Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Signature Knife with 2.58" Stainless Steel Blade and Durable FRN Handle - PlainEdge - C223

A steel upgrade to my first Spyderco (the Persistence l/w combo knife -- a slightly bulkier 1/2 serrated blade). Feels much better in hand (the ergos being only complaint about my Persistence). Action is quick enough to spidey-flick out the box, even better w/a couple drops of gun oil. Really enjoying that aspect so far. Wire clip is exceptionally sturdy. Finish on the blade is excellent. And Para 3 spider hole and jimping is noticeably more comfortable than the sharp edges on the Persistence out the box. Excited to give its proprietary SPY27 some use. Feels razor sharp and expect that it will stay that way. Bought for EDC.

What’s to say it’s a para 3 lw. Buy it

Although this is a very very expensive item, my son loved it to pieces and said it is so sharp he can’t believe it… So I’m glad I bought it for him!

I didn't think the Para 3 was for me. I prefer a longer blade like the Para 2. I have a pile of those. Still . . . they got me with the cobalt blue handle color. My favorite FRN handle color that I have missed out on when other “Sprint Runs” have sold out before I found out about the knife.I wanted to try the new SPY27 blade material so I figured I would “put up with” the shorter blade.I still feel the same about the blade length, give me a longer blade or a much thinner much smaller knife for this blade length, that said this Para 3 is really well made : blade pivots well, the steel alloy is better than I expected in my standard blade alloy test of which I will elaborate later, the color is so nice, the handle really fits the hand, the knife is light and very pocketable, the price works for me, the lock works great.If I were to ding it I would wish for a thinner blade. This is as thick as the Para 2 up near the pivot. If you want a little, very stout, knife this will work. If you want a knife that blows you away with how it slips through what ever you cut then grind it thinner, get it ground thinner or buy the Chaparral or the Centofante ( I have all three in my stable ).My test ? At work I make the same carving / sliver trimming cuts over and over on the same abbrassive hard rubber material. This puts some side load on the very edge and some alloys get sick from it.For instance :Basic blade alloys like Case or Swiss Army go dull and or roll the edge in a few cuts.Spyderco alloys do this :S110V can’t take it and gets dull relatively quickly (it’s the side loading)M4 can take it all day and goes for ever and stays quite sharpMaxamet goes as long as M4 but M4 retains that silly sharp edge longer even over Maxamet.VG-10 does alright no big deal (much better than Case or Swiss Army).HAP-40 almost as good as M4SPY-27 some where in between VG-10 and HAP-40 leaning toward the latter which is really quite good ! ! !In spite of my self I like this knife quite a lot and the SPY-27 alloy is a real winner !

I’m a big fan of Spyderco knives and I wanted a Para 3 and I like lightweight hence why I bought this version. The Blade steel on this was actually S45VN although it was listed as S 30 V just something to know. As always, the quality on this is very good. Now it did take me a little getting used to as this knife is basically just straight FRN without liners at least not full liners. That being said it’s held up very well and I’ve dropped it several times and it hasn’t broken. Though it’s held up so far it just feels slightly cheap because it’s just the FRN. I know it’s not a cheap knife. I know it’s well constructed, but it just feels kind of cheap in the hand as it’s not very substantial so just keep that in mind. It is light so much so that I barely notice that I’m even carrying it which can be good or bad depending on the situation. The knife arrived somewhat sharp out of the box and opens and closes very easily. The action is fantastic as as usual from Spyderco, I really like the compression lock, also known as a top liner lock on this knife. It makes actuating the knife either to open or close if you don’t want to use the hole very easy. There was no blade play at all. It comes with the standard spider clip for this one which is not my favorite, but it holds on where it’s supposed to and it doesn’t tear up your pants or your shorts at the same time. That’s when I find this knife really shines is when wearing let’s say Gym shorts or other really lightweight pants. ergonomically it feels good in the hands as does my regular Para 3. I actually prefer this over the para 2 as the para 2 is just a little bit too large I feel for every day tasks. I don’t have knife length restrictions where I live on a folding knife, but I just find that the para 3 fits my hand better and still accomplishes all the cutting tasks that I needed to do. It’s tough it’s durable. It’s got that classic leaf shape blade, which works very well. I would definitely recommend this now. Yes, the price is on these are getting to be a bit ridiculous, but they’re still cheaper than a bench made. I know a lot of people like to praise bench made for the warranty, but to me I don’t know that it’s really worth it so I would highly recommend this knife These lightweight ones to have some color options. Every once in a while I thought about getting the salt version of this but realistically, I don’t really have a need for it in this one works great.

I carried the Spyderco Dragonfly as my EDC for many years before deciding to upgrade to the Para 3 Lightweight (P3L). And, wow, what a difference! Most notable is the increased size of the P3L, as well as the blade thickness. Though obviously bigger, the P3L is relatively lightweight and doesn’t crowd my pants pocket. The blade steel (Spyderco specific CPM Spy27) and the locking mechanism are much improved with the P3L too. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention I bought this P3L not for the steel but for the blue FRN handle! BTW, the FRN handle scales, as well as the outstanding handle ergonomics, provide a sure grip. The only thing that did not appeal to me was the wire clip (it’s a functional deep pocket clip). Instead, I purchased an aftermarket Lynch NW titanium clip. Lastly, the P3L is not only made in the USA, but feels like it’s built to last. You’ll find the P3L is not a cheap knife—both in cost and construction. Still, if you’re looking to upgrade your EDC pocket knife, the P3L is a solid choice.