First Spyderco: Paramilitary (Picture heavy)

ehhh

ehhh

Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
562
Just received my first Spyderco Paramilitary and some bandaids from New Graham (it was also my first time purchasing from them). At first, Spyderco's didn't appeal to me aesthetically, but they kind of grow on you.

Let's first have a gander:

paraclosedljj6.jpg


paraleftin3.jpg


pararightms2.jpg


paraspineoe3.jpg


Compression lock:
compressionlockgg4.jpg


Comparison shots:
collectionclosedvl7.jpg


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I kindly emailed New Graham and asked that they check the knife out before sending it to me and they happily agreed to my terms :D

Fit and Finish:
The blade is well centered (not perfect, but good enough to pass my picky tastes), locks up solid and opens easily. Not the smoothest opening knife, but that's ok. The fit and finish are very good, on par with all my other knives. The handle scales are even and nicely put together. The factory sharpening is sharp. Much sharper than my Benchmade, sharper than the SERE and about the same as the Rat Trap (though I'd give the Trap the nod). One little problem is that the blade seems to rub very lightly against the G10 at the ricasso when I open the knife. I hope this doesn't cause any long term problems, would this be something I might want to fix with a little sandpaper?

Feel:
The knife is light. Feels a little lighter than the Rat Trap in my hand. It is also quite thin, slightly thinner than the BM710 and a little thicker than the Trap. I wasn't sure I'd like the finger choil much, but after holding it a bit it feels comfortable. My hands are small-medium so not using the choil is also quite comfortable, though I can see how that bump behind the choil can be a little annoying. The round thumb hole is very simple to use and I can already say I prefer it to thumb studs after just a few hours fondling it. The G10 is rough and grippy, moreso than my Rat Trap which was the grippiest of my knives before this purchase. The pocket clip is a little tight, and combined with the rough G10, I can see this quickly wearing out my pants. Any way to loosen it a little?

The Blade:
The blade stock is almost 4mm thick at the ricasso, but tapers off quickly to a thin, delicate looking point. The wide blade and full flat grind also leave the edge quite thin. As I said before, it is very sharp and easily push cuts paper. It doesn't shave hair quite as well as the Rat Trap, though. At first I thought I wouldn't like the blade:handle ratio, but after handling it, it doesn't bother me a bit.
I also thought the marking on the tang was a humorous touch:
Golden, Colorado
U.S.A. Earth

The Lock:
The compression lock seems to be a love it or hate it deal. Personally, I very much enjoy it. Like the axis lock, it took a few minutes to get used to, but is a cinch to operate and locks up nicely. Also like the axis, it can be pulled back, allowing you to flick the blade open and closed. The axis is much smoother, but mentally the compression feels safer. No clue how they actually compare in strength though. I haven't had the best experience with liner locks (the SERE in particular), so there is no comparison between those two, personally.
The lockbar just fully makes it onto the tang, leaving plenty of room to wear. After hearing about some issues with the lock, I asked that the guys at New Graham check it to make sure it locked solid and with room to wear. They did a great job :thumbup:

Overall, I love it and am very pleased with the purchase. This one will definitely see a lot of pocket time. I can't really find anything wrong with the design aside from the blade rubbing and tight clip/rough G10 combination.

Just one little question I have for Sal or any other experienced Spyderco lover: What is this little dark spot on the lockface of the blade?

tangbh9.jpg


Is that a spot left by a Rockwell test or something? My main concern is that it could be corrosion, though I doubt it is. Is this a common thing to see on Paramilitaries? It doesn't rub off, and it looks like a little dark dent (as you can see).

Thanks for reading and thank you Spyderco for this gorgeous little knife!
-Jon
 
Very nice pictures. I agree very much about the looks growing on you. At first I thought they were extremely ugly, now they are IMO the best looking knives around. As for the spot on the blade, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Jon,

Thanks for the good, honest review. I love my Para and wouldn't change a thing. 99% of the time, I use the choil. I like being close to the cutting edge. The blade to handle ratio is my favorite feature. The blade is a very practical size and the full length handle supplies a comfortable, powerful grip.

Enjoy your knife!

Tom
 
I think the spot you mentioned, if it doesn't rub off, is a mark left by the laser cutter. Occasionally, a brown rough finish is found on the tang and inside the hole of S30V blades, it's a type of residue from the laser cutting process.

Congrats on the knife and your comments.

Wouter
 
I agree that the spot is probably laser cut residue. As for the clip, remove the 3 screws, remove the clip and CAREFULLY bend it up a little. I usually use 2 pairs of pliers and bend the clip at the first bend (next to where it attaches). Then remount the clip and test the tension. Another thing I have heard of people doing is using a small piece of sandpaper under the clip to smooth off the G-10. Personally, I prefer to adjust clip tension. Bear in mind, this knife rides a little high in the pocket, so if you plan to keep it, leave enough tension to keep it secure :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the replies, it's a relief to know that the little spot isn't out of the ordinary.

I agree with the blade:handle ratio being great because of the good size blade and roomy handle. I thought it was very strange and almost a waste to have such a short blade in such a big handle, but now I see how great the design is. Big comfy handle with a short precise blade, it just screams "use me." The only thing I think I would change is the position of the clip. I prefer low ride clips, though this clip leaves plenty of room to grab the knife.

Thanks for the tip yablanowitz, I think I will try adjusting the tension of the clip.

This knife is quickly becoming my favorite :thumbup:
 
Usually if there is an indentation on the back of the blade near the thumb hole, that can indicate a factory second. But the small color mark is most likely due to the laser (as already stated twelve times:D ) Great knife, I hope you look into other Spydies. You cant go wrong!;)
 
ehhh said:
Thanks for the replies, it's a relief to know that the little spot isn't out of the ordinary.

I agree with the blade:handle ratio being great because of the good size blade and roomy handle. I thought it was very strange and almost a waste to have such a short blade in such a big handle, but now I see how great the design is. Big comfy handle with a short precise blade, it just screams "use me." The only thing I think I would change is the position of the clip. I prefer low ride clips, though this clip leaves plenty of room to grab the knife.

Thanks for the tip yablanowitz, I think I will try adjusting the tension of the clip.

This knife is quickly becoming my favorite :thumbup:
Click to expand...
If you want it REALLY low-riding, give STR a PM/email... he'll probably be able to sell/make you a replacement clip to make that happen.
 
That Rat Trap looks GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It makes all the others look kind of funny. I have to get my hands on one of those!

Oh and the Para is one of my best knives. :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Very good photos.
Your review is equally good.
Had my Para since they first came out, it cannot be replaced.
 
The feature that I always come back to on the Para is the shape of the grip near the hole. It allows you to press your thumb down at a sharp angle and put a lot of force straight down on the hole. I like to be able to press down hard before pressing outward because there are certain one-handed situations where your grip just doesn't feel secure enough. Granted, I rarely get that feeling with any Spyders, but with the Para, I never get that feeling. This is where it outshines the Military and the Manix for me.
 
My Para was a little rough when opening and closing and felt "gritty". I wondered if this was normal or not and then I decided to just not worry about it. After about a week of opening and closing the knife and using it all is well. It's much smoother and no grittyness. You posted some very nice pictures.

How do you like the Rat Trap? I hear it has a very thin liner lock.
 
Thanks for the comments. I may have to ask STR to make me a low ride clip. I carry my knives in my waistband at the hip, and having so much of the knife stick out does feel noticeable sometimes. Otherwise it is very light and I usually don't notice it. I also love the shaping and jimping near the thumb hole, it gives a very secure feel to the knife. The action on my para is also a little "gritty" feeling. I think it is mostly due to the lockbar pressing on the tang, because holding the lock back and opening it is quite smooth.

The Rat Trap is a great knife too. It is very thin and very light, but large in just about every other way. The liner is quite thin, a little thinner than the liner in the para. However, it is bent in such a way that it is VERY stiff, so closing it can be a real pain in the thumb. The blade is about 4 inches long, almost 3mm thick and 1 1/4" wide, so it is quite a large folder. The handle is very ergonomic, though sort of on the thin side. The fit and finish is good, though the handles are a teeny bit uneven (you'd have to really inspect the knife to notice) and there is a tiny bump of steel in the opening hole that didn't get cut out or something; I'm sure a little time and sandpaper can fix both those minor imperfections. The oval opening hole is my only dislike about it. To me it isn't quite as comfortable as a thumb stud and certainly nothing like the round opening hole on Spyders. I posted my first impressions of it on the Swamp Rat forum, so you can go there for a little more detail.
 
I'm guessing the reason the Para's clip rides high is because afterall, it is a Paramilitary. When designing it, Sal probably thought a soldier would want quick access and wouldn't care as much about concealment.
 
I just started getting acquainted with my new black blade para. It certainly does grow on you. I watched that video of the guy flipping it around, and was quite impressed with his facility with it. I like the feel in my hand, opening and closing, and I really like a lot of handle for relatively small blade, and the Para is a great combination. Being used to my Manix, I think the Para feels small and light, which is a nice difference. I think I could survive in the wilderness with this knife.

I do have some criticisms. The clip position cannot be changed from tip down, and I like to carry tip up. The compression lock tab has a sharp edge. I plan to file the edge a bit to make it less irritating to my finger and thumb. The blade action is a bit stiff and makes it difficult to flip open and closed. Maybe that will changes with more use. I would have preferred to have black screws and lock- all components black- like the prototype on the Sypdeco website catalog. I like to have near invisible tools.
 
As much as I like the style and size of the Para, without being able to change the clip to tip-up carry prevents this knife from becoming a member of my family.
 
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