That being said I started a new job recently and have some disposable income, and people keep saying "if you love the para 3 you'll love the sage 5 more" so I went ahead and bought the BHQ-exclusive M4 Sage 5 with a TiCN-coated blade, mostly because I don't care for S30V and I don't care for black-handled knives, and I didn't already have an M4 knife, so it checked a bunch of boxes at once.
This thread is going to be a side-by-side comparison and use diary about the two knives in order to give other people who are making the choice between the two models more information to help make their choice.
Let's start with a few thousand words:
In the most basic analysis the knives are extremely similar: 3" blade compression lock knives with an opening hole and a forward finger choil. They are both essentially knives that represent the "spyderco recipe" for a good useful knife, compression lock flavor.
You can see a lot of the smaller differences from the pictures, the Sage 5 offers a bit more cutting edge length with a bit less handle length, but the handle doesn't have the "hook" at the pinky end that people with larger hands report can interfere with a comfortable grip, potentially giving more useful hand area. The handle on the Sage 5 is more "squared off" versus the Para 3 that has very curved edges. The FRN texture is also quite different: the Sage 5 has a significantly grippy texture, where the Para 3 is quite smooth.
The blade stock on the Sage 5 is thinner than the Para 3 as well. When I measure both blades behind the edge my Sage 5 is 0.023" where my Para 3 is 0.032". This should in theory result in the Sage 5 cutting well.
With the context that I have been using the Para 3 for much longer, and am thus much more familiar with it, let's talk about how these differences play in carry and use. Also keep in mind that all of the differences I'm discussing are *minute.* Both knives really do function very similarly.
In carry, I find that both knives are fairly unobtrusive, though the rounded corners on the Para 3 does allow the hand to slip in and out of the pocket a bit easier when grasping a phone. The para 3 is also a fraction of an ounce lighter, which I find does make it "disappear" a bit more.
When deploying the Sage 5 I find it sticks in the pocket a bit more, I think due to the FRN texture, so it requires a little more effort to pull out. It also has a slightly weaker detent, so while I have basically never failed to fully deploy my Para 3, the Sage 5 will fail to fully extend and lock on occasion. Also while my Para 3 LW is *buttery* smooth, the Sage 5 has a *very slight* rough feeling when walking the blade out. The deployment issue I'm sure will work itself out as I get used to having to give it a little more oomph and the Sage 5 breaks in, but I would still say that the Para 3 LW has the edge for ease of deployment.
When using the knives to cut cardboard (my most common cutting task that actually tests a blade's cutting ability), I find that the Sage 5 is just a bit better. Again, it is a small bit, and I think the Para 3 does the job just fine, but the Sage 5 has the edge here.
Ergonomically I find the Para 3 LW handle fills my hand out a bit better, and the rounded corners and light weight make it feel more like an extension of my hand rather than an object in my hand. I also have relatively small hands and almost always use the choil. The shallower thumb ramp does feel a bit better than the very steep thumb ramp of the Para, but I think the Para has the edge here.
When stowing the knife, I find the spring tension on the Sage 5 lock bar to be significantly higher. Additionally the lock bar is rounded at the top in a way that the Para 3 isn't, and the lockbar cutout is slightly smaller, the sum of which means that I feel significant pressure on the tip of my finger when disengaging the Sage 5 lock. Both blades swing closed readily when the lock is compressed, although the pivot bushing on the Sage does make it fully close *slightly* more reliably. The Para 3 had a bit of lock stick back when I first purchased it, but the lockbar is now fully effortless to use. The Para 3 does require not having a full grip on the knife for the blade to swing free due to the lack of liners, which when combined with the smooth scale texture has resulted in me dropping the knife while closing a couple of times. The rougher FRN texture on the Sage 5 does again make it a bit more effort to return to my pocket. This category is one of those places where I think the Sage 5 functions a little bit more reliably, whereas the Para 3 functions more effortlessly.
So thus far I am fairly happy with the Sage 5, and I will continue using it to see how my experiences change as it breaks in, but I also cannot immediately conclude that the Sage 5 is actually a straight upgrade compared to the Para 3 LW. The Sage costs more, and while it functions well, it does not function as *effortlessly* as I find my Para 3 LW does. My Para 3 LW truly offers the "it disappears until you need to use it" experience in a way that the Sage 5 does not.
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