Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Folding Knife Discussions | Drop

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Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Folding Knife

May 31, 2019

To everyone curious about the knife... got one at launch after pre-ordering, it’s great! To everyone saying “Why is this priced at MAP, ” that’s actually the point of MAP policies! If Drop wants to be an authorized seller, get the latest products, keep a supplier, and stay in a manufacturer’s good graces, they HAVE to stick with the same MAP as everyone else. And since Spyderco IS the supplier, they could just cut off Drop if Spyderco felt like Drop was bad for business and causing brand erosion. If you want to buy it somewhere else... ok. If shipping is cheaper or you have some store credit here, well alrighty then. Decent explanation of MAP policies: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-minimum-advertised-price-2890196 Ok, back to the knife... This is my first knife over $50, but I have experience from many cheaper ones and I’m up on many of the popular reviewer channels (shout out to @BirdShotIV, @NickShabazz, @Nutnfancy, etc). The compression lock was what first interested me in this knife. Smooth, fast, fairly ambidextrous, and safe from putting your fingers in the path of the blade while closing it was a major selling point for me. Here, it is very smooth... perhaps not AS smooth as it will become with use, but this is the first knife I can spydie-flick, it doesn’t make my thumb sore like an Axis lock will over time, and it’s a stronger lock than a liner/frame lock, button lock, or axis lock. No issue with the blade touching my fingers when I’m holding the lock and the blade closes in the handle. Ok, there are other Compression lock knives, so why is this my first? Well, as a suburban dweller, I like a shorter blade (3” is about perfect and handles all my needs from slicing fruit, cutting chicken with a tough “grilled” skin, breaking down cardboard boxes from my new couch, cutting a memento of cloth off the back of my old couch back to make a cat “home,” etc). The shape of the blade is great, with enough belly that the forward 1/3 of the edge can cut down on a cutting board without getting my fingers in the way. The factory grinding is amazing... there’s the full-flat edge along most of the blade width starting from all the way back to the spine, the “edge” grind, and I don’t know if it’s just mine but I can see a third Micro-grind right at the edge (you can see it reflecting a bit more at this angle in the photo), meaning the final edge is a bit steeper.

This is not as shallow an angle and “slice-y” as a Victorinox pen knife or a Feather safety razor, so maybe it’s not the best for using like an exact-o Blade to cut out little shapes in paper or a photo collage, BUT it will keep a working edge much longer for much lower maintenance, while still being great for all the EDC tasks I mentioned earlier. I have no idea yet how much the steel comp will hold an edge compared to VG-10 and S30-V, sorry I haven't sharpened it yet, but if it's able to get through a whole task, quite rust resistant, and easy to touch up the edge, I will consider it low-maintenance and be happy. I was worried that the thicker blade spine and large thumb hole would be annoying and not carry well, but I think the extra mass and ergos help with the “flicking” and fondling aspect. Speaking of ergonomics, that is largely the reason why I chose THIS model over the original Para 3 (and PM2). My biggest concern about the Para 3 was it’s very squared edges on the G10... along with the extra large thumb hole, it just looked like a knife designed for gloves first, and I just don’t wear gloves often. This Para 3 Lightweight trades epoxy plastic for fiberglass reinforced nylon plastic, and the edges are the smoothest, nicest sculpted FRN I’ve tried yet, even nicer than my Dragonfly (the P3LW has a “matte” texture, slightly less aggressive volcano grip pattern, probably will pick up less pocket lint). The shape of it melts into your hand, and I can easily wrap four fingers around the handle with or without the forward finger choil, or in a reverse grip, making this a super comfortable yet versatile tool to hold and cut with. It's also less than two and a half ounces... a VERY capable knife for a quite low weight. Many people have made a big deal about the original Para 3’s lanyard hole interfering with the pocket clip; well, this time in the lightweight, we definitely have a deep-carry knife that barely shows from a pocket but slides out easily enough if you grip the handle or push/slide the pocket clip up. In the pocket, I arrange it so the knife is clipped towards my hip, and the smooth “spine” of the handle is slightly curving away from my hand as I reach past it. No problems there, though due to length it still is much easier to draw a short knife like the Dragonfly or Ladybug from the pocket while staying seated. Aesthetically (IMO of course), it has less “form” aesthetics than the long continuous curve between handle and blade on the Native series, and some of the swoopy lines on other knives (like my Kizer Vector), but the honest functional look of the knife is appealing to me because you can tell it’s going to be a good tool just from looking at it, and like all Spydercos it looks more unique than “just a knife” (I think traditional looking knives like the Morakniv, Kershaw Skyline, Benchmade Bugout have a certain appeal because of their simplicity, but they “just look like a knife” to me, and thus a bit boring. YMMV). I do wish I could get the scales in blue or a forest green, or just add a touch of flair like a brass lock, brass stand-offs, or brass ring around the pivot to contrast with the black FRN, but I’m sure Spyderco and third parties will come up with more colors and handle scales. I think this knife will be a great bridge between EDC and hiking, as well as useful when I have to break down boxes or cut things like ZipTies when I move to a new house (someday🤞). It is $20-$30 cheaper than the original Para 3, which was a nice deal on top of the weight and ergonomic improvements. Would I have been happier with a compression-lock Sage, a Smock, or a Benchmade Bugout? Well, I would have spent more and had a heavier tool (except with the bugout). I don't know if they would have left me happier, but the Para 3 has been fiddle-fun and satisfies me.

(Edited)

May 31, 2019

ScottieG

253

May 31, 2019

EvshrugThanks for putting in the time for your write up. You touched on the key points and did not get into the trash talk that happens here. Realistically, this drop will work if the overseas shipping costs are reasonable. For the United States, this is the going retail price, which often includes free shipping. Still, if a US buyer chooses to get in on this drop, they will not pay a premium and have very little to complain about, besides the slow shipping.

May 31, 2019

Evshrug

3773

Community

May 31, 2019

ScottieGThanks Scottie! Just trying to help, share my findings. I liked your review too. I didn’t bother mentioning the one bronze washer (I could take one of the FOUR in my Kizer Vector, but the Para 3 already opens more smoothly anyway), as well as some other things because I just wrote from my phone (I’m a glut for punishment, I know). Do you think I should share some more pictures, or do you have any Q’s about yours vs mine?

May 31, 2019

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