Spyderco has a name as one of the best survival and hunting knife manufacturers on the globe. I myself have quite a collection of Spyderco blades so when I had the opportunity to pick up the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 model, I jumped at the chance.
Initially, I figured that the Paramilitary 2 would be just a scaled down version of its bigger brother, the Spyderco Military – a favorite knife of mine that’s been a staple of my collection over the years. But I’m glad to say that I was happily proven wrong.
In terms of appearance, the Paramilitary 2 does look a lot like the bigger Military model knife – a scaled-down version of it of course, but that’s really where the comparisons end. When you pick up the Paramilitary 2, you’ll immediately feel the difference between the two.
At first glance, you’re sure to notice the large difference between the handle size and the blade size of this knife. The total length is 8.3 inches when open, while the blade has a cutting length of just 3 inches. This handle-bias is what makes this knife feel so good in the palm of your hand. In all honesty, this blade-to-handle ratio makes this one of the best knives out there, in terms of grip comfort and balance. It just feels natural, like an extension of your own arm.
I picked up the camo G-10 design as I’m a big fan of camouflage design when it comes to survival gear but don’t worry, if camo isn’t your thing, this knife is available in a range of colors a handle designs. But I must say, I was very impressed with the design of my knife when it arrived. The camo pattern over the top of the jade green body is slightly see-through, giving this knife a very sleek finish and appearance.
As per usual, the Spyderco blade is of the highest quality. The perfectly ground, 3.5 inch, full flat blade contains no visible faults or defects and it really does just look amazing. I’m always so impressed when I pick up a Spyderco knife. The blade feels really sturdy when open and feels strong when locked into place, just like a good everyday carry blade should.
Looking at the body of the knife, you might think that the pocket clip looks a bit big and liable to get in the way while handling this knife. Let me assure you that, while yes, it does seem (unnecessarily) bulky, it does not interfere with the handling of the knife at all. Probably reflective of Spyderco’s high-quality design and attention to detail.
In my opinion, this pocket clip could have been designed a little more subtle than it was, as it really stands out and makes it clear that you are carrying a blade. Personally, I don’t like to advertise whether I’m carrying a knife or not so although this clip functions perfectly, I find it hard to see myself ever using it.
While on the topic of attachment and carry, the Paramilitary 2 is designed with a huge lanyard hole, so if you are someone who likes to attach a large lanyard or survival paracord to your knife, then this would be perfect for you.
The balance point of this knife is back towards the handle from the center, due to its large handle size. However, I don’t find this to be an issue when using the Paramilitary 2. Because of its compact size and light weight I just don’t see fatigue becoming an issue due to not having a neutral balance point.
And although a more neutral balance point could probably have been achieved by slimming down the liners a bit, I’m guessing they wanted to keep the liners bulky to maintain the strength of the knife. No complaints from me about that.
As is the norm with Spyderco blades, the centering of the Paramilitary 2 blade is dead center. Normally, I’d find that a 3.5mm blade stock on a 3.5 inch knife would be a bit over the top, but as usual, Spyderco did a fantastic job on the tapering and the full flat grind, so the larger blade stock feels great on this knife.
While not a true needle point tip, this knife wasn’t intended to be a full slicer knife. In fact, the Paramilitary 2 is the perfect combination of a beater and a slicer knife, giving it a great all-around feel and making it a super practical knife.
There is a small amount of jimping on the top and choil section of the blade and also on the front of the liners, giving you that little bit of extra grip to help secure the Paramilitary 2 in your hands.
The incredibly strong compression lock incorporated into the knife design is rated for martial blade craft use by Spyderco and shows no signs of weakness, slip or travel. At the same time, it’s super easy to deploy. They really did a great job on the locking mechanism.
And while there were some complaints about the (now superseded) original Paramilitary design over the lock pinching fingers while being deployed, it seems as though this issue has been resolved with the Paramilitary 2 model.
In the rare case that this super strong lock might fail, rest assured that your fingers are safe due to the large choil this knife incorporates.
What surprised me a lot about this knife was that Spyderco managed to somehow improve the already flawless deployment of their knives. Perhaps due to the improved bushing pivot system or some other secret that we are not privy to, this knife deploys as smooth as any custom designed knife I’ve ever handled.
Hammer grip on the knife feels comfortable but would be slightly improved if the scales were a bit more contoured. The knife feels safe in your hands in this grip but the handle could be a bit more rounded to make the grip a tad more comfortable when gripped hard.
The Spyderco Paramilitary 2 feels great while pinched in hand. Just be aware that if you are going to be skinning or prepping game, this knife is a bit of a pain in the ass to clean if you get lots of blood and guts trapped inside the body. But practically, it works great for these tasks.
This knife feels good when held in a reverse grip, but again, it could be made a bit more comfortable by having a more rounded body. But overall, it’s a comfortable knife to hold and this sharpness is really only felt when gripping particularly hard.
This knife feels like it was designed to be held in a saber grip. This is when you’ll feel like the knife is sitting perfectly in your hand. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it feels like an extension of your own arm. This is how this knife was meant to be held.
And while chocking up with this knife doesn’t feel quite as good as using it in saber grip, it still feels very comfortable and could be used this way for long periods of cutting.
While it’s hard to pick a clear favorite out of all the Spyderco knives, from an objective standpoint the Paramilitary 2 stands out as one of the superior knives they have on offer.
Due to its enhanced lock, improved pivot, super tight tolerances and a range of other design enhancements, this is one of the best knives on the market from a technical point of view.
That being said, it’s hard for me to label this as my favorite Spyderco knife, simply because they produce so many great knives that it’s difficult to compare them all. But for an everyday carry, this knife has to be sitting somewhere near the top of my list.
And while some might find the price tag a little too much (RRP around the $200 mark), I can assure you that you really do get what you pay for with this high-quality little folding knife.
I strongly urge you to try out this knife ASAP to truly get an idea of just how comfortable it feels in your hand.