I've carried this knife for almost 5 years now (all black blade and handles s30v). I'm just a regular guy who works in restaurants. It's incredibly useful, it's saved my life a couple times and scarred off a couple of would be attackers. I'm retiring it for the para 3 and going to give it to one of my kids when they're old enough. All that being said I completely agree with everything you said but this knife is legendary and it's my favorite possession.
I have owned a couple of Military's twenty years ago and they aren't my favourite but it's worth pointing out that the design existed many years before the compression lock was created. And also that the PM2 was not a successor to the Military. The Paramilitary2 was the successor to the now almost totally forgotten Paramilitary. Here endeth the lesson. Go in peace.
kerryrwac I still really prefer the military over the police. The police is heavier, and thinner making it allot less ergonomic for me. It’s also a back lock, and Im more of a liner/ frame guy.
Nick, I hate all the things you pointed out about the military, the clip positioning, size, lanyard hole, etc....but I just love the military!! And in many ways I appreciate spyderco keeping all those annoying little things just the way they are. The military is a great knife, an icon. But an icon from a different time. Back when we didn't know all the things we know now... it's hard to explain, but with all those annoyances, I wouldn't change a thing! Have a good rest of your day....bye now
Spyderco is to knives as Porsche is to the automobile. Both are functional, reliable, well engineered, and well worth the price for a quality item that will last for years. It's good to know that quality workmanship is still available in this cookie cutter world. Love companies that refuse to compromise on quality. It's an Old School trait that I cherish.
I've never understood the tip up/tip down thing. Unless someone is a knife fighter or hasn't much dexterity in their hand or something either works. I have this knife and it's perfect, the liner lock is one Mr. Walker would be proud of and the handle can accommodate winter gloves. Give me two.
Its mostly a problem because spydercos have very wide base of the blade compared to the rest of the knife, making reaching past for your phone or wallet a pain
Just a personal preference thing imo. I like tip up, the way I draw and deploy my knife, my hand is already positioned to easily open it. Tip down I find I have to re-adjust my hand after drawing it out of my pocket. Not a deal breaker or anything, just convenience
It’s interesting how binary people seem to be regarding clip position. Personally I tend to like tip-up for short knives and tip-down for long knives. When I remove a knife with a long handle from my pocket in a tip down position, my hand is in position to open it immediately, by tilting the butt of the handle toward my wrist. With tip up, I need to shift the knife down in my grip to reach the opening hole or flipper tab. Not a big deal, but in this respect tip-down provides an advantage for a knife like the Military. On the other hand, tip-down does put that blade bump toward the inside, as you mentioned.
Same here on tip down for larger knives and up for the smaller ones. Something to add: i like tip down work waste-band carry. Something about getting the widest part of the knife (and often the CG of the knife) just carries better. The knife doesn’t bounce around as much that way. Same goes for on the belt carry as well. While tip up might bet better for pocket carry, tip down is better for the other situations.
I'm a tall guy with large hands, and I love to carry this knife in spite of the clip placement being very much stuck in the 90's. Spyderco started making these in a time when having a pocket clip at all instead of a belt sheath seemed luxurious and high-tech. I hope we'll see an improved version one day with a swappable clip, and maybe even a compression lock, though I'd be okay with them keeping the liner lock it currently has since it's executed so well. They wouldn't necessarily have to extend the liners to make the clip swappable, either. Just some simple threaded inserts inside the G10 scales would be just fine, sort of like what they did to make the clip on the Native 5 Lightweight swappable to all 4 positions even though the handle has no liners. This knife is definitely NOT for everybody because of how large it is, but for people with large hands like me, it's perfect. The ergonomics are just beautiful.
Carried one pretty much every day for 10 years, at this point it's just an extension of me. It would be interesting to know how many days in those ten years I didn't use it for one thing or another! I'll say this, yes it's a big knife, but then again it's just not. I carry it loose, tip up in the right front pocket, so the clip orientation is a non factor for me, and I can have it open and ready to go basically instantaneously. (And no, that loose carry is not dangerous... Again, basically every day for ten years.) It never feels big in the pocket, no matter what I'm wearing. The extra size, for me, is 100% worth it, and the ergonomics are indeed off the charts. I'll never carry anything else.
I have both of my Militaries, an S30V and a 204P, setup for tip up carry. This is an easy modification to make. If you like the design but just dont like the tip down carry just change it! On my S30V I made a small pocket on the inside of the liner for a metal plate for the screws to anchor into. On the 204P I decided to see how tough the g10 actual is, so I just drilled straight into the scale. The screws have held just as securely as the day I did it more than a year ago.
This is one of the few liner lock knives that come in a left handed model. It’s makes a nice food prep knife when I go camping. It’s a knife I take out into the woods when hiking. This and a fixed blade and I feel I’ve covered most of my cutting tasks.
I couldn't agree more with that tip down only carry point you made, Nick. I am a dedicated tip up folder user, yet, I own five Military's. I'm trying to adjust my habits in order to carry those tip down Military's, because, other than the clip being on the wrong end, they are stellar knives. Additionally, they have full four inch blades, which falls within my state's law on pocketknives. I like big folders. :)
Cf ti S90v version at knifeworks for 200$! Best one ever made imo. Great reveiw wasn’t expecting it to be positive. Sal and many followers of spyderco believe this knife is almost perfect even with the tip down carry. It was purpose built. Very well thought out design even the tip down carry.
How about when the hand gets scraped by the jimping every time it goes into the pocket? That jimping should have been left off, in this case. It's not an improvement on this particular model.
This is one of my all time favs. I really think you put it in perspective about cqi they have done a great job with this knife. The ti milled is outstanding one of the best knives out there truly feels like it's on hydraulics amazing quality. Also really want to say that the Ti milled millie is screaming sharp out of box. I own the m4 model it is sharp and about 5 other's and the milled one is insane in every way. There is a reason for Tip up it makes sense put one in pocket then you will understand the reasoning behind it. Because the handle is so long you are able to open much faster than if the clip was down the other end makes complete sense. You don't need to be a knife fighter just helps with one handed opening. Wich goes back to why Spyderco is such a great company...
Solid choice indeed. It may not be an ideal EDC for most people, but anything outdoors and even yard work, this knife is stellar. Sub 5oz. for a knife this size, it is special.
Military 2 is just around the corner and yes it’s got a four position pocket clip, n compression lock! Got me one preordered n looking forward to getting it in my hand & pocket.. look forward to your review of it!
I wish it had tip up carry as an option, but it doesn't ruin it for me. Altogether, I love the military. The size is good for me and that blade is spectacular.
I have this knife. Even though I greatly prefer smaller blades, ended up loving the thing. Even like the tip down carry, as pulling the knife out of a pocket puts one's middle finger directly on the hole for a back flick. Not sure it would fall in hand as easily with tip-up. Yes, it's almost comically huge, at least for me. It's also an extremely useful tool for the same reason. It's not a knife that I carry every day, yet more often than I'd ever thought. Enjoyed the video. Apparently there's a new version with a compression lock and other refinements. I'm keeping an eye out.
Guys the military is a military folder. And does a great job. It's not the best edc but still one of the best large folding knives out there. I've put mine to the test for years even curving wood.. This knife is amazing. And stop complaining about the liner lock. The compression lock bites into the palm if you press hard for tough jobs..
I like the military but passed on it and purchased the Manix 2 XL. My concern was the thin tip of the Military and its durability. I own the Spyderco Civilian but it has singleness of purpose and is not for utility use. However, I love it and carry it daily. I will look out for reports of tip breakages for the Military and what caused them. May be I will purchase it later down the road. Great video!
Love my military's. the clip is the only issue. it fits in small, medium or large hands. ive got 52100+CF scales and CF+Ti+framelock+s90v from knifeworks. the framelock is like the sebenza. really epic framelock.
I think the most convenient way to carry it (as a right handed person) would be in the corner of the left pocket. That puts the blade hump out of the way, and if you "cross draw" it with your right hand you don't have to do the awkward tip down handle flip quite as much as if it's in the right pocket.
No excuse for tip down only. They could still provide sleeves for the screw to screw into since liners don't reach and the titanium version doesn't have a tip up option either.
Theres actually a solid rational behind it. It's way easier and more ergonomic with big knives to carry and deploy. If they put the option for tip up on it, everyone would have to scoot their hands up the handle to open it. Whereas in tip down you can pull it out, it falls into your palm ready to deploy. Same story with something like the microtech socom. Tl;dr: tip down works better on some knives than others
No...that’s not an opinion. It’s a fact. That said, this knife was created before the pocket jewelry phase we’re in and designed for BDU carry and gloved use. This is perfect as is. There are other knives out there that meet your specific needs if these “problems” are deal breakers for you.
I’m with righteousbae on this. All my knives right now are tip up, and tip down was probably the right choice here. Tbh, RU-vid reviews have created this weird witch hunt against tip down, and it’s not that dramatic. W/o all the bias I think a lot more people would start putting some of their knives tip down.
Initially I had reservations about the tip down only on this knife, but here is the secret of the Spyderco Military - put it in your right hand side *back* pocket. The jimping rubbing your hand issue disappears, and when you pull it out of your pocket the knife is ready to deploy with your thumb on the spydiehole. All time favorite knife once I made the switch
On a large knife, tip down makes a lot more sense....it can be spydie-dropped straight out of the pocket, if it was tip up you'd have first pull out the knife and then reposition your hand to open it. It would carry better i'll give you that.
I want to like other knives more but I keep carrying the ZDP 189 endura. So light, thin blade, great steel. Wearing shorts all the time puts you in touch with the weight of what you carry.
Tip-down carry. They could put threaded inserts in the bottom of the handle with epoxy, couldn't they. Nevertheless, a military user might opt for a REAL lanyard anyhow. (not a fancy fob like a lot of knife guys are doing, these days) If not, a lanyard of just the right length would make a nice pocket hanger. That said, I'm with you. If I were still in the military and wanted a large knife, I'd probably go for the Endura with the black blade, and maybe partially serrated. And a SAK.
For some reason when I do this my knife always gets caught on different things and my pocket clip bends open. Like if I try to squeeze past something or get into the car or soemthing. Always happens lol
@@Chase1297 lol oh I've scratched a car door or 2 in my day... Honestly my grandfather told me to carry my knife in my back pocket (cause that's how you carry it for work.. if you pull it out of your front pocket people think it's a weapon lol) and carry your wallet on your front pocket (so nobody can pick pocket you) I never questioned it lol Now I find out 99% of guys do the opposite! Lol
@@SuperSteelSteve that's a good point. I'm constantly opening boxes at work so that's another reason why front pocket works for me. Back pocket is only slightly more inconvient but it gets really annoying when I gotta keep reaching to my back for my knife. If I'm not at work I don't mind the back pocket at all except for the catching thing. It might just be becuase in not used to it
I have to admit when I first seen any Spyderco I thought they were ugly as sin knives with a hole in the blade. My first buy was a Tenacious after a Nick review and they are now buy far my favorite company.
I carried the hell out of the BG-42 with cf variant back in the day. I opt for much smaller knives these days but still carry it occasionally on the weekends.
I love mine, great allrounder at home. Does garden work just as well as kitchen stuff. If people wouldn´t be scared by big blades i would edc mine 100%.
Would love to see a military update with compression lock and 4 way tip up/down, until then, it's just not for me. (start with midnight blue s110v please).
I've always wanted to like the Military, but it didn't stick around in my collection as the only time I'd ever need that much blade would be in the kitchen, and in that case, I'd much rather just use a proper chef's knife. As far as the tip down carry, I think the preferred way to carry it by most people who are fans of this knife is to carry it in the rear pocket. Of course, as a "desk jockey", that's still not ideal for me as I don't really want to sit on a big slab of G10 all day either. Not to mention, 4"+ blades aren't really going to endear you to the human resources department at most office jobs....clearly, not a knife designed for me, but that doesn't mean it's not a great knife for someone else.
Great review until you started talking about how GIGANTIC it is. The military is one of my all time favorite knife models, i carry mine almost every day. I've never had a problem with the jimping scratching my hand while pulling it out. And i guarantee i can pull my military out and have it ready to go just as fast as someone can with their tip up knife.
All that stuff about is true ofcourse,but self defence guru's swear by it on larger knives. I got the rex45 one and i love it, its a real Classic in the spyderco line up.
They need to put threaded brass inserts in the other end of the handle and make the clip tip up. I gave away my carbon fiber and 5200 steel military to a friend because it carried so poorly.
Like the jade g10 look. Sometimes a bigger knife is needed, but not sure on the steep price. Guess if this was the best fit in my hand it would be an easier purchase. Thanks Nick!
Love the blade length hate the lock... I’m 6’5 and not a muppet so I prefer lg blades cuz that means lg handles.. if they made this with compression lock I’d buy it immediately
This I probably the least generally useful large blade you have ever reviewed, yet it is one of the most positively reviewed. What gives? This knife has on job, that is opening people up. The incredibly long pointy blade with a strong distal taper, along with the down swept and aggressive hand locking ergonomic of the handle with a super shallow clip makes it clear that this thing is meant to stab and slash fleshy targets with priority given stabbing and quick pocket/waistband/belt/webbing retrieval. Murder death kill as you would say. This is not a pocket utility blade, its a pocket weapon. This knife has little use outside of tactical theaters when compared to other Spyderco knives like the resilience, carabian salt, police, and endura. Why were so many of you larger and obviously more utility oriented blades given such stern reviews for being too needlessly large and murdery, when this murder tool gets a pass? I love my military, but YOU should not. I don’t get it.
What the hell are you smoking, man? The Military is a good cutting tool - thin, light and relatively thin behind the edge. It cuts much better than the ZT 0452 and is generally nice to carry. I have two - an M4 like here and an S110V. I EDC both and use them for food, packaging and hiking. The Military was designed as a tool, not as a self-defense knife. There are plenty of reasons to like it.
+Alexander Krikun Oh trust me I Know. Like i said i like my Military. Even got a custom blaze orange backspacer for it. It is literally the only knife that I did something like that for. My comment is more about the review and less about the knife. It is a good knife, just not the best EDC knife. Nicks comments already covered that. If you were to compare this knife to other Spyderco offerings like the Endura or Police, the Military isn’t really the best choice; too wide or long. For straight up heavy use, knives like the Caribbean Salt or the Resilience (except for its steel) are better choices; less angled blades that start closer to the handle and more robust tips and handles. The “clipped” point on the Military is ridiculously stabby. I’ve caught myself on a few occasions with this knife when getting used to it’s handling. Adding to that the fact that the knife doesn’t interface with a cutting board all that well, shows that the blade isn’t specialized for EDC cutting tasks.
+Alexander Krikun The super shallow carry with the oversized Spydy hole means that the knife is meant to be accessed more quickly and opened more reliably than many other knives made. All of this adds up to a quick access knife with a long stabby blade that will slice well that is light enough that it won’t weight you down. That sounds like a great last ditch folder to me. It just happens to be a pretty good utility knife as well. If i had known about the Caribbean before i bought my Military, I likely would have gone with that.
This knife has the same "UGLY" problem as most other Spyderco knives , after first buying this expensive knife , you have to spend another $30 - $35 for a deep carry clip. And that's a Big reason why I haven't bought a new Spyderco in about 2yrs .
I wanted one so bad I was willing to buy one off eBay for 270ish but I’ve outgrown it and went straight to benchmade and bought a contego lol, but now I’m looking for bark river knives... dear god nick help me I’m going far far too deep.
Endura doesn't have forward grip/jimping on the blade. Deal breaker. Use a knife, like use it for a living, your opinion might change. I've had a military for a few years and done tons of stupid shit with it. I love sharpening and have chipped it a few times so next time maybe a tougher steel.
Uh, mine doesn't have those big screws, and there's a spacer at the middle of the back. Also the stop pin is bolt on not nested. Did they change that for the sprint run?
This knife is an icon. I do not agree with this review. The purpose is a folding knife for combat, but not a fighting knife. As a combat veteran, this is the ultimate folder to deploy with overseas.