Help me decide which spydie to buy next

[Johnnyblaze]

I need you spyderco pros to help me decide which knife is right for me.
I already own a pm2 dlc/camo and really love it.

I have relatively large hands (size 9-10) and the pm2 fits my hand perfectly.

I‘m looking for a smaller lighter knife for edc
No knife shop nearby so only option is online
Right now I‘m torn between
Native 5 lw
Chaparral lw
Or wait for para3 lw

Every opinion is appreciated

[sal]

Hi Johnnyblaze,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[The Meat man]

Welcome to the forum Johnny! Nice to have you here.

Of those three you mention, the only one I have is the Native, in Maxamet steel. In fact it's in my pocket right now. Great knife, with outstanding ergonomics. You certainly couldn't go wrong with that. :)

[p_atrick]

I'm a big fan of the Sage line. It is a smaller knife (3" overall blade, about 2.6" cutting edge), but I can get my entire hand on the knife with a bit of room to spare. It is a very comfortable model. There is a Sage LW in the works, but you'll be waiting for some time (it hasn't appeared in a Reveal yet). The Sage 1 and 5 have the peel-ply CF, so I bet they are light enough for your needs. I have not tried the other models, so I can't say if the Sage is better. It works for me, and I am very happy with my purchase.

[bgcameron]

I just picked up a Native 5 LW and it is a lot of knife for it's size. I am impressed how sturdy the handle is even without liners.

[Halfneck]

I vote for the Chaparral LW.

I wear L to XL gloves and find the ergonomics of the Chaparral LW fine. Sure a Para 2 feels better, but it's a full sized knife. The Native 5 LW and Para 2 LW are smaller, but not so much as to make a big difference in deciding to carry them over your Para 2.

[Wartstein]

I need you spyderco pros to help me decide which knife is right for me.
I already own a pm2 dlc/camo and really love it.

I have relatively large hands (size 9-10) and the pm2 fits my hand perfectly.

I‘m looking for a smaller lighter knife for edc
No knife shop nearby so only option is online
Right now I‘m torn between
Native 5 lw
Chaparral lw
Or wait for para3 lw

Every opinion is appreciated

Welcome to the forum!

My vote goes to the Chap lw. Virtually the same edge length as the Native, in a clearly smaller (shorter and especially thinner) package.
Better slicer also. Sure the bladestock is thinner than on the Native, but the knife is easily strong enough for any EDC task.

Only possible negatives compared to the Native: The backlock is great (no bladeplay) on both, but the Chaps will be a little less thumb-friendly.
And the handle of the Native is more handfilling, which imho does not matter though concerning tasks you'd use such a small knife for.

Steel: I like CTS HXP (Chap) a little better than S30V (basic Native model), but more in theory. Don't think that in normal use you will be able to really tell a difference.

The Native sure is a very good knife, and many love it. But I personally even sold my Native to fund a Chap. Just me of course.

Para 3 lw: Obviously I never handled one , but I am almost sure that I'd prefer the Chap over it. But: I am a backlock-guy, therefore biased.

[Wartstein]

I vote for the Chaparral LW.

I wear L to XL gloves and find the ergonomics of the Chaparral LW fine. Sure a Para 2 feels better, but it's a full sized knife. The Native 5 LW and Para 2 LW are smaller, but not so much as to make a big difference in deciding to carry them over your Para 2.

Same here: handsize between L and XL, the Chap has very good ergos for me taking into account that it is a small knife.

[Dodge]

Wait for the para 3 lw!

[SG89]

Wait for the para 3 lw!

Thisx1000

[tjsblade]

If you want thinner blade stock, a real slicer then the Chap LW. Thicker blade stock same as your Paramilitary, then get the Para 3 LW which is expected to be out soon.

[legOFwhat?]

Welcome!

Can't go wrong with a para 3. Dragonfly 2 makes a great little EDC knife as well.

[TkoK83Spy]

For someone fairly new to the game, you sure narrowed it down to some great choices.

I'm going to say the Chaparral LW as well. Such a great little slicer. Compliments the PM2 very well. A combination I've carried myself many times.

[vivi]

I've got pretty big hands. Out of your options, I'd go with the Native. I find it the most comfortable of the bunch.

Alternatively, I'd suggest looking at the Salt 2. Salt 2 is a little undersized for my hands but might fit yours well. Pacific Salt fits me perfect but that's the same size as your Para 2. Both are 100% rust proof and are lighter than your Para 2.

[wrdwrght]

OP, each of the Spydies you mention has a devoted following, and for good reason.

I’d say, go with the Chap. It differs—in a good way—from the PM2 more than the other two.

But don’t be surprised if you end up with the others, eventually. This place makes the prospect almost inevitable.

[MichaelScott]

Chaparral LW

[Sumdumguy]

I need you spyderco pros to help me decide which knife is right for me.
I already own a pm2 dlc/camo and really love it.

I have relatively large hands (size 9-10) and the pm2 fits my hand perfectly.

I‘m looking for a smaller lighter knife for edc
No knife shop nearby so only option is online
Right now I‘m torn between
Native 5 lw
Chaparral lw
Or wait for para3 lw

Every opinion is appreciated

Welcome aboard!

My vote goes for the Native 5 Salt. Even with large hands you can use it comfortably without the choil, the lack of a hump also gives it a nice hold and LC200N is the cat's pajamas.

The Chaparral might also work. I have not tried one yet, so I cannot speak for the ergonomics, but a thin blade is a nice feature to have.

I cannot recommend a Para 3 for someone with large hands. I have purchased multiple of them and sold them all. I can never get past the fact that I have to use the choil for it to be comfortable, especially on this large of a "small knife".

[vivi]

My vote goes for the Native 5 Salt. Even with large hands you can use it comfortably without the choil, the lack of a hump also gives it a nice hold and LC200N is the cat's pajamas.

I cannot recommend a Para 3 for someone with large hands. I have purchased multiple of them and sold them all. I can never get past the fact that I have to use the choil for it to be comfortable, especially on this large of a "small knife".

I thought I was the only way that felt like that about the Para 1 and Para 3.

In a tiny knife like a Dragonfly I don't mind it, but not on a knife large enough to offer a full grip with no choil. I'd rather use something with a handle shape like the Tenacious in that case.

Native Salt is a good suggestion, I should have specified that version in my post.

I think the Chap is a nice design, but I find the Caly 3 and UKPK more comfortable.

[BLUETYPEII]

My vote is for the Native but get the Native Salt. I doubted how good the Native was before I bought it because I never held it in hand. It is extremely comfortable in hand just melts in, super light weight but heavy-duty enough you can get serious work done with it and not worry about damage. Plus if you get the salt it’s rust proof and how can you go wrong with rust proof?

[Wartstein]

My vote goes for the Native 5 Salt. Even with large hands you can use it comfortably without the choil, the lack of a hump also gives it a nice hold and LC200N is the cat's pajamas.

I cannot recommend a Para 3 for someone with large hands. I have purchased multiple of them and sold them all. I can never get past the fact that I have to use the choil for it to be comfortable, especially on this large of a "small knife".

I thought I was the only way that felt like that about the Para 1 and Para 3.

In a tiny knife like a Dragonfly I don't mind it, but not on a knife large enough to offer a full grip with no choil. I'd rather use something with a handle shape like the Tenacious in that case.

Native Salt is a good suggestion, I should have specified that version in my post.

I think the Chap is a nice design, but I find the Caly 3 and UKPK more comfortable.

I am planing to do a dedicated thread about this anyway (choil vs no choil, recent trends concerning this topic and so on), but I am courious:

The way you describe it, it sounds like what your issue with the Para 3 is, is my issue with the Native (since I have quite large, but sure smaller hands than you have): Let me repeat, if I got it right: If the sheer length of a handle COULD offer a full four finger grip JUST on the handle itself (so without using a choil), but does not, cause a choil places the guard to far backwards and leaves only room for three fingers behind it, you don´t like it?

If it´s that what you mean, it is exactly what I don´t lke on the Native but do like on the Chap or on the opposite on a bigger knife than the Native:

Native: The dimension of the handle in length WOULD be enough to offer a four finger grip for me; due to the choil and hence the guard beeing quite backwards it does not; so I have to use the choil though the handle would offer a four finger grip given it´s length if it was designed differently (without a choil) - I don´t like that.
Chap: The handle in it´s hole length would be too short anyway to offer a good four finger grip for me, so the choil is just fine (much like in the DF, where this is even more obvious) - I like or better even NEED the choil
For example PM2: The handle offers a four finger grip BEHIND the choil, so I don´t mind the choil