- Joined
- Jan 6, 2016
- Messages
- 1,204
I received my Para 3 today. I like it overall. The centering is dead nuts, blade grinds are even, G-10 is grippy, detent is fairly strong, and the action is smooth. The blade doesn't fall closed like my PM2s or Sage 5 but it's close. It takes a slight flick of the wrist to close it. When I depress the lock bar with my index finger it falls 1/2 - 2/3 of the way depending on what angle I'm holding the knife at. When I try to close the blade by pushing the lock bar with my thumb (like a back lock) a slight nudge is required for the blade to start to drop. A slight pivot adjustment might be in order but I think it's already improved a little in the short time it's been out of the box. So I'll give it plenty of break in time before attempting any ajustments.
One detailed I noticed that I thought was interesting is that the recessessed liners don't follow the contour of the bottom of the handle like they do on the bottom PM2 or Sage 5. Instead they're contoured in semi-oval pattern away from the bottom shape. The G-10 is plenty thick in this area so the handle is plenty rigid. In case anyone's interested the liners do have small notches cut in them like the PM2s have.
My only complaint is that the end of the clip is bothersome when handling the knife. The end is right where my middle finger goes when I close the knife. I know it's kind of nitpicky but it's the first thing I feel when I pick the knife up. I never thought clip location would be so important to me. The fact that the knife rides higher in the pocket is a non-issue to me but I would'n't mind if they lost the large lanyard tube, or used a tiny one like the Sage 5, just to get the clip a little farther back. This might be the first knife where I've considered removing the clip altogether. I like having a clip so having to do without could be a deal breaker for me. I like the knife overall so I don't think it'll come to that. I'll give it some time to see if I get used to it or not.
If Spyderco decides to make a Para 3 FRN Lightweight, as I believe was mentioned at last year's Amsterdam meeting, and they intend to keep the large lanyard hole in the same location, I would strongly suggest they use the deep carry wire clip like they use on the Sage & Chap series. I think it would be a big improvement in how the knife feels in hand and it would carry lower it in the pocket.
Here's a (bad) pic comparing the Para 3 & Sage 5
Again, all-in-all I really like the knife. I love the size and I think it was well worth the wait. After handling the Para 3 for the past few hours I picked up a PM2 and it now feels huge!
One detailed I noticed that I thought was interesting is that the recessessed liners don't follow the contour of the bottom of the handle like they do on the bottom PM2 or Sage 5. Instead they're contoured in semi-oval pattern away from the bottom shape. The G-10 is plenty thick in this area so the handle is plenty rigid. In case anyone's interested the liners do have small notches cut in them like the PM2s have.
My only complaint is that the end of the clip is bothersome when handling the knife. The end is right where my middle finger goes when I close the knife. I know it's kind of nitpicky but it's the first thing I feel when I pick the knife up. I never thought clip location would be so important to me. The fact that the knife rides higher in the pocket is a non-issue to me but I would'n't mind if they lost the large lanyard tube, or used a tiny one like the Sage 5, just to get the clip a little farther back. This might be the first knife where I've considered removing the clip altogether. I like having a clip so having to do without could be a deal breaker for me. I like the knife overall so I don't think it'll come to that. I'll give it some time to see if I get used to it or not.
If Spyderco decides to make a Para 3 FRN Lightweight, as I believe was mentioned at last year's Amsterdam meeting, and they intend to keep the large lanyard hole in the same location, I would strongly suggest they use the deep carry wire clip like they use on the Sage & Chap series. I think it would be a big improvement in how the knife feels in hand and it would carry lower it in the pocket.
Here's a (bad) pic comparing the Para 3 & Sage 5
Again, all-in-all I really like the knife. I love the size and I think it was well worth the wait. After handling the Para 3 for the past few hours I picked up a PM2 and it now feels huge!