Para 3 LW poor scale grip vs D4

[MrMatnenko]

Want to share my disappointment in P3 LW scale texture. Can't get used to its slippery glossy edges. I was sure, the FRN quality was the same as on Delica 4, which I love for it's handy proportions and great grip of small handle. Never ever slipped out of my hand. Otherwise, P3 LW always tends to jump out of my fingers. Added to this, shifted balance towards the blade.
Any YouTube reviewer had mentioned this drawback.
Does anyone else have the same claims? Does smth wrong with my hands/P3 LW/anticipation?
Need someone to calm my down, or I'll trade it off)
Here's some pics of two scale side by side, where you can see the difference in edge texture.

[metaphoricalsimile]

Yeah, the texture on the smooth areas of the Para 3 LW is my only big gripe with the knife, but it does put a sour taste in my mouth having the knife be *this* close to EDC perfection and miss it in a way that you notice every time you handle the knife.

Personally, once I have it in a cutting grip it's fine, but manipulating the lock and opening, especially with the compression lock, you tend to have much less of your hand on the knife and the smooth texture of the scales just makes me feel like I'm going to drop it.

[VooDooChild]

The para 3 lw has a shallower bidirectional texture than any of the other large size knives with bidirectional texture. The "ridges" on every "scallop" arent as deep.

Im not sure why it is that way.

Since I always use the choil grip on the para 3 I dont have any problems with it slipping though.

[knifemovieguy]

I prefer Para3 LW grip over Delica one. For me it offers better ergos than any Spyderco i’ve tried, Manixes and Natives are both on the second place. The only slippy knives for my taste are BM942/707/710.

[Wartstein]

Yeah, the texture on the smooth areas of the Para 3 LW is my only big gripe with the knife, but it does put a sour taste in my mouth having the knife be *this* close to EDC perfection and miss it in a way that you notice every time you handle the knife.

Personally, once I have it in a cutting grip it's fine, but manipulating the lock and opening, especially with the compression lock, you tend to have much less of your hand on the knife and the smooth texture of the scales just makes me feel like I'm going to drop it.

I am not really a Para 3 fan, but I also think that it just must be very safe in hand, as long as one uses the choil - which presumably most will do, given that the grip area between choil and "hook" at the end is not too long. If using the choil the index finger should be locked in that choil, and then the pinky is "locked" before that "rear end hook". Super-secure imho, and texturing should not matter at all when holding and using the knife.

Operation of the comp.lock - or better said how most people seem to operate the comp.lock - is a different story indeed. When I think back to my Kapara, when closing the knife one handed in the typical "comp.lock manner", it was pretty unsafe in hand, due to the smooth CF scales and the small tab and cutout (actually one of the reasons I sold the Kapara - it was just clearly "unsafer" in outdoor use than my backlocks or linerlocks).

Never thought of this, but perhaps it would be an improvement of FRN comp.lock knives if Spyderco considered how they typically are held during lock operation - and make the areas where the fingers sit while lock operation coarser/more grippy?!

[Salty Dog]

It happens to me too mate, with dry or slippery hands ive had it come out of my hand opening, numerous times.
I much prefer the squarer edges on the native 5 frn
The edge of the p3 is too smooth and rounded.

[nerdlock]

That, as well as the off-centering issues, are my only gripes with this otherwise "almost" perfection of a Spyderco design. Shame because the rounded ergonomics is one of the best ever I have used in Spyderco, or any other lightweight knife for that matter. I have all the sprints and exclusives so far and if only they could CQI these issues, I feel that we'd have a runaway winner in the lightweight EDC knife category.

[Wartstein]

....
I much prefer the squarer edges on the native 5 frn
The edge of the p3 is too smooth and rounded.

Rarely ever someone prefers the squarer edges... but your reasoning actually makes srnse.
So if a folder is one that does not get used to hard or continually for a longer period of time, squarer edges might actually be not a con...

[Leksy]

Due to that slippery handle, I had accidentally dropped my P3 Spy27 on a concrete surface, and chipped the very tip of the blade. Sadly, I'm still can't get used to P3LW ergonomics, and mostly edc my Native salt, Pacific, or even BM943 instead of Para3.

[Evil D]

I think ergonomics should always be the deciding factor in a secure grip, but I do tend to prefer a little texture too unless it's a fancier polished grip.

[Henry_P]

I don’t know why Spyderco can’t take their Seki formula and apply it to the Golden knives? I really much prefer the Japan FRN to the US one. It has a sort of micro texture that the US FRN doesn’t.

[metaphoricalsimile]

I don’t know why Spyderco can’t take their Seki formula and apply it to the Golden knives? I really much prefer the Japan FRN to the US one. It has a sort of micro texture that the US FRN doesn’t.

I've worked in injection molding before and it's not the type of plastic used that's at play here, it's the finish texture of the mold. The Seki molds have been bead blasted, where the Golden molds have a smoother texture. Now bead blasting the molds could do the trick, but they would probably also have to dial in their injection molding process to overcome the additional friction of a textured mold, which might require more R&D time and money than you might guess. That being said, I think it would be a worthwhile change, but it's not necessarily as simple of a change as people might think.

[MrMatnenko]

I don’t know why Spyderco can’t take their Seki formula and apply it to the Golden knives? I really much prefer the Japan FRN to the US one. It has a sort of micro texture that the US FRN doesn’t.

thank you for this information. I haven't taken into account, the scales are of different origen!!

[gull wing]

Para 3 LW grip is great, one of the best I have. Native 5 LW isn't bad either.
À chacun ses goûts

[RadioactiveSpyder]

When Eric showed me the Caly 3.5 prototype a while back at the OKCA show, I immediately noticed it likewise had the shallower, less grippy FRN texture like the P3. I love (LOVE) the Caly 3.5 and to have it presented like that was a bit of a let down, and I certainly let him know that. I’m still very concerned about this, and this thread reminded me of it. Given the Seki vs Golden difference noted here, the hiccup in that formula is the Native 5, which in my opinion has the “proper” texture as well. Cheers, Radioactive

[kennethsime]

I enjoy that the Para 3 LW has more contoured scales, but then I'm really learning to love contours. Makes for an easier, more comfortable carry. If you prefer hard edges, you might like the Native 5 better.

[Matus]

I love the shape of the P3 LW handle and can even live with the smooth (a bit slippery) edges, but the grip is a little too short when chocking back and putting a thumb on the spine. But since there will apparently be a LW PM2 as some point, so I am not going to complain too much about the P3 LW (which IS a great knife)

[Salty Dog]

....
I much prefer the squarer edges on the native 5 frn
The edge of the p3 is too smooth and rounded.

Rarely ever someone prefers the squarer edges... but your reasoning actually makes srnse.
So if a folder is one that does not get used to hard or continually for a longer period of time, squarer edges might actually be not a con...

Yes mate, I always grab my native 5's over my p3lw for that reason, they just feel better in the hand for light work.

[JRinFL]

I’d love to see some videos of these “defects” in action, because I’ve not found the same issues others are reporting. Everyone’s skin texture, grip strength, dexterity, and usage are different.

[TkoK83Spy]

I've seen these kinds of threads pop up quite a bit, talking about the difference between Seki and Golden FRN. I've never really given it much thought until now, in how that pertains to me personally.

My first Spyderco was a Manix 2 LW. Though I loved the ergos, lock and blade shape...I just couldn't get into that plastic feeling handle and eventually gifted it to my brother in law as a camping knife.

After a couple years, I decided to give the Para 3 LW a try when it first dropped since I was still pretty fond of the G10 version at that point. I ended up having the same feelings as I did with the Manix, though I did like the frn a tad better than the frcp of the Manix.

I then gave the Native LW a try when it dropped in Rex45, since I had still never handled a Native of a any kind. I again had the same negative feelings towards the scales. I went 0-3 with Golden frn and just came to the conclusion that I don't like frn.

As I think about my current collection, that I'm extremely content with and really have to force myself to try and part with any knife...I realize that I have 5 Seki frn knives, and enjoy all 5 of those knives...frn included.