I am not doing a full review of the Para3 in S45VN for two reasons. First, the knife is not different enough to warrant a full review given how many Para3 reviews have been on this site. You can find the review of the original here. It got a score of 14 out of 20. The Para3 LW, which I totally forgot I reviewed (as can happen when you are approaching 500 reviews), can be found here. It got a 15 out of 20. Second, I don’t want to be seen rewarding the Pallette Swap Ninja strategy that Spyderco has employed over the past two years. I want more new designs and the Stovepipe isn’t what I was looking for from Golden (or anyone…that is an ugly piece of cutlery). I figure, if they can batch out knives, I can do the same with reviews.

Here is the product page. This is a sprint run, but the base Para3 now has S45VN but lacks the forest green diamond arc pattern. Here is a video review of the model I have. There are no written reviews. Note that S45VN is now the base steel for the Para3. When this version was released it was an initial run, hence the unusual pattern for the G10 scales. Here is the review sample, which I received in trade as a LNIB piece:

Twitter Review Summary: Nothing more than incremental upgrades.

Overall Score: 15 out of 20 (1 off for Design, 2 off for Grip, 1 off for Retention, and 1 off for Lock/Blade Safety)

The original scored a 14 out of 20, the LW scored a 15 out of 20, and this one scored one point better, but the reality is, this is the end of the road for the Para3, the max score it can possibly get while still being the same knife. The problem is, of course, twofold—it is a medium knife that carries like a big one and the compression lock is a fundamentally flawed design as implemented here. Let’s look at some specifics.

First, the S45VN is a perfectly fine higher end steel. In my use it worked as well as M390 and S35VN. In a double blind, ABX test I would not have been able to tell the difference between M390 or S35VN. That’s not a slight—both of those are great steels. Its just a warning—if you own a Para3 in either of those steels or a functional equivalent there is no user-based reason to acquire this knife (though I know perfectly well there are collectible reasons to buy this knife). For that reason, I am upgrading the steel score from a 1 to a 2 for this knife.

Second, the diamond arc pattern is a new feature. It is quite good and something I would love to see more broadly implemented across the Spyderco line up. The grip on the original Para3 is excellent. The diamond arc pattern is even better. I would not argue with someone if they said this was the best grip pattern in the world, circa 2022. Unfortunately, this grip pattern is on one of the worst handle designs on the market—slabby, overly thick, and still pinchy. The diamond arc pattern can only fix so much.

One negative that is new is my waning appreciation for the Spyderco spoon clip. I swapped it out with a Para3-specific MXG clip and I have been much happier. It is time to retire the spoon clip. Or, at the very least, not give it second shrift to the lanyard hole.

Alas the key problems of the Para3 cannot be fixed and the improvements here, while true upgrades, don’t overcome what I think is a flawed design. This knife is simply too big and too heavy to justify a position in your pocket.

Competition

Freed of the normal format, let’s do a more in-depth comparison of competitors.

Of course, the true Para3 slayer is the PM2. It is a big knife that carries like a medium sized knife, instead of what the Para3 offers. Let’s look at specs:

Price:

PM2 in S45VN: $171.50

Para3 in S45VN: $161.50

Blade Length:

PM2: 3.44

Para3: 3.00

Cutting Edge:

PM2: 3.00

Para3: 2.58

Handle Length:

PM2: 4.81

Para3: 4.27

Weight:

PM2: 3.75 ounces

Para3: 3.40 ounces

Over and over again the problem is obvious—the PM2 is substantially bigger for not much more money and less than a half ounce of extra weight. Other comparisons are even worse. Here is the Para3 against the Native 5:

Price:

Native 5 in S110V: $147.53

Para3 in S45VN: $161.50

Blade Length:

Native 5: 2.95

Para3: 3.00

Cutting Edge:

Native 5: 2.42

Para3: 2.58

Handle Length:

Native 5: 4.00

Para3: 4.27

Weight:

Native 5: 2.5 ounces

Para3: 3.40 ounces

The Native 5 is better in every way, except for cutting edge and there the difference is .16 of an inch. Better steel, better weight, better price. There is, however, one comparison, that, for me, is backbreaking—the Manix LW v. Para3:

Price:

Manix LW in S110V: $166.95

Para3 in S45VN: $161.50

Blade Length:

Manix LW: 3.37

Para3: 3.00

Cutting Edge:

Manix LW: 2.88

Para3: 2.58

Handle Length:

Manix LW: 4.66

Para3: 4.27

Weight:

Manix LW: 2.9 ounces

Para3: 3.40 ounces

Its as if someone said, lets make a knife that is clearly worse than the PM2, the Native 5, and the Manix LW and let’s call it a Para3 and release variants for three years as a cash cow. The knife is not good. It is not good compared to other knives in the Spyderco line up. Over and over again, even in the Spyderco line up, the Para3 suffers by comparison. More importantly, even if the specs come up close, the cramped pinchy handle on the Para3 means all of these knives are just better. The Dragonfly 2 has a cutting edge that is just over a half inch less than the Para3. That’s a problem. This is a medium sized knife that carries like a big knife.

But there are others that just best the Para3. The SOG Terminus XR LTE is a better knife in every meaningful way. The same is true for the 945. The Neutron 2 blows the Para3 out of the water. The Asher Nomad 3.0 is better. Virtually everyone makes a knife better than the Para3. But it absolutely does not matter. This is not about performance or specs or value or even rationality. This is about tulips.

Collectors love the Para3. Like the late 90s trend of spinners on decade-old Civics, people have accessorized their Para3s beyond recognition. And the Pokemon impulse makes rare sprints quite the collector’s item. But none of these issues relate to actual use or performance. Slabby, overbuilt knives are not that great for EDC. The Para3 is a slabby, overbuilt knife.

In the end, I can make this argument for days and it will not matter because, for some things, purchase decisions are not based on rationality. And to be clear, the Para3 is not a bad knife, its just not a good knife in today’s market.

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