Para3 cpm 15v BBB

[Mrj]

Not sure if this thread is the right one. But it had the right title. I consider myself a Para 3 connoisseur. With that said I have seen a lot of Para 3 blades. Many have different steels and coatings. Some from time to time have uneven grinds or blemishes. So I don’t normally have any complaints or at least voice my opinions but I want to share the latest version of Para 3 I just received. I’m not complaining and I’m very excited to use my new knife. This is how my newest piece arrived.



After I use the edge up I will rep reprofile it. I only was posting this because I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about lock stick, scratches, uneven edges, and more. I understand the concerns when spending over $100 for something you want it perfect. But even for me someone who collects Para 3’s I respect the fact that it’s a tool first. No tools are made perfect. They all have their own characteristics making them unique. Also 15v, Rex 121, and K390 are really difficult to make perfect. Like I said not complaining just speaking my mind. Sharing my thoughts. Carry on.

Well I'm sorry to see that.

If you cover the price of shipping, I could put a custom edge on there for you free of charge.

Happy New Year.

Thanks for the support.

Oh wow! I’d be honored if you sharpened my 15v. I wasn’t expecting that but I will definitely take you up on that offer.

Yeah go ahead and private message me and let's get it taken care of.

-shawn

Done

[JSumm]

Not sure if this thread is the right one. But it had the right title. I consider myself a Para 3 connoisseur. With that said I have seen a lot of Para 3 blades. Many have different steels and coatings. Some from time to time have uneven grinds or blemishes. So I don’t normally have any complaints or at least voice my opinions but I want to share the latest version of Para 3 I just received. I’m not complaining and I’m very excited to use my new knife. This is how my newest piece arrived.



After I use the edge up I will rep reprofile it. I only was posting this because I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about lock stick, scratches, uneven edges, and more. I understand the concerns when spending over $100 for something you want it perfect. But even for me someone who collects Para 3’s I respect the fact that it’s a tool first. No tools are made perfect. They all have their own characteristics making them unique. Also 15v, Rex 121, and K390 are really difficult to make perfect. Like I said not complaining just speaking my mind. Sharing my thoughts. Carry on.

I noticed you mentioned lock stick. I got my Para 3 LW 15V and the edge is great but I am getting some pretty bad lock stick. It probably sticks every 4th or 5th lockup, but when it stick it really sticks. When I put enough pressure on the compression lock it releases making a click when it hits the side.

I am going to take it apart, clean it and maybe even run a very fine stone in the lock area to make sure there is no burr or something else. I already oiled with no luck. I will also keep working the action for a few weeks to see if it improves.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience something similar? BTW this is probably my 20th Spyderco and the only time I have had a slight issue.

Thanks

Try loosening and rotating the lock bar a few degrees then tighten it back up. Just don't over tighten it. This usually is the quickest and easiest way. If that doesn't work you can polish the contacting surfaces just a bit.

[WilliamMunny]

Not sure if this thread is the right one. But it had the right title. I consider myself a Para 3 connoisseur. With that said I have seen a lot of Para 3 blades. Many have different steels and coatings. Some from time to time have uneven grinds or blemishes. So I don’t normally have any complaints or at least voice my opinions but I want to share the latest version of Para 3 I just received. I’m not complaining and I’m very excited to use my new knife. This is how my newest piece arrived.



After I use the edge up I will rep reprofile it. I only was posting this because I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about lock stick, scratches, uneven edges, and more. I understand the concerns when spending over $100 for something you want it perfect. But even for me someone who collects Para 3’s I respect the fact that it’s a tool first. No tools are made perfect. They all have their own characteristics making them unique. Also 15v, Rex 121, and K390 are really difficult to make perfect. Like I said not complaining just speaking my mind. Sharing my thoughts. Carry on.

I noticed you mentioned lock stick. I got my Para 3 LW 15V and the edge is great but I am getting some pretty bad lock stick. It probably sticks every 4th or 5th lockup, but when it stick it really sticks. When I put enough pressure on the compression lock it releases making a click when it hits the side.

I am going to take it apart, clean it and maybe even run a very fine stone in the lock area to make sure there is no burr or something else. I already oiled with no luck. I will also keep working the action for a few weeks to see if it improves.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience something similar? BTW this is probably my 20th Spyderco and the only time I have had a slight issue.

Thanks

Try loosening and rotating the lock bar a few degrees then tighten it back up. Just don't over tighten it. This usually is the quickest and easiest way. If that doesn't work you can polish the contacting surfaces just a bit.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I took it apart, cleaned it, oil, but did not seem to help. There is definitely some rubbing on the lock bar. On occasion the lock really gets stuck and needs some moderate force to disengage. I am going to keep working it, but if I don’t see improvement, return it and get a new one before they are all out of stock.

Otherwise this is a great knife and steel, definitely don’t want to miss out.

[Landshark99]

I have just a little lock stick on occasion with mine, I am pretty sure it will work it's self out

[gimibala]

I received my Para 3 15V today, and after unboxing it, I immediately noticed two issues:

There is a slight play in the blade when moved left and right. It seems like the pivot might need tightening.
The locking mechanism seems to be faulty – it sticks almost every time I try to close the knife, which is extremely frustrating.
At this point, I’m unable to carry or use the knife with these issues. I’m unsure whether I should reach out to the dealer, as these are from a sprint run and they may not have replacements available. Since this should be covered under warranty, I would prefer to send it to Spyderco for repairs and proper tuning.

For context, I compared it with my new Sage 5 121 Rex, and the difference is night and day. The lock on the Sage 5 is flawless, just like the one on my Paramilitary 2 15V.

Could you advise whether there’s a potential fix for the locking mechanism, or should I contact Spyderco directly? It seems I’m not the only one experiencing these issues based on other forum posts.

Thank you for your help!

[Naperville]

I just bought one! I hope that a 15V Native Chief is coming, I'll buy that too.

[flattop]

I would contact the dealer first and explain the issues with the knife. It’s possible they held some of their stock back in case of returns.

With MAP, superior customer service is one of the few ways a dealer can distinguish themselves. If they still have that knife in inventory, it’s possible you may get a replacement much quicker than if you send it in for warranty repair.

An ethical dealer will not return the knife to inventory if there is an issue with it, or will advertise it as open box, with a description of why it was returned.

I would caution against disassembling it if you think you might return it.

Good luck!

[electro-static]

My para 3 came perfect!

[srivats]

My para 3 came perfect!

Mine too and it came in yesterday. Best of the 3 LWs I have in my collection. Perfect action and super sharp blade from the factory. I can already tell this is going to get a lot of pocket time!

[gimibala]

I received my Para 3 15V today, and after unboxing it, I immediately noticed two issues:

There is a slight play in the blade when moved left and right. It seems like the pivot might need tightening.
The locking mechanism seems to be faulty – it sticks almost every time I try to close the knife, which is extremely frustrating.
At this point, I’m unable to carry or use the knife with these issues. I’m unsure whether I should reach out to the dealer, as these are from a sprint run and they may not have replacements available. Since this should be covered under warranty, I would prefer to send it to Spyderco for repairs and proper tuning.

For context, I compared it with my new Sage 5 121 Rex, and the difference is night and day. The lock on the Sage 5 is flawless, just like the one on my Paramilitary 2 15V.

Could you advise whether there’s a potential fix for the locking mechanism, or should I contact Spyderco directly? It seems I’m not the only one experiencing these issues based on other forum posts.

Thank you for your help!

I’ve opened and closed the knife multiple times, but the issue doesn’t seem to be going away. At times, I have to apply a lot of pressure to the compression lock to close it. Eventually, I gave up and emailed the dealer to request a return. I can’t keep the knife with this problem. This is the first Spyderco knife I’ve had to return, even though I’ve purchased over 20 Spydercos in the past. Now, I’ll have to wait until next week for the dealer to respond to my email.

[sal]

Hi Flattop,

Welcome to our forum.

I'll watch this thread. It shouldn't be an issue.

sal

[Soban]

Not sure if this thread is the right one. But it had the right title. I consider myself a Para 3 connoisseur. With that said I have seen a lot of Para 3 blades. Many have different steels and coatings. Some from time to time have uneven grinds or blemishes. So I don’t normally have any complaints or at least voice my opinions but I want to share the latest version of Para 3 I just received. I’m not complaining and I’m very excited to use my new knife. This is how my newest piece arrived.



After I use the edge up I will rep reprofile it. I only was posting this because I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about lock stick, scratches, uneven edges, and more. I understand the concerns when spending over $100 for something you want it perfect. But even for me someone who collects Para 3’s I respect the fact that it’s a tool first. No tools are made perfect. They all have their own characteristics making them unique. Also 15v, Rex 121, and K390 are really difficult to make perfect. Like I said not complaining just speaking my mind. Sharing my thoughts. Carry on.

the worst edges i've had were uneven/fat near the tip. that one is just really bad.

[Soban]

Not sure if this thread is the right one. But it had the right title. I consider myself a Para 3 connoisseur. With that said I have seen a lot of Para 3 blades. Many have different steels and coatings. Some from time to time have uneven grinds or blemishes. So I don’t normally have any complaints or at least voice my opinions but I want to share the latest version of Para 3 I just received. I’m not complaining and I’m very excited to use my new knife. This is how my newest piece arrived.



After I use the edge up I will rep reprofile it. I only was posting this because I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about lock stick, scratches, uneven edges, and more. I understand the concerns when spending over $100 for something you want it perfect. But even for me someone who collects Para 3’s I respect the fact that it’s a tool first. No tools are made perfect. They all have their own characteristics making them unique. Also 15v, Rex 121, and K390 are really difficult to make perfect. Like I said not complaining just speaking my mind. Sharing my thoughts. Carry on.

the worst edges i've had were uneven/fat near the tip. that one is just really bad. both my 15vs are unusually flawless. perfect centering on the one still in the LW scales and scale swapped the other to maxamet g10, also perfect centering/grind/action etc. maybe I got lucky on the last 3 I bought or maybe I've had a bad run because I think I'm like 3/15 on extremely good QC spydies that aren't taichung.

[Spyderfreek]

Just got mine and it's literally the most perfect Para 3 I've ever had, perfect centering and drop shut action, no wonky bevels.

[Joesrx]

Just received two from two different distributors and both are solid.

[VandymanG]

I just got mine in today. The blade is beautiful, the bevels are even, and the knife is scary sharp out of the box. One of the sharpest I’ve received.

But I finally rant out of luck on getting knives with zero problems. The pivot is not good at all. It takes two hands to open and close the knife. It won’t flick open or close at all using the compression lock. It’s the first Spyderco that I can not Spydie flick. I oiled the knife and have been opening and closing it to work it in but no improvement as of yet. It’s perfectly centered with no wiggle so I’m leary of messing with the screws.

[WilliamMunny]

Finally gave up and returned my first Para 3 15v due to pretty bad lock stick. Tried all the simple fixes (cycling the lock, oil, rotaiting the lock bar, taking apart/clean, etc.) without any luck. It would stick no matter how I deployed the knife, even sometimes it was approaching "hard" to disengage the lock.

I ordered a second Para 3 15v and received it yesterday. This is still some lock stick but only when I flick it open. It is a lot better than the first one I received. Otherwise, everything about the knife is great, very happy to get this one.

@VandymanG my pivot was slightly tight. I backed off each screw about 1/16th of a turn and now the action is great.

[RugerNurse]

Curious what mine will be like. I’ve had PM2 with lock stick that goes away over time.

[TkoK83Spy]

Such a bummer to hear everyone complaining about the action, or afraid to tinker with a pivot. I'd think buying this knife would be for the opportunity to dabble into this amazing steel. If you're not just sitting around flicking it a thousand times and just taking it out of your pocket to use it when it's needed, it shouldn't be a problem.

[gimibala]

From what I’ve observed, it seems that some people received their knives in perfect condition with no issues, while others experienced problems such as lockstick and uneven bevels. I understand that these knives are assembled by humans, and occasional mistakes can happen. However, too many customers have reported issues with this batch. I’ve also reached out to the dealer and returned mine.
Hopefully next year Spyderco will release the Manix 2 LW 15V.