Dull Paramilitary 2

[JBaums]

Hey guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster. I wanted to share something weird with the forum and get some more educated takes on just how weird of an occurrence this was, and also pose a follow-up question.

I just purchased my first Spyderco from Blade HQ, a PM2 with the 52100 blade and carbon fiber scales. Really cool looking knife, but right out of the box this thing was dull. Like really, really dull. Sharp at the tip to pierce, but the blade was awful at slicing action. Forget about shaving arm hair, this knife couldn't even slice paper without tearing it. I can rub it with my thumb pretty aggressively and it doesn't hurt a thing.

I Googled this and found that most instances are attributed to a used knife or a counterfeit. As far as I can tell, neither of these should be the case coming from a reputable dealer. I posted a short YouTube video comparing a Benchmade 551-1701 Griptilian, a Benchmade 556-1 Mini Grip, then this new PM2 sorry, the camera wanders when the PM2 is not cutting the paper, but you get the idea). Link below. Would love to hear from others, since this seems to be pretty odd given Spyderco's reputation for sharpness and quality control.

So I am returning this knife. Thinking of re-purchasing it with a plane edge rather than the combo blade (52100) or alternatively buying the blurple S110V PM2 that can be found on Amazon for $155, which seems like a great deal. I had some reservations about 52100 steel maintenance, and this experience may make this an easier decision to go with the S110V. I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks!

https://youtu.be/qg9c4aX_ODs

[vivi]

Sounds unusual. Every Spyderco I've purchased new, including a Para 2, easily shaved.

[bearfacedkiller]

I highly doubt that your knife is fake. That is a variation that is probably not being faked. If it patinas at all it is not fake and 52100 will patina from just fingerprints. If it was used it would probably have a patina.

It is a knife and it will need to be sharpened, especially 52100 which has modest edge retention. You can return it and buy another knife but that will never change the fact that at some point you will have to sharpen it if you ever put it to use

If sharpening your 52100 knife is daunting then buying one in S110V is probably not a great idea. All knives dull with use and eventually need sharpening. It is unfortunate that yours needs it out of the box but that does not change the fact that you will eventually have to cross that bridge.

Welcome to the forum!

[anycal]

In terms of a knife comming in dull, it happens. It happened to me twice - PM2 Maxamet, and Police 4. Both were brand new, as I was the first to get them when they were released. In other words, I did not get returned knives.

Not sure what causes it. Something gets missed during the process. Maybe a batch of knives where the sharpening robots had a glitch. I don't blame you for returning it. I kept mine. Well...the Maxamet PM2 had all knids of issues, so I got rid of it.

[Danvp]

Totally agree with Darby. 52100 sharpens very easily. Certainly in comparison with s110v. If you do not want to sharpen at all than s110v is a good choice IMO. It will retain a working edge almost forever. However take into account that it also will not shave hair soon.

In your place i would keep the 52100.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

[Evil D]

It's entirely possible that the edge degraded over time, though I wouldn't expect it to do so to the point you're describing but I suppose if it sat long enough it's possible. Carbon steels will lose their bite over time from oxidation.

[Zatx]

I'd just swap it out for another one of the exact same model. I own nearly every PM2 and your's is my favorite of the entire bunch.

[Pelagic]

It's entirely possible that the edge degraded over time, though I wouldn't expect it to do so to the point you're describing but I suppose if it sat long enough it's possible. Carbon steels will lose their bite over time from oxidation.

Heck, I've seen Lance say s90v dulls without use in his kayak. You know it happens with 52100.

[Bill1170]

I’m with Darby. Knives get dull. If you use it you need to sharpen it. What’s one more sharpening over its lifetime?

[Wartstein]

My personal experience: Every Spyderco I purchased till now came really sharp. But than, I "only" bought around 25 or so (and sold a good share of them again) overall.

[araneae]

I’m with Darby. Knives get dull. If you use it you need to sharpen it. What’s one more sharpening over its lifetime?

Agreed, why return a knife when you will eventually sharpen it? It's like returning a shovel because it came dirty.

[koenigsegg]

My Maxamet PM2 and my Positron came pretty dang dull

[Pelagic]

While I understand the point that factory sharpness is symbolic of a company not missing any details, I do not value initial sharpness whatsoever. In fact I'd prefer 15dps dull over 20dps sharp. Less steel to remove when I sharpen it (won't need re-profiling).

[JonLeBlanc]

Keep that 52100 PM2!!! Sharpen that thing in like thirty seconds and it'll be a RAZOR. It is the FINEST PM2 I've ever seen, no exaggeration. I had to buy two it's so good. KEEP IT.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I have had a few that came in dull like he is saying. My 52100 partly serrated PM2 was Dull also. Fortunately it is an easy steel to sharpen very easy to sharpen in fact. So I would say just sharpen it. As was already mentioned it will not hold a sharp edge for long moderate edge retention was a good way to put it.

If you return it and get another it will not be long before it needs sharpened anyway so you will need a sharpener. The Sharpmaker by Spyderco will work well with this steel.

So far out of around 50 or so Spyderco's I have had the following knives come in dull from reputable dealers like Blade H.Q. etc..

2 Sage5 S30V CF

1 PM2 Partly serrated 52100 CF

1 Para3 S30V

1 Para3 M390

2 Manix2 in S110V

1 PM2 in S110V

So yeah it does happen but that is why having good sharpening systems is a must you have to sharpen one day anyway so why not make it today. I think allot of it has to do with bevels being off and the apex not being quite where it should be.

[sal]

Hi JBaums,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[SpyderSeth]

My Native 5 Maxamet also came dull as a board. Sent it off to be sharpened by a certain YouTuber with Maxamet experience.

[JBaums]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. I'm a semi-casual collector and it's good to hear from some well informed knife men. I am going to return this one. To me, it's not like a dirty shovel. It's more like a gun that doesn't fire or a car that doesn't start. It literally doesn't do the one thing it was meant to do, which is a pretty serious quality control breach; who knows if this one was inspected at all before being sent out? BUT, I'm going to give the 52100 another try and bet on Spyderco's reputation to come through this time. Thanks again for all of the opinions and input!

[brainfriction]

Just sharpen it, factory edges don't last that long anyway.

[TomAiello]

I honestly never worry about "out of the box sharpness" on my knives. I just use and sharpen them.

FWIW, I've bought cheap CRKT China produced knives that were sharper than any Spyderco out of the box. And the sharpest out of the box knives I've had were Benchmades. But I carry Spyderco's about 100 times as often as CRKT and Benchmade put together.