I know it's been done a thousand times before, but, having in front of me some of the last iterations of both models, i’ll try a brief comparison.

At a first glance
The 710 has a great blade-to-handle ratio and is much more compact than the Millie, which makes it great for edc purposes. However, the Military is well known for the ‘shrinkage factor’: at first you find it huge but after the 1st week of edc-ing it just becomes the right size, shape & weight while all your other folders seem small and inadequate for any job and you keep on wondering how did you get along with them in the first place…



Blade
Although both can be included in the generic ‚drop-point’ cathegory, the resemblance stops here. Millie has a needlepoint tip and a generous belly, while the 710 sports a mild recurve . I‘ll admit that I haven’t really pushed the M4 blade over the limit so far, so I won’t comment on edge abilities.



Handle
Millie wins hands down: anatomic curvatures, multiple grips and the best G10 in business. The retention on the 710 is somehow impacted by the conservative lines of the handle and the slick G10 used (although the Rift proved that Benchmade knows how to ‘bake’ a proper G10). Also, for my use, the thumb ramp & choil on the Millie offer more purchase than the indented liners of the 710. The width of the handle is about the same on both.



Locking system
With the axis lock, the possibility of vertical bladeplay is removed from the very start, while lateral blade play can be corrected with patience, Militec and a Torx 10 driver. The Military has an outstanding liner lock, concave blade ramp to compensate for wear and really feels like a fixed blade when locked. As much as I enjoy the fun-factor of the axis, the liner-lock found on the Military is currently my favorite locking system. It is light, has no moving parts, is easy to clean and performs well even in the most appalling conditions of dirt, mud, dust & abuse.



Opening
Both can be operated ambidextrous, but, while operating a Millie is a no-brainer, opening the 710 can be tricky sometimes, as you have to push the thumbstuds not forward, but slightly lateral, as they are placed very close to the handle. Then, of course, on axis locks you have inertia opening so this is really not an issue.

Clip & carry
I’m right-handed and I like both tip-up & tip-down, so I can easily adapt when using one or another. The 710 is more compact and carries well in the RFP. The Millie is unbelievably light for its size and carries great IWB.



Fit & finish
The looks of the Military would have gained some by using black screws & pivot pin. Benchmade still has some room for improvement on inserting the backspacer, which isn’t quite aligned with the liners. Moreover, the backspacer is Delrin on the 710, while Spyderco switched to Aluminum. Still, this is a non-issue as you can replace it with standoffs.



Out-of-the-box sharpness
Mili was frightening sharp out-of-the-box, as Spydercos usually are, 710 was a little behind but good anyway, way better than some other Benchmades that I've owned (my D2 710 was so dull it could hardly cut a loath of bread).



Mili is dead centered, 710 is a hair off but not enough to bother me.



I like and use both and I really think no knife collection is complete without both.

got a digi mil,good knife........

Thanks for the great pics. The Millie's about the only Spyderco knife I'd go after. I had a couple and thought highly of them. Probably among the best locking liner knives around.

Thanks for the comparison. From the positive things that I've heard most, including yourself, say about the Military, I have been really tempted to get one myself, but, at least for the time being, I'm stepping away from bigger folders. I will have to keep that one in mind when I begin to like bigger folders again though...

There is nothing at all wrong with comparing the 710 with the Military, but for a closer comparison, the 806D2 is 1/2" bigger than the 710 and matches very well to the size and arched shape of the Military.

Thanks fellas. I now feel a sudden urge to buy a Millie and my first 710.

Always fun to compare knives, and to read the reviews of others. Even if the knives have been compared before, no two people are going to give quite the same perspective.

Have both of these knives, scored on an older Millie a while back, an older 440v model. Thin, light, love the texture on the g-10. Also like the wide, full flat ground blade, it sees a decent amount of carry. Like the position and feel of the coarse jimping. Have a Mili, Delica and a Native, like'em all- oh yeah, almost forgot about the newly acquired Mini Manix, may be my favorite Spydie. I like my BMs, but am glad to own a Mili- nice knife.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tenman,

I got my first Military a while ago... Its really true what they say, at first it feels huge and you're thinking "the handles are way longer than they need to be..." But after its in your pocket for a while, you completely forget its there... It rides really nice, and I've really come to like the longer handles that the Millie offers.. A true product of greaet design and engineering.

Thanks for taking the time to compare the two, you did a great job.

One knife strikes me as a great comparison to the Millie is the 740 Deja. Not sure if it's been mentioned, but they are very close in blade, overall length, and design.

Hand me either, I'd say "Thanks!"

I should also mention that the only Spyderco's I own so far are all Militaries. I do like the knife and agree with your review. A couple things to add: All of my Militaries are lacking in smoothness on opening. It's almost like there are no washers in there. The 710 & 806 never have that problem. The reason the Millie is my favorite Spyderco is because some of their other knives just look goofy to me. The Millie is more like an AFCK. Finally, I don't see any advantage in buying Spyderco's CF over their standard G-10. They both feel a bit like "stone". BKC's CF feels more like a fabric and BKC's G-10 feels more rubbery, like a conveyor belt.

-fj