spyderco c81gs vs Spyderco Caly 3 C113GS

They are rather different knives, so which would be better for you would be up to you. The Caly3 is fairly slim, takes up less pocket space, and is intended as "gentleman's knife" i.e. light to moderate use.

The Paramilitary, while still light, has a large, hand-filling grip, a thicker blade, a stronger lock and is intended as a "work knife" i.e. moderate to heavy use.

If you work in an office and want a knife for opening your mail, cutting packing tape and slicing lunchmeat, the Caly3 would probably suit you better. If you work construction and use your knife for cutting drywall, trimming wall studs to length and opening fiberboard containers, I'd suggest the Paramilitary.
 
i also noticed you have a choice in the silver blade or the black blade.
which would you recomend?
is the black better at protecting the blade from rusting?

thanks
 
peterlocal22 said:
i also noticed you have a choice in the silver blade or the black blade.
which would you recomend?
is the black better at protecting the blade from rusting?

thanks
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I would recommend the regular blade (non-coated) for a few reasons:

1. Doesn't look ugly when you use it
2. Cheaper
3. S30V (I'm assuming that's the one you're gonna get) isn't really all that prone to rusting anyway
 
The Caly 3 is a pretty solidly built knife. It's much more stout and durable than I was expecting when I ordered it. Full steel liners, plus a full steel backspacer, rock solid back lock.

The blade, while thinner than some, isn't fragile at all. A lot of people see flat grind, and think it's a more delicate blade, but this one is nice and thick at the spine, and comes to an edge that's thin, but thick enough for just about any task.

I haven't held the Paramilitary, so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt, but the handle on the Caly 3:
imgp0451ll3.jpg


...seems to be a lot more beefy than the one on the Paramillitary:
c81gpspyderp3011ig9.jpg


Now, this is just my opinion, and it's judging from photos I've looked at online of the Paramillitary, while owning the Caly 3. There are a lot of people who will attest to the Paramilitary being a solid knife with a great lockup. It's just that, IMO, I'd rather trust my fingers to the back lock on the Caly than the compression lock on the Paramillitary:
c81gpspyderd101au0.jpg


Just offering a different view. You really can't go long with either knife. For all I know, the lock on the Paramilitary could be FAR stronger than the Caly 3. I keep meaning to get around to purchasing a Paramillitary myself!
 
Both locks are fine - the whole point of the Paramilitary compression lock is to provide a great deal of strength without much weight. The blade is quite a bit thicker, flat-ground, and has a slightly more curved belly and tip than the Caly 3 (which I also own).

Noone ever said the blade on the Caly 3 is fragile - just not as strong ;). That said, both have fairly fine tips compared to some of the folding/fixed prybars popular these days, so they might not be the best choices for certain types of work (e.g. drilling pockets in wood, etc).
 
Take a Caly3 apart (yes, I know you couldn't put it back together because of the pinned construction) and a Paramilitary apart, compare the blade tangs (where the handle applies force to the blade) and tell me which was made for heavier use. The tang of the Para has about five times the cross-sectional area as the Caly3. That and having a lot more handle to apply force with are the things that cause me to rate the two as I do. :D
 
got the paramilitary today
initial reaction was a nice looking knife, very smooth and a great feel. Blade is real sharp and the whole knife just feels really well built. i would have liked to hear the knife lock alittle louder when open, didnt like how the belt clip can only be used on one side, or how the handle doesnt slide into a jean pocket with out feeling like sand paper, but im looking forward to using it this week and giving it a full review.
 
peterlocal22 said:
got the paramilitary today
initial reaction was a nice looking knife, very smooth and a great feel. Blade is real sharp and the whole knife just feels really well built. i would have liked to hear the knife lock alittle louder when open, didnt like how the belt clip can only be used on one side, or how the handle doesnt slide into a jean pocket with out feeling like sand paper, but im looking forward to using it this week and giving it a full review.
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Since you work in construction, the "sand paper" thing is good as it means a higher rate of retention. Would suck if you lost it.

Just so you know, with daily use, the sand paper slide into the pocket decreases in intensity fairly rapidly. Think of it as a "new car smell". :)
 
very true and good point.
never thought of that.
i was wearing some beat up old jeans that were probably four years old and getting very "thin" so as i slid the knife into the pocket the seam at the pocket started to come out. time for new jeans, lol their just so comfy.
 
very true and good point.
never thought of that.
i was wearing some beat up old jeans that were probably four years old and getting very "thin" so as i slid the knife into the pocket the seam at the pocket started to come out. time for new jeans, lol their just so comfy.
 
the blades are about the same length but are two totally different knives that should not be compared. the caly3 is a near perfect edc/utility and the paramilitary is a lightweight full on utility for hard use. imo the paramilitary is slightly silly, for its intended use you should certainly go with the far superior military, and for edc the caly3 or sage are much better options
 
walleyeguy7 said:
the blades are about the same length but are two totally different knives that should not be compared. the caly3 is a near perfect edc/utility and the paramilitary is a lightweight full on utility for hard use. imo the paramilitary is slightly silly, for its intended use you should certainly go with the far superior military, and for edc the caly3 or sage are much better options
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I guess it depends on what criteria you use to rate something far superior. For example, the Paramilitary has a stronger lock by design and by blade length ratio.
 
walleyeguy7 said:
the blades are about the same length but are two totally different knives that should not be compared. the caly3 is a near perfect edc/utility and the paramilitary is a lightweight full on utility for hard use. imo the paramilitary is slightly silly, for its intended use you should certainly go with the far superior military, and for edc the caly3 or sage are much better options
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Laws restricting the length of a pocketknife's blade are slightly silly, too. That doesn't stop politicians from making them or policemen from enforcing them.
 
I would prefer if the paramilitary had a deeper riding clip.

I choose the Caly 3 over the para anyday.

Will wait for the framelock Sage....
 
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