Para3 cpm 15v BBB

[Sharp24/7]

My action was stiff for the first day, but I oiled it and it’s fine now. As for the lock being a little sticky, it was for the first day or two, no problems since. No issues with the grind whatsoever, and the blade itself came sharp as ****.

[gimibala]

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.

Excuse me, sir, but we are not here just to praise Spyderco knives. We are also here to address issues and voice concerns when we see them, as this helps the company improve quality control and create better products.

For example, would you purchase a new car from a dealer if you heard a noise coming from the transmission, thinking it will go away after 3,000 miles? I’m a big Spyderco fan, and I believe that supporting the company means not only buying their knives but also providing constructive feedback when we notice a problem.

[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.

Excuse me, sir, but we are not here just to praise Spyderco knives. We are also here to address issues and voice concerns when we see them, as this helps the company improve quality control and create better products.

For example, would you purchase a new car from a dealer if you heard a noise coming from the transmission, thinking it will go away after 3,000 miles? I’m a big Spyderco fan, and I believe that supporting the company means not only buying their knives but also providing constructive feedback when we notice a problem.

Adjusting a pivot screw a tweak could solve the problem, I wouldn't necessarily put the blame on Spyderco for that. It's not their job to know how "drop shutty and flicky" a knife needs to be for the end user. I'm sure there a standards set and met before a knife is placed in the plastic baggy and then into that red and black box. As for the grind issues, I can understand the gripe there. Especially for someone without sharpening experience or the proper sharpening equipment that can make it how they like.

[VandymanG]

I’m keeping mine the blade is the main reason I got it and it’s one of the best I’ve received out of the box.

I’m working on the pivot so I’m good. It’s just the first time I got one with issues which surprised me. I believe in the Spyderco CQI so I give feedback which I believe they want. I choose to spend my money on Spyderco because most of the time they don’t have issues with their knives. If people want to return their knives that’s ok also. I just hope they do it to get another Spyderco instead of money back because more often than not you’re going to get a good one.

[CDEP]

I don't expect Spyderco to have tuned the pivots to my exact preference, so I anticipate that I will need to make minor adjustments out of the box. I'd guess about half the time I end up loosening the pivot screws a bit. Never had one come too loose with blade play.

With my PARA3 LW 15v I had to also loosen the body screw before easing the pivots back in, and I recall having to do the same with a couple of others like the Salt and the TKJ Cruwear model. Getting the comp lock into this model was some voodoo work on Eric's part, so perhaps it needs a little more attention than other models.

If you are having trouble getting the action you want, try loosening the body screw and don't secure it until the pivot screws are where you need them. A touch of blue Loctite will help hold it in place at just the point where it snugs up. Works for me, anyway.

Mine was otherwise perfect out of the box.

[Deadboxhero]

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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

[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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

Wow fast and awesome. Thanks Shawn “BBB” so much.

[VandymanG]

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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

Wow that’s sharp. What type of diamond strop finish do you use? Also I have the Spyderco cbn webfoot, will that work? Don’t know the grit rating for it.

[Deadboxhero]

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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

Wow that’s sharp. What type of diamond strop finish do you use? Also I have the Spyderco cbn webfoot, will that work? Don’t know the grit rating for it.

Gunny Juice Emulsion on leather, it has a very high concentration of abrasive.




Here is a micrograph of the Spyderco cBN abrasive surface.

You can use the scale bar on the bottom right to estimate the sizes of the abrasive grains which look like "rocks."

[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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

Wow that’s sharp. What type of diamond strop finish do you use? Also I have the Spyderco cbn webfoot, will that work? Don’t know the grit rating for it.

Gunny Juice Emulsion on leather, it has a very high concentration of abrasive.




Here is a micrograph of the Spyderco cBN abrasive surface.

You can use the scale bar on the bottom right to estimate the sizes of the abrasive grains which look like "rocks."

Whoa that’s insane. It does look like rocks.

[D.Newman]

Mine came with an extremely tight pivot as well. The show side pivot screw was really cranked down and felt like it was going to strip out when trying to loosen it, luckily it didn't. it was essentially a two hand opening and closing knife out of the box.
After adjusting the pivot it's nice and smooth now.

The edge bevel and overall finish on mine is good to go, no complaints there. Now it's time to put it to work on my small farm and at my job as a mechanic.

[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.

Got the BBB edge on there for ya Matt.





Sharpens how it should with the special heat treatment protocol. Very enjoyable, takes a good apex and gets very crisp.

1 stone, 1 strop

400grit cBN with a 1um diamond strop finish.

That's what I prefer for this BBB CPM 15V, keeps a nice bite at the edge without over polishing.



On its way back to you.
-shawn

Shawn,

I have a few questions about sharpening 15v if you will humor me.

1. I currently use 6um Gunny Juice on a unmounted leather strop. Does 6um vs 1um have much of an impact on the final edge as 1um is finer?

2. Is it better to use a leather strop that is mounted flat, like on a strop bat? My lose strop belt then to curl.

3. I know you’re a free hand guy who likes bonded stones. What is the exact 400 grit CBN stone you used to get this edge? I recently purchased a diamond KME setup to an improve my reprofiling even though I am fairly good freehand.

As always, thanks!

[Deadboxhero]

1. I currently use 6um Gunny Juice on a unmounted leather strop. Does 6um vs 1um have much of an impact on the final edge as 1um is finer?

They do different things, they could be used in a progression to finish out scratches better but we just want to polish the "teeth" so we jump straight to 1um


I would just use the 6um for touch ups since the 6um can be used to bring back an edge that is beyond what a 1um can bring back, then touch it again on the 1um after.

Here are some micrographs of the differences in finish between 6um and 1um.

The black/grey "dots" are the vanadium carbides with a hardness of 87rc, they are at 2-3um in size and 23% volume in the matrix.

2. Is it better to use a leather strop that is mounted flat, like on a strop bat? My lose strop belt then to curl.

Needs to be mounted for best results.

3. I know you’re a free hand guy who likes bonded stones. What is the exact 400 grit CBN stone you used to get this edge? I recently purchased a diamond KME setup to an improve my reprofiling even though I am fairly good freehand.

Poltava metallic bonded cBN.

Below is an image of the edge of my Spyderco Manix 2 in CPM 15V showing the bevel finish under the microscope and the corresponding metallic stone under the microscope.



The surface finish is superior to electro plated abrasives which the KME and others use even at the same grit. Metallic bonded stones along with other bonded stones will have more longevity and performance but also will have increased cost.


Here are some images detailing some information about electro plated sharpening stones.

[VandymanG]

OK so I know the Spyderco aficionados will come out of the woodworks and probably roast me on this but…….. The frn handles on this knife have a lot of hot spots so I’m wondering can I buff them out with a Dremel. And if so what’s the highest speed I should set my Dremel?

Oh and while I got roasted a little on my pivot complaint the aficionados did give some good advice and the pivot works like a dream now. Wish you all could give advice without roasting people. Especially those of us that have been members for a long while.

[GarageBoy]

It's really disappointing that in 2025 we still have to hunt for bonded diamond and cbn stones. I guess you have the CGSW stones now, but nothing really coming from a "big" manufacturer (I think Naniwa is the only big company). DMT, the "better" of the plated stones, aren't really that great either.

[WilliamMunny]

OK so I know the Spyderco aficionados will come out of the woodworks and probably roast me on this but…….. The frn handles on this knife have a lot of hot spots so I’m wondering can I buff them out with a Dremel. And if so what’s the highest speed I should set my Dremel?

Oh and while I got roasted a little on my pivot complaint the aficionados did give some good advice and the pivot works like a dream now. Wish you all could give advice without roasting people. Especially those of us that have been members for a long while.

Where are the hot spots?

I have never sanded FRN but I would skip the Dremel. Depending on where the hot spots are I would try starting at 320-400 grit sand paper. See is that would remove enough material. You can also wrap the sand paper around something like a wooden dowel to get at concave areas better.

I think the dremel could just take off too much too fast. You can always take off more but hard to add material back.

[pinchyfisher]

It's really disappointing that in 2025 we still have to hunt for bonded diamond and cbn stones. I guess you have the CGSW stones now, but nothing really coming from a "big" manufacturer (I think Naniwa is the only big company). DMT, the "better" of the plated stones, aren't really that great either.

Yes! Was just lamenting this earlier tonight as well. Especially if you are looking for freehand stones. Seems like CGSW and Naniwa are your choices. I have a few of the CGSW/Edge Pro 1x6 resin bonded diamond stones that I use to freehand on high carbide steels but that is far from fun/convenient/ideal. Hard pill to swallow dropping over $150 on a single bench stone.

[Guts]

It's really disappointing that in 2025 we still have to hunt for bonded diamond and cbn stones. I guess you have the CGSW stones now, but nothing really coming from a "big" manufacturer (I think Naniwa is the only big company). DMT, the "better" of the plated stones, aren't really that great either.

They're around, but very expensive when you find them. USA Market sells the Poltava 8x3" metallic bonded CBN stones (listed as PDTools = Poltava Diamond Tools), but not sure which one would equate to the exact 400grit stone BBB uses since they're advertised in FEPA grit and there's no "F400" listed on USA Market. Assuming 400JIS grit, which is roughly 40micron, the closest they have for sale would likely be the PDT F325grit, which is 50/40micron going by their chart.

I'd love a set of the PDT metal bonded 8x3" bench stones but can't really justify it since I already have sets of resin bonded Venev and CGSW bench stones. Plus they're like twice the price of the Venev or CGSW. The metal bond is bound to last much longer than resin though. I do own some of the 6x1" PDT metal bonded stones for my guided system and they are indeed pretty great.

[Clay H]

I received one of my Para 3's today. What a fantastic knife. Blade perfectly centered. A bit of lock stick, but nothing that won't work itself out. I'm an old Emerson fan, so lock stick doesn't bother me.
Thanks to Spyderco and Shawn for a great little EDC, and a chance to try a new steel.

[WilliamMunny]

1. I currently use 6um Gunny Juice on a unmounted leather strop. Does 6um vs 1um have much of an impact on the final edge as 1um is finer?

They do different things, they could be used in a progression to finish out scratches better but we just want to polish the "teeth" so we jump straight to 1um


I would just use the 6um for touch ups since the 6um can be used to bring back an edge that is beyond what a 1um can bring back, then touch it again on the 1um after.

Here are some micrographs of the differences in finish between 6um and 1um.

The black/grey "dots" are the vanadium carbides with a hardness of 87rc, they are at 2-3um in size and 23% volume in the matrix.

2. Is it better to use a leather strop that is mounted flat, like on a strop bat? My lose strop belt then to curl.

Needs to be mounted for best results.

3. I know you’re a free hand guy who likes bonded stones. What is the exact 400 grit CBN stone you used to get this edge? I recently purchased a diamond KME setup to an improve my reprofiling even though I am fairly good freehand.

Poltava metallic bonded cBN.

Below is an image of the edge of my Spyderco Manix 2 in CPM 15V showing the bevel finish under the microscope and the corresponding metallic stone under the microscope.



The surface finish is superior to electro plated abrasives which the KME and others use even at the same grit. Metallic bonded stones along with other bonded stones will have more longevity and performance but also will have increased cost.


Here are some images detailing some information about electro plated sharpening stones.

Thanks for the great information as always. I ordered a Poltava Premium Metallic Bonded CBN stone for my KME. Excited to give it a try and see how it improves my edge vs the standard diamond plated stones.

When I find some 1 micron Gunny Juice I will pick up some too, its OOS in a lot of places. The 6 micron does well bringing a knife that lost its sharp edge back to shaving sharp but the 1 micron will hopefully bring the apex to the next level.

Thanks!