The Native 5 LW and Dragonfly 2 in FRN remain stalwarts in my collection, and at the top of my Best EDC Knives list. This may not be the best skinning knife, but I’m not a hunter. It’s received near universal acclaim, and is revered by knife collectors and users alike. It’s deeper carry and more discreet. Here, in the Lightweight version, all that’s gone and you have the addition of another one of my favorite features…the wire clip. Condition is New. After a few weeks of daily use the knife has impressed me even more than my initial impressions. Here, it’s a small stand alone piece. Para 3 Lightweight Discussion in 'Spyderco' started by jazub, Jan 11, 2019. Would I pick this one over the Sage 5 or the Native 5 LW or the Chaparral FRN? This section is presumably why you are checking out the review. Both are ultralight full size folders. This one won’t slip out of your hand in the shower. The Para 3 LW is equipped with the Spyderco wire clip that can be mounted for ambidextrous tip up carry. You cannot deny the supremacy of Spyderco and their attention to detail, quality. It took a day of fidgeting to break in and now it opens and closes super smooth. ... With M390 you have US equivalents 204P and 20cv so those would be preferred from a cost perspective from what I've read. ... managed to shave off even more weight and address some small issues by taking things a step further and releasing a lightweight version of the Para 3, sporting BD1N steel and FRN handles…. Good news for Para 3 fans: the eventuality of upgraded steel and sprint run versions of this knife is about as inevitable as death and taxes. There is plenty of traction thanks to sharp jimping, and Spyderco’s bi-directional textured handle. So when then the Para 3 Lightweight came out I bought one on the spot from GP Knives. G10 scales take abuse and allows for a solid grip – even when wet. That means it sports the same uber-practical 3” clip point blade shape as the original model. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews, and keep this review train running. Spyderco Para3 Lightweight Review. Jan 13, 2019 #43. halden.doerge I'll Sharpen Your Knife Gold Member. It’s one of those fine grained steels that you can feel get sharper on the stone. It may have come up a little short. The bi-directional texturing is still there when you need to get down to heavy business, but overall, it has a sleeker feel. Well, when I got my hands on the PM3, I was very disappointed in it. Filed Under: EDC Knives, Made in the USA, Recommended EDC Knives, Spyderco, USA Made EDC Knives Tagged With: CTS BD1N, FRN, Sal Glesser. But averaged out for cost I’d say they are close. But given a choice I always go for the PM2 instead. I’ve already said it, but if you made it this far, I will repeat the answer, you should buy this knife! There is a tiny bit of flex in the FRN if you try to squeeze the handles together, but it’s not bad. But the core of those criticisms is still true. I was the proverbial turd in the punch bowl at the Para3’s debutante ball. Nothing that will cut you, but it’s noticeable and I want to point it out. I can’t stand getting my pockets shredded from G10 and a bad clip, at least the wire clip goes a long way to saving that as well as being deep carry out of the box. It was just a ho-hum knife to me. Blair Witkowski is an avid watch nut, loves pocket knives and flashlights and when he is not trying to be a good dad to his nine kids, you will find him running or posting pics on Instagram. It's so lightweight I forget it's on me, and the assist on USA Kershaws is considerably better than the Chinese produced Kershaws. If I had to some nit picking, it would mostly be directed to the small hump at the base of the handle near the pommel. Both feature slim synthetic handles. The Para 3 has a blade length of just about 3”, with a cutting edge of 2 5/8”, an overall length of 7 1/8”, and a weight of 3.37 oz. Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Review. Buy what you like. I maintain my edges regularly and would rather touch up often then need to spend a half hour bringing back the edge on a knife with stubborn steel. The Blade. Tech Writer EDC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 20:16 Some are cool collaborations for collectors that probably will come and go, but others like this Para 3 LW will be permanent editions. If you have smaller hands I think you will be fine, and it may actually help you grip the knife better. I peered inside and couldn’t see anything, so I took the knife apart with my WiHa drivers. I got the red m390 as well and though I'm still not stoked on it, I'm going to see if it grows on me. Not enough to develop a hotspot, or make the knife unusable, but I didn’t care for it. As a short aside, GP Knives is smaller than my usual preferred retailer, BladeHQ, but they have the knife in stock, offer fast shipping, and have a great Twitter account that has convinced me to make more than one impulse purchase. Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Signature Folding Knife with 2.92" Stainless Steel Blade and Durable FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C223PBK. I was a little surprised by this choice, figuring they would have went with S35VN. Para™ 3 Natural G-10 CPM M4 Exclusive. Para™ 3 Natural G-10 CPM M4 Black Blade Exclusive. The Para 3 Lightweight has an overall length of 7.27″, a 3.00″ blade, weighs 2.4 ounces, and is made in Golden Colorado, in the United States of America, here on planet Earth. It may not be a super steel, but its easy to sharpen, takes a wicked edge, and has good retention under hard use. How do we decide? Great review. The only flaw I can find is that the blade isn't centered. The defining feature of this elite Para 3 Lightweight is its blade, which is crafted from Böhler-Uddeholm M390 particle metallurgy stainless steel. The Para 2 will never leave my collection, but I like how the Para 3 FRN has a smaller, lighter footprint, and I also like the deep carry clip. There is no lock stick. Another interesting comparison is with the Benchmade Bugout. That’s significant for a knife, and could result in some ergonomic compromises. So when Spyderco released the Para 3 a couple years ago it was a big deal. I still carried mine on a consistent basis and went as far as to get a deep carry clip, but I just wasn’t in love with it. In my experience it’s a very easy steel to sharpen. They have so many good knives. 00 ($38.28/oz) 2 years ago. When it’s time to sharpen up the knife it comes back quickly. If you like to open Spyderco knives that way, it is a challenge. You get the same cutting performance of their heavier knives at a fraction of the weight. It’s broad with a full flat grind. There are 2 substantial FRN standoffs near the tail of the handle, and the lanyard hole is reinforced, presumably to provide some structural rigidity to the handle. While the knives won’t be quite as strong, they are still serviceable for normal use. There are no metal liners in the knife. Everything appears to be well engineered. It does have a diamond checker… $213.00. Frankly I don’t know. This becomes especially apparent when you take the knife apart (more on that later). The low tip is sharp and good for piercing. I let my dad handle it a couple weekends ago and his comment was that it was “very lightweight.” You can always count on BladeReviews for the deep insights. They want something more substantial. It’s simple, but it works. Condition is used, but like new. Even Spyderco can make a knife that doesn’t appeal to everyone. There’s a lot of good stuff out there. It takes an edge quickly on my Golden Stone. I got two Para3: a M390 Lightweight and I got a Maxamet Copper handled. No blade play or wiggle. Let’s take a look at the details and then arrive at a conclusion like we know how to write things properly. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Some might gripe that the knife is “too” lightweight with only a single washer, and very little metal inside the hande. I find it hard to fault the knife in any major way. It’s another great knife. Your email address will not be published. The first ever exclusive available for the Para 3 Lightweight will be available with a Red FRN scale and M390 blade. Like the Manix2, the PM3 Lightweight is a capable knife. It takes a good deal of engineering to pull something like this Para 3 lightweight off. 4,641. Personally, I like knives that are easy to sharpen. Ben reviewed the Para 3, and he did a great job. $200.00. Also, there are some slightly sharp edges on the inside of the FRN, especially up by the compression lock. This post contains affiliate links. Their constant innovation proves their dedication…heck, the company invented the pocket clip! It features the same high-strength Compression Lock, textured G-10 scales, and a scaled-down, full-flat ground CPM-S110V blade. At 2.4 ounces, you don’t feel it in the pocket. The Spyderco Paramilitary 2 may be the most popular knife in the last 20 years. This oversized thumb hole is easy to engage with your thumb or middle finger, and the blade flicks out easily. Personally, I like the Bugout a little more. Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Signature Folding Knife with 2.92" Stainless Steel Blade and Durable FRN Handle - PlainEdge Grind - C223PBK 4.7 out of 5 stars 246 $98.00 $ 98 . It has a much more refined feel and with the better blade steel, I think it will appeal to guys who want to use their knives in harder situations. The Para 3 Lightweight with SPY27 is a fabulous knife. The ergonomics are a little better on the Para 2, but unless I’ve got a big job ahead of me I’d rather have the smaller knife. They should implement this clip on the entire Para family. Drop chute works perfectly. The edge retention is decent. The thickness of the Para’s blade is 0.145 inches. The Grivory handles on the Bugout are even slimmer – 0.4 inches compared to 0.45 on the Spyderco – which means that it’ll live in your pocket even easier. Beyond that, a sharpening choil wouldn’t hurt, but you don’t see those on may Spydercos with this leaf blade shape. This knife weighs 3.4 ounces. Heard the lightweight is a whole different thing, and I agree. Handles well with great ergonomics and no hotspots. This is the same size as the Para 2. Here’s a size comparison: As you can see they compare favorably in terms of overall length and handle length. The knife feels exceedingly light for its size. This thing just plain works. A major concern when you try to shrink down a knife, is how that will effect the ergonomics. All in all, I think the Para 3 is pretty good ergonomically. Gone are the days of guesswork hoping that tolerances are good enough that the blade will center. I figured the Para 3 LW would allow me to gain some perspective on the Para 3, but also provide a knife that I could review on here. The knife carries wonderfully. If it’s of interest, I wrote a review on the watch that you can check out here. Thanks to BladeHQ, I got one of the first ones. For those of you who don’t like the Endura or Delica, I think you may like the Para3 Lightweight and you should definitely try to get your hands on one. It proudly features all the key qualities of the Para Military 2, including a full-flat-ground CPM S30V Steel Blade. The handle of the Para 3 Lightweight is made of fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN). Let’s answer the question, “Should I buy This?” The answer is yes. The Para 3 makes use of a 13mm thumb hole. Good points, and I agree that Spyderco has a lot of knives in their catalog that appear to cannibalize each other. The LW version took away the unnecessary bulk of the PM3, slimmed it down and made it a more usable knife that’s much easier to EDC on a regular basis.