Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
Superflex
Member
Posts: 447
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2019 2:48 pm

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#81

Post by Superflex »

As an owner of seven Para 3's, I'm over the knife. I bought all mine based on steel variations, but find I dont carry any of them like other models I own. The poor lanyard hole placement vs clip location on the G10 models is one reason. The single washer, lack of blade centering and weak wire clip mount on the FRN models is another reason.
Getting a Sage 5 FRN made me realize all the flaws on the Para 3 LW. I have gifted away one FRN model and my other two FRNs are up for sale.
A Cutlery Shoppe wharncliffe would be about the only think that would make me consider another G10 model.
The Para 2 wharnie is a freaking dream
aicolainen
Member
Posts: 1788
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:08 am
Location: Norway

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#82

Post by aicolainen »

If we do a break down of "premium", I'm sure we'll find the subjective definition to vary as widely as with "hard use".
My Para 3's have a more premium fit than any of my Seki's, but if I'm pulling my fancy pants on, I'll rather carry my Knife center Pakkawood DF2. Nothing is objectively more premium on that knife, but it still pulls off a rather premium feel.

I came to remember one thing the P3 pulls off, that is rather rare for me.
I'm admittedly a little hung up on blade to handle ratios. With some rare exceptions I feel it makes functional sense to have as much blade as possible, and it provides an optical balance that more often than not also improves the aesthetics.
The P3 was never in the race to win this contest, but some how it doesn't bother me. The functional side has probably a lot to do what I use it for, where I don't need more edge. And I also think the overall shape looks balanced and visually pleasing.
Important? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt.
User avatar
bleasure
Member
Posts: 270
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2021 5:52 pm

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#83

Post by bleasure »

i agree across the board here. it's a fine knife but unless you want a brick of a 'small' knife, you're better off either larger or smaller in my experience

which leads me to my problem. i've wanted a chap sun and moon for a long time, more than i need to own two para 3s. but i'm having a very hard time deciding which one of these two i should sell to replace with the chap. one is the knifecenter cruwear blacked out smooth g10, the other is the knifeworks 204p forest green g10. which would you personally let go?

Image
User avatar
Mrj
Member
Posts: 2057
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2021 3:28 pm
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#84

Post by Mrj »

bleasure wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:06 pm
one is the knifecenter cruwear blacked out smooth g10, the other is the knifeworks 204p forest green g10. which would you personally let go?

Neither both are awesome. Keep them. Imo both beat the sun and moon.
MRj “Weak things break!”
#0048
User avatar
cabfrank
Member
Posts: 2857
Joined: Sun May 08, 2011 9:07 pm
Location: Northern California, USA, Earth

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#85

Post by cabfrank »

Of those two I prefer the black, but I prefer the LW over both. I'd also prefer the Chap LW over the Sun and Moon, so, not much help I guess.
User avatar
Xformer
Member
Posts: 459
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:33 pm

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#86

Post by Xformer »

Yeah, you 100% right, the Delica actually feels more premium in the hands. But looking at them from a lens, the Para 3 LW has a comp lock, it's more flick able, it has an arguably better steel, that golden colorado more advanced FRN pattern, a wire clip and less screws (The Delica has too much imo, almost as much as a rat 2).
Bill1170
Member
Posts: 2770
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 7:34 pm
Location: San Diego North County

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#87

Post by Bill1170 »

I remember when the Para 3 came out. There was a huge surge of “gotta have it” FOMO. For myself I wasn’t interested because the blade is thicker than I want on a 3”-bladed folder. I do really like the PM2 and own several of them. That’s a size for which the thicker blade stock has some practical value in my uses.

Compared to the Para 3, a FFG Delica costs less, is slimmer in pocket, and performs better ( in my uses) due to thinner blade stock. Nevertheless, I’m glad the Para 3 exists. There are people for whom it is the ideal knife.
User avatar
kennethsime
Member
Posts: 4779
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2011 8:28 pm
Location: California

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#88

Post by kennethsime »

bleasure wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:06 pm
i agree across the board here. it's a fine knife but unless you want a brick of a 'small' knife, you're better off either larger or smaller in my experience

which leads me to my problem. i've wanted a chap sun and moon for a long time, more than i need to own two para 3s. but i'm having a very hard time deciding which one of these two i should sell to replace with the chap. one is the knifecenter cruwear blacked out smooth g10, the other is the knifeworks 204p forest green g10. which would you personally let go?

Image
Personally, I would probably try a blade swap then sell off the black 204p.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15044
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#89

Post by Wartstein »

bleasure wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:06 pm
i agree across the board here. it's a fine knife but unless you want a brick of a 'small' knife, you're better off either larger or smaller in my experience

which leads me to my problem. i've wanted a chap sun and moon for a long time, more than i need to own two para 3s. but i'm having a very hard time deciding which one of these two i should sell to replace with the chap. one is the knifecenter cruwear blacked out smooth g10, the other is the knifeworks 204p forest green g10. which would you personally let go?
...

Well, one thing is clear: You do need a Chap ;), and the Sun and Moon is a cool option

Another thing:; You still do need a Para 3 in order to compare these two pretty much completely different approaches towards "small knife design" :smlling-eyes

So, yes, you could sell one of your Para 3s - but do you have to now (in order to have the funds for the Chap)?
I am sure both of your Paras will not loose value over time but rather increase it - so you could sell one later or even much later?
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
User avatar
Sharp Guy
Member
Posts: 8561
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2016 2:19 pm
Location: DFW, TX (orig. from N. IL)

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#90

Post by Sharp Guy »

cjk wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:13 pm
Sharp Guy wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:43 am
I think it's like a lot of things. People are attracted to the shiny new thing. There hasn't been any new versions of the Para 3 lately. So the hype has died down

...


FWIW,
There was a lime green KnifeJoy satin 20CV exclusive late last year.
There's a purple DLC cruwear exclusive Para 3 at DLT dropping in about 4 days.
Thanks for the heads up. I remember the KJ 20CV but hadn't seen that another purple one is coming. I'm not into purple and already have a M390 P3 plus a 20CV PM2. I also have several more of each. So I'm not really interested in more

For awhile there the P3 exclusives were coming in hot and heavy. Even with the ones you mention they've still slowed down substantially
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
cjk
Member
Posts: 1033
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:51 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#91

Post by cjk »

bleasure wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:06 pm
i agree across the board here. it's a fine knife but unless you want a brick of a 'small' knife, you're better off either larger or smaller in my experience

which leads me to my problem. i've wanted a chap sun and moon for a long time, more than i need to own two para 3s. but i'm having a very hard time deciding which one of these two i should sell to replace with the chap. one is the knifecenter cruwear blacked out smooth g10, the other is the knifeworks 204p forest green g10. which would you personally let go?
....
I'd keep the green one and sell the black one. Pretty much because I like the green.
cjk
Member
Posts: 1033
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:51 am
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#92

Post by cjk »

The Para 3 is a smaller Para Military 2. If that's something you like or want, you win.

Folks on here are often asking for a bigger this or smaller that. And yeah, I'm certainly guilty of asking. I think it's both amazing and endearing when Spyderco listens to the forum and does things like that. :smiling-heart-eyes

I rather like the Para 3, but have a few too many already. I probably won't buy any more unless a wharncliffe blade shows up. I'm more interested in other models at present.
User avatar
billdoier72
Member
Posts: 107
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:10 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#93

Post by billdoier72 »

The Para 3 is one of my top 3 favorite Spyderco models along side the Sage 5 and Native 5.

Growing up in the age of pocket folders, I find it interesting that people consider knives in this range "small".

No offense to anyone but I still laugh on the inside when my 5"2" buddy pulls out his Military. It really does look like a sword in his hands.
Delica 4 VG10 - Dragonfly 2 K390 Warnnie - Chaparral CTS-XHP - Native 5 M4/Rex/45/4v - Para 3 CTS-BD1/Maaxamet/4V/20CV - Lil Native - Cruwear - Sage 5 S30V - Jester 4V
aicolainen
Member
Posts: 1788
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 4:08 am
Location: Norway

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#94

Post by aicolainen »

billdoier72 wrote:
Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:35 am
The Para 3 is one of my top 3 favorite Spyderco models along side the Sage 5 and Native 5.

Growing up in the age of pocket folders, I find it interesting that people consider knives in this range "small".

No offense to anyone but I still laugh on the inside when my 5"2" buddy pulls out his Military. It really does look like a sword in his hands.
Totally with you, mate.
To me the P3 is a full sized work knife. It doesn't have the longest cutting edge, but I usually don't need that. The handle is large enough to support all my fingers in any grip and it's a good, solid grip at that.
Too small to be ideal for gloved use, but that's really not an issue for the use case I have for this knife.

My primary EDC is a DF2, that's a small knife, I'll agree. It's still a big performer though, so I'm not sacrificing performance to go small. After 5-6 years of trial and "error", this is the one that has been the best fit for purpose.
Tristan_david2001
Member
Posts: 986
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 3:01 pm

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#95

Post by Tristan_david2001 »

billdoier72 wrote:
Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:35 am
The Para 3 is one of my top 3 favorite Spyderco models along side the Sage 5 and Native 5.

Growing up in the age of pocket folders, I find it interesting that people consider knives in this range "small".

No offense to anyone but I still laugh on the inside when my 5"2" buddy pulls out his Military. It really does look like a sword in his hands.
I Agree, the 3” blade range is indeed a mid size knife for the class of knife it is-an edc folder that rides in ur pants pocket. Small for a folding pocket knife is really like 2 to 2.5” of blade. like the dragonfly for example. That’s a small folder
:bug-red-white
James Y
Member
Posts: 7994
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Southern CA

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#96

Post by James Y »

Interestingly, in decades past, when men carried mostly multi-bladed pocketknives (so-called "traditionals"), a knife that had a 3" blade was considered large for a pocketknife. For some, a 2.5" bladed pocketknife (roughly the size of a standard-sized SAK) was about the limit of size many would carry. Many preferred small pen knives, the longest blades of which were often only 2.25" long. Back in those times, a Para 3 would have been considered a large knife.

Now, some might say that was because they didn't have pocket clips and just carried down in-pocket. Which may be true. Pocket clips were a game-changer. However, I've heard some men say that when they got their first modern design with a 3" blade, it felt HUGE to them, and felt bigger than they thought it would, because they were used to, and generally preferred, smaller pocketknives.

Jim
User avatar
vandelay
Member
Posts: 320
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:00 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#97

Post by vandelay »

2.5" vs 3" is missing the point a bit, IMO. Take these 3 knives for reference. The para 3 dwarfs the other 2 but it doesn't even have the most sharpened edge length. The para 3 is also the only one that I can get a full hand grip on.
I personally use the 5th pocket test to determine what's large. The para 3 is the only one that doesn't comfortably sit in there.
3-inch.jpeg
I also do agree that it's funny what people call large and small. For a long time, I would have called the ladybug small and the dragonfly medium. My perception has changed a bit after spending a long time around modern knives.
I'm sure there are also people that just need a 4" folder for their work, so a para 3 would feel pretty small in comparison.
User avatar
ZrowsN1s
Member
Posts: 7326
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2016 5:08 pm
Location: San Diego, California USA

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#98

Post by ZrowsN1s »

elena86 wrote:
Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:18 am
They lost the opportunity to design a Delica killer. The blade stock is too thick and ground too thick bte, the blade is wider than it needs to be in the hole area and the handle is slightly shorter and slightly wider than it needs to be. I carry my LW SPY27 one from time to time just because I like the steel and the handle color but most of the time I grab one of my Delicas when I need a similar folder. It’s not too late for a Para 3.2 I guess…

P.S The finger choil is perfect as it is
From a business standpoint, I don't know that I'd want to design a knife that obsoleted one of my most popular designs. But maybe that's just me. :winking-tongue
-Matt a.k.a. Lo_Que, loadedquestions135 I ❤ The P'KAL :bug-red

"The world of edges has a small doorway in, but opens into a cavern that is both wide and deep." -sal
"Ghost hunters scope the edge." -sal
User avatar
Evil D
Member
Posts: 27147
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:48 pm
Location: Northern KY

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#99

Post by Evil D »

Yeah I'm pretty certain that the design process of the Para 3 probably never even included the word "Delica" in the conversation, it's just a smaller Para 2 and in that way it's everything it should be. The blade matches the Para 2's thickness in part because the lock needs that thickness but also because it matches the Para 2. I have no doubt there are people who appreciate the extra sturdiness of the Para 3 who can't legally carry a Para 2, and I think that's ultimately the point here. It's a smaller, length law compliant version of the Para 2.
All SE all the time since 2017
~David
James Y
Member
Posts: 7994
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Location: Southern CA

Re: Para 3 Lovefest, Where Did It Go?

#100

Post by James Y »

Evil D wrote:
Tue Mar 28, 2023 1:24 pm
Yeah I'm pretty certain that the design process of the Para 3 probably never even included the word "Delica" in the conversation, it's just a smaller Para 2 and in that way it's everything it should be. The blade matches the Para 2's thickness in part because the lock needs that thickness but also because it matches the Para 2. I have no doubt there are people who appreciate the extra sturdiness of the Para 3 who can't legally carry a Para 2, and I think that's ultimately the point here. It's a smaller, length law compliant version of the Para 2.

Exactly.

If people want a knife in that size range with thinner blade stock, try a Delica, Native 5, Chaparral, UKPK, etc. If the Para 3 had thinner blade stock, there'd be people who would say it's not thick enough to be in the Military and Paramilitary family.

My Para 3's can slice just fine. As I think I mentioned earlier, its blade's width (height), primary grind and edge geometry are the same as the Military's and the PM2's. The only difference is the length of the blade. Its cutting performance is the same as if you only used the first 2.62" of the Military's or PM2's edges to cut with, yet nobody says that the Military or the PM2 are lacking in the cutting department. Being shorter in length doesn't magically make its blade and edge geometry more obtuse and a worse cutter.

Jim
Post Reply