Para 3 LW and G-10 blades interchangeable?

[Brown_Recluse]

Basically the title. I have a few of both and I would like but I don't have one of the original M4 para 3s but I got an M4 LW and would like to put original para 3 scales on the M4 blade. Would this work?

I searched with the search bar and came up with nothing.

thanks!

[Ric]

Nick shabazz built a g10 Maxamet into the lightweight.

I had struggles with changing the para 3 lw clip (soft screw and spinning). In a g10 i swapped the scales with was also painful.

It's not easy but might work.
Guarantee cannot be given.

[aaronkb]

They’re not specifically designed or guaranteed to be compatible (they might just say this for liability reasons), but I’ve definitely heard of people doing it. Have you disassembled and maintained a knife before? Parts of it can be a huge pain.

I disassembled and cleaned a para 3 lw once and found it extremely hard (much more than other models) to adjust everything in such a way that I got decent action without blade play/the blade hitting the scales when closing, but when I finally got it it was well worth the frustration.

[metaphoricalsimile]

Nick shabazz built a g10 Maxamet into the lightweight.

I had struggles with changing the para 3 lw clip (soft screw and spinning). In a g10 i swapped the scales with was also painful.

It's not easy but might work.
Guarantee cannot be given.

I'm tempted to dremel a screw slot into the barrel for my clip screw, but since I can't actually get it out of the knife it would mar the scales =/

[darkjabroni]

When I tried to put the LW 20cv blade from the knifejoy exclusive into a G10 body from the red M390 DLT exclusive, the LW blade had trouble fitting with the pivot bushing on the G10 model. It would rotate all the way but with heavy resistance and would bind in the middle making it feel like a slipjoint with a half-stop.

That being said, I have heard many more anecdotes of people doing this and having success, so I would guess my experience is more of an outlier. I suspect the G10 model is the issue as the action with the original blade isn't as smooth as my other Para 3 G10 models.

[Henry_P]

I have swapped my Rex 45 LW blade with a M390 G10 version with no issues at all. Several others have also swapped blades successfully.

[gull wing]

Para 3 M390 blade into a Para 3 LW scales. Great!

[JMM]

I have swapped blades from at least a half dozen models, LW and G10 and have yet to have a problem.

[Rinzler]

No problems at all.

[Brown_Recluse]

They’re not specifically designed or guaranteed to be compatible (they might just say this for liability reasons), but I’ve definitely heard of people doing it. Have you disassembled and maintained a knife before? Parts of it can be a huge pain.

I disassembled and cleaned a para 3 lw once and found it extremely hard (much more than other models) to adjust everything in such a way that I got decent action without blade play/the blade hitting the scales when closing, but when I finally got it it was well worth the frustration.

oh yes many times. the paramilitary 2 was worse IMO with those T8 svrs holding the blade stop used to (and still do) strip em, clean, oil and sharpen all my Spydies once a week. now I have more safe queens than users so I dont have to worry too much about religiously maintaining a bunch of knives

thanks everyone for responding!

[Donojhall]

A Knife Joy Para3 LW successfully transplanted into aftermarket TeroTuff scales. It was in the standard black g10 scales till these arrived.

[Michael Janich]

Dear Donojhall:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike

[FRNFanboy]

Interesting to note, I tried swapping the new S90V LE blade onto G10 scales and liners (which were already fitted with a Spy27 LW blade) and the blade wouldn’t fit onto the post at all. Seems like Spyderco has made a change to the post size?

[westoned]

I can confirm that surgery from g10 to FrRN for my maxamet was a breeze!