New here & just bought 3 knives

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
Blackpearl
Member
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:34 pm

New here & just bought 3 knives

#1

Post by Blackpearl »

Hi everyone!

How I ended up here is pretty comical. After weeks of watching Mountain Men and Alone I was convinced we all needed a good pocket knife!

So the next thing I knew I bought 3 Spyderco knives! Gosh I hope I did ok with my picks.

For hubby I bought the Spyderco Para2 Blue/purple G-10. For each of my girls I got Dragonfly Foliage Green G-10 and Ladybug 3 Salt Knife Yellow. I picked them because they look so pretty and less intimidating. Once I see them in person I’ll be able to see which one I want to get for myself.

If you have any recommendations of a better choice for a very very petite lady with small hands please let me know.

Thank you!
User avatar
araneae
Member
Posts: 5490
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: A lil more south of the Erie shore, Ohio

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#2

Post by araneae »

Welcome blackpearl, heck of a start!

The PM2 is an icon in the knife world. Good choice. If it seems a tad large, the Para 3 might just be perfect. I have several of both but the 3 wins way more pocket time.

I am a big fan of the Dragonfly, but the G-10 version is my least favorite. I prefer the FRN versions as they disappear in your pocket until needed. The Dragonfly is a great all around knife and an excellent choice. My runner up in that size range would be the lightweight Chaparral.

I feel the ladybug Salt is best in serrated edge and I prefer the hawkbill. It also is a lot of knife in a small package. Serrations can be intimidating to a new knife user though and a plain edge Ladybug Salt will be a suitable knife for most users.

Consider a sharpmaker for when its time to sharpen your new Spydies.
So many knives, so few pockets... :)
-Nick

Last in: N5 Magnacut
The "Spirit" of the design does not come through unless used. -Sal
The Meat man
Member
Posts: 5856
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:01 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#3

Post by The Meat man »

Welcome to the forum Blackpearl! Those are some great knives you picked out!
That is awesome that you got knives for your family, by the way. :)

As far as suggestions, there is the Lil' Native which is about the same size as the Dragonfly although a bit beefier and with a heavier build. It's also available with a different locking mechanism (Compression Lock) from the Dragonfly. The Chapparal is very popular too because it's relatively small but packs a lot of useful blade, plus it's available in a lot of attractive handle options.

Let us know what you think about the Dragonfly and Ladybug when you get them!
- Connor

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
SG89
Member
Posts: 10587
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2015 12:42 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#4

Post by SG89 »

Welcome! I would recommend a Lil Native or Para 3
Spydergirl88
3 Nats, 1 Chap, 1 Sham, 1 Urb
User avatar
Albatross
Member
Posts: 890
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:13 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#5

Post by Albatross »

Hi, welcome to the forum!

What made you choose Spyderco specifically?

Those are all great choices.

The Paramilitary 2 is one of Spyderco’s most popular knives, and for good reason. That particular one might be hard to sharpen if your husband isn't used to sharpening exotic blade steels, but otherwise it's not bad.

The other two are great options as well, but I think a Dragonfly might suite you well. My wife is about 5'2" and has fairly small hands, but the Dragonfly still looks like a small knife in her hand. She has the Dragonfly Salt, because I talked her into getting a knife, and she wanted it to be small. Also, since she couldn't care less about knives, I figured a Salt knife would make up for any lack of maintenance on her part. She likes the color and the fact that she can get a full, 4 finger grip on the knife, unlike the smaller models.
soc_monki
Member
Posts: 1114
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:54 am

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#6

Post by soc_monki »

I enjoy larger knives myself. The para 2 is a great size, not too big, not too small, and light as well. I own 2, so you know I like them! However since getting a Shaman it has taken over. It is heavier and thicker, but also built for more abusive tasks. Sure I probably won't ever need that extra oomph, but better to have it and not need it, right?

Not saying the pm2 won't stand up to work, it will. But if I have to do some light chopping the heavier knife will do a better job, not to mention the stouter blade and a little thicker behind the edge!

Also love the manix 2 xl! It is really large though, but the regular manix 2 is a great knife as well, and available in a lightweight version!

Welcome! Spyderco makes many knives! Something for everyone!
:respect Spyderco : Resilience, Tenacious, Persistence, Manix 2 G10, Para 3 G10, Para 3 LW, Paramilitary 2,
BBS Paramilitary 2, Amalgam, Native Chief, Blade HQ Manix 2 XL, S30V Shaman, Gayle Bradley 2, DLC M4 Shaman, Magnitude, Z Wear Shaman, DLC S30V Shaman, Stretch 2, Kapara, CF/S90V Native Chief, Endela, K390 Endura, DLT 20cv Zome Endela x 2, Police 4 LW K390, SNK Native Chief, SNK Manix 2 XL, K390 Stretch 2, Stretch 2 XL, K390 Endela
bearrowland
Member
Posts: 3545
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:59 pm
Location: Julian Pennsylvania USA Earth

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#7

Post by bearrowland »

Welcome aboard and excellent choices!
Barry

Bonne Journey!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt

MNOSD member 0032
JuPaul
Member
Posts: 4437
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:06 am

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#8

Post by JuPaul »

Welcome to the forum! All excellent choices, but your best choice was picking Spyderco knives in the first place. ;) :D We all have our favorite models, but the PM2 is a "modern classic", and the Dragonfly and Ladybug are great choices for very small knives. The Ladybug is so small that I carry one on my keychain. I also prefer the serrated hawkbill versions of those two models - you won't believe how handy they are!
- Julia

"Be excellent to each other." - Bill S. Preston, Esq.
User avatar
nerdlock
Member
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 3:43 am

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#9

Post by nerdlock »

Welcome! PM2 is a very solid choice, and those Dragonfly and Ladybug are just perfect for non-tactical everyday carry, disappears in the pocket too.

Next choice suggestion? Para 3 and maybe Manix 2 (but it's maybe too burly) so I suggest Delica. :)
Last edited by nerdlock on Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
8Cr13MoV:N690Co:VG10:S30V:S35VN:S45VN:Elmax:SPY27:H1:LC200N:4V:MagnaCut:CTS-XHP:204P:M390:20CV:Cru-Wear:Z-Wear:M4:Rex-45:10V:K390:15V:S90V:Z-Max:Maxamet
bearrowland
Member
Posts: 3545
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:59 pm
Location: Julian Pennsylvania USA Earth

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#10

Post by bearrowland »

Delica for sure, and an Endura.
Barry

Bonne Journey!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt

MNOSD member 0032
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#11

Post by sal »

Hi Blackpearl,

Welcome to our forum and thanx for the interest and support. Like Albatross, I would be interested in the "why Spyderco?"

My wife, Gail, confiscated my Chaparral Sun & Moon. A new top quality piece. She also carries a Native and/or a Delica. There are a lot of experienced and knowledgeable folks that visit here. I'm sure they can give you good advice.

I should warn you that the world of knives is a vast and deep study. Sucks you in an "edge" at a time. There is so much to learn and it's hard to believe that there really is so much depth to something so seemingly simple as a knife, not just another pretty face.

Enjoy your time here.

sal
User avatar
Takuan
Member
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2020 12:16 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#12

Post by Takuan »

Good choices! I own all three of those knives and I know that you’ve made three people very happy for years to come. My wife and my mother are both small women, and both carry Dragonflies that I’ve given them. It’s the best “little big knife” on the market. It’s big enough for serious work and yet small enough to carry easily (and not intimidate anybody when you have to open in public).
"We cannot live better than in seeking to become better."
--Socrates
User avatar
Bloke
Member
Posts: 5424
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 12:43 am
Location: Sydney, Australia.

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#13

Post by Bloke »

Welcome to the Forum, Blackpearl! :)

I don't think you could go wrong with any Spyderco knife but I'd strongly recommend you try a little serrated edge, hawkbill, Ladybug Salt. It's an exceptional little knife and as handy as knives get. ;)
A day without laughter is a day wasted. ~ Charlie Chaplin
Blackpearl
Member
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:34 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#14

Post by Blackpearl »

Hi!

Wow thank you all for the warm welcome!

I just googled pocket knives and Spyderco kept coming up and once I saw the photos it was love at first sight!

Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into them and see which ones fit me best before ordering more. I also bought the Manix 2 LW REX 45 Sprint I saw in another thread. I love that color combo and I don’t have that particular knife yet so I just bought it! I also want the REC PM2 CTS-204P FDE I saw in another thread. I LOVE that green earthy color soo much!! Hope I can get that for Hubby.

As for sharpening I have not thought that far! Lol. I’ll research that in a little bit.

Thanks again!
User avatar
Cambertree
Member
Posts: 1640
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:48 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#15

Post by Cambertree »

Welcome! :)

You did good. :spyder: :cool:

Everyone needs a good pocketknife, some folk just don’t know it yet. :D

You can’t go wrong with any of the models which have been suggested.

The Dragonfly series are superb models.

The Sharpmaker will help you keep your knives in razor sharp condition - this is actually safer than letting them get dull.
Blackpearl
Member
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:34 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#16

Post by Blackpearl »

Hi Sal,

From my quick research it came down to Spyderco and Benchmade. I’m sure both brands make great quality knives but to my eyes the Benchmade just look like any other pocket knives. Spyderco on the other hand made my heart skips a beat. The curves, the color combos, the handles...just sexy as heck. Now I sound like a psycho! Lol
User avatar
nerdlock
Member
Posts: 1946
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2020 3:43 am

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#17

Post by nerdlock »

Blackpearl wrote:
Thu Aug 27, 2020 8:31 pm
Hi!

Wow thank you all for the warm welcome!

I just googled pocket knives and Spyderco kept coming up and once I saw the photos it was love at first sight!

Thank you for the suggestions, I will look into them and see which ones fit me best before ordering more. I also bought the Manix 2 LW REX 45 Sprint I saw in another thread. I love that color combo and I don’t have that particular knife yet so I just bought it! I also want the REC PM2 CTS-204P FDE I saw in another thread. I LOVE that green earthy color soo much!! Hope I can get that for Hubby.

As for sharpening I have not thought that far! Lol. I’ll research that in a little bit.

Thanks again!

Good for you that you got the Rex 45 Manix 2 LW, that is a "Sprint Run" knife, very hard to get since retailers only get a few batches at a time, and after all has been distributed, they won't be making more of these. That steel is very, very good too, not stainless though so you might need a bit of TLC from time to time...a little bit of mineral oil on the blade after each use, would be sufficient i think. :)

As for the REC PM2 CTS-204P FDE... good luck getting it nowadays, that one sold out pretty quick! But according to REC, there will still be another production run in the future - as to when is that, nobody knows.

Good luck with your knife hunt, it's a deep rabbit hole we all have fallen into! :D :D :D
8Cr13MoV:N690Co:VG10:S30V:S35VN:S45VN:Elmax:SPY27:H1:LC200N:4V:MagnaCut:CTS-XHP:204P:M390:20CV:Cru-Wear:Z-Wear:M4:Rex-45:10V:K390:15V:S90V:Z-Max:Maxamet
BornIn1500
Member
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue May 08, 2018 10:04 pm

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#18

Post by BornIn1500 »

s110v PM2 for an introduction into the knife world.... wow. Some diamond stones are a good investment now.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#19

Post by Wartstein »

Welcome to the forum! :)

The PM2 is an iconic Spyderco and great choice for a first, more or less "full size" Spyderco - though, as others have said, with the S110V version you picked a variant that will be harder to sharpen than lets say the "basic" S30V PM2.
I highly recommend a sharpmaker with additional CBN or diamond rods.

As a small knife I always recommend the Chaparral: The FRN version, if you want to save some money (and a tad weight), the new "sun and moon" version if you want an imho really almost piece of art (that is still highly functional of course)! This knife offers a really small, thin and light package, but still a lot of cutting edge and . differently to the Lil Native - a thin, slicey blade, perfect for the vast majority of (small) knife tasks.
BUT: The backlock of this specific model can be a but harder to operate, especially for (quote) "a very very petite lady with small hands"...;). There is a mod to solve that, but you´d have to be able to partly disassamble a folder to perform it.

If you want to go a step larger, but still fairly small: Delica. Thin blade, light weight, very safe lock, proven design.
And since you seemingly also care for the looks of folders: Comes in many colors...

Manix 2 LW was a great choice too, I personally prefer this model over the PM 2.

Anyway, hard to go wrong with any Spyderco! :)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
vivi
Member
Posts: 13846
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:15 am

Re: New here & just bought 3 knives

#20

Post by vivi »

Welcome to the forum!

I think you selected some very practical models that will serve their intended roles very well.

I'd recommend buying some sharpening supplies to maintain your new knives. If you have any questions about sharpening we would be more than happy to help you out!
:unicorn
Post Reply