Paramilitary, thinner than a Native III?

A

Applejacks

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I didn't like the Native III I purchased because I found it very WIDE and bulky. Wide as in when the blade is closed, and laid on a table, the overall width from visible part of blade to the spine. Bulky, as in a thick handle.

I recently started to really like the Paramilitary, but was curious how bulky it was. In the limited photos I have seen, it seems to have a much slimmer handle. Am I right?

Also, the length is a bit longer than what I would normally edc. Anyone think it is perhaps a bit too long in their everyday use of it? Compared to my favorite, A.G. Russell Featherlite, it is only about7/8 of an inch longer, but that can be huge in an overall larger package.

Any help or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
My Paramilitary measures ~.44 inches thick (not including clip) and about 1.66 inches wide from handle spine to blade spine using digital calipers.

I find it to be pretty comfortable to carry. It is fairly thin for its size, though it is wide to accomodate the opening hole. Lengthwise, I do sometimes notice it poking me when I sit down and prefer to EDC 4" handle knives now as they are thinner, shorter and offer just about the same blade length. If I want to carry a tougher knife then my Paramilitary is my first choice.

I generally EDC a framelock Leek or Cuda EDC just to give you an idea of my preferences. If you like to EDC large knives, then I think the Paramilitary is a great choice (though the blade is only about 3").
 
Well, let's see here, I'm holding my para now and measure it to be about 3/8" thick and 4-5/8" long handle. Thicker than my Endura for sure, sorry I don't have the Native 3 to compare it to. I will tell you that I don't find the para any trouble to EDC. It is much lighter than it appears it would be. It tends to require a firm tug to remove it from your pocket, but that's the price you pay for G-10 scales.
 
The Paramilitary is both longer and wider than the Native III. It is probably also slightly thicker (more bulky), due to the thicker blade and liners, but not by much. Spyderco knives tend to be wider than most other brands, due to the opening hole. For most of us, the advantage of easier, more reliable opening that the hole provides more than compensates for that.
 
ehhh said:
My Paramilitary measures ~.44 inches thick (not including clip) and about 1.66 inches wide from handle spine to blade spine using digital calipers.

I find it to be pretty comfortable to carry. It is fairly thin for its size, though it is wide to accomodate the opening hole. Lengthwise, I do sometimes notice it poking me when I sit down and prefer to EDC 4" handle knives now as they are thinner, shorter and offer just about the same blade length. If I want to carry a tougher knife then my Paramilitary is my first choice.

I generally EDC a framelock Leek or Cuda EDC just to give you an idea of my preferences. If you like to EDC large knives, then I think the Paramilitary is a great choice (though the blade is only about 3").
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Awesome post. Thank you. I think this gives me the exact info I need. The whole poking when you sit makes me think perhaps it is not the right knife for me.
 
The Deacon said:
The Paramilitary is both longer and wider than the Native III. It is probably also slightly thicker (more bulky), due to the thicker blade and liners, but not by much. Spyderco knives tend to be wider than most other brands, due to the opening hole. For most of us, the advantage of easier, more reliable opening that the hole provides more than compensates for that.
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I hear ya. I think the loyalty of the Spyderco fans has really made me want to try one out seriously. I really like the look of the knife, but had concerns of the size. I think with this thread, I see that I need to keep looking.

Perhaps I shall make another thread asking about older Native's size over the III.
 
Maybe you could take a look at the ZDP Calypso Jr. I don't own one, but by the looks of it, it is pretty thin and has that great flat grind that I love about Spydercos. I'm very tempted to buy one myself.
 
Applejacks said:
I hear ya. I think the loyalty of the Spyderco fans has really made me want to try one out seriously. I really like the look of the knife, but had concerns of the size. I think with this thread, I see that I need to keep looking.

Perhaps I shall make another thread asking about older Native's size over the III.
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If you take a look at this page on my website, you can get a very good idea of the comparitive thickness of the C41 and C78 Natives. The contoured handle makes the C78 one of the most comfortable knives I have ever used, but the C41 handle is considerably thinner, only slightly less comfortable for prolonged use, and definitely more comfortable to sit on. Aside from thickness, they are virtually identical in size.

As Spyderco knives go, both Natives are relatively narrow when closed, and they ride rather nicely since their outline when closed is pretty smooth. Can't think of any models in current production that would be much narrower when closed. The one you might want to take a look at is the Ocelot. Width is about the same as the Native, perhaps a hair narrower and thickness is comparable to the C41. You might also want to look at last year's Sprint Run Jess Horn Lightweight. That would be the most directly comparable in size and shape to your AGR Featherlight but has the advantage of superior steel. They are still fairly easy to find.
 
Great website! Thanks. I am surprised to hear you say that the Native is "narrow". I appreciate the suggestions, and will definitely check those out... especially the Jess Horn. Thank you!
 
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