Spyderco Forums

So I have two new cruwear blades on their way to me, and I don't know that I can resist the m390 Para 3. Or the lil native 4v.
And yet, in the midst of it all, I may have found my near perfect knife.

This was inspired by Fullflat at Bladeforums. Maxamet blade in the LW body. I finally received the LW yesterday, and I don't know why I waited. Good weight, good balance, very nice contouring, perfect amount of grip. Add to that the wire clip and the better lanyard position, and it is just about perfect. Except the blade steel for an unrepentant steel snob. Now that is fixed, and I can't put it down.



I did find the inner edges of the frn a bit sharp/crisp, so I lightly touched some sand paper to the corners.

This makes me want a whole bunch of Para3 sprints (sorry to all the folks who are sick of them) - but with colored frn. I am typically fairly neutral towards frn (don't love or hate it), and often swap it out for custom scales (UKPK, delica). Not this time.

Awesome

Excellent. :spyder:
I thought about doing this but decided against purchasing 2 knives to get one I'll use, and give the other away. I've done this in the past.
Hoping for future lw para3s in maxamet, rex45, and the longshot - k390.

You know there’ll be sprints. But I understand not waiting.

jpm2 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:59 pm

Excellent. :spyder:
I thought about doing this but decided against purchasing 2 knives to get one I'll use, and give the other away. I've done this in the past.
Hoping for future lw para3s in maxamet, rex45, and the longshot - k390.

I almost put rex45 into the LW. I can't really justify another LW just for the scales/internals. Oddly enough, though - the LW costs less than custom scales and an MXG clip...

Perfect. I definitely need one. :)

Does anyone know if the G-10 versions of the Para 3 will CQI and move the lanyard hole? The relative positions of the clip and lanyard on the LW are really night-and-day better than the G-10 version.

foofie wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:09 pm

... I am typically fairly neutral towards frn (don't love or hate it), and often swap it out for custom scales (UKPK, delica). Not this time.

I know that's not what this thread about, but: Could you?!
I mean swap out the Para 3 lw scales for custom scales? Are their such?
Being linerless and having very thought through FRN scales (and "inner life" of the knife) I wonder if it's not very hard to make decent custom scales for the Para 3 lw...

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 10:17 am

foofie wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:09 pm

... I am typically fairly neutral towards frn (don't love or hate it), and often swap it out for custom scales (UKPK, delica). Not this time.

I know that's not what this thread about, but: Could you?!
I mean swap out the Para 3 lw scales for custom scales? Are their such?
Being linerless and having very thought through FRN scales (and "inner life" of the knife) I wonder if it's not very hard to make decent custom scales for the Para 3 lw...

That's a good question; my understanding is that the compression lock mechanism had to be specifically tuned in order to work properly with the linerless FRN variant. Could this possibly affect ones ability to swap out the FRN with custom scales?

Wartstein wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 10:17 am

I know that's not what this thread about, but: Could you?!
I mean swap out the Para 3 lw scales for custom scales? Are their such?

Not the best pic, but here's a quick picture of the compression lock LW:


I think it could be done. Rather than pockets for the regular liners, you would need a pocket for the compression lock and the face plate (the two metal pieces in center of photo). Would also need some standoffs/spacers for the back screw and the wire clip screw. The hardest part might be the nubbin that holds the compression lock bar: there are two holes - one is held by a screw, the other by a molded nubbin. Very technical term, I know.
Would likely need to add a second screw instead?

All that said - I don't see why anyone would. No one will have an frn mold, so the custom scales would have to be micarta/g10/wood. Would require quite a bit of engineering. Small market of potential buyers, especially when custom scales for the regular nested liners are available.

The simple answer is many parts are molded into the frn liners - one washer, the standoffs, etc. Very well designed frn. The frn UKPK is similar, and Cuscadi did figure out a way to use the same slip joint mechanism in custom scales.