Below is a pic of my current humble collection, followed by some thoughts on each. I'm not trying to write a review, as I lack both the talent and experience. But I have read nearly every post and watched nearly every video available for these knives, and I recommend you do the same if you're looking to buy one for yourself.
These are my impressions. Your mileage may vary.
Dragonfly 2, Zome Green, VG-10
What I like:
The Dragonfly 2 is pretty much perfect in every way. I really like the blade shape with the swedge, choil, and thumb ramp, and how thin and slicey it is. I also really like the Zome Green dye and the grippy FRN texture. I like how easily it rides in the pocket, either clipped to the opening or jingling around with stuff on the bottom, and it never gets in my way.
What I would change:
I honestly can't think of a single improvement here. Of all these knives, the DF2 may be the only one that's flawless for what it is. If I needed it to be different or more than it is in any way, it would simply mean I need a different knife.
Chaparral, Gray FRN, CTS-XHP
What I like:
Build quality, build quality, and more build quality. I love the FRN pattern, and I love that even with steel liners and it's thinner than the DF2. This knife feels solid, like it's made of pure money. I appreciate it every time I pick it up. This is my only Taichung kinife so far, and it makes me want more. I love the thin blade stock and the full stainless spacer, and I think the the wire pocket clip is perfectly placed. I especially like the lack of a lanyard hole, and I wouldn't use it, anyway.
What I would change:
The thin blade stock means think lock stock and, as others have said, unlocking this knife is not a pleasure. It's not really painful to me, just not very easy. That said, as long as you're not fidgeting with it, it's well worth a little discomfort now and then to have the knife be this thin. Maybe it could be solved with a slightly weaker spring?
Native 5 Lightweight, Dark Blue FRN, CPM S110V
What I like:
Ergonomics. Of the four, the Native 5 feels best in my hand. It's definitely in the "Goldilocks" zone for me. The lock bar feels positively fat compared to the Chaparral, and I love that the blade has the same swedge as the Dragonfly 2. The dark blue of the FRN happens to be my favorite color in life (it's why I had to buy it), and the S110V steel is just a pleasant bonus to me. The super-comfortable finger choil appears to be exactly the same as on the Chaparall, and is slightly deeper than the ones on the DF2 and PM2 (which seem to be identical to each other). The length of the blade, and of the overall knife, are perfect for me.
What I would change:
A few things. First, I know this is meant to be a lightweight model, but it's crying out for the same liners and spacer as on the Chaparral. As nice as it is already, I really want this Native 5 to feel more substantial and "rich". I know I could have opted for the G-10 variant to get a bit more heft, but I wouldn't want to give up the curves, texture, or color of the FRN. It's too nice! Next, I'd switch to a wire clip and drop the lanyard hole. The polished spoon clip is pretty, but I think the wire clip is better suited for this size knife. Finally, the lock bar, oddly, is wider than the blade stock, and it bugs me every time I look at it. The Chap and DF2 aren't built this way, and I can't figure out why the Native 5 needs to be different. In addition, there's jimping at the end of the lock bar and it's completely different than the jimping on the thumb ramp of the blade...it just doesn't match...and it's recessed below the edge of the scales, so my thumb doesn't touch it, anyway. Maybe skip it entirely on the Native 6? Neither the DF2 or Chap have jimping on the lock bar, and they look just fine to me.
Para Military 2, Black G-10, CPM S30V
What I like:
Without having sampled every knife Spyderco has ever made, I'd still go out on a limb and declare this to be the best knife the world has ever seen. Hyperbole, of course, but it's at least the best knife I've ever owned. I can see why it's a fan favorite. I love the look of it, the compression lock, the ergonomics, the blade and handle length, the liners...it's all good. Of the four I have, it's the one I'd keep if I couldn't save them all. I can add nothing to the countless reviews for the PM2, short of piling on another plea for interested shoppers to just go ahead and buy it.
What I would change:
I'd maybe round the edges of the G-10 a little bit. I get that the squared edges are helpful when wearing gloves, but maybe there could be a non-glove option. I'd also like to see Spyderco use a Flytanium-style lanyard tube, or at least stop peening the current ones. It's the only snag I hit in disassembly.
So, that's what I've got so say about these four knives. I like them all, and they'll all find pocket time, though I'll probably carry the PM2 more than the rest in the long run. Next on my buy list are the PM3 and Manix 2, but I haven't decided on variants yet. Maybe one of those will unseat the PM2.
Now, If I were to wish for a new knife, an amalgamation the samples I have so far, I'd like to see a Para Military 2 in dark blue FRN, with steel liners, a non-peened lanyard tube, and an S110V blade with a slightly deeper finger choil. I'd probably put one in every pocket!
MT39P-15V, MT33P-Rex76; Sage1-Maxamet, Endela-K390, Delica4-M390, PM2-K390, PM2-S30v, Dragonfly2-SB, AmbitiousSE-8Cr13MoV; others TBD
