- Spyderco Military 2 · Clip Point4″ blade · 0.145″ spine · 4.37 oz · ~1.32″ tall
Spyderco Military 2
The Spyderco Military 2 is a 4" clip point folder in CPM-S30V, full flat ground. The handle is G-10, secured by a compression lock. At 4.37 oz it sits 51st-lightest of the 61 EDC folders here, where the median is 3.2 oz.
- Blade
- 4″
- Weight
- 4.37 oz
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Price band
- Premium
Everyday carry and general utility
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against spyderco.com, knifeworks.
- Spine thickness
- 0.145″
- Blade shape
- Clip Point
- Grind
- Full Flat
- Steel
- CPM-S30V
- Overall length
- 9.51″
- Closed length
- 5.51″
- Weight
- 4.37 oz
- Lock
- Compression
- Deployment
- Manual
- Handle material
- G-10
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a clip point
The front third of the spine is 'clipped' away in a concave sweep, dropping the point below the spine line and putting it out in front. That makes a finer, more controllable tip than a drop point — better for piercing, slightly weaker under load. The Buck 110 pattern is the archetype.
Every clip point here →About CPM-S30V
The long-time American benchmark. Holds an edge far longer than 420HC and still sharpens on ordinary stones. Chippy if you pry with it.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All CPM-S30V knives
What owners say
Drawn from 620 owner discussions of the Spyderco Military 2 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- The compression lock and movable clip fix what one owner disliked about the original: that owner, who never liked the first Military, says the Military 2 just works between the lock, tip-up carry and ergonomics, and another calls it everything they wanted the Military to be.
- It carries better than a 4 in blade suggests: one owner says it fills the hand yet hides well in the pocket, another found it carries better than expected, and a Salt owner found it lighter than expected.
- Several arrive well made: owners report spot-on grind, centering and lockup, blades that drop shut with no play, and one who compared it with other Spydercos found it swung freely and sat centred.
- The full flat grind cuts well; one first-time Spyderco owner says the edge is super sharp and slicey and the action smooth both opening and closing.
- It makes the case for a bigger knife: one owner who normally prefers 3.5 in blades keeps reaching for it, and others call it their favourite Spyderco or one of the best knives made.
- It takes dirty jobs: one wildlife photographer keeps a Para 2 for food and uses the Military 2 for everything else, from cutting wood and kindling to making a fire if needed.
- Aftermarket scales suit it: one owner highly recommends Rockscale's Darkwash Hexi scales for the Military 2 and likes the little heft they add.
What owners flag
- Out-of-box consistency varies: one owner's arrived very tight with lock stick, another needed a ceramic rod and polish to tame bad lock stick, one mystery-box knife came off centre, and a Cruwear owner could not get it to hold centre without play.
- The size is too much for some pockets: one owner bought theirs from a friend who found it too much of a pocket sword for everyday carry, and one shopper judged it not worth the extra room over the PM2 they own.
- The fine tip is a weak point: one owner bent the tip by dropping the knife tip-down while tuning it and broke the bent part off, and another says the series' fragile tip kept it out of hard use for them.
- Weight adds up next to lighter big Spydercos; one owner notes the Stretch 2 XL is 1.8 oz lighter with a blade nearly as long.
- The ergonomics do not suit every hand: one owner who loves the Stretch 2 found the Military 2's finger choil pinched their grip and felt the back of the handle push into the palm in a full grip.
- The stock clip does not please everyone: one new owner dislikes it and plans to swap it.
The Military 2 puts a 4 in blade on a 4.37 oz G10 folder, and one owner who usually prefers 3.5 in blades keeps reaching for it anyway. One wildlife photographer reserves it for the dirty work on outings, from cutting wood and kindling to making a fire if needed. For one owner who never liked the original Military, the compression lock and tip-up clip are what made the design work.
Several owners got knives with even grinds, centred blades and drop-shut action, but not all: lock stick, off-centre blades and play that will not tune out all appear, and one owner who got a perfect one still opens every Spyderco with some fear. The tip is fine and pointed, and one owner bent theirs in a drop. One owner highly recommends Rockscale scales for it, and another runs a LynchNW milled titanium clip.
The Para Military 2 is the knife it gets weighed against: one owner calls the Military 2 considerably larger than a PM2, while a Salt owner says theirs rides in the pocket as well as a PM2, and a shopper who handled both stayed with their PM2. The Stretch 2 XL is the lighter alternative, with a blade nearly as long at 1.8 oz less, yet one Stretch 2 XL and Native Chief owner still found room for a Military 2.
Military 2 or Para Military 2?
It comes down to size. One owner calls the Military 2 considerably larger than the PM2 and the closest thing to a pocket sword they own, while a Military 2 Salt owner says it rides in the pocket as well as a PM2. One shopper who handled both decided the Military was not worth the extra room over their PM2.
How is the Military 2 different from the original Military?
The original used a liner lock; the Military 2 has a compression lock and a clip you can move. One owner who never liked the original says those changes plus tip-up carry make it work, and another owner of several original Militarys calls the compression lock and swappable clip real quality-of-life upgrades.
Will the lock stick on a new Military 2 go away?
One new owner was told it eases with use. Another owner with bad lock stick worked the locking tab with a ceramic rod and polished the blade stop, which left only a little. One owner found their knife had a single washer and drifted off centre with some lock stick.
How fragile is the tip?
It is a fine, pointed tip. One owner bent the very end by dropping the knife tip-down on a laminate floor and broke the bent millimetre off, and another says the fragile tip is why they did not see the series as a hard-use knife.
Is there a lighter knife with a similar blade length?
Owners point to the Stretch 2 XL: one says it is 1.8 oz lighter than the Military 2 with a blade nearly as long and thinner stock, and another describes it as Military 2 blade length with a PM2-sized handle. It uses a back lock rather than a compression lock.
Features
- Compression lock
- Full Flat grind
- Made in USA
- Stainless blade
Compare the 2
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