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Spyderco Para 3
The Spyderco Para 3 is the Paramilitary 2 rebuilt around a three-inch blade. Spyderco announced it in November 2016 and shipped the first run that December in CPM S30V with black G10, answering years of requests from people who loved the PM2 but wanted something smaller in the pocket. The current standard model runs a full flat ground CPM S45VN blade at 2.93 inches on .145 inch stock, 7.2 inches open and 4.29 closed, at 3.4 ounces. The Compression Lock sits in the spine of the handle: press it with one finger and the blade folds closed one handed without your fingers ever crossing the edge. Every Para 3 is made in Golden, Colorado, alongside the rest of the USA-built Spyderco flagships.
What Does the 3 in Para 3 Mean?
The blade length. Spyderco has been clear since launch that the Para 3 is its own model, not a third generation Paramilitary, and an early batch of boxes printed "Paramilitary 3" was a labeling mistake. That is why the PM3 shorthand never quite fits. Instead of shrinking everything, Spyderco kept the PM2's handle width and trimmed length, so the grip still fills your hand the way the bigger knife does, with the same finger choil, textured thumb ramp, Round Hole, and four-position hourglass clip for tip up or tip down carry on either side.
Spyderco Para 3 vs Paramilitary 2
The Paramilitary 2 carries a blade of about 3.44 inches with a full three inches of edge, against the Para 3's 2.62. That extra length buys more handle for large hands and more reach for harder cutting. The Para 3 trades it for a knife that rides unnoticed in jeans or slacks and handles the everyday work most people actually do. Longtime owners split along exactly that line: big hands tend to land on the PM2, while office and jobsite carriers stay with the Para 3.
Para 3 Lightweight and Para 3 Salt
The Para 3 Lightweight swaps G10 and full liners for injection molded FRN scales with Bi-Directional Texture, a linerless open back, and a streamlined Compression Lock built on a stainless lock bar. It drops to 2.4 ounces, almost 30 percent lighter, running CTS BD1N with a tip up wire clip in plain, fully serrated, black blade, and pink builds. The Salt versions pair MagnaCut with ultra corrosion resistant hardware for carry around saltwater: G10 in all black DLC or black and yellow, plus the yellow Lightweight Salt in plain or fully serrated. They sit alongside the rest of the Salt Series.
Para 3 Blade Steel Options
Standard G10 builds run S45VN in satin or black, with plain, partially serrated, and fully serrated edges and a digital camo option. Beyond that, the platform rotates through steels collectors hunt for: CruWear on brown canvas Micarta for toughness, Maxamet on dark gray G10 for extreme edge retention, S110V on dark blue G10 for wear resistance with stainless convenience, and CPM SPY27, Crucible's Spyderco exclusive, on cobalt blue G10 and FRN. Our comparison of every major knife steel breaks down those tradeoffs, and new limited steel runs land in Sprint Runs and Exclusives.