Knife Review: Spyderco Custom Red Camo Para 3 Folding Knife

The Spyderco Custom Red Camo Para 3 Folding Knife

This company was founded by Sal Glesser. The first product that Spyderco produced was called the Portable Hand in 1976. This product was a spider-shaped device, with a series of angles, ball joints, and alligator clips that was able to help certain hobbyists such as jewelers work with their small parts. Spyderco’s Founder, Sal Glesser, and his wife Gail, converted an old bread delivery truck into a motorhome and traveled to shows. As they became more successful, they graduated from the bread truck to a truck and trailer. They settled in Golden in November 1978.

Spyderco began producing knife sharpeners in 1978 and produced their first folding knife, the C01 Worker, in 1981. This knife was the first to feature a round hole in the blade designed for fast, one-handed and ambidextrous opening, which you all know is now the company’s trademark. Additionally, the company also claims that this was the first knife to feature a pocket clip on the right side of the handle.

Most knives produced by Spyderco are folding knives of various designs, blade steels, handle materials, and locking mechanism. However, they also have produced fixed blade knives occasionally.

A large part of Spyderco knife production is outsourced to foreign contractors in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Italy, and China. However, many of their flagship knives are made in the US. Knives made with CPM S30V steel were previously all made in Golden, Colorado, but Spyderco began shipping this steel to Taiwan to have their highest end knives produced there using this steel.

Today we will be going over the Spyderco Custom Red Camo Para 3 folding knife.

The Blade:

The blade has been made out of CPM-S30V stainless steel. This steel is made by US based Crucible, CPM S30V, which is often referred to as S30V, steel has excellent edge retention and resists rust effortlessly. It was designed in the US and is typically used for the high-end premium pocketknives and expensive kitchen cutlery. The introduction of vanadium carbides brings extreme harness into the steel alloy matrix. Dollar for dollar, this is generally regarded as one of the finest knife blade steels with the optimal balance of edge retention, hardness, and toughness. One of the only drawbacks to this type of steel is that it is a little bit tricky to work with, which means that it is a little bit tricky to sharpen.

The steel on this blade has been finished with a satin finish, which is the most common blade finish that you are going to come by. It is incredibly traditional and will give the knife a classic look that you aren’t going to find in many other places.

The satin finish is created when the steel is repeatedly sanded in one direction with an increasing level of a fine abrasive. This works to show off the fine lines of the steel, which is where the classic look comes from. The finish also is able to cut down on glares and reflections slightly, which can be an advantage for a tactical knife like this one. Lastly, the satin finish does increase the corrosion resistance levels of the blade in small portions, although you shouldn’t rely on the satin finish giving you all of the corrosion resistance that you want. While the satin finish clearly has its advantages, a good one can definitely increase the cost slightly.

The blade has been carved into a leaf shaped blade. The spine of the knife curves around the classic Spyderco hole and then angles sharply down toward the point of the blade. The belly is large and curves up to meet the point of the blade. This does mean that the blade is lowered, which is going to give you more control over your cuts.

The angle and curve of the blade also create a fine and sharp point. This does mean that it is going to excel at piercing. However, because it is fine, it does mean that it is going to be more prone to snapping. Especially if you are choosing to use it on harder targets.

The large belly is going to make slicing much easier, equipping you to take on a plethora of tasks.

The blade has been sharpened into a plain edge, which is the most common edge style that you are going to come across. This is because the plain edge is going to equip you to take on a wider variety of different tasks. This is because the plain edge is a long, continuous sharpened edge, with plenty of surface area and no teeth. This means that the plain edge is going to excel at push cuts, which include skinning, peeling, and slicing. Push cuts are the most common cutting that you are going to do with a knife, so you will be able to feel confident while using this knife.

A plain edge is going to be easier to sharpen because of the lack of teeth. However, it will need to be sharpened more often than a serrated blade would need to be. That being said, the plain edge will get a sharper edge.

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of G10 that has been colored with red and black in a digi camo pattern. This is a material that is made out of fiberglass. To make the material, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in a resin. The next step is to compress them and bake them under pressure. This creates a very tough, hard, lightweight, and strong material. This is a very similar material to carbon fiber, but it is inferior and can be had for almost a fraction of the cost. The overall pros to this knife handle material is that it is going to be tough, light, and durable. Unfortunately, it is also brittle, and some people feel like it lacks elegance.

The handle is super simple, but that doesn’t mean that it lacks in character. The color of the handle is super unique, which means that the rest of the handle can be basic without looking boring.

The spien of the handle curves outward from the blade to the butt smoothly. The butt is rounded, so there are no dramatic angles on the handle. The belly portion of the handle does have a finger guard that is a little bit lower than the start of the handle. Right after the finger guard, there is a finger groove, which improves the ergonomics of the handle. The middle of the belly does bulge outward, which will help this knife fit more comfortably in your palm.

The butt of the handle does have a lanyard hole.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on the Custom Red Camo Para 3 is a 4-way positional pocket clip. This means that it is going to allow for tip up or tip down carry on either side of the handle. This means that it is the most ambidextrous friendly that it possibly can be. You will be able to carry this knife in the way that is most comfortable for you, which means that you will be carrying it in the safest way for you.

The pocket clip that comes on the Para 3 is gold, which matches the rest of the hardware on the knife. It is kept in place by three small screws. In the middle of the pocket clip, the Spyderco logo has been stamped into it. The clip is not a deep carry one, but it is sturdy enough that it will stay securely in your pocket.

The Mechanism:

This knife has been equipped with Spyderco’s Compression Lock and their round hole. This is a manual folding knife, which does mean that it is going to be legal in ore states, cities, and areas than if it were a spring assisted or an automatic knife. This is because automatic knives have a strict set of laws surrounding them in the United States of America. That being said, you should still know your local knife laws before purchasing or carrying this knife. BladeOps is not the responsible party.

The Compression Lock is a lock mechanism that uses a leaf-like spring from a split liner in the handle to wedge laterally between a ramp on the blade tang and the stop pin (or anvil pin). Developed and patented by Spyderco, it provides extreme lock strength and ease of use.

Spyderco says, “One of the most common questions we get from people new to Spyderco knives is “Why the Round Hole?” The Round Hole allows the blade of a folding knife to be swiftly and easily opened with only one hand. This revolutionary feature was granted a U.S. utility patent in 1981 and literally helped define the form of the modern folding knife. Unlike thumb studs, disks, and other one-hand-opening attachments, the hole offers a larger surface area for greater reliability and does not interfere with the cutting action of the blade. An iconic symbol of our brand, the Trademark Round Hole™ also serves as a user-friendly alternative to a traditional nail nick in our two-hand-opening folders and a proud expression of our brand identity in our fixed-blade knives.”

The Specs:

The blade on this version of the Para 3 measures in at 3 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.27 inches long. This means that the overall length of the knife is going to measure in at 7.27 inches long. This is a pretty standard size knife for an EDC. It will offer enough length that you can easily feel like you will be able to do exactly what you want while using this knife.

The Spyderco measures in at 3 ounces, which is the ideal weight for an EDC. This is because three ounces is going to give you the backing that you need to really feel secure with this knife, without actually weighing you down. You can easily have this knife in your pocket without feeling annoyed at the weight of it. In fact, it weighs so little, that you will probably even forget that it is in your pocket in the first place.

This Spyderco was made in the United States of America. However, please note that these knives have been modified and reassembled by the EDC Gear House.

Conclusion:

Looking for a fresh new take on the popular Spyderco Para 3? Tired of the same ol' black, camo or "blurple" variations? In conjunction with EDC Gear House, BladeOps is excited to announce a run of custom outfitted models boasting custom-dyed handle scales in unique never-before-seen colors. Each model is unique to itself and no two knives are completely identical.

The Para 3 folder model was designed through the original concept of the ever-so-popular Spyderco Paramilitary series but never quite made it into production. At last, after much anticipation and suggestions from the beloved family of Spyderco lovers worldwide, the Para 3 is ready to launch into the hands of the consumer. The Paramilitary 2 has been regarded as one of the most popular folder knives ever created and so the Spyderco Para 3 offers the same exceptional performance and reliability but in a more compact and pocket-friendly design. Each model features a premium stainless-steel blade that is supported by Spyderco's patented Compression Lock mechanism--allowing users to safely close the blade with one hand without ever having the operating hand come near the cutting edge. Much like the design of Paramilitary 2, it still features a slightly flared handle base as well as the integrated jimping which provides increased control with any cutting job. This model features a red camo G-10 handle, bronze hardware, a clip point style blade in a satin finish and the 4-way positional pocket clip allows for a tip up or tip down carry option on either side of the handle.

This knife really does have it all. To get your hands on your new favorite knife, click here to order yours today.