Para 2 Sprint - Foliage Green w/ Elmax

TDOG1 said:
Got mine in today, would agree with others. Knife was tight. Backed off the pivot screw just a bit and added a drop of oil. Excellent fit and finish. Definitely one of the sharpest out-of-the-box Para's I've had. All in all very nice. Thanks Spyderco and crew.
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I didn't order an Elmax, but the 204P PM2s also seemed to come tight, so it looks like a trend. Mine wore in to perfect very quickly, so I certainly prefer it this way. Golden has definitely dialed in the F&F for sure! Glad to hear people are happy with these as well.
 
tvenuto said:
I didn't order an Elmax, but the 204P PM2s also seemed to come tight, so it looks like a trend. Mine wore in to perfect very quickly, so I certainly prefer it this way. Golden has definitely dialed in the F&F for sure! Glad to hear people are happy with these as well.
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I would recommend not touching pivot screws until you break it in. I think they do a better job getting it right from the factory to be good after break-in.
 
I've had a 204P Para 2 for a few weeks now and it's gone from slightly tight to just about perfect. I did not touch the pivot screws because I wanted to see if this would happen on it's own. These Elmax versions have me tempted, may be a while before we see any more P2 exclusives or sprints.
 
tvenuto said:
I didn't order an Elmax, but the 204P PM2s also seemed to come tight
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I got my 204p from the first batch and it has been in my EDC rotation ever since. It is still tight, almost too tight to function as a one-handed knife- hard to open and hard to close.
 
bdmicarta said:
I got my 204p from the first batch and it has been in my EDC rotation ever since. It is still tight, almost too tight to function as a one-handed knife- hard to open and hard to close.
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I've got a 204P like that, and have been meaning to send it in.
I've had to send a few Para 2's in, but most have been fine.
Some seem to think if they get a smooth one of a certain model they may all be that way, but thats not the case.
You can get one from great, good, to OK, and at times one that may need to be sent in with any version they've made, and that goes for other models as well.
Thats the way it is for any brand of knives in this price range.

Unless I'm ordering a higher dollar mid tech I always have my fingers crossed until the knife shows up, no matter the brand.
 
Got mine today... One thing that really stood out to me was the edge grind. It's been ground with a finer grit than any of the other pm2's i've had.
 
I must admit, after seeing the pics I wanted one before they sell out. Plus, I can't find one anywhere else cheaper and I tried looking. Could someone please explain to me how the whole Para 2 Sprint thing works? How often does Spyderco put out a Sprint Para 2 run? Is it like once a year or once a quarter? I have always owned Para 2's but always used them like they should be, never collected them or anything. I also have a "thing" for foliage green, which I know sounds weird but I think it comes back to liking natural colors.
Also, I would have never bought one if I had to buy the combo. NEVER.
And I know this is a newb question but can you tell its sprint run by a mark on the blade? Plus why the hell are there c.f. versions that are like $500.00 on E Bay? Is it because of their rarity and blade steel?
Thanks for the input guys and take care.
 
I am sorry to have so many questions but I have just one more. What would a Para 2 Sprint run with Earth Brown G-10 and S35-VN be worth in NIB condition. Thanks guys.
 
What about the original paramilitary in black g-10 and CPM-s30vn that is only tip down carry, I think it came out in 2004. Is that a rare one?
 
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Personally, I refuse to support BBS even at a profit! My 1.5 cents.
 
Brendtech189 said:
I must admit, after seeing the pics I wanted one before they sell out. Plus, I can't find one anywhere else cheaper and I tried looking. Could someone please explain to me how the whole Para 2 Sprint thing works? How often does Spyderco put out a Sprint Para 2 run? Is it like once a year or once a quarter? I have always owned Para 2's but always used them like they should be, never collected them or anything. I also have a "thing" for foliage green, which I know sounds weird but I think it comes back to liking natural colors.
Also, I would have never bought one if I had to buy the combo. NEVER.
And I know this is a newb question but can you tell its sprint run by a mark on the blade? Plus why the hell are there c.f. versions that are like $500.00 on E Bay? Is it because of their rarity and blade steel?
Thanks for the input guys and take care.
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Hello. There are three types of spyderco knives: the sprint, the exclusive, and the regular models.

Sprint = spyderco made small batches of a particular knife (I think in order for the knife to be considered a sprint, the number of knives has to be less than a 1000 made...I could be wrong here). Examples of sprints are: the PM2 S90V, the PM2 20CP, the PM2 CPM 154/S90V, the PM1 D2.

Exclusive=a particular type of knife ordered by a dealer to be made. For example: BBS paying Spyderco to make the Elmax PM2 or the M390 Pm2. Other examples include, Knifeworks' 204P PM2, or Cutlery Shoppe's CTS-XHP orange. Just remember...if the knife is an exclusive...then you will only be able to get that particular knife at that particular store. In the case of the Elmax PM2, BBS will be the only dealer to sell this model.

Regular: knife made in larger quantities and can be purchased anywhere (nothing wrong with the S30v PM2. I took mine on deployment to Afghanistan and it worked like a champ.)

There is one exception to these particular knives showing up in other places for purchase. Whether its a sprint or an exclusive...collectors will get their knives earlier than everyone else. These knives have numbers printed on the blade. So, if I were a collector (I'd have my own number)...Spyderco would send my knife to the dealer of my choice, and I would be able to get that knife regardless of the knife being an exclusive or sprint. Usually the collectors editions are knives that have been produced the first or say the first 200 (could be more) produced PM2 Elmax knives are only collectors editions.

The $500 knives you see on ebay are on the secondary market. For one, those knives are hard to get knives with exotic steels (S90v with carbon fiber handles). I think there's one out there for sale at $400 with CTS-20CP (S90v equivalent). Bottom line: these knives were made a few years ago in limited quantities. Highly collectible to some. So, those few people who have them and are willing to sell skyrocket the price...supply and demand.
 
Brendtech189 said:
I am sorry to have so many questions but I have just one more. What would a Para 2 Sprint run with Earth Brown G-10 and S35-VN be worth in NIB condition. Thanks guys.
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This particular knife is an exclusive...not a sprint. I believe Moteng requested this knife from Spyderco a few years ago. Probably worth around $160 given the steel. But, there's not many left so people will skyrocket the price. I think there is one for $230 which is RIDICULOUS for this knife.
 
Thank you so much for the info Spyker1982, its funny, I know (almost) everything there is to know about Reeves, Mayos, and many other customs but Spydercos are no different. They have their history and important knives as well, very cool.
 
The knife comes super sharp this is what happened when I was closing the knife while wearing shorts and it barely touched my leg. Pic was taken 24hrs later :eek:



 
Just got back from a 4 day camping trip where the Elmax was my only knife (other than my SAK Mini-Champ on the keychain). Cut twine/rope for hanging hammocks/tarps, opened food packages, did food prep (kabobs, veggies, sausage, cubed-potatoes, etc.), and a little bit of fire-prep (feathered some Pine Fat-wood, and cut jute rope), as well as some light fishing stuff (cutting fishing line, bait, etc.). It's still got a well sharper edge than my S30V version would have had with the same amount of cutting. Also, I just washed it with soapy water, shook it out and threw it in my pocket each time I used it on dirty stuff, and it seemed to be tight enough that the pivot never got gritty (both of my S30v PM2s have gotten a bit gritty when washing after getting them really nasty).

I'd say that Spyderco did a really great job on the heat treat as this thing holds up as well if not better than my ZTs with Elmax. I never realized how much I appreciate Elmax as a steel until using one in an uber-slicer grind like the PM2. It might be replacing D2 or CTS-XHP as my favorite working steels.
 
I like ELMAX too. I like to think of it as a super version of VG-10. It sharpens up easily and takes a very keen edge with minimal effort and lower than most grits. It holds its razor edge longer than S30V from my experience. Good all around steel.
 
Just got mine today. It has one of the best factory bevels I've seen on any of the Para sprints I've owned. F&F is solid but it is a little tight. I don't have any regrets about the price but it is a shame that it cost more than the M390 version. I'm a sucker for FG G10 so this ones a keeper.
 
Got mine yesterday! A little tight out of the box but a drop of oil & about 500 flicks lastnight & it's perfect. The G10 is much lighter than I expected. More light gray than green but I like it.
 
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