I hate my pocket knife.

[40mm]

I hate my pocket knife. My pocket knife is this Dragonfly Salt. I love it...but I hate it. This knife has for all intents and purposes killed off what used to be a fun hobby for me. It was so fun to research knives, browse the local stores and internet for something new and different, and pick something up to try out. But not any more. Don't get me wrong I still like to browse the forums now and again, check out the new offerings, and on the RARE occasion I may even buy a new knife. But, at this point, new purchases are 100% out of boredom. I have my pocket knife. I don't need any other pocket knife. I've bought and sold this knife numerous times and even sold and bought back THIS EXACT KNIFE. I'm kooky I tell ya! But at least I'm coming to terms with it. I literally KNOW that if I buy another knife that it's going to be returned, sold, or gifted. My knife needs aren't massive and this knife gets it done every time. It is a true every day carry. It's in my waistband no matter what I'm wearing or doing. I love it.....and hate it.....but mostly love it.
Untitled by Six Pound Cat, on FlickrUntitled by Six Pound Cat, on FlickrUntitled by Six Pound Cat, on Flickrthumbnail by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr

[Tristan_david2001]

Sounds like you don’t hate it at all imo. Knives are a tool. If this size pocket knife performs exceptionally well for you and handles all your daily cutting tasks (And tbh would practically most everybody in this day and age) then that’s awesome. Rock that h1 dfly2

[RustyIron]

I don't need any other pocket knife.

Excuse me, sir. Have you had anything to drink this evening? Maybe you stumbled and hit your head? You're talking gibberish and we can't understand what you're saying.

Maybe what you need is a new knife. Maybe a bigger knife... or a smaller knife... or a knife the same size, but in a different color. But whatever is wrong, the obvious cure is a new knife.

[Fireman]

He is obviously having a stroke or lost his sanity. Sir, do you smell burnt toast? Is the Dragonfly in the room with us now?

[Doc Dan]

I can relate to him. The Dragonfly is a wonderful pocket knife and that is just what it is, too. There are other knives out there that are larger, have different scales, look different, but they are not pocket knives. This is a real pocket knife, the kind like we used to get from various companies and every man had in his pocket day in and day out. I've got ten of these little gems.

[cabfrank]

Just wait until the Para3 Salt arrives (assuming, hoping). Deep carry wire clip, Compression Lock, it could really make us crazy.

[aicolainen]

It took me a while to get there, but my experience is similar.

As I recapped in another thread, just a few days ago:

When I got into folders a few years ago, I bought a little handful from across the pond, with a selection of models that stood out in my very unqualified research. Among them where three Spydercos. A basic DF2 in VG-10, a PM2 and a Pac. Salt 1.
I liked the PM2 and the Pac. Salt in spirit, but after a while I found them to be a bit big for my needs. This wasn't entirely true with regards to the Pac Salt, I just hadn't discovered the right use case for it yet, so I sold them both.
I kept the DF2 as it was the right size, but it took me a long time to connect with it, and a lot of other models passed through my pockets before I eventually realized what my preferences really were and how well the DF2 conformed to that after all.

I think the above process took about 4 years of my DF2 spending most of its time in the sock drawer before I realized it was pretty much spot on for my needs. I guess the only thing that actually happened in those years was my perceived needs converging with my actual needs :)
I still want/need/have many others for different use cases, so I won't say the DF2 has ruined the hobby, but it's definitively my de facto EDC knife for the time being.
If anything, I think I love it even more for allowing me to settle on a knife for the long term so I can get off "the chase" and focus my attention on other knives and use cases that are less "critical" than my EDC knife.


Since getting the wharncliffe, it has been my preferred choice, but the other ones has their place as well, and circle into rotation from time to time. My OG DF2 in VG-10 is kind of redundant at this point, but there's some nostalgia attached to it. Think I'll pass it on to my son when he loses his Manbug... almost happened a few times already :)

[ZrowsN1s]

I don't think there is a better small pocket knife than the Dragonfly, of the many variants I have the SE Salt and Hawkbill Salt probably get the most pocket time. I like plain edge tool steels for my utility knives so, a serrated salt knife is a good companion. Perfect for food too.

[apollo]

I think you need a new knife look at all those scratches it can not possibly be usable anymore…
To be serious i also know what you go true.
I have that with my Manixes.
That is why i have 20 of them.
I still have many more other designs most of them are already long discontinued.
I quit collecting for about 5 years and just started again 6 months ago. Since then i bought the phantastic yojimbo 2. And its an amazing design. I carry it multiple days a week allong with offcourse a manix. But in all honestly even with a few designs on my wish list chances are the next knife i will buy is yet another Manix... If you love a design then you love a design and its very hard to step away from it. And also its not that Spyderco is tempting me with new designs like the og rubicon or the Nirvana. Those days seems to be over for me. I would not trade even 1 of my well used fully scratched Manixes for a 100 Stove pipes in a million years.

[Evil D]

I can totally relate to the point of this thread. For me it's the Autonomy 1 that has ruined other knives for me and it's the yardstick that all others are measured against. Any other knife I use is out of curiosity and just for fun regardless of how good they are. If it hits the fan and I can only grab one knife it would be the Autonomy.

[RAHComanche]

I can totally relate to the point of this thread. For me it's the Autonomy 1 that has ruined other knives for me and it's the yardstick that all others are measured against. Any other knife I use is out of curiosity and just for fun regardless of how good they are. If it hits the fan and I can only grab one knife it would be the Autonomy.

How does Autonomy 1 compare to Autonomy 2 in your opinion?

[Evil D]

I can totally relate to the point of this thread. For me it's the Autonomy 1 that has ruined other knives for me and it's the yardstick that all others are measured against. Any other knife I use is out of curiosity and just for fun regardless of how good they are. If it hits the fan and I can only grab one knife it would be the Autonomy.

How does Autonomy 1 compare to Autonomy 2 in your opinion?

I haven't bought one yet, still undecided but from my assumptions the Autonomy 1 has as near to perfect as you can make a handle to edge length ratio in a folder, and I really like how compact the size is when folded. The 2 looks to have a bit more handle length and less blade length. I generally dislike finger grooves but the 1 actually fits my hand really well and is amazingly secure in my hand, it's a hard design to beat for a work knife. My only change would be to a more bayonet/spear point shaped blade to give it a little bit of belly, but there aren't many situations for my daily uses where I need to do a cutting board style cut, 99% of my cuts are mid-air and I'm cutting things that I'm holding in my off hand.

[PeaceInOurTime]

I love seeing experiences like this. It's fun watching everyone get all the new sprints and exclusives, but what seems to be rare are people finding their "THE" knife and really sticking with it because it just works so well for them, especially when they're boring.

I've literally almost started a similar thread a few times this past month, about my ARK. But, I decided the forum is probably already tired of me posting pics and talking it up . It's usually the only knife I carry, and when I carry other knives along side it, it's in part to justify their purchase and because they're still fun to use.

Every time I get interested in another model, I catch myself and decide its not going to dethrone the ARK as my true edc, and I have several other knives that don't get carried enough as it is.

I hope to someday get over my affair with the ARK -- it's boring and I hate loving it.

[RevMike]

How does Autonomy 1 compare to Autonomy 2 in your opinion?

Both are excellent. I have the black Autonomy 1 and the part-serrated Autonomy 2. I can't really say I could pick a winner.

The SE Dragonfly Salt and SE ARK are also two of my favorites.

[James Y]

Great thread..

Having found "The One" knife is similar to have found one's holy grail. IMO, it's an enviable position to be in.

In the past, when carrying a pocket knife was considered a normal necessity for almost all men, it was customary to have that one knife that was "their" pocketknife, and that was that, until or unless it became lost, broken, or used up to the point that it needed replacing.

I suspect that, deep down for many knife enthusiasts, the relentless drive to acquire more and more knives is really a search for that one "perfect" pocketknife, which will differ from person to person.

I haven't quite found my own perfect knife, but I'm in the ballpark with a few of the knives I already own, any one of which could fill the role of my "One." I've already slowed my knife buying to a trickle the past several years, and haven't bought a new one for going on a year now. And I have gone years before without buying a new knife. After awhile, that rush of endorphins that comes with acquiring another knife lessens considerably. I know I already have enough knives to last several lifetimes; and although there are more I would like, I no longer feel that compulsive, aching NEED to acquire more. This also saves a CONSIDERABLE amount of money, which adds up over time.

Jim

[Evil D]

I love seeing experiences like this. It's fun watching everyone get all the new sprints and exclusives, but what seems to be rare are people finding their "THE" knife and really sticking with it because it just works so well for them, especially when they're boring.

It's really amazing how often someone's "the one" is a standard production knife and not a fancy sprint or exclusive with some uber steel.

[zuludelta]

The DF2 really is a great design, one of Sal's best, in my estimation. A real "little big knife". The ZDP-189 DF2 was my first Spyderco & quickly became "the one" for me several years ago (after years of relying on my Leatherman multi-tool's blade as my primary EDC cutting tool). It would probably still be my primary carry had I not shifted to a job that necessitated something with more reach & could be more easily manipulated while wearing thick gloves.

I still carry that ZDP-189 DF2 on days when I'm not working or goofing off in the outdoors, and I've acquired a number of DF2 variants over the years (one in VG-10/Zomé Green scales, a sprint run in V-Toku2, & a serrated Salt hawkbill version). I've also gifted more DF2s than any other design to friends, coworkers, and family.

[Riknull]

I love it.....and hate it.....but mostly love it.

I get what you’re saying. Knives are deceptively complicated for such a simple device, which drives the search for the ‘perfect knife’ and ensuing hobby. It takes years, and can become part of your personality. But what do you do when you find the perfect knife? That years-/decades-long hobby might not feel so fulfilling. What does a dog do when he finally catches the car he’s chasing?

It ain’t the kill, it’s the thrill of the chase.

[SRT392HEMI]

The DF2 really is a great design, one of Sal's best, in my estimation. A real "little big knife"...

This! Beat me to it! "Little big knife" is the perfect description.

[TheGiant80]

Everyone should own a Dragonfly Salt. That's my not-unpopular opinion.