It’s no secret by now that I like compact knives when it comes to EDC…
They’re just more comfortable to carry around, and if they’re designed right, they can pack a lot of cutting potential into a very small package…
Right now, two of the most popular small EDC knives available are…
| Image | Products |
 | Sypderco Native 5 (Check Price And Reviews On Amazon!) |
 | Sypderco ParaMilitary 3 (Check Price And Reviews On Amazon!) |
So in this Spyderco Native 5 Vs Para 3 comparison, we’re going to see how these two great Spyderco knives stack up against each other in the following 6 categories…
- Blade Steel And Materials
- Blade Shape And Handle Design
- Locking Mechanism
- Size And Dimensions
- Pocket Clip And Carry Position
- Price Comparison
In the end, I’ll tell you if I personally prefer the Native 5 or the Para 3, and you should have all the information you need to determine which knife is better for you…
Let’s start by going over their materials…
Blade Steel And Materials…
Spyderco Native 5
The Native 5 is a very popular Spyderco design. Part of the reason it’s so popular is because of the high-quality materials that are used in the construction of the knife…
To start off with, it uses CPM S30V blade steel. CPM S30V is considered a premium blade steel. It does a great job at resisting rust and corrosion, and it also holds an edge for a very long period of time…
In addition to that, it’s not too difficult to sharpen. So when the time comes for you to eventually re-sharpen your blade, it won’t end up being a huge hassle for you…
Now the handle on the Native 5 will either be fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) or G-10. FRN is used on the lightweight version of the Native 5…
I like FRN as a handle material for an EDC knife because it’s extremely lightweight, but it’s also very comfortable in your hand…
In addition to that, G-10 is one of my favorite knife handle materials. It’s extremely strong, and it’s extremely comfortable in your hand…
It also gives you a very good purchase on the knife when you’re using it to make cuts. So all in all, I’m very impressed with the materials used by Spyderco in the Native 5.
Spyderco Paramilitary 3
The Spyderco Paramilitary 3 is also a very popular knife design. It’s actually a smaller version of the Paramilitary 2 (and the Paramilitary 2 is actually a smaller version of the Spyderco Military model)…
Now the Military model was created to be used by soldiers who were forward deployed. So it’s needless to say that it’s an extremely tough and durable design and the materials that are used are very high quality…
And the Paramilitary 3 inherits all those high-quality materials and the same durable construction. Like the Native 5, it uses CPM S30V blade steel…
Again, I really like CPM S30V because it does a great job at resisting rust, and it also holds an edge for a long period of time too…
Now the handle material on the Paramilitary 3 is textured G-10. Like I mentioned earlier, G-10 is my favorite handle material just because it’s so comfortable to hold and it really gives you a great purchase on the knife when you’re using it…
So all in all, I love the material choices on the Paramilitary 3 as well, and as you can see, they’re actually very similar to those that you’ll find on the Native 5.
Blade Shape And Handle Design…
Spyderco Native 5
The Spyderco Native 5 has a version of a drop point blade. It has a leaf-like shape to it, and overall I think it looks pretty attractive…
It also features a full flat grind which is something I like because it makes the knife blade strong and at the same time makes it a great cutter and slicer…
Now you can get the Native 5 with a Plain Edge, the Spyder Edge, or the Combination Edge. The Spyder Edge is Spyderco’s version of a serrated blade…
…and the Combination Edge is a half Plain Edge and half Spyder Edge blade. Personally I prefer the Plain Edge version because it’ll end up being easier to sharpen when the time comes.
But I do like that Spyderco offers the SpyderEdge and CombinationEdge for those out there who want serrations on their blade…
In addition to that, you can also get the Native 5 with either a stainless steel blade or a black coated blade (which I think looks really cool)…
You’ll also find the traditional Spyderco deployment hole on the Native 5’s blade, and there is jimping on the spine…
…and the finger choil which will help give you greater control when you need to choke up on the blade to make more precise cuts.
Now like I mentioned earlier, the handle on the Native 5 will either be made from fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) or G-10…
Regardless of the material used, the shape of the handle is very ergonomic and comfortable, and overall, I think the grip design on the Native 5 allows you to get a good purchase on the knife when you’re using it…
Last, the Native 5’s handle comes in a variety of different colors such as black, blue, gray, pink, and yellow…
Personally, I love it when knife manufacturers give you several different color options when it comes to the knife handles because it means you can pick out a knife that fits your personal needs and taste.
Spyderco Paramilitary 3
The Spyderco Para 3 also has a version of a drop point blade. It’s a bit more angular than the drop point on the Native 5, but I also think it looks very attractive…
It also features a full flat grind which, again, I like because it keeps the blade strong and makes the knife a very good cutter and slicer…
…and you can also get the Para 3 with a Plain Edge, the Spyder Edge (again, Spyderco’s version of a serrated blade), or the Combination Edge (again, a half Plain Edge and half Spyder Edge blade).
Again I prefer the Plain Edge version because it’ll end up being easier for you to sharpen when the time comes, but I’m glad that Spyderco offers the serrated edge versions as well…
The Para 3 also features the traditional Spyderco deployment hole which allows you to easily and quickly open the blade with one hand…
…and it also has jimping on the spine and the finger choil which allows you to choke up on the knife for more control.
Now again, the handle on the Para 3 is made from textured G-10. It’s very comfortable in your hands and the shape also feels very ergonomic…
Last, you can also get the Para 3 in a variety of different color and pattern options when it comes to the handle…
Some of the options include: black, camo, gray, and blue. I personally love the camo pattern, but I think the other colors look pretty cool too.
Locking Mechanism…
Spyderco Native 5
The Spyderco Native 5 uses the Back Lock locking mechanism. The Back Lock is a locking system that can be found on tons of different folding knife designs.
The reason why it’s so popular is because it’s a simple and strong mechanism. It incorporates a rocker arm with a lug on the end of it that pivots…
The lug engages with a notch in the tang of the blade, and that’s how the blade is locked out. Like I said before, it’s a very simple system, but it’s strong and very effective…
Spyderco’s Back Lock on the Native 5 is also particularly smooth, and it allows you to flick open the blade quickly and easily with one hand.
Spyderco Paramilitary 3
The Paramilitary 3 uses Spyderco’s Compression Lock locking mechanism. This is a locking system that incorporates a stop pin, a leaf-like spring, a split liner, and a ramp on the tang of the blade…
It’s a patented locking mechanism that Spyderco developed and designed, and it’s a very strong and smooth locking system…
Spyderco typically puts the Compression Lock on some of their more sought after knife designs, and it’s pretty clear that it’s a much better locking mechanism than the simple back lock used on the Native 5…
The Compression Lock is also an extremely quick and smooth mechanism, and when you deploy the blade on the Para 3, you really get a sense of the quality that comes with a more premium locking mechanism…
All in all, I really love the Compression Lock on the Para 3, and I think it’s definitely better than the Back Lock on the Native 5.
Size And Dimensions…
Spyderco Native 5
The Native 5 is a fairly compact knife, but I think it’s still a very capable size when it comes to EDC use. First of all, the blade length on the Native 5 measures in at 2.95 inches long, and the handle measures in at 4.00 inches long…
That brings the overall length on the Native 5 to 6.95 inches long when the blade is fully locked out.
Spyderco Paramilitary 3
As I mentioned before, the Para 3 is actually a smaller version of the Paramilitary 2 (which itself is a smaller version of the Spyderco Military)…
That makes the Para 3 the most compact knife in that particular Spyderco series, which is one of the reasons I think its a good knife to compare against the Native 5…
All that being said, the blade length on the Paramilitary 3 measures in at 2.95 inches long, which is exactly the same at the Native 5…
The handle, however, measures in at 4.29 inches long, which is a little bit longer than the handle on the Native 5…
So overall, the Para 3 measures in at 7.24 inches long when it’s blade is fully locked out, and that means it’s around 0.29 inches longer than the Native 5 when both of their blades are fully deployed…
It’s important to remember that the difference in length comes in the handle not the blade, so if you have larger hands and require a larger handle, the Para 3 might be a better option for you.
Pocket Clip And Carry Position…
Both the Native 5 and the Paramilitary 3 have a clip that is four position adjustable. On both knives you can set your clip up for tip up or tip down carry, and you can swap the clip to either side on both knives as well…
Personally I prefer tip down carry, so I really like that both of these knives have that option available for me, but there are many guys out there who love tip up carry…
…and if that’s the case for you, both of these knives have you covered as well. I also really like that both knives allow you to swap the clip to either side.
This is an important feature because it allows you to optimize your knife for left handed or right handed carry.
Now neither knife has a deep carry clip, so when you’re carrying it around the end of the knife will stick up a little bit out of your pocket…
But that being said, both knives are still fairly discreet, and because of the way they’re designed, they’re both extremely comfortable to carry around all day long.
Price Comparison…
Unfortunately I won’t be able to give you exact numbers in this category because the prices of the knives are changing all the time…
In addition to that, the version of each knife that you get can affect the price as well especially with the Native 5…
All that being said, the standard Native 5 with an FRN handle will probably end up being around 35 to 40 bucks less expensive than the Para 3. However, the G-10 Native 5 will probably be around 15 to 20 bucks more expensive than the Para 3…
So if you’re on a tight budget and trying to keep the price as low as you can, the FRN Native 5 is probably going to be the least expensive option for you.
Spyderco Native 5 Vs Para 3 – Final Thoughts…
So to recap everything, in the Blade Steel And Materials category, both the Native 5 and the Para 3 use CPM S30V blade steel…
…and they both have (at least) the option of a G-10 handle, while the Native 5 also has the option of a fiberglass reinforced nylon handle as well…
In the Blade Shape And Handle Design category, both knives have a version of a drop point blade and a full flat grind…
However, the Native 5’s blade has a leaf-like shape to it, and the Para 3’s blade is more angular. Both perform very well when cutting though…
In the Locking Mechanism category, the Native 5 uses a simple Back Lock locking mechanism, and the Para 3 uses Spyderco’s Compression Lock locking mechanism…
I prefer the Para 3’s Compression Lock because it’s incredibly strong, fast, and smooth…
In the Size And Dimensions category, the Native 5 is around 0.29 inches shorter than the Para 3 when both of their blades are fully deployed…
In the Pocket Clip And Carry Position category, both knives can be set up for tip up or tip down carry, and you can swap the clip to either side on both knives as well…
And last, in the Price Comparison, the least expensive version of the Native 5 will probably be around 35 to 40 dollars less expensive than the Para 3…
So which of these knives do I prefer? I prefer the Paramilitary 3…
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I prefer the Para 3 for a few reasons. First of all, I love the G-10 handle on the Para 3. It’s very ergonomic and comfortable, and I like it a little bit better than the handle on the Native 5…
I also prefer the Compression Lock locking mechanism on the Para 3 over the Back Lock on the Native 5. The Compression Lock is just a little more refined of a locking system, and I like the way it performs (it’s very smooth)…
Last, I just like the look of the Para 3 a little more than the look of the Native 5, and I think that the Para 3’s connection to the Spyderco Military model is pretty cool as well.
Now if you prefer the look of the Native 5, you’re happy with the Back Lock (still a great locking mechanism), and you want to save a few bucks…
Then feel free to go with the Native 5 because it’s still an awesome knife…
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Either way, I hope I was able to show you the major similarities and differences between these two great EDC knife designs from Spyderco!