Stretch, Para, Sage, Caly..what is best ?

I'd pick any one of those but being different knives owning more than one of these is a great idea.

Me? I own them all. I really like the Stretch II CF and the Caly CF big time. I prefer carrying my Military than the Para.. Just a preference of mine though.
 
I get the feeling you will hear a lot of people recommending the Caly 3 and Paramilitary. If you like VG10, better ergos and don't ming lock backs get the Caly 3, If you want the robust compression lock, S30V(:rolleyes::foot:) and a thicker blade, get the paramilitary.:D
 
The Para military is an amazing EDC knife. It's light weight, has an awesome compression lock, great blade shape and steel, and a very robust folder. Perfect for an edc.

The Stretch (CF/ZDP) I don't currently own, but it looks like it has great ergos, peel-ply cf, and a pretty nice blade shape. I have a millie and a Superhawk in the peel-ply stuff and I love it.

The Sage has a nice blade shape, and some really nice weave textured CF. The clip is wire, tip down ambi, and deep pocket. It's great for riding low and discreetly.

The Caly3 has the same clip, but a bit better blade shape and ergos then the Sage. It's a lock back and you can get it in either G-10/VG-10 or CF/420JS laminated ZDP-189. Cuts like a laser.

Of those choices, I'd prefer the Para for an EDC, the Caly3 in CF for a "dressy" sort of edc, the Stretch if you don't mind roughing up your pants, and the Caly3/Sage for a Sunday best.

The only downside of the Stretch is ZDP is hard stuff. You really can't torque the edge on it.

Get them all and rotate! :D
 
I can only comment on the Para and Caly3.

The Caly3 is a wonderful medium sized folder. I have the Carbon fiber model with ZDP laminate blade. The blade is a very efficient cutter. The ergonomics are amazing for such a small knife. Far better ergonomics than something like a Mini-Griptilian. The lockback is very solid. The opening hole rocks. It has the best pocket clip I've ever used, and the knife sits very deep inside the pocket. It's nearly the perfect medium sized EDC knife. Great fit and finish. I wouldn't change a single thing on this knife, except maybe for replacing the handle rivets with screws.

The ParaMilitary is a really interesting design. The handle is huge, so it's almost like having the handle of a fixed blade. You can grip the knife normally, or choke up on the blade by using the blade's choil. Either way, ergonomics are very good. The blade is also a very efficient cutter. The compression lock takes some getting used to, but it is surprisingly robust and a ton of fun to play with.

I wear my Caly3 every day when I get home from work. It's a great knife for wearing with sweat pants, and maybe even for wearing with slacks at work or church. It's small enough not to get noticed much, but does a great job.

The Para is a small beast, best left to those who take on some tougher jobs, but don't want to show the large blade of a full sized Military. The Para is all business. Tons of grip, a good tough lock, and a scalpel like blade.

All in all, I think that the Caly3 makes for a much better medium sized EDC. It's much more comfortable in the pocket and has a better pocket clip that supports tip-up carry. The Caly3 also has a truly ambidextrous lock that everybody seems to like. With that said, if I were working out in the yard, I'd much rather have a Para in my pocket.
 
They're all top-notch. Decide which design factors are most important to you and go from there. What size is ideal to you? Steel type? Handle material?

Personally I'd say the Caly 3 carries the best, the Sage is attractive and fairly robust, the Para is a real workhorse made to be very tough, and the Stretch 2 is one of the best all around EDC knives if you don't mind the price and the sharpening characteristics of ZDP189.

They're all good and will all serve any reasonable person for years of EDC use. Which one is "right" for you, only you can decide.

Some of us own them all and still have trouble making up our minds. :o
 
You'll probably end up getting most if not all of those. Best for me....
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Had the Caly3 for a while. It was OK, I'm not as ga-ga over it as most others. I sold it when I picked up a Para, modded by STR for tip-up carry. It rotates with my BM 943 as an EDC, only because I can't bear to give up the axis lock (although the compression lock comes pretty close to it in terms of usability).
 
Buzzbait said:
The ParaMilitary is a really interesting design. The handle is huge, so it's almost like having the handle of a fixed blade. You can grip the knife normally, or choke up on the blade by using the blade's choil. Either way, ergonomics are very good.
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You can get a full grip on the Para not using a choil? I've always had trouble doing that. In fact I just went out and sanded the handle of my Para down on the butt end to better accommodate my pinky when using such a grip:

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2psr8l4.jpg
 
Buzzbait said:
Yep.

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Small hands maybe? :)

Of those 4, I'd take the Caly3 and Paramilitary. Of the Caly3 and Paramilitary, if I had to choose only one, I'd take the para.

Of course, I don't wear slacks everyday. The Caly3/CF is the best medium duty edc. If you're a white collared kinda guy, go with that. If you're a trail guide, grab a Para, and then a Caly3. :D
 
If anyone can pick the 'best' knife from among that number, you are better men than I.

To me, each knife brings something different to the table, but what they all share is quality of design and manufacture. Being the 'Spyderholic' that I am, I will say, "Get them all!"
 
I have and love the Caly 3 with G10 and VG10 - it's one of my very best EDCs. Compact, strong, practical. Now I will soon have the Sage which I believe is a bit better than the Caly.
Reasons for this:
Well the general size, sturdiness, build quality, ergonomics and blade shape are quite similar, the Sage has somewhat deeper choils but for these matters I'd say they offer similar quality.
But, where the Sage has the advantage: a somewhat better blade steel, edge retention should be a bit better (not that there is anything wrong with the Caly, it's more the difference between excellent and outstanding). I like that the Sage's open construction makes it easier to clean than the lockback Caly. I also prefer the Sage's construction with screws vs pins on the Caly. Finally, and this is more a matter of taste, the CF handle of the Sage feels better than the similarly priced Caly3's G10. Of course if you spend a lot more on a CF Caly with ZDP steel then 2 of my perceived advantages of the Sage are resolved.
 
Without rambling on, I hands down prefer the stretch for edc. It is as tough as a cutting instrument needs to be and man it is a great slicer. The CF is not nearly as rough on your pants as the G-10 Para(which is pretty dang good in it's own right). The blade shape seems to be something that has evolved into a masterpiece and is probably the most useful I have encountered to date.

I am thoroughly impressed with the stretch and it has displaced a number of other edc's in my collection including the aforementioned para and caly(I have no experience with the sage).

Cheers, Shane
 
I will wade in and say SAGE. I know I know...but it is the least expensive of the 4. I have carried nothing but it daily for 8 months and counting. Have Para also, sometimes too large for office/work environments. S30V..love it. ZDP... disappointed but still trying to let it grow on me with a delica. Hoping to improve my sharpening methods to make it effective for my use.
 
I offloaded my Para in favour of a Caly 3...the knife is smaller, but feels more solid, and i prefer a Lockback over the Compression lock
 
I have a caly 3 and a D2 paramilitary (para as of yesterday). Para's handle is huge compared to caly 3, and I love it, however for general edc I would prefer the caly 3 or sage.
 
.....I can see why you're having a difficult time deciding; they're all very good knives. I own all of them and not one is substantially better than the other.....if I had to pick one it would be the Para-Military. It's a tough knife that carries small. But honestly, whichever you choose you can't go wrong.

- regards
 
I have owned the Para and the Caly3. Sage arrives tomorrow :D

For me an EDC knife typically has a 3.5" blade, and the Caly3 was just too small for me to feel comfortable carrying it. It's the smallest of the knives you are comparing, and looks and feels it. I bought a Sage that arrives tomorrow to try something slightly larger in a low profile knife since the Caly was just too small. But it likely doesn't stand a chance against the Para!

The Para is also a smaller blade for my tastes at under 3", but the larger grip and great ergo's make up for it IMO. I sold my Large Sebenza last week since the Para is just about the perfect EDC for me.

So out of those, I vote Para all the way. Also it's worth mentioning that the Para likely has the smoothest action out of these knives. Compression lock is amazing!
 
dan oliver said:
Stretch, Para, Sage, Caly: Which best and why...for EDC ?

Thanks for your time.
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Red, Blue, Green, Yellow: Which is the best and why?

It's alot easier if you compare and contrast the knives yourself. Because obviously everyone will give a different answer and make your choosing even harder.

:thumbup:
 
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