Pocket knives · owner-verdict comparison
CRKT Pilar vs Spyderco Paramilitary 2: what real owners say
Real owners lean toward the Spyderco Paramilitary 2: 79% of 393 owners recommend it, vs 69% of 84 for the CRKT Pilar.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
69%of 84 owners recommend
69% recommend · 17% neutral · 14% don't
Owners praise
- Outstanding value, a tough workhorse for the low price
- Comfortable, ergonomic grip that fills the hand
- Beloved Voxnaes design and blade shape
Owners complain about
- QC issues and low-end materials (Teflon washers, 8Cr steel)
- Blade ground too thick behind the edge
79%of 393 owners recommend
79% recommend · 13% neutral · 8% don't
Owners praise
- Superb, secure compression lock
- Outstanding in-hand ergonomics
- Slices well, comes very sharp
Owners complain about
- Carries big and wide in pocket
- Delicate tip prone to breaking
- Stiff detent or lock stick out of box
What CRKT Pilar owners say
“CRKT Pilar is my fave but mine has strong detente and isn’t that fidgety if you care about that. And it comes in copper which is nice.”
“Since I bought it, it has been my dominant/ primary EDC knife … honestly my #1 knife I’ve ever owned!!”— OG-BigPapa-KJ on
Reddit
“My Pilar broke.”— @VinnyS9143101982 on
YouTube
What Spyderco Paramilitary 2 owners say
“This is the knife that made me fall in love with knives.”
“Great knife with balanced hardness, ease of sharpening, and corrosion(rust) resistance”— Stormrider001 on
Reddit
“the g-10 grips feel blocky because they didn’t even round the edges at all just squared off. What a disappointment for a $200* knife”— @whatfreedom7 on
YouTube