Help me pick my first Spydie!

Luke Bennett · #1

Hi guys!
First post here just looking for a bit of help from the experts

Up until last week I knew NOTHING about knives. Over the last few days I have been watching knife reviews non-stop and reading up on different models etc and I just keep coming back to Spyderco knives.

Anyway I want something small and portable, so I'm thinking either the Spyderco MBK Manbug or the LGRE3 Ladybug (or if you guys aren't too biased, I'm also seriously considering the SOG Flash 1 as well though it is a little larger).

Just wanted to know what you guys prefer.

At this stage I'm leaning slightly towards the LGRE3 Ladybug as people seem to prefer the ZDP-189 steel and it has a nicer shape (IMHO) but I've never owned a knife before so your opinions are very welcome.

The other thing to mention is I live in regional NSW, Australia (Port Macquarie on the off chance any of you guys are familiar with the area) so I'm not too sure how to get my hands on one.

To the best of my knowledge I can't buy Spyderco knives locally and Australian online stores are either overpriced to **** (the cheapest I can find the LGRE3 is $60 plus postage and its out of stock at the moment anyway) so it looks like the only other option is to import one from the states but I'm worried about customs.

What do you guys suggest?

Cheers, Luke.

Luke Bennett · #2

Actually that price probably isn't too bad, I'd been looking at prices for the "Tenacious Series".
My bad.

jackknifeh · #3

Welcome to the Spyderco forum and knives as well. I'd suggest getting the Manbug instead of the Ladybug. The Ladybug is a great knife but the Manbug is a little tougher and is now available with a ZDP-189 blade. If this is your first knife I assume you have never sharpened a knife either. ZDP can be difficult to sharpen when first learning because the steel is so hard. I really think you should get the Manbug with a VG-10 steel blade. It is a VERY good steel and easier to keep sharp. You should also consider a sharpener. I don't know what is available where you live or prices. Any knife will get dull and need sharpening sooner or later. Sharpeners come in a variety of quality, prices and type. Spyderco makes great sharpening tools. Top quality and very good in getting a knife sharp. I've used the less expensive sharpeners and they are mostly a waste of money. Especially with the better quality seel used for knife blades in recent years. I can't imagine you will have any problems with customes with either a Manbug or Ladybug. There are others on this forum from Australia who will know more I'm sure. Good luck and welcome.

Jack

bh49 · #4

Luke,
Welcome to the Forum. Enjoy your stay
Ladybug is a very good knife, also ZDP variant is full flat grind, which I prefer on my knives.
I cannot give you any advise on buying, but we have here quite a few of your countrymen. Some of them with quite impressive collections. They will help.
Stay sharp

kbuzbee · #5

Welcome Luke!

The knives you list are great choices. I'm with Jack here, I wouldn't recommend anyone's first knife be ZDP. It's a great steel but you'll need a bit more skill to keep it sharp.

You don't list them but my favorite two small knives are:

CF Balance - Best small knife of all time, IMO. Most small knives sacrifice grip for blade length. The Balance goes the other way and gives you a terrific grip for a knife so small. And it comes with a clip. Some don't value that in a small knife. I do. And it's drop dead gorgeous!

G10 Jester - Similar to the Ladybug but a much more useful blade shape (again IMO)

These will both likely be more expensive than your initial choices but you should give them a look.

Ken

Luke Bennett · #6

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Just as I suspected, no one has recommended the SOG Flash 1 yet

OK looks like I'll rule out the ZDP knives at least for my first knife, I have read quite a bit on sharpening, so I know what to do, but I haven't got the gear/skills yet, so I'll take your advice to mind and go with the VG-10 instead.

I do like the Manbug, but I've read a lot of people prefer the Ladybug better.

I guess it comes down to
Manbug: bigger blade, flat grind, slightly worse blade shape
Ladybug: slightly smaller blade, hollow grind, superior blade shape

The biggest factor is probably the grind, on such a small knife is the difference between a hollow grind and a full flat grind all that noticeable?

And Ken, thanks for the suggestions.

I really like the look of the Balance, but to be honest, on first impression I thought it looked like a bit of a gimmick (like the Harpie, cool knife, but would you ever really use it) glad to hear its a great knife and will consider it if I decide to expand my collection.

I've got to be honest, the Jester just doesn't do it for me, I guess I'm just a sucker for that signature Spyderco leaf shape, the Balance however is very cool.

78lilred · #7

Hello Luke, if your knife will be seeing a lot of water or humidity I'd suggest a salt series knife as they use H1 steel that won't rust on you. Welcome to the forums and beware of addiction.

Luke Bennett · #8

Thanks for the reply 78lilred, I've had a look at the Salt series and they are REALLY cool, but I'm hoping not to get my knife wet if I can help it, and I'd rather my EDC wasn't bright yellow

, so I'll try to save the extra cost.
Whats the H1 like to sharpen by the way?

Luke.

#9

Hi Luke,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

sal

kbuzbee · #10

Luke Bennett wrote:I really like the look of the Balance, but to be honest, on first impression I thought it looked like a bit of a gimmick (like the Harpie, cool knife, but would you ever really use it)

I get that, Luke. I felt EXACTLY the same when I first saw it. Paul (Deacon) was the one who convinced me to try it. Even then I wasn't too sure but I trust his opinion. Once I received it I understood. Honestly, it never leaves my pocket. I think I could easily live with the Balance as my only pocket knife. It handles anything I've asked it to do. Yes, it looks odd when compared to a LB. Very untraditional. But it's design is genius.

Ken

setldown · #11

Hi Luke

Check out the Chicago http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=670

Although I have 4 or 5 Ladybugs they are essentially a key chain knife because of no clip. They easily get lost in your pocket IMO. The Chicago clips perfectly in your jeans coin pocket and has a more useful blade. Good luck with your search and welcome to the forum!

Jazz · #12

Welcome! I'd say Manbug or Dragonfly. The Dragonfly is very popular, and for good reason. It's really a heavy duty little guy.

- best wishes, Jazz.

Pockets · #13

Jazz wrote:Welcome! I'd say Manbug or Dragonfly. The Dragonfly is very popular, and for good reason. It's really a heavy duty little guy.

+1
The Dragonfly is a beast. H1 is pretty easy to sharpen. I'd recommend getting the SE version in H1, or the PE VG-10 version in black.
Welcome to the forum!

Blerv · #14

As a first Spydie I would be tempted to go with a Dragonfly2 in ZDP-189 over the Ladybug or Manbug. The clip life has some perks and it's still only a little over an ounce :)

Welcome to the forums!

farns · #15

I just recently migrated from a SAK and have tried most of the knives mentioned here. For me, the lady bug was too small to be used comfortably with tasks like cutting wire, etc. That being said, I have both the FRN VG-10 Ladybug and CC H1 Ladybug and the CountyComm Ladybug would be my choice because it has torx adjustment screws at the pivot head in case things loosen up (they come in tan and orange I believe). I also have the Chicago and find it to works very well, still one of my favorites.

My favorites at this point is the Meerkat and H1 DragonFly2. I like both because they are different which works well based on the situation. The Meerkat is darker in color and heavier so it doesn't flash here I am but has very good cutting ability for the tasks I use it for. The H1 DragonFLy I chose specifically for the color and blade steel, sometime flashy and moisture resistance is good. When working on raised floors (or similar scenarios) which might have LOTS of cabling and other items below, the yellow pops out with a quick flashlight sweep. It is also easily seen when dropped outside in water.

I would personally get what you like and feels best to you but when I started the switch I wish I had read some more on real life uses. I have gone through what I will refer to as a few duds and the money spent was wasted. Will you need to find it in a dark place? Will SE or PE work better for the cutting task? Do I mind a heavier knife bouncing in my pocket if I go clip-less? In any case, I have been happy with all the Spydercos I have gotten, much more so then some others I tried along the way.

Sammi · #16

Hi Luke,

Im fairly new here too and just started collecting Spyderco's last year, I live in the UK so the knife laws are quite strict (nothing fixed, nothing locking and nothing over 3 inches) so a lot of the knives I really REALLY want are off limits for the time being but you HAVE to get a Spyderco Sharpmaker to sharpen your knives, I cannot reccomend it enough and it comes with an excellent dvd with Sal instructing you how to get the best out of it! Whatever Spyderco you pick I'm sure you'll enjoy it! :D

defenestrate · #17

I would also suggest a Dragonfly to start. The lady and manbug are cool but they are really rather smallish for a starting point IMO. The Dragonfly offers a much more serious feel in a package that is not cumbersome, and you can get it in great steels like H1, Vg10 and ZDP-189.

defenestrate · #18

BTW, FARNS, I think you might find the Ladybug H1 SE Hawkbill better suited to tasks like cutting wire.

Luke Bennett · #19

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it. You guys have a great little community here!

I've spent the last week researching the **** out of knives, so I'm pretty comfortable with only a small blade at this point.
Like I said, I don't even have a knife at the moment, so I don't think the small size is going to bother me too much.
If I decide that the Ladybug/Manbug is too small, then I will probably consider getting a second knife, probably a Dragonfly or maybe a Tenacious.

And farns, I do like the yellow of the Dragonfly Salt, its stands out which is great if your using it for work/camping/fishing etc and don't want to lose it, but as an EDC it stands out TOO much for my liking.

So any way like I said earlier, I'm gonna get either the Ladybug LBK, or the Manbug Lightweight MBK (I think the G-10 on the MGGY Manbug being such a small knife is probably overkill, and I don't want it to tear up my pocket, but on a bigger knife like the Tenacious it sounds great).

The main factor comes down to whether a hollow grind is a problem on such a small blade.
If it is, the Manbug gets my vote, if its not all the noticeable, the Ladybug is probably what I'll go with.

Also, any more Aussies out there? Wheres the best place to buy these things!

kbuzbee · #20

Luke Bennett wrote:
The main factor comes down to whether a hollow grind is a problem on such a small blade.
If it is, the Manbug gets my vote, if its not all the noticeable, the Ladybug is probably what I'll go with.

FFG vs hollow ground is a personal preference. There are advantages to each but there is no particular advantage or disadvantage to either based on size. You'll really need to try both at some point if you want to determine which one works better for you.

Ken