SpydercoPara 3 Signature Folding Utility Pocket Knife with 2.95" Stainless Steel Blade and G-10 Handle - Everyday Carry - PlainEdge - C223GP

I am very pleased with this knife, it is one of the nicest knives I have had the pleasure of owning and carrying. The design is not without some quirks, but I'm into it.The overall quality is exactly what you'd hope for in a knife at this price from an American boutique manufacturer like Spyderco: awesome. Everything is tight, precise, and nicely finished. All the little details are there, down to the machined Torx screws that sit perfectly flush with the handle. The full flat grind blade is attractive, the shape is handy, the size and proportions are to my liking, and as many other reviewers have mentioned, the factory edge is absurdly sharp. To me, steel quality is really something that can only be determined with hard use and extensive wear, so I will have to update this review down the road to speak to that.What I was really struck by in my initial impressions of this knife is the deployment. I am a big fan of the Spyderco thumbhole opener in general, and this is the best implementation of it I have ever encountered, bar none. It is not only fast and easy, even with gloves on, but the tactile sensation is outstanding. The level of resistance as you open the blade is, in a word, dialed. It's just enough to feel solid, but not so much as to slow it down. It locks up with a remarkably satisfying confidence. Right out of the box it is much, much faster than my old Delica or either of the thumbhole-style Benchmades I own, including my very well-worn 555 Mini Griptilian, which had been my daily companion for about six years now. The lockup is just as positive as the 555, which uses Benchmade's excellent "Axis lock" system. This is saying something, as I always felt the lockup was a strength of that much-lauded design. It is also noticeably faster and more limber than my wife's fairly new Manix II. This aspect of this knife is exemplary.The handle size and shape is going to be a matter of personal preference, but in my relatively slim hands it's great. The G10 is wonderfully grippy and has an attractive matte appearance. The design is nice, if rather spartan. There is really not any shaping or profiling to the handle to speak of, but there's also no sharp edges or pressure "hot spots" in the hand, so I guess less is more. I like it better than the more rounded profile of my 555, and it is much grippier, especially wet. The good grip design is backed up with nice strategically-placed texture grooves on the blade back and liner.The lock mechanism is cleverly built into the liner, manufactured from one piece of steel. This is a very robust design. There's no blade grove or ball bearing to accumulate schmutz, nor any little spring to wear out or break, as in the Benchmade axis lock. Debris that enters one side of the liner is free to fall out the other. This lock is extremely positive and secure. I initially found closing it with one hand very awkward. As the knife has limbered up with use, it has becomes possible to hold the lock release with my index finger and flip it closed with my wrist. I can actuate it easily with mechanic-style work gloves on, though I find it tough to get at with thicker gloves. I can't get it closed with just my left hand. I'm sure lefty users can figure out some technique for this, but I don't find this lock mechanism to be ambidextrous.The one oddball feature of this design is the pocket clip. It is very stiff, doesn't curve out into the clip until a quarter-inch down from the screws, and is mounted rather low on the knife below the lanyard tube. This leaves a solid inch of the knife sticking out of your pocket. This isn't the end of the world if discretion isn't top priority for you (indeed, it does make it easy to get at the knife), but it strikes me as a strange design choice to give the lanyard hole priority over the pocket clip. If you prefer tip-down carry you can just switch it around, the tip-down holes are right at the end of the handle. The clip is very secure, if anything more secure than I'd like, especially on my flannel-lined Carhartt winter work pants. As with everything on this design, it is extremely robust. The polished finish is well-executed and attractive.Overall, this is a very nice package. It's robust, well-proportioned, and comfortable in the hand. And that deployment: just wow. At this price point I'd love to have a more refined pocket clip design, and an ambidextrous lock would be nice, but this does little to dampen my overall enthusiasm for this knife. I expect it will become my go-to.

I’ve been collecting pocket knives for a little over a decade, with Benchmade always being my favorite brand, and Spyderco my second. I’d never owned any of the para series before this one, and I slapped my forehead for waiting this long. This is a fantastic pocket knife, I’m a big fan of the Benchmade axis lock system, and this compression lock is actually kind of similar. The build quality is great, the materials are good quality, and the biggest benefit is the two different grip options. The way the choil is designed and since the handle is long enough to fully grip without the choil, gives two distinct grips. One that’s great for heavier duty tasks, and then using the choil when maybe a little more precision is needed. Great knife all around.

Between my two boys and I we have tried the SOG Tanto II and Flash, the Spyderco Tenacious and Para 3 Lightweight, and of course a Gerber and Swiss Army Knife. This Spyderco Para 3 Signature is absolutely the best knife out of the box as far as sharpness, handle, and most importantly build quality. You can even replace all the parts, minus the blade on this knife, with stock or style from third party vendors, it’s extremely customizable and easily gets even more sharper with a Work Sharp Mk2 electric knife sharpener or whatever you’re used to.This knife is so sharp you will always want it on you as It beats a lot of specialty tools like wire strippers as an example or even JA Henkels scissors. I was just laying in-wall insulated speaker wire the other day and this knife cut through everything I needed with ease making the job incredibly fast. The Tenacious is the cheaper, entry level Spyderco knife and yes its sharper than the SOG, Gerber, and Swiss Army Knife but not by much and the G10 handle feels better than the FRN Spyderco handle on the lightweight but still feels cheap. The Para 3 Lightweight is sharper than the Tenacious but the handle is laughable, that said, the Para 3 lightweight, as the name suggests, is so lightweight you will forget its in your pocket which is a huge plus. However, the Para 3 Signature you are considering is so sharp you will actually want it on your person because it’s so sharp you will use it for everything! It was my first time spending this much money on a pocket knife but it’s worth it as it becomes an everyday tool you will come to appreciate.Be advised I would stay away from the coated blades and the combo edge’s as this straight blade is so sharp you wont need the serrated portion of the blade which makes rough cuts. And the black powder coated blades look good but Spyderco hasn’t perfected the coating like SOG has as it scratches and smudges easily the first week you will have it. I would love to compare this to a Benchmade Knife but they haven’t sent me a demo model yet. Hope this review helps. In conclusion, this is a true EDC knife you will be ecstatic about having.