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
Owners of both knives highlight comfortable, confident ergonomics and a build that stands up to hard use. Spyderco Paramilitary 2 owners praise its secure compression lock, years of hard-use durability, excellent slicing and the wide range of steels and scales to choose from, though they note it carries big and wide, has a delicate tip that breaks, and can ship with a stiff detent or lock stick. CRKT Pilar owners frame it as an outstanding-value, tough workhorse that's cheap enough to beat on, with a comfortable grip and a beloved Voxnaes design and smooth deploy, but flag QC issues and low-end materials like Teflon washers and 8Cr steel, plus a blade ground too thick behind the edge to slice thin. EDC users wanting a customizable, lifetime hard-use folder that slices well lean PM2, accepting its size; those wanting a cheap, comfortable beater they won't worry about losing or abusing lean Pilar, accepting its thicker grind and rougher QC. The choice hinges on whether a premium do-everything platform or a low-cost, replaceable workhorse fits the buyer's priorities.
“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.”— reesa447 on Reddit
“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
“This is the knife that made me fall in love with knives.”— @edsaban572 on YouTube
“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
Owners of both knives highlight comfortable, confident ergonomics and a build that stands up to hard use. Spyderco Paramilitary 2 owners praise its secure compression lock, years of hard-use durability, excellent slicing and the wide range of steels and scales to choose from, though they note it carries big and wide, has a delicate tip that breaks, and can ship with a stiff detent or lock stick. CRKT Pilar owners frame it as an outstanding-value, tough workhorse that's cheap enough to beat on, with a comfortable grip and a beloved Voxnaes design and smooth deploy, but flag QC issues and low-end materials like Teflon washers and 8Cr steel, plus a blade ground too thick behind the edge to slice thin. EDC users wanting a customizable, lifetime hard-use folder that slices well lean PM2, accepting its size; those wanting a cheap, comfortable beater they won't worry about losing or abusing lean Pilar, accepting its thicker grind and rougher QC. The choice hinges on whether a premium do-everything platform or a low-cost, replaceable workhorse fits the buyer's priorities.
Owners point the CRKT Pilar at eDC carriers wanting a cheap, replaceable beater, and tradespeople and factory workers needing a tough cutter.
Owners point the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 at eDC users wanting a do-everything work knife, and enthusiasts who love the compression lock and fidgeting.
The most-cited downside of the CRKT Pilar is qC issues and low-end materials (Teflon washers, 8Cr steel). For the Spyderco Paramilitary 2, it's carries big and wide in pocket.