PM3 LW or Lil Matriarch

[BenB8290]

Hi, guys

I’m torn between the PM3 LW and Lil Matriarch, blue FRN, PE. What do you all think I should get?

[The Meat man]

Lil Matriarch for something different.

Edit to add: Welcome to the forum!

[Wartstein]

Welcome to the forum! :)

Pretty different knives... what will be the inteded use?
For a general EDC I'd get the Para 3 LW (and also consider the Sage 5 LW in the small comp. lock knife arena)

[BenB8290]

Lil Matriarch for something different.

Edit to add: Welcome to the forum!

That’s kinda what I’m thinking! Thanks for the welcome!

[BenB8290]

Welcome to the forum! :)

Pretty different knives... what will be the inteded use?
For a general EDC I'd get the Para 3 LW (and also consider the Sage 5 LW in the small comp. lock knife arena)

Thanks! Glad to be here!

I already do own a fair amount of Spyderco’s and other brand knives. I quite often carry my Salt 2. I watched a review from Nick Shabazz on the PM3 and PM3 LW and wanted them. I then came across a brand new Lil Matriarch with Blue FRN and was captivated by it.

[Sharp Guy]

I have both and, while I like the Lil' Matriarch, I carry a Para 3 much more often. In fact, the Lil' Matriarch rarely gets carried. A more traditional blade shape seems to fit my day to day needs much better.

Now that you mentioned it, I really need to dig out that Lil Matriarch and put it in my pocket some more. Maybe I just haven't used it enough....

[bbturbodad]

I'm kinda partial to the reverse S blade shape so I'm probably not the best person to ask but it really depends on how you plan to use it. I'm a fairly light duty user with 90% of my use cutting cardboard.

Also worth considering to sharpen the Lil Matriarch you'll want a Sharpmaker if you don't already have one.

[kennethsime]

Very different knives. Is it your first Spyderco? I'd recommend the Para 3 LW. Do you already have a few basics like a Delica, perhaps another Para 3? Then I'd recommend the Lil Matriarch for something a little more adventurous. I had the full-size Matriarch 2 for some time, and while I mostly carried it as a last-ditch knife it worked surprisingly well as an EDC.

[standy99]

I would get the PM3 if straight edge was your preference

The lil Matriarch would be a spydie edge if I got one.

[Wartstein]

You could also go for a fully serrated Para 3 LW (that's what I would do anyway if I wanted that model), then you somehow have a bit "Lil Matriarch" in your Para 3...

[jdw]

I would go with a lil Matriarch. It's surprisingly functional for EDC and it will always be easy to pick up a LW Para 3 sometime later if you still want one.

Edit: After some coffee...for about the cost of a lil Matriarch get a recent REX45 LW Native instead of either of the others . It's right in the price range and has better ergos and thinner blade stock than a Para 3. I don't think that you will look back.

[Thunderpants]

I know if I got a Matriarch I'd be bleeding to death within minutes of unboxing, so I'd definitely opt for the other one.

[DSH007]

In my head, this is a bit of an apples to oranges comparison.. they are not especially similar knives.

I have both.. the Para 3 LW definitely sees more pocket time for me. Though I don't carry my Lil Matriarch very often, each time I do, I'm surprised by how useful the reverse S actually is for edc tasks.. plus, there's no denying it's a cool looking knife! Ultimately, the decision is going to be a subjective one.. they are both pretty great knives in their own way.. get the one you like best and don't look back.. or get them both!

[Wartstein]

I would go with a lil Matriarch. It's surprisingly functional for EDC and it will always be easy to pick up a LW Para 3 sometime later if you still want one.

Edit: After some coffee...for about the cost of a lil Matriarch get a recent REX45 LW Native instead of either of the others . It's right in the price range and has better ergos and thinner blade stock than a Para 3. I don't think that you will look back.

I´d also take the Native 5 over the Para 3 in almost every aspect. Para 3 has a bit more cutting edge though, which can come in handy sometimes.

[kennethsime]

I know if I got a Matriarch I'd be bleeding to death within minutes of unboxing, so I'd definitely opt for the other one.

Oh man, ain't it the truth! I don't think I ever cut myself more often or more aggressively than with my Matriarch 2.

[VG10]

PM3 LW. I just didn't have a desire for another knife after I had that one. It's just sort of perfect. Easy to have on you with the light weight and wire clip. Best opening and closing functionality in the history of opening and closing knives. Super sharp, really good ergos and grip. Size is awesome. Big knives are cool, but not always practical. It's my most carried most used knife. If I would have gotten it before all my other knives, I probably wouldn't have so many.

[BenB8290]

PM3 LW. I just didn't have a desire for another knife after I had that one. It's just sort of perfect. Easy to have on you with the light weight and wire clip. Best opening and closing functionality in the history of opening and closing knives. Super sharp, really good ergos and grip. Size is awesome. Big knives are cool, but not always practical. It's my most carried most used knife. If I would have gotten it before all my other knives, I probably wouldn't have so many.

Do you carry this one exclusively? Did you go PE or SE?

[Browncoat]

I will preface this with acknowledging that I do have a bias.
That being said, I would jump on the lil' matriarch. She truly is a fantastic edc option. Once you starting using the reverse-s blade and get used to its geometry, it's magic. The lil' matriarch's curves are just right to give you the benefit of the blade shape while minimizing its drawbacks. SE is better but the PE is no slouch. The lil' matriarch is simply one of my favorites. The only task I've struggled with the reverse-s is chopping on a cutting board.

[zuludelta]

If you can get the Li'l Matriarch now at a good price, I say go for it, it's fairly hard to find at a reasonable price these days. The Para 3 LW is a popular model & will always be in production & readily available at retail. That said, it's been hinted at by Sal that an updated Li'l Matriarch is in the works, so if you're not in a particular hurry to get one, it might be better to wait for that & grab a Para 3 LW in the interim.

It took me a while to warm up to the Para 3 LW—I actually gifted away my first one because I wasn't using it all that much—but I picked another one up earlier this year and for some reason I ended up liking it better the second time around. It's a solid choice for a work knife, and the Para 3 LW's CTS-BD1N steel is a significant step above the Li'l Matriarch's VG-10 in terms of edge retention & corrosion resistance (and VG-10 is already quite corrosion resistant) if those factors are particularly important to you, and it sharpens up just as easily.

Anyway, I think the Para 3 LW offers better overall value than the Li'l Matriarch if you're just looking for a "user" for work, but the Li'l Matriarch, to me, seems to be a much more interesting and fun knife (I don't currently own one though, so take my opinion of the Li'l Matriarch with a grain of salt). I guess the choice comes down to what you're looking for: the better value or the more "enjoyable" knife?