Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

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Ti Rod Tactical
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#21

Post by Ti Rod Tactical »

Midnightrider wrote:
Ti Rod Tactical wrote:...a few more showing how discreet carry is possible with this modification..
That belt looks awfully familiar. Do you remember where you bought it?

My Military sticks out of my back pocket about as much as that para3 seems to in your pic
Yep,...I buy lots of belts at my local Salvation Army! Usually the best $3 to $5 you will ever spend, when you find a quality all real leather one and grab them when available. Some of them I've made into strops,...as it's a cheap source of leather.

I lucked out on one about 20 years ago at a Salvation Army Store, where the buckle was unmarked on the back except for the maker's mark as is often the case with Native American hand made products. But as a longtime bench jewelry repairman and diamond setter at the time (over 35 years before I left that field), I felt fairly certain it was sterling silver, with lots of turquoise stones set also. I paid $4 for it and wore it all the time until....

.....one day I was at an outdoor estate sale in Saratoga Springs, NY, and a guy in the crowd noticed the belt buckle and REALLY wanted it. He offered $425 (about $800 in today's money), ....and I went home with a piece of twine holding my pants up! :)

I like the belts with the snap clips to change out the buckles, as I still have a few Sterling Silver ones made by Native Americans. The one I wear most days is a version of the popular "End Of The Trail", where a seated on horseback warrior is asleep on his mount, spear in hand and head down exhausted. I feel that way sometimes too! :)
Last edited by Ti Rod Tactical on Thu Nov 22, 2018 9:27 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Ti Rod Tactical
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#22

Post by Ti Rod Tactical »

on_the_edge wrote:I applaud your effort, especially since making mods to a knife is uncertain business--we never know if we are going to like them until we do them.
Yes,...very true, but then once you've done a few mods, it gets easier to make that first "cut". I've done many mods over the years, and with my previous 35 years experience as a bench jeweler/diamond setter I know what I'm capable of. Also best to follow the wise advise: "Measure twice, cut ONCE!"

I always use a sharpie fine tip marker to rough in where I want to end up before I cut anywhere, and rough cut just outside that. Finish up slowly and make adjustments where needed. Lots of thinking even before that stage, to consider what I have to work around to get there. Sort of like a personal CQI to my own tastes, and an enjoyable hobby in my spare time.

It might not look like it, but there's about 7-8 hours invested in this project with all the fiddly details. Certainly a factory can't put that much hand time into each knife and sell at a price that makes sense. I always assume I will at least be smoothing up scale and liner edges on any folding knife I buy. ;)
Last edited by Ti Rod Tactical on Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:31 am, edited 2 times in total.
Tdog
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#23

Post by Tdog »

Nice mod's on your knife. I too am not fond of the long clip and it's placement on the P3, or the LARGE lanyard hole. I have the Cru-Wear P3 waiting to be picked up and the short MXG clip in the mail. Don't like the idea of needing to put a clip on a new knife. This will likely be my only P3, I prefer the Sage 5. Thanks for sharing your work and pics, enjoy the knife.
Ti Rod Tactical
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#24

Post by Ti Rod Tactical »

Tdog wrote:Nice mod's on your knife. I too am not fond of the long clip and it's placement on the P3, or the LARGE lanyard hole. I have the Cru-Wear P3 waiting to be picked up and the short MXG clip in the mail. Don't like the idea of needing to put a clip on a new knife. This will likely be my only P3, I prefer the Sage 5. Thanks for sharing your work and pics, enjoy the knife.
I don't own a Sage 5 yet, but the "5" would be the one I'd get if I ever buy one because of the compression lock functionality and uniform grip sides of the handle. I definitely like the hourglass standoffs too as used on the Sage 5, and wish they had used them on the Para 3. The Sage standoffs go "into" the liners, rather than just "sit" on the liner flats like on the Para 3. It's much stronger that way and better at aligning the parts.

I believe the pivot diameter is smaller on the Sage 5, at least it looks that way to me compared to my Para 3, which has a rather beefy pivot hole diameter that I can appreciate. :-) One other "plus" on the Para 3 is the really comfortably LARGE Spydie Hole! It's placement is also better to my hand, as on the Para 3 the hole is offset much more away from the liners, so is easy to get full thumb access.

By the way, that's a gripe I have with my Native 5 Blurple S110V Blade Lockback,....the hole is partially covered by the scales hindering full access, and the skeletonized steel liners prevent cutting enough away to open up the hole.

The blade shape is nice too,...but I'm hesitant because there is one thing I don't like on the Sage 5,...the internal stop pin arrangement. It seems to take too much metal out of the liner around the pivot area, especially at the inside stop of the track on the lock side liner. I'd prefer the Sage with a more traditional stop pin up top like on most knives, and the area around the pivot left intact. I know I'm being overly critical here, but it's the first thing that comes to mind when I see one apart.

Maybe if they changed to a pin about half the width than there now on this, or eliminated that track and secondary stop pin entirely, the liner strength would increase around the pivot. I'm not sure why it was added in the first place, as the heavy stop pin that works as part of the Compression lock functions fine on PM2's, Para 3's, and other knives using the Compression Lock alone as the sole stop pin.

Here's a video to get a good look at the overall internals if you're not familiar with what I'm talking about:
https://youtu.be/O4TyjupQ26c
Last edited by Ti Rod Tactical on Tue Nov 20, 2018 11:20 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Wrathhog
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#25

Post by Wrathhog »

twinboysdad wrote:Clip is a win and needs to be added to CQI. Blade shape is a Jester!
I'm not getting my hopes too high on any improvements with sprints coming out the door left and right.
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Midnightrider
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#26

Post by Midnightrider »

Ti Rod Tactical wrote: Yep,...I buy lots of belts at my local Salvation Army! Usually the best $3 to $5 you will ever spend, when you find a quality all real leather one and grab them when available
Sounds like we have very similar tastes. I have a belt almost exactly like that somewhere
Millies in S110V, CTS-204p, REX 45, PM2/S110v, Native 5/Maxamet, P4/K390, Pacific Salt SE/H1, UK PK
Wants/Wishes (only NIB and EU): Militarys in 52100, Maxamet, Cru-Wear, Manix 2/Maxamet
Yes, Virginia, that's a Purple Haze in my suit pocket :)
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#27

Post by cabfrank »

And here I thought I was simply making a less stabby looking Para 3, but I guess that was a bit of a stretch. ;)

Funny! 8-9 hours of work makes one realize the cost of a new one is not bad, huh?
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#28

Post by Surfingringo »

Personally, I like clips that leave plenty of knife sticking out of the pocket (or waistband). Nobody cares what you are carrying where I live and I like to have something to grab onto when I pull my knife out. I also like stabby tips and lanyard holes, haha. None of that matters, obviously, as you were modifying your knife for you, not me. Excellent work turning the pm3 into something that you are happier with! I mod a lot of my own Spyderco's and I think it is rewarding for all of us to modify a knife to suit our preferences...whatever those preferences may be.
Ti Rod Tactical
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#29

Post by Ti Rod Tactical »

Jazz wrote:Well, isn't that cute. I really like how the clip isn't half way down the handle. Nice work.
Thanks Jazz,...taken from you (a fellow modder par excellence from what I hear :) ), that is a real complement. Feel free to use it anytime,... and I will borrow from you also when I get the chance! :D
Jazz wrote:I don't like deep carry clips, but this knife is just too far out. Simple. Resize and adjust the lanyard hole, and put the clip back a tad and I'll buy one.
...oh,...might a similar Para 3 mod be in your future? :rolleyes: You'll have fun I can assure you....
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#30

Post by timlara »

Nice work! I also thought "mini stretch" when I saw it!

You pretty much fixed all my gripes with the stock design. (Which, admittedly, are nitpicks...but Spydercos are usually so good, nitpicks are all I can come up with.)
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#31

Post by tonijedi »

Congrats on the job, really well done!
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#32

Post by Jazman »

Wow. Very nicely done.
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FCM415
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#33

Post by FCM415 »

For me, narrower handle and blade along with no lanyard hole would have been the ticket.
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#34

Post by spyderwolf »

Like many already said,you made a baby Stretch.I dont like it,but your craftsmanship is impresive.
Enjoy your custom knife!
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Ti Rod Tactical
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#35

Post by Ti Rod Tactical »

Besides looking like a baby "Stretch", I just came across one version of the Spyderco UKPK, and the blade shape there is quite similar to the blade changes I made on my Para 3. It was identified as a "Drop Point" blade,...and the other blade shape I saw on the UKPK was more of a leaf shape.... here shown in a prototype version as well as the other shapes. Not sure if they all went into actual "Full" production though.....
Attachments
Spyderco UKPK Drop Point Blade
Spyderco UKPK Drop Point Blade
Spyderco UKPK Leaf Shape Blade
Spyderco UKPK Leaf Shape Blade
Spyderco UKPK Serrated Sheepsfoot
Spyderco UKPK Serrated Sheepsfoot
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asmith001
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#36

Post by asmith001 »

I'm just ready for a 5" Para4!
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Re: Lots Of Wishing What The Para 3 Might Have Been, I Wish No More :-)

#37

Post by Midnightrider »

Ti Rod Tactical wrote:
Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:07 am
Midnightrider wrote:
Ti Rod Tactical wrote:...a few more showing how discreet carry is possible with this modification..
That belt looks awfully familiar. Do you remember where you bought it?

My Military sticks out of my back pocket about as much as that para3 seems to in your pic
Yep,...I buy lots of belts at my local Salvation Army! Usually the best $3 to $5 you will ever spend, when you find a quality all real leather one and grab them when available. Some of them I've made into strops,...as it's a cheap source of leather.

I lucked out on one about 20 years ago at a Salvation Army Store, where the buckle was unmarked on the back except for the maker's mark as is often the case with Native American hand made products. But as a longtime bench jewelry repairman and diamond setter at the time (over 35 years before I left that field), I felt fairly certain it was sterling silver, with lots of turquoise stones set also. I paid $4 for it and wore it all the time until....

.....one day I was at an outdoor estate sale in Saratoga Springs, NY, and a guy in the crowd noticed the belt buckle and REALLY wanted it. He offered $425 (about $800 in today's money), ....and I went home with a piece of twine holding my pants up! :)

I like the belts with the snap clips to change out the buckles, as I still have a few Sterling Silver ones made by Native Americans. The one I wear most days is a version of the popular "End Of The Trail", where a seated on horseback warrior is asleep on his mount, spear in hand and head down exhausted. I feel that way sometimes too! :)
Ah we don't have anything similar here. People don't throw anything away until it is unsalvageable and perhaps long afterwards ;)
Millies in S110V, CTS-204p, REX 45, PM2/S110v, Native 5/Maxamet, P4/K390, Pacific Salt SE/H1, UK PK
Wants/Wishes (only NIB and EU): Militarys in 52100, Maxamet, Cru-Wear, Manix 2/Maxamet
Yes, Virginia, that's a Purple Haze in my suit pocket :)
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