We have to revisit Spyderco briefly because we can't talk about their Lightweights without mentioning the Para 3 LW. It has the same great characteristics as the Dragonfly 2 from earlier - bi-directional FRN handles, wire clip, finger choil, and great slicing geometry - only in a larger size and featuring Spyderco's Compression Lock, adding up to 2.4 ounces in the pocket.
The Compression lock is operated similarly to a liner lock, but it is disengaged from the spine side of the knife rather than the belly side. Because of this it retains the flickability and the finger clearance as the crossbar lock models that we just looked at.
The blade on the Para 3 is a hair under 3 inches, and made from BD1N stainless steel. While not offering as long lasting an edge as something like S30V, it is a definite step up from the AUS-8 and 8Cr models we've looked at - still very easy to maintain but with more edge retention. More than perhaps anything else in Spyderco's lineup, or on this whole list for that matter, this is THE small knife to get if you like the feel of a bigger knife thanks to the size of its handle, which truly offers a hand-filling grip. Sometimes though, you actually do need a bigger blade, and that is where the next two knives come in.
For a big and still lightweight knife, the American-made 0707 from Zero Tolerance brings a lot to the table by featuring a 3.5-inch blade with a titanium frame lock. Tipping the scales at just 2.3 ounces, they keep the weight down by going with a slender profile and carbon fiber on the front side of the knife. This makes for a nice look in a “gentlemanly” setting, but it is also made with ZT's typical rugged build quality so it is tough enough to work very hard
The blade is made with CPM-20CV steel, an American equivalent to M390, and features some edge curvature at the heel of the blade before coming to a very fine tip in a shape reminiscent of the Pattada style of Sardinian knives from that region in Italy. This profile has a good amount of power and a lot of precision in the same package which makes it a compelling option for a large EDC knife.
It rockets out with a press on the flipper tab too,-partly due to the KVT bearings in the pivot, but also due to the Tuned Detent System. WIth a lot of framelocks, if you put too much pressure on the lockbar it can actually make it harder to engage the flipper. ZT gets around this by placing the detent on the carbon fiber side of the knife, rather than being part of the lockbar itself. This means you can put a good amount of pressure on the bar itself without impeding the action.
Rounding out the knife is a reversible deep carry clip mounted from the inside of the knife. This keeps the outside looking clean with no exposed screwholes and they've kept the clip itself minimal and sleek so it really blends in when clipped to your pocket.
Offering even more reach than the ZT is another framelock, the Brad Zinker-designed Urban Trapper Grand from Boker Plus. This knife offers nearly four-inches of blade length in a titanium frame that has been heavily drilled to remove weight, getting it down to just 2.43 ounces. If you don't need quite so much length there are 3.5” and 2.75” versions too, the lightest of which is a mere 1.1 ounces.
The blade on this knife flippers open easily, and it has a very refined feel for such a large knife, offering mechanical precision rather than brute force. VG10 stainless steel is on board here, which joins BD1N as one of the best steels you can get before making the jump upwards to powder metallurgy alloys like S30V.
Premium touches go a long way to helping this knife stand out from the crowd. The pivot itself looks great while the blade itself includes horizontal satin finish that mimics a hand-rubbed custom finish, and a crowned spine for comfort and visual interest.
Despite all the capability this knife offers, it is actually incredibly easy to carry. The deep carry clip holds the whole package nice and deep, the narrow profile takes up virtually no space side to side, and the thin construction lays nice and flat inside your pocket.
If our shelves this year are any indication, non-locking knives are making a serious comeback. But in an age of easy one-handed opening, secure locking mechanisms, and convenient pocket clips, what's behind the renewed interest in knives without some (or all) of these features? Let's take a closer look.
The G-Slip is a non-locking slipjoint knife, designed by Polish knifemaker Ostap Hel and manufactured by Real Steel in China. This KnifeCenter-exclusive version features grippy Micarta scales, a deep carry wire pocket clip, a three-and-a-half inch VG-10 steel blade, and comes in at just under $64. The design is refreshingly simple, with a straightforward, accommodating handle design and utilitarian drop point blade. The Micarta here is really nice: grippy without being aggressive, with a natural warmth and character that will age gracefully.
For opening, the G-Slip uses a long fuller instead of a traditional nail nick, which makes it easy to pull open the blade from just about anywhere you can grab it. The backspring provides sturdy—but not stiff—resistance, and there's a clear “stop” in the blade travel about 1/3 of the way closed that adds a measure of safety and allows you to confidently close the knife one-handed.
No Lock, No Problem
The G-Slip rides the line between modern and traditional knives, sharing elements of both. It takes two hands to open, like a classic Swiss Army Knife, but it has a modern stainless steel, like a Spyderco. It doesn't lock open, but it has a pocket clip. I know that some people will look at the more old fashioned elements of the G-Slip and see them as drawbacks, but the truth is that although locks and one-handed opening make a knife faster and easier to access from your pocket, they also make them impossible to access in the first place for many people, whether by law or circumstance.
Besides, there's a lot to love about traditional knives that many modern knives could stand to remember. For example, cutting geometry. The blade stock on the G-Slip starts thin and gets thinner, terminating in a keen edge that makes it an excellent choice for impromptu food prep, and helps it continue to cut well even after its initial hair-popping sharpness has dulled. And since it's using modern VG-10 blade steel, you're going to see a nice bump in edge retention compared to the simple carbon or stainless steels found on most vintage slipjoints.
The pocket clip is definitely another welcome modern addition. I tend to avoid letting knives loose in my pocket-they always seem to twist around and get tangled up with whatever else I'm carrying—and the discreet deep carry wire pocket clip on the G-Slip keeps the knife firmly put wherever you stow it. It's slim and light enough that I could even see carrying it clipped to a shirt pocket.