I’ve been bit?

[Backlock]

Well after not having bought a knife for a few years I bought a Delica a couple months ago. Long story short, it is proving to be the best knife I have ever had. Just so happens that the Delica was also my first Spyderco. Now I’ve been hanging out on the forums, dreaming of MagnaMax mule teams and planning to buy another folder or two. The thing is the Delica is so darn good I’m not sure what having a couple more knives would get me, besides a bigger collection.

Anyway, is there a reason I shouldn’t get a PaRA 3 Salt MagnaCut in all black, or a para 3 in spy27 with g10 scales? How bout a Delica in M390 from Bentoboxshop?

I think I need to stop hanging out here.

[yablanowitz]

If you are looking for a reason to NOT buy another Spydie, yeah, you need to stop hanging around here. Welcome to Enabler Central.

[8th_Note]

Well after not having bought a knife for a few years I bought a Delica a couple months ago. Long story short, it is proving to be the best knife I have ever had. Just so happens that the Delica was also my first Spyderco. Now I’ve been hanging out on the forums, dreaming of MagnaMax mule teams and planning to buy another folder or two. The thing is the Delica is so darn good I’m not sure what having a couple more knives would get me, besides a bigger collection.

Anyway, is there a reason I shouldn’t get a PaRA 3 Salt MagnaCut in all black, or a para 3 in spy27 with g10 scales? How bout a Delica in M390 from Bentoboxshop?

I think I need to stop hanging out here.

If you've not experienced a Spyderco compression lock, you owe it to yourself to try one.

The Para 3 is a great knife. I have close to 20 Spydercos, and I end up carrying a Para 3 more than any other. It's just a great size for an EDC.

Now I love my Gayle Bradley 2 and my Military 2. But the Para 3 is the most convenient for my daily needs. It is almost the exact same length as a Delica 4. But the compression lock transforms it's character. Also, the blade stock is much thicker than a Delica.

I, personally, prefer the G10 handle Para 3 over the FRN light weights (G10 is better for me on all the Golden made models). The G10 Para 3 Salt would be a great every day knife and you will never regret getting one.

Also, since you already have a Delica, try one of the bigger Seki folders too. The Endura and the Police are awsome. I love Seki FRN. To me, it has a better feel than USA made FRN knives.

[SchoonerBum]

My first Delica was the Bento M390. I bought a second one also and I’ve never regretted it. Don’t ask how many Delicas I have now, lol.

The folks above are right, this is a dangerous place to hang out.

[Wartstein]

Well after not having bought a knife for a few years I bought a Delica a couple months ago. Long story short, it is proving to be the best knife I have ever had. Just so happens that the Delica was also my first Spyderco. Now I’ve been hanging out on the forums, dreaming of MagnaMax mule teams and planning to buy another folder or two. The thing is the Delica is so darn good I’m not sure what having a couple more knives would get me, besides a bigger collection.

Anyway, is there a reason I shouldn’t get a PaRA 3 Salt MagnaCut in all black, or a para 3 in spy27 with g10 scales? How bout a Delica in M390 from Bentoboxshop?

I think I need to stop hanging out here.

To me the Delica-platform definitely IS the best int its particular size range.

The Para 3 (I´ve only tried the LW version) is a very different knife and thus might be worse trying, but I personally would never carry a Para 3 if I can have a Delica - the former is a nice little folder, don´t get me wrong, but in my subjective view the Delica is superior in pretty much any aspect. It is just a super refined, perfect cutting tool, while the Para 3, even the LW, felt a bit like a "small knife that carries big" with an unnecessarily thick blade to me.

From what I can see and read I´d rather go Sage 5 LW if I wanted a comp.lock folder in that size range (still thick and strong bladestock, but not as fat as the Para 3s, imo better tip shape, much better handle shape for a small (!) folder (no pinky hook that restricts grip area behind the choil)).

Since you like the Delica platform a great option would be the Salt 2 in LC200N (ffg): Basically a linerless Delica, but you´d get an a bit longer blade, an a bit thicker and more handfilling handle, of course the super high rustproofness and the fascinating combo of super light weight and still sturdy built.
And I´d definitely go for the serrated version!

Or you go a (pretty substantial) size up and get the Endela - here make sure it is the SE version even more so than with the Salt 2 , great in VG10, even better in K390 if you can still find one!

I´d recommend trying good SE anyway! In my use clearly superior over PE in almost any EDC task, holds an edge longer and is a tad quicker and easier to touch up (at least with a sharpmaker).

Which brings me to my last recommendation: The Chaparral LW SE. Imo one of the best folders ever made, a real cutting machine and a great type of serrations!
You can read up on it here viewtopic.php?t=96972 (especially on the back pages people who got one share their almost exclusively very positive impressions)

[mikestp]

Anyway, is there a reason I shouldn’t get a PaRA 3...

Yes, the reason is that the PM2 exists.
In my opinion there isn't really a justification to take the Para 3 over the PM2, unless you're facing a blade length restriction.

[Wartstein]

..
Yes, the reason is that the PM2 exists.
In my opinion there isn't really a justification to take the Para 3 over the PM2, unless you're facing a blade length restriction.

Have / had both and 100% agree... I´d even go so far to say that the smaller Para 3 takes over features from the PM2 that work good in the latter, but less in the former:

- Blade stock: 3.7 mm is pretty thick, but that gets mitigated in the longer blade of the PM2 (more tapering)

- Grip area: The "pinky hook" restricts the actual grip area behind the choil on both models, but on the PM2 with its longer handle there should still be enough space for most handsizes, while on the shorter Para 3 larger hands are forced to use the choil for a good four finger grip.

[aicolainen]

Take it slow.
If you're not sure why you'd need another knife, you don't need another knife.

One day you'll experience that your Delica falls short in one way or the other, maybe not in a big way, but such that you see room for improvement in one area of your knife use. That's when you can go looking at other options, because now you have some idea of what your looking for.
Don't worry, this process will repeat until your biggest worry is how to keep your collection small enough. At least that's what I've heard..

[Brock O Lee]

...is there a reason I shouldn’t get a PaRA 3 Salt MagnaCut in all black...

To the OP...

RUN, don't walk! While you still have money!




Ok, if you are still reading...

I much prefer the PM2 over the Para 3. I have amassed more than a dozen PM2's over the years. You cannot go wrong with a PM2 Salt. Better yet IMO, get a full sized Military 2 Salt instead. The longer blade is more versatile for cutting food or for outdoorsy uses. You might just never look back...

Also, if you like the regular Delica, I would highly recommend getting a Delica in the wharncliffe blade shape. EDC it, or keep it in the garage or the kitchen drawer for utility work, for breaking down boxes and opening packages etc. In my view it is the best version of the range. VG10 is fine, but you can still get the teal S30V version. K390 is the bees knees if you can find one.

[benben]

You need to grab one of these before they’re gone, excellent price also!

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SP262S ... rn-handles

[Manixguy@1994]

Welcome to the Forum ! If you like the Delica , I would have a least one example of a Wharnie blade . You can always later go for the M390 Bentobox , or a SPY27 model . Generally prefer larger folders but I do have a few Delica variants , nice knives . MG2

[Wartstein]

You need to grab one of these before they’re gone, excellent price also!

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/SP262S ... rn-handles

Had the LeafJumper SE in VG10 - great model indeed, sold it only cause in the end I liked the Endela SE in that (cutting edge-) size range a hair even better (and the K390 Endela SE actually IS my overall favorite folder right now)

If I would have gotten the SE Leafjumper in K390 I´d definitely still own it.
And for THAT price it´s a steal!! (If I was living in the US I´d pull the trigger myself)

[Wartstein]

I never owned a wharnie Delica myself, so look who´s talking...

But I´d still second ("third") @Brock O Lee and Dan @Manixguy@1994 - the thin Delica blade must be great also in that shape.

I personally though would "kill two birds with one stone" and get the ffg (LC200N) wharnie Salt 2... so you´d have a new blade shape to try out, but also the a bit thicker handle, the 2mm longer blade and the amazing LW built in a rustproof package...and, if you choose so, SE...

Though I partly agree with @aicolainen in recommending to take it slow, I do think that the Salt 2 (in whatever variant one might prefer) really is knife that almost everyone should own - just an amazing, very capable true workhorse with superlight weight.
If it does not end up becoming a real favorite, it is still a great, practically maintenance-free tool for throwing / living in a pack or toolbox or whatever where it weighs next to nothing and one can forget about it till it is needed.

[Doc Dan]

I LOVE the Delica! When I put my first one in my hand it said, "Aahhh!" That is such a great knife. It is my favorite Spyderco knife and my favorite knife of any brand in its size.

Of course, the Delica is a gateway drug. It leads you ever onward to more and more Spydercos.

[aicolainen]

I personally though would "kill two birds with one stone" and get the ffg (LC200N) wharnie Salt 2... so you´d have a new blade shape to try out, but also the a bit thicker handle, the 2mm longer blade and the amazing LW built in a rustproof package...and, if you choose so, SE...

Personally... and this is very subjective, and will vary from person to person and how/what they use their knives for - but it's possible to sometimes kill too many birds with the same stone.

I love Salts. The knife model and the series - I have a bunch. I've also become a big fan of wharncliffes, to the point it is my most carried blade shape. And lastly, I'm very positive to serrations, but they only provide a benefit for some of my use and can actually get in the way for other types of use.
All this should boil down to the FFG LC200N wharncliffe Salt 2 being a great fit for me, and so I kind of expected too. But it's really one of my least used Spydercos. It turns out that throwing all your favorite ingredients in a pan doesn't necessarily make for a great dish.

Most of the times when I need corrosion resistance I need a bit of belly too. And when I need belly I usually need a fair bit of it to be PE as well (Where are you, my FFG CE S2XL Salt?).
So yeah.. killing several birds with the same stone can be a great thing, but sometimes, for some people you end up with something very niche that doesn't fit all that well into any of your use cases.

For someone who doesn't have prior experience with SE or wharnecliffes, it is safer IMO to keep those features separate when you try them out for the first time as I consider SE in a drop point/leaf etc. to be a more versatile combination than in a wharncliffe. And similarly a wharncliffe will (again IMO) be more versatile in PE. My favorite benefit with a wharncliffe is precision, but some of that precision potential is lost once you introduce a wavy edge. I do still realize why SE wharncliffe has its fan base, but IMO that's something you graduate to once you have tried both, you like both and are convinced they would perform magic for your use if combined.

Now the OP isn't exactly new to knives just to Spyderco, so this doesn't necessarily apply to him, but it's something to be aware of.

Though I partly agree with @aicolainen in recommending to take it slow,

I have more Spydercos than you, so you actually agree more with me than I do myself

I do think that the Salt 2 (in whatever variant one might prefer) really is knife that almost everyone should own - just an amazing, very capable true workhorse with superlight weight.
If it does not end up becoming a real favorite, it is still a great, practically maintenance-free tool for throwing / living in a pack or toolbox or whatever where it weighs next to nothing and one can forget about it till its needed.

I have 4 Spyderco Salts, most of any Spyderco model for me, so it would be very dishonest of me to disagree :)
It is a very safe option. Especially for someone who is already a Delica fan.

[Coastal]

If it were me, I'd go larger. Since you're new to Spyderco, buy something noticeably different from a Delica, like a Military, Stretch XL or Pacific Salt. In my opinion, as good as a Delica is, the larger Spydercos are even better, unless you have a blade length restriction or simply prefer a smaller knife. In that case, I agree with others suggesting wharnies, Salts, and serrations on the Delica platform.

[Wartstein]

I personally though would "kill two birds with one stone" and get the ffg (LC200N) wharnie Salt 2...

Personally... and this is very subjective, and will vary from person to person and how/what they use their knives for - but it's possible to sometimes kill too many birds with the same stone.

I love Salts. The knife model and the series - I have a bunch. I've also become a big fan of wharncliffes, to the point it is my most carried blade shape. And lastly, I'm very positive to serrations, but they only provide a benefit for some of my use and can actually get in the way for other types of use.
All this should boil down to the FFG LC200N wharncliffe Salt 2 being a great fit for me, and so I kind of expected too. But it's really one of my least used Spydercos. It turns out that throwing all your favorite ingredients in a pan doesn't necessarily make for a great dish.

Most of the times when I need corrosion resistance I need a bit of belly too. And when I need belly I usually need a fair bit of it to be PE as well (Where are you, my FFG CE S2XL Salt?).
So yeah.. killing several birds with the same stone can be a great thing, but sometimes, for some people you end up with something very niche that doesn't fit all that well into any of your use cases.

For someone who doesn't have prior experience with SE or wharnecliffes, it is safer IMO to keep those features separate when you try them out for the first time as I consider SE in a drop point/leaf etc. to be a more versatile combination than in a wharncliffe. And similarly a wharncliffe will (again IMO) be more versatile in PE. My favorite benefit with a wharncliffe is precision, but some of that precision potential is lost once you introduce a wavy edge. I do still realize why SE wharncliffe has its fan base, but IMO that's something you graduate to once you have tried both, you like both and are convinced they would perform magic for your use if combined.

Now the OP isn't exactly new to knives just to Spyderco, so this doesn't necessarily apply to him, but it's something to be aware of.

Though I partly agree with @aicolainen in recommending to take it slow,

I have more Spydercos than you, so you actually agree more with me than I do myself

I do think that the Salt 2 (in whatever variant one might prefer) really is knife that almost everyone should own - just an amazing, very capable true workhorse with superlight weight.
If it does not end up becoming a real favorite, it is still a great, practically maintenance-free tool for throwing / living in a pack or toolbox or whatever where it weighs next to nothing and one can forget about it till its needed.

I have 4 Spyderco Salts, most of any Spyderco model for me, so it would be very dishonest of me to disagree :)
It is a very safe option. Especially for someone who is already a Delica fan.

Very good points, my friend!
And coming from undoubtedly more experience with wharnies than I have (really my only Spyderco wharnie was the Rockjumper SE which on top I only owned for a pretty short period of time).

So perhaps for a Delica platform wharnie (and we know already that the overall shape of the Delica/Salt 2 works for the op) the Salt 2 PE wharnie would be a good way to go?

Cause what I still assume (could be wrong of course) is that by tendency the a bit thicker handle of the Salt should be a pro for most over the thinner Delica handle (while the weight and balance might speak for the Delica in use) and 2mm more blade and edge can´t hurt but will rather be appreciated - ?

[aicolainen]

So perhaps for a Delica platform wharnie (and we know already that the overall shape of the Delica/Salt 2 works for the op) the Salt 2 PE wharnie would be a good way to go?

In my opinion, yes.

Cause what I still assume (could be wrong of course) is that by tendency the a bit thicker handle of the Salt should be a pro for most over the thinner Delica handle (while the weight and balance might speak for the Delica in use) and 2mm more blade and edge can´t hurt but will rather be appreciated - ?

It's almost unbelievably at this point, but I've actually never owned or held an actual Delica.
And while that fact may discredit me from having an opinion on this, it also speaks quite favorably for the Salt model in general.
In the end though, all these thigs come down to personal preference. For the OP that already has a Delica, I think it makes even more sense to go with a Salt, exactly because it will add more diversity to his Spyderco "collection" while still staying within a platform that is familiar and with very little chance of disappointing surprises.

The one property of the Delica I've been tempted by, is actually the thinness. Even though I've never experienced the Salt knives as too thick for my use, I'm also a big fan of very thin EDC knives.

[elena86]

Try one of these and you'll thank me later. Best of all worlds. It packs tremendous cutting power, it's stainless enough for the average user and as someone suggested(alcolainen) if precission is needed it has enough plain edge near the tip. I tried them all but this variant conquered my heart... and my pocket. If you prefered extra corossion resistence, extra toughness and a lighter package you might try the LC200N variant, in spyderedge of course. I own both and love both but the VG10 variant is the most carried.

[aicolainen]

as someone suggested(alcolainen) if precission is needed it has enough plain edge near the tip.

I feel I've been going on for too long on this topic already :)
I agree, it's an important aspect of Spyderco SE you point out there. As long as tip precision is all your after - almost all Spyderco SE knives have you covered with a short section of PE at the tip.
But I feel that I have to emphasize that for my use of wharncliffes, I need the precision of PE all the way to the heel. For instance when cutting cable sheaths on RF/signal cables for electronics, an SE edge makes it harder for me to visually keep track of the sideways position of the apex as well as the depth of the cut. And the tolerances in each direction are sometimes miniscule.
Anyways, the important thing is to consider what the knife will be used for and try to visualize what will work well and not so well. Go slow, add new knives and new features in the order and pace you believe it will benefit your use. As well as a pace that lets you learn and unlock the potential of the knives you already have before moving to the next, best knife.