Designed by Spyderco co-founder Sal Glesser specifically for forward-deployed military operators, the original Spyderco Military knife first entered production in 1996. Representing the first production knife to utilize a powder metallurgy steel (CPM 440V) blade, the original Military model was renowned for its rugged nature, immense utility, and tactical edge — traits that have made the knife just as popular with EDC enthusiasts as it is with military personnel. Now, more than a quarter of a century since the Military’s debut, the Golden, Colorado company has finally introduced a new and improved followup with the Spyderco Military 2 Knife.
Building on the foundation of the 1996 model, the Military 2 knife retains the elements that made its predecessor so popular while simultaneously brining several major improvements to the table. This includes seeing the original Military knife’s liner lock replaced with Spyderco’s compression lock — a mechanism that uses a larger stainless steel liner as its foundation, bolstering its structural integrity. Like the Military 1 — and Para Military 2 — the new Military 2’s frame comes sandwiched between a set of grippy and hardwearing peel-ply-textured G-10 scales. Despite its increased strength, the new Millie 2 model actually tips the scales at a tad less than its predecessor, with the Military 2 weighing in at 4.3oz versus the original model’s 4.5oz weight.
Like the original, the Military 2’s clip point blade features one of Spyderco’s signature laser-cut circular thumb hole openings and is crafted from CPM S30V steel. Shipping from the factory with a razor-sharp full-flat grind, the Military 2’s blade also maintains the gen one’s 0.145” thickness. And, while the gen two shares the gen one’s 9.50” overall length and 4.00” blade length, the 2-spec’s cutting-edge is ever-so-slightly shorter at 3.625” compared to the Military 1’s 3.69” surface. Additionally, Spyderco’s Military 2 knife also sees it adopt the company’s bushing pivot system that it first introduced on the game-changing Para Military 2 model in 2010 — a setup that affords remarkably smooth and consistent opening (and closing) action. Compared to the Military 1, the Military 2 also utilizes an improved manufacturing process that’s carried out entirely in America and that benefits from more precise tolerances.
The Spyderco Military 2 Knife will be available in the coming weeks, with pricing set at $280.
