviews , and from what I see here and other reviews on RU-vid I will be sending mine back for a refund. To me this is not acceptable how weak and thin these micarta scales are, It is so simple , Spyderco just needed to make thicker micarta scales with the liners on both sides and it would be perfect . They cut corners for cost on the Micarta making a cheap weak knife . And all this waiting over this knife by so many only to find it is not worth the purchase to some of us including me for the issues found in this poor design of this Para Military 2 . $171.00 is an expensive knife to me I cannot afford any flaws at that price that is my opinion.
I've got another video coming soon comparing the ergonomics of the old one and this one. As well as showing how I fixed the gap on mine. Maybe it'll help you with yours instead of sending it back. But I wouldn't blame you if you did.
Never buying another para 2. First pm2 was standard s30v with a terrible heat treat tip came of and left a chip when cutting a zip tie. Got this micarta one and came out the box so stiff the knife was unflickable and had to two hand close it. Loosened the pivot so the knife was usable and no matter how tight the pivot is now it has blade play no matter what. Got a sprint run micarta shaman and it’s a perfect knife.
