First Spyderco maxamet ?

[Krispy Beats]

Hello everybody from sunny Slovenija :)

Was wondering if you guys could help me decide on which spyderco to buy as my first knife.
Been asking but i don`t know :D also if this type of post exists on forum already maybe point me to it.

Really like para3 maxamet, but am a bit worried about its toughness and the corrosion.
Not shure if i should get this as my first knife... i know its supreme steel for cutting that chips reather then rolls wich is prefered ?
I guess im looking for some advice here, if you could help me please.
Was looking at rex45 too but i think its somewhat simular to maxamet as far as toughness goes ?
If possible tell me a bit about maxamet and pros and cons or offer some advice about first edc.

Thank you in advance, i solute you !
Have a nice day !

[abbazaba]

If you are thinking Para3, I'd seriously recommend the FRN Lightweight. BD1n is a great steel so I wouldn't discourage the base model. It will also sharpen much easier than either of the steels you mention.

Do you already own other "super steels" in other brands and are confident in sharpening them? Maxamet can be a tricky one. REX45 is better for me... It is much tougher and I like the way it cuts better, holds a super fine edge better, and it sharpens quite easily with the right equipment (and skill).

Opinions will vary but I doubt many would recommend Maxamet as your first Spyderco. I say if you have your eye on the Para3, pick up the FRN BD1n version and a Sharpmaker for less than the cost of the Maxamet :)

Welcome to the forum!

[The Meat man]

Welcome to the forum! :)

What sharpening tools do you use? What is your sharpening skill level? What steels are you used to using/sharpening?

How often and how hard do you use your knife and in what environments?

[legOFwhat?]

Hello and welcome Krispy! Personally, I don't think there is a bad Para3, so in my opinion any would be good if you have the tools to keep it up.

[Krispy Beats]

hey guys

ty abbazaba was actualy thinking about the light weight all black one... was afraid fidgeting action is worse then g-10 para3. tell me more about that maybe guys. becouse i would reather pay a bit more for that smoothness. i don`t own any super steels, don`t even have a spyderco yet, this will be my first purchase so thats why i ask, becouse im so new into this, its all a bit overwhealming to me atm. friend is thinking shaman rex45, wich is 200 eur and para3 maxamet i get new 170 eur.
para3 lw black blade i found for 101 eur. As far as sharpening goes , im new to all of it lets put it like that :)

& @the meat man ... ty also for you`r info. sharpening tools... got a few got worksharp field one, got ganzo one (simular to lansky but china) and a few other cheap ones, also ordered fallkniven cc4 :D i use knife sometimes , 90% i want it for fidgeting i guess :D want zohan silky smooth if anything :D i guess maxamet i would cut food with and stuff around the house like rope and plastic cucumber nets and stuff like that, nothing too hardcore, got other knifes i can abuse :) and ye environment kinda humid here, i know maxamet will turn black in time, but the color im not too woried about. i just can`t decide. all imput welcomed.

[SubMicron]

Maxamet is surprisingly tough but is vulnerable to lateral stress. REX-45 is tougher than Maxamet, but not tough like M4. It does however have significant apex strength and through general use, can appear tougher to the end user.

I'm extremely happy with both Maxamet and REX-45.

You could also consider K390.

[Wartstein]

Hello everybody from sunny Slovenija :)

Welcome to the forum, nice to have a representative of the neighbour country to Austria - Slovenija - here! :)

I really love your homecountry, especially the Soca region (great mountain bike area due to the old mule pathes from the first world war) and the Julian alps generally - and of course I summited Triglav several times already!

/ When it comes to Maxamet, I don´t have any personal experience with it.
But from what I know: If you´re not only new to Spyderco but generally new to high end folders and steels and especially sharpening, I´d go with another steel in a first Spydie.

As for the Para 3: Not my personal absolute favorite, but if you like the rather small (for me) size certainly a great choice for a first Spyderco! It offers many "typical Spyderco features" like the ingenious comp. lock or finger choil, and many who know what they´re talking about like this model.
I´d second the suggestion to get the lightweight (except you clearly prefer G10 over FRN) . the CTS BD1N steel (I have it in my Manix 2 LW) really surprised me in a positive way,

[VooDooChild]

For a first spyderco I would suggest going with good old plain vg10 steel or s30v steel. You can get a lot of models in those steels.

Do you want a big knife, a small knife, or a medium sized knife?

Rolling is preferable to chipping, not the other way around.

You have a unique opportunity right now. I would suggest getting a para 3 in spy27 steel.

Edit.
Yeah if I was in the market for my first spyderco right now, and the para 3 caught my eye, then I would definitely try to get the new para 3 lightweight in spy27.

The steel should be a good performing stainless steel similar to vg10. Its the model you want, or at least the model you think you want. It comes in a color that isnt black, which is nice. Thats my suggestion.

[TomAiello]

For your first Maxamet knife, I'd go with the Manix 2 Lightweight.

For your first Spyderco, I probably wouldn't go with Maxamet though (and Maxamet is pretty much my favorite EDC steel).

What's your edge length restriction for EDC in Slovenia? Knowing that might help people make recommendations that are useful to you.

[RustyIron]

Hello everybody from sunny Slovenija :)

Hey, Krisp.
Welcome, from Sunny Socal. By all means, get a Spyderco with some fancy flavor of steel. Otherwise, you'll always be curious and regretful. I like Maxamet. It's not my favorite, but it's what's in my pocket right now as I type.

If I use Maxamet as I would any other knife, the edge lasts a long time. If I do stupid things with it, the edge will become damaged just like any other knife. No steel has magical properties like you see in the video games. That's all make-believe. Through use, as the Maxamet becomes less sharp, you can feel roughness in the edge. Under the scope, you can see that the edge has chipped. That's fine, as all knives become less sharp in one way or another. You asked about REX 45. The behavior is similar, but as it becomes less sharp, the edge doesn't feel as rough. Examination under the scope typically shows similar chipping, but on a much smaller scale. Because of this, it's easier to touch up the edge on the REX 45, and for that, I like it better.

Sharpening will be similar with both steels. You'll probably want to use diamonds.

[Krispy Beats]

ye i still don`t know becouse some say lw and some say g-10 way nicer + maxamet in such price is a steal i think.
im gonna fidget alot more then cut anyway i guess :D it has been decided :D thank you all verry much :D
i will learn how to sharpen, if i haf to watch all videos on youtube :D buy all spyderco sharpeners if i must :D
i like it the most for what i can get on that certain site and manix is like 30 eur more + i wanna try compression lock first.
i buy manix xl one day or something :D thats another topic lol
thank you all again, manny favorite maxamet, some go cruwear, k390... i can get maxamet, no better options there and para looks better to me.

i was first looking at tenacious actualy but then it kinda turned into para3 lw and now im fascinated by how well maxamet cuts (australian guy on youtube cut rope 1050 times) ? d2 was like 198 for comparison :D

and ye gonna get some more stuff anyway... spy27 is nice and i lurned it existed like 2 days ago... and my birthday is 16th nov.
so 16+11 ... Kri-spy27 :D lol
i think i need a tin foil hat now, i love this stuff too much :D

[w3tnz]

Do you have any sharpening experience or equipment? You say this is your first knife?

I would suggest a vg10 delica and a sharpmaker instead.

[TomAiello]

The G-10 definitely has a more 'refined' feel, with free swinging blade, smooth, drop free action, and generally more 'upgraded' fit and finish.

For your first, if you want it to be a 'nice' knife, you might want to go with G-10 to get that 'super nice knife' feel.

Personally, I generally prefer to carry the lightweight, because I'm carrying it to use it, but I definitely get the folks who prefer the G-10. And it definitely makes swapping scales much easier (TeroTuf!).

[SubMicron]

Here's what the tip of a REX-45 blade looks like after penetrating too deep and getting dragged across a few feet of cement with fair amount of pressure.

The cement was accidental however I did feel the impact and just kept going due to being in a hurry. This isnt the first time this Lil Native has had an interaction with cement.

Its extremely minimal and is just simple blunting at the apex. No issue at all.

[Krispy Beats]

ty all :)

[SubMicron]

ty all :)

What did you decide on getting?

The PM2 and Para3 are available at Bento Box Shop in K390.

K390 or REX-45 would ultimately be my recommendation as your first Spyderco.

[StipeK]

Hello, good to see someone near me sharin Spyderco bug :-). I dont recommend maxamet as first, requires some skill and freking stones to sharpen. Cant speak for rex 45, but i have hap40 stretch that is similar, but in lower HRC numbers. If you want to be care free pick up native salt, or straight EDC champ Chaparral frn.

[Sonorum]

hey guys

ty abbazaba was actualy thinking about the light weight all black one... was afraid fidgeting action is worse then g-10 para3. tell me more about that maybe guys. becouse i would reather pay a bit more for that smoothness. i don`t own any super steels, don`t even have a spyderco yet, this will be my first purchase so thats why i ask, becouse im so new into this, its all a bit overwhealming to me atm. friend is thinking shaman rex45, wich is 200 eur and para3 maxamet i get new 170 eur.
para3 lw black blade i found for 101 eur. As far as sharpening goes , im new to all of it lets put it like that :)

& @the meat man ... ty also for you`r info. sharpening tools... got a few got worksharp field one, got ganzo one (simular to lansky but china) and a few other cheap ones, also ordered fallkniven cc4 :D i use knife sometimes , 90% i want it for fidgeting i guess :D want zohan silky smooth if anything :D i guess maxamet i would cut food with and stuff around the house like rope and plastic cucumber nets and stuff like that, nothing too hardcore, got other knifes i can abuse :) and ye environment kinda humid here, i know maxamet will turn black in time, but the color im not too woried about. i just can`t decide. all imput welcomed.

Hello and welcome to the forum! :)

I have many "super steels" but I actually like steels that sharpen a bit easier nowadays. The regular para 3 does not have a bad steel! If it is your first real spyderco I would put my money on a para 3 with s30v + a spyderco sharpmaker rather than a para 3 with a super steel.

Every knife gets dull and needs sharpening and a steel that is difficult can really make it less fun than it has to be.

/ David from Sweden

[kennethsime]

Hey KB,

Welcome to the forum!

The G-10 Para 3 is definitely one of the most fidget-friendly knives around. The LW Para 3 is fidget-friendly as well, but takes a bit longer to break in.

I'm going to join the other recommending you pickup a base-model steel that will be a little easier to sharpen. The G-10 Para 3 in S30V is a great knife. The Para 3 LW in BD1N is also fantastic. Either way, you should save enough over the Maxamet version that you're able to pay for a Sharpmaker as well.

That said, if you really want the Maxamet, go for it. I have one Maxamet knife, and I don't let it get too dull. I maintain it on the brown & white sharpmaker rods, but if I managed to chip it I would definitely want the diamond or CBN rods. Or maybe a fancy guided sharpening system. It's not impossible to sharpen, just takes a lot longer than any of my other steels.

[Wartstein]

Hello and welcome to the forum! :)

I have many "super steels" but I actually like steels that sharpen a bit easier nowadays. The regular para 3 does not have a bad steel! If it is your first real spyderco I would put my money on a para 3 with s30v + a spyderco sharpmaker rather than a para 3 with a super steel.

Every knife gets dull and needs sharpening and a steel that is difficult can really make it less fun than it has to be.

/ David from Sweden

Krispy Beats,

Very good advice coming from David here, imho! (Let´s have a Euro-talk here: Slovenija, Sweden, Austria... not kidding, three of my absolute favorite European countries! - Could even be my TOP three! :) )

- Both the S30V of the "base model" G10 Para 3 and the CTS BD1N of the lightweight are more than decent steels (I happen to have experience with both) and since you are new to sharpening certainly a better choice than Maxamet if you ask me (though to be clear: Never had Maxamet, just read a lot what people I really trust report about it).

- And to save same money and invest it in a sharpmaker is one of the best advices one could give anyway...