Name: Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight Folding Knife 2.92" CTS-BD1N Satin Plain Blade, Black FRN Handles (Paramilitary 3)
Brand: Spyderco Knives
SKU: SP223PBK
Price: 139.5 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.826 (23 reviews)

Maverick66
UT

Aug 19, 2023

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Youtube Convinced Me - 100% Satisfied

New to knife collecting. After watching way too many Youtube videos (including KnifeCenter's awesome ones), I decided to start with the PM-3 Lightweight and I'm highly satisfied. All the reviews were true. Once you get over the weirdness of the aesthetics, this is a highly funcrional, comfortable, and affordable premium EDC knife. Fidget Factor = 100. This is my first KnifeCenter order. They deserve my business for producing such great content. I just ordered 3 more knives. I'm afraid I'm hooked.

William
OH

Feb 15, 2026

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Sheath, Weight

Cons: None

Great Knife

The Para 3 has been awesome to carry. It’s small but still fits my hand well. The compression lock is smooth and easy to use, and the blade came crazy sharp. Feels solid, rides light in the pocket, and just works. No complaints at all.

Nate
Pensacola, Florida

May 20, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

The real "Delica Killer" is here

Better ergonomics than the Delica in a knife that's about the same size and still has about the same amount of sharpened edge. The compression lock operates perfectly, allowing for perfect lockup with no play in the blade at all. The pivot in mine is nearly as smooth as my Amalgam which cost nearly twice as much. The blade also drops shut almost as smoothly and easily as my Amalgam's. The wire clip obviously allows for ultra-deep carry unlike the Delica's stamped clip which left nearly an inch of the knife sticking out of my pocket. My one and only complaint would be the roughness of the inside edges of the FRN handle scales. There was a very slight seam or burr which made the edges slightly uncomfortable in my hand, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed with a very light touching up with the fine side of the file in my Leatherman Wave. I'd rate it 4.9 out of 5 in its out-of-the-box condition, and a solid, unquestionable 5 out of 5 in its current, slightly touched-up condition. It's probably safe to assume that not every single one will be like this out of box, or if they are, Spyderco will probably have the issue resolved in future batches. In my opinion, this is absolutely the best American made EDC available at the moment. If you're thinking about getting one, you probably won't regret it. The transaction with KnifeCenter was flawless and fast.

Tom
CA

May 06, 2022

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material

Cons: None

Money Well Spent

What more can be said about the Para 3 lightweight that's been not all ready said. This knife is a gem. I am a huge Spyderco fan. I own 13 Spydercos and the Para 3 Lightweight is my choice EDC. It's near perfection in a folding pocket knife.. Kudos to the Knife Center for their fast shipping and customer service.

Brian
Jeannette , Pa

Aug 10, 2020

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Pocket Clip, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Material

Pretty nice

Very awesome nice I like it better than I thought I would. This is my very first Spyderco and I love it. I have several Benchmade knives and well alittle bit of everything I’m going for the para 2 next because I have large hands and I think it will Suit my needs better. The only thing I don’t like about this knife is the handle well it’s not bad but I will be getting g10 or carbon fiber handle for it to replace the frn handle. I can’t wait to get some more Spyderco knives wooow. So light you forget it’s in your pocket which is nice.

Joey
,Tennessee

Aug 16, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Perfect EDC knife

This is the one of the best EDC knife in my opinion and one of the best feeling knifes it fits in my hand perfect which I have average hands mine came really sharp no flaws I noticed besides the blade centering was a little left but with a slight adjustment fixed and still smooth opening and closing even falls closed with no blade play if you want a knife that light and like the compression lock this one is perfect would 100 percent recommend getting also super fast delivery got in 3 days from knife center.

Cooter
Nor Cal

Jul 11, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

My top choice for EDC

Hands down my top choice for normal EDC situations. Spydercos never disappoint and I have been a big fan of their products. I do have many knifes of similar or higher quality & price but always find myself defaulting to my first Para 3 LW. I did end up getting a few of these in different variations. Great action, lock, fidget factor, materials and general conversion piece. Good tool for work, home, field, etc. Have gifted a few of these and also highly recommend to others.

Sam
New york

Oct 07, 2019

Pros: None

Cons: None

First Spyderco

Knife center shipped the knife the same day and I received it in 2 business days. Absolutely no complaints about knife center's service. The para 3 lw also exceeded my expectations.

John
New Mexico

Mar 13, 2020

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Perfect EDC

My first EDC knife and I picked a winner. I chose this over the G10 handle as I wanted the lighter one and wasn't particular about the steel. First let me say that subsequently I've purchased more expensive knives and they aren't as well made as this. I LOVE the compression lock. So much easier, imo, than a button/switch. Blade has no play and is thick at the pivot/base so there's no room for it to wiggle. Super sharp out of the box, (compared to a Hogue Deka I bought that couldn't cut through paper out of the box). This knife made me an instant fan. Easy to carry, easy to use. Made in USA. What's not to love? I also ordered a para 2 and sure I'll consider more Spydercos in the future. Knife Center has the best prices when all is said and done and fast shipping!

Bugsy
Zionsville , In

Jul 02, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality

Cons: None

Knocked it out of the park!

This could be the ultimate EDC and is certainly a huge improvement over the original Para 3. The huge lanyard hole and stamped pocket clip is gone, replaced by lightweight FRN scales and the deep carry pocket clip I’d been wishing for. This knife is so light you don’t even know it’s in your pocket! I’ll be looking forward to future sprint runs of this version of the Para 3 which not doubt will be coming in the future. Don’t have a lot of experience with BD1N, but my knife was razor sharp out of box. At $91 this knife is an excellent value, and as another reviewer stated, “this is a Delica killer”.

Kevin
Wauwatosa, Wi

Dec 23, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

My favorite knife overall

I had a nice collection of various knives, mostly Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Microtech, and Pro-Tech. I ended up selling all of them during a difficult time, and only recently started rebuilding a collection. Spyderco being one of my, and many other people's favorite brands - I was quick to search for a new blade from this great company. I ended up choosing the Para 3 Lightweight, based on good reviews on YouTube. I didn't think I'd like it very much since it's not a titanium frame lock or doesn't necessarily have the most Gucci blade steel. And for the price, I figured it would be alright, probably really good, but usually, in the past, I went for 200-300 dollar knives. I was pleasantly surprised by this knife. The ergonomics, the ease of use with the compression lock, the great texture of the handles, with the bi or multi-directional texturing feels so secure in the hand paired with the two-finger grooves for different grips...the fidget factor and safety of the compression lock...the inconspicuous yet amazing wire clip, the reinforced handle scales, smooth action, and of course lightweight... also the sharp and trustworthy Spyderco leaf-shaped blade with full flat grind...man everything about this knife is just awesome as a go-to EDC knife. I love it tremendously and trust it to carry any time, anywhere. I can not recommend this Para 3 enough.

D.A.K
Tennessee

Feb 21, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

This is my 10th Spyderco.

I'm usually a steel snob but this BD1N works fantastic for everything I need like opening some Amazon boxes as they come to the porch I just cut an apple and it worked fantastic I love the size and weight it has become my pajama and basketball shorts carry knife I'm going to be buying the sage 5 lightweight also one will partner with my autonomy 2 and the other will partner with my manix 2 in m390 the centering is a little off but because the action is so good and I love everything about this knife I'll forgive thy centering issue it's just a little off I highly recommend this knife to anyone who has thought about purchasing it five stars.

It’s A Knifestyle
New York City

Jul 29, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Best EDC Spyderco!!

This product is great for edc. The frn handles feel great and the CTS-BD1N steel comes very sharp. The deep carry wire clip is also very nice. For this price this knife is a steel. So stop reading this review and buy this knife!

Sithgimli
Warner Robins , Ga

Nov 26, 2022

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material

Cons: None

Fun tool

Love this knife! It’s great for many jobs, fun to fidget with, and holds an edge. I know the LW ones are off center slightly, but it is tight. No blade play and it stays sharp. All I have done is a strop pass or ten every couple of weeks. I am enjoying it so much that I just ordered the PM2. What sold me on it was the KC YouTube channel and David showing how well it works

Sc8sh
Ohio

May 07, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Pocket knife perfection

I pre-ordered this because having a Para 3 with the wire deep-carry pocket clip is exactly what I was hoping for. It's rare that I'm this happy with a knife straight out of the box. It was razor sharp and operates perfectly. Thanks!

Richard
Keene, Nh

Oct 12, 2024

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Perfect in every way!

This is my second Para 3 lw, I also own the blacked out version. When this went on sale for $109, I didnt hesitate. This is probably my favorite edc. It is the perfect size; not too big or too small. I am aware that blade centering on this model is sometimes an issue, so I did add a note to please check blade centering before shipping. The knife arrived perfect in every way. Blade centering is perfect, and the action is great. The knife was packaged beautifully. Thanks again KnifeCenter for a great purchase.

Bennett
Fairwood, Wa

Apr 29, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Flawless Lightweight Perfection

WOW..... I am so thrilled to add this one to my collection. I own several frn handled Spyderco’s and what strikes me first about this frn para 3 is the overall quality and solid feel of the knife. The compression lock is so tight and snappy it really feels like a great lock up. Zero blade play whatsoever. The blade?!?! Ok I take pride in my sharpening skills and this para 3 with BD1 steel is easily the sharpest factory edge I have ever seen on a knife. It is hair widdling sharp (I tested), and I have never received a spyderco out of the box this slicey. No sharpening here. I have no experience with BD1 steel but have read on bladeforums that it’s very similar to 154cm. Overall, this is a great lightweight knife with excellent build quality. Thank you Spyderco for this fabulous EDC, I can imagine it’s going to be quite difficult keeping this one out of my pocket. Get one if you can 👌🏼

Alfred
California

Apr 25, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Feel

Spyderco's newest hit

The knife is almost the same dimensionally as the G10 version. The FRN scales are more chamfered so the grip feels solid. The nested compression lock is held in by one of the back body screws and a guide pin built into the FRN. One scale has a boss built up into the plastic scale and the other uses bronze phosphorus washer in between the blade and small metal plate nested into scale. The inside edges of the fiberglass reinforced nylon slabs are sharp, But nothing some sand paper can't knock down. The blade shoukd be interchangeable with the G10 offerings. Great knife for the 91 dollar cost. Thanks Spyderco

Ed23
Knysna, Western Cape, South Africa

May 06, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Well worth the wait!

Love it, love it, love it! Right out of the box- Spydey flick is super smooth, the blade drops shut with a quick press of the compression lock, awesome blade (razor sharp), wonderful clip, disappears in the pocket, fair price and great service and delivery from KC. For me, it's everything I could want in a knife and I couldn't be happier!

Jarod
Newport, Tn

Jul 05, 2019

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

First Para3!

I couldn't be more pleased with this knife! Super sharp, nice pocket clip, and extremely light weight. This just disappears in the pocket. I am surprised they didn't start off with the deep carry clip, which is main reason for not getting the 3 until now. Really wish I hadn't waited so long, though. I really appreciate the knife being as small as what it is and it's still a full hand grip. It doesn't replace my PM2 as a personal favorite, but it's trying to for sure!

Corey C
OH

Mar 29, 2021

Pros: Weight, Ease of Opening, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Lightweight perfection

This knife is pretty amazing. It locks up solid and feels way more sturdy than it actually is. In reality it's a piece of steel holding the blade to the scales and besides that there's not a lot holding this knife together but they've found a way to make it feel sturdy in hand. The fact there's no liners makes this knife incredibly light. Lighter than a bug out I think. I definitely recommend it's a awesome piece and anyone could enjoy this guy riding on their pocket.

Dave
Iowa

Aug 17, 2019

Pros: Weight, Pocket Clip, Blade Material

Cons: None

Disappointed

If you get a good one, I believe you are making a worthwhile purchase. Mine was a wreck on arrival. Knife (not shipping) box was crushed and torn. What I discovered next made me wonder how many other people this knife may have been sent to and returned before I ended up with it. Centering way off. compression lock grinding and dragging bad. Screws loose. Blade grind not even close to what I would expect for a Spyderco. I’ve bought a lot of knives, and have a Paramilitary 2 that I bought from another on line seller that arrived flawless. Absolutely Love It! I don’t know if Spyderco has a production line QC lemon with this knife or not, but I do know that this was the first, and will be the last knife I buy from knife center.

Likethewind
Madison, Wi

Nov 02, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Sheath, Weight

Cons: None

Almost perfect

Spyderco knives drive me crazy sometimes. They are almost always perfect with one or two minor design flaws. This one is no exception. Why in the name of God would you only put washers on one side of the blade?? It makes the action feel just slightly sluggish or slow. The metal on plastic feel is even more noticeable when comparing it side by side with the original para 3. The original feels far superior, even if I do prefer the lightness of this version. If Spyderco would fix this issue I would buy this version all day. At this price point there needs to be two washers and a more premium feeling action. I ended up selling mine for this reason.