Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight vs Sage 5 Lightweight

[@TheOfficialCaseMade]

I've done research on basically every easily attainable Spyderco, and every time I think I found something I like more, I come back to the Sage 5 Lightweight. It just ticks every single box for me, in an EDC knife. Perfect size, weight, blade thickness, features, etc. It's going to be my first real Spyderco, 100%.

[@ccooper8040]

The Sage handle just feels so right. I have a Sage 1 for 9 years and still a favorite in the rotation.

[@DisasterClean]

Thanks! Great review. I have both knives and a few variants. Both are excellent. I tend not to baby my Para 3, (just like my Para military 2) use them regularly for opening boxes, breaking down cardboard and cutting rope. In other words, they get medium hard use in many light industrial applications, as work knives. The Sage 5 lightweight, the regular Sage 5, and the Chaparral have evolved into gentleman’s carry knives for me. I always have one of them on me when going out to dinner etc. While there is no doubt that the Sage(s) are just as tough, the blade shape lends itself to use around non-knife people, and seems less threatening. And therein is an excellent advantage of the Sage 5. It LOOKS less like an offensive or defensive weapon, and seems to be less intimidating around weenies who don’t understand why anyone would ever carry a knife to begin with! Best regards & thanks again.

[@mikeg8447]

Sage 5 LW has a pivot bushing, that is why the action is markedly better than the Para 3 LW only having washers.

[@gregbartrom413]

Great review Wes. I'm really loving my Sage5 LW. Screws vs rivets,pivot collars & having liners make it a game changer for the LW line up. " Can't wait for some exclusive variants"

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Thanks. I completely agree and with the liners that opens it up to after market scales.

[@richardvirchow3390]

I bought the Para3 LW about a year or two ago and love it. Recently I bought the Sage5 LW because I wanted the full metal liners, pivot bushing and metal washers. I love the Sage5 LW blade shape. Both knives get carried in rotation - from my knife collection.

[@kpfagerberg]

Which has a better detent?

[@priority2]

Your videos are always so well thought out and the quality is excellent. I find I’m also in agreement with you 99.9% of the time. Thank you👍🏻😊

[@ToRo909r]

Maybe I missed it but the biggest difference I saw is the Sage 5 had full liners which makes it tougher than the Para 3 with semi liners.

[@beardedgear]

Awesome comparison Wes!

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Thanks Jake!

[@vancedyer755]

I think the Sage 5 has a Blade bushing and that is why the action is is so good

[@gonzalomcordovez]

I needed this review. thanks Wes :)

[@DC-lu3ii]

Same here! Was going to go with one of these and the Sage 5 lw is going to be my choice.

[@freddobbs8295]

Wes does, hands down, the best , thorough knife reviews on you tube..iMHO...

[@priority2]

I totally agree

[@alfredogutierrez3608]

Excellent video. I declare myself fan of the channel.

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Alfredo, thanks for your comment and support! Slowly gaining traction and subs!

[@ccooper8040]

The blade shape of the Para3 reminds me of Syp vs Spy from Mad magazine.

[@REAPER-1xxx]

I just got a Para 3 LW. My blade came super drop shutty and slighty offset towards the non bushing side. I tried bending the handle suggestion. Doesn’t really work. I backed the pivot screw on the bushing side off and screwed in the non bushing side pivot screw all the way. Then tuned the bushing side and ended up with a centered blade that drops shut and has perfect action.

[@manifestgtr]

I don’t own a sage 5 lw but good god, man. I have a difficult time imagining that it’s a better knife than the para 3 lw. The para 3 lw made me go “whoa...” when I first opened the box and flicked it. That feeling only grew as it became obvious that it’s a ridiculously comfortable knife to carry. To be honest, I usually forget it’s there and that’s a good thing. There’s nothing worse than a knife that crowds my pocket and bunches my jeans up. I’m sure I’ll pick up the sage 5 lw at some point but there’s just so much good about the para 3 lw, I’m kind of afraid I won’t like it as much.

[@freddobbs8295]

I thought the same, so i bought a sage 5, and ended up selling my be loved Pars 3... both are LW.

[@manifestgtr]

@@freddobbs8295 You know what, I’ve since bought the Sage 5 and it’s definitely better…to me at least. It’s like a miniature, compression lock version of the Manix. The fit and finish are better, too. Not a hint of lock stick out of that Taichung factory….

[@TheOfficialCaseMade]

​@@manifestgtryou're cementing the fact that a Sage 5 is going to be my first real Spyderco... That said, I'm going to end up with a PM3 and Manix 2 soon after, I'm sure 😅

[@cocabandi]

The Pará 3 seems to me to be a high end version of my Persistence. I once compared it with a friend who was carrying the Para 3 and the similarity was striking.

[@ianleicester7066]

hey my friend, i like the thinest blade which i think is the sage, but prefer the looks of the para 3. although it has taken me until now to like it as i much prefer the blade shape of the paramilitary 2

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Yeah, I’d like to see a thinner blade on the Para 3 with the new pivot bushing from the Sage 5 LW, that would be optimal.

[@BrandonMeyer1641]

I love my para 3 lw. So much so that I’m considering picking up a sprint run in a tougher steel and different colored handle. I know some people will disagree, but I think the para 3 lw is a pretty good looking knife as well, and certainly better looking than the sage. To me, the blade centering is not really so much an issue as much as it is a consequence of the design and construction. They all come off centered from the factory because they are meant to be that way. I would say it’s a good sign how consistently they are off center. Every single para 3 lw I’ve ever seen is off center by pretty much the exact same angle. I think that says something about the tolerances being pushed at golden. Other knives like benchmades are not as consistent with centering in my experience. I don’t know exactly why, but if you asked sal or Eric they’d probably give you a pretty good explanation as to why the para 3 lw is like this. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The action is still buttery smooth which is surprising considering the blade is running on one washer and plastic. The para 3 lw is my favorite knife to carry. It checks a lot of boxes other knives can’t.

[@wartstein8814]

Very good and thorough comparison! Thanks! :) I personally clearly prefer the Sage 5 LW, while I never fully understood the popularity of the Para 3. While the Sage for me is designed as a small EDC knife from the scratch, the Para 3 takes over some design features of the PM2, that are optimized for that bigger model (PM2) with its longer handle, but not for the Para 3: For example the thick bladestock (with still fragile tip) or the handle shape with that hook on the end, that shortens the grip area of the Para 3 behind the choil (larger hands cannot get a good four finger grip on the Para 3 when not using the choil, whilt the Sage 5 does not have that "hook" but a flat and as long as possible area at the end of the handle, which allows for two perfect four finger grip options on the Sage: 1) forefinger in the choil, 2) behind the choil).

[@freddobbs8295]

Good point...

[@danegavrilovski]

Para 3 lw is the best edc knife from spyderco......mine is in m390 and black handle 😉.

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Great choice!

[@gonzalomcordovez]

i dont have the sage 5 LW but I'm reeeeeeeally tempted to buy it jajajaa. Specially after this review jajjaa

[@ThePocketPerspective]

Get one!

[@Dudeee_]

It’s better in my opinion. I didn’t like the Para 3 LW personally.. the handle just felt like cheap plastic. The sage feels better because of the steel liners

[@cocabandi]

It's hard for me to choose between those such great knives, but if I were to choose, my vote would go for the Sage 5. Why? Because I want a slightly larger version of my Chaparral, which I value because of its thin blade. I also appreciate the quality and materials used on the Taiwanese knives. Hard choice, Amigo, but that's where I'm going with it.

[@thaknobodi]

Its a wash. I have the P3 LW rex 45 sprint run and the Sage 5 with lynchnw clip. My P3 is drop shut without play like which is unusual, but fortunate. The Sage 5 hands down best action as far as free swinging goes. Who needs bearings with a bushing that is more robust. My Para 3 for cardboard, Sage 5 for civilian carry.

[@pericodelospalotes5738]

I got Delicas in several steels like CPM 20CV, K390 or CPM S90V so it's out of question to daily carry inferior steels. I like the Sage though but in S30V? No, maybe a future sprint run in CruWear, Magnacut, REX 121 and such.

[@JayParkeroni]

Made in USA is selling point. Plus it looks better I own both

[@Hallo81398]

made in USA is the opposite of a selling point. Would prefer made in china because same quality at a lower price

[@gilbertoesquivel9668]

Aaaaaand the winner is..... Centofante 3!! (Who are Eric and Sal Kidding??...these are both over priced plastic Gents folders...)

[@PS987654321PS]

Sage 5 all day long.