Which Dragonfly 2

[HarleyXJGuy]

So I have a Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer coming in the mail that I plan to carry my EDC stuff in. This is for the things that I never want to leave the house without at least one of on me.

I will have my Leatherman Squirt in it and will still carry a knife in my RFP. ( Millie at the moment )

I am thinking a Dragonfly 2 would fit perfectly in this pack and be nice if for some reason I don't have my knife on me.

So the question is which Dragonfly 2 blade steel would be best for this. ZDP-189 with its hardness and edge retention or Superblue with its ability to be made razor sharp?

I also wonder how fast Surfgringo will chime in about how I left the H-1/SE blade out of the mix lol.

[Surfingringo]

Hah, believe it or not, if u are looking at pe this is an easy call and the answer isn't h1.

Superblue by a mile!!

[bearfacedkiller]

They are very different. The SB is a sprint so I would get that.

[endgame]

Superblue for edc .zdp is chippy and not good for edc

[LC Kid]

Hi HarleyXJGuy!


Both steels will take a fantastic sharp edge, but the SB will be get there a lot faster.

Both steels will get some patina, but the SB will get more.

Both steels will hold the edge for a reasonable time, but the ZDP will last longer.

So what are your preferences?

Easier Sharpening? / Rust/Patina? / Edge retention? :rolleyes:

[HarleyXJGuy]

Not worried about sharpening,with the Edge Pro I can sharpen pretty much anything. Plus I enjoy the sharpening process so a little extra time is no issue.

Leaning to the Superblue to be honest. The patina and background of the steel is interesting.

[Matus]

I have SB and really like it (I found the handle too dull and dyed it orange-brown). I have had the ZDP version in hand and while very nice, the handle was too dark green to enjoy. On the blade side - the SB will probably be easier to sharpen and somewhat less prone to chipping than the ZDP.

Patina - just use vinegar and a pairing brush and in 15 minutes you get wonderfully dark-grey edge that will be quite rust resistant.

Bottom line - choose the one that better fits the task(s)

[HarleyXJGuy]

I have SB and really like it (I found the handle too dull and dyed it orange-brown). I have had the ZDP version in hand and while very nice, the handle was too dark green to enjoy. On the blade side - the SB will probably be easier to sharpen and somewhat less prone to chipping than the ZDP.

Patina - just use vinegar and a pairing brush and in 15 minutes you get wonderfully dark-grey edge that will be quite rust resistant.

Bottom line - choose the one that better fits the task(s)

Pictures.

[xceptnl]

I voted Superblue because it is a sprint, but truly both are awesome.

[Holland]

My vote goes to superblue. It's the perfect edc steel imo

[SpyderNut]

I'll be the odd duck here and vote for VG-10 or H1. If this knife is going to be in your pack solely as an emergency back-up, then edge-holding ability and/or blade chipping potential is probably (IMHO) more of a moot point. To me, having a seldom-used emergency blade in such a pack with a high corrosion potential doesn't seem to make sense. YMMV. :)

[3rdGenRigger]

I like both steels a lot, but the SuperBlue will only ever get harder to find being a sprint, but the ZDP is a regular production item so you can always pick one up later if desired.

[zhyla]

No VG-10 option? Grrrr....

[bearfacedkiller]

I do not have a need for stainless steel most of the time but with that said I have only had knives rust on me if they were packed away and not used for a while. You plan on carrying the maxpedition with you so as long as you take the knife out and use it or just wipe it down it should be fine. However, if you want to stick it in there and forget about it then the vg10 or h1 really are much better options.

I have a SB Stretch and a SB Delica4 and love them both. I also EDC a Maxpedition notepad holder. It is a little smaller than either of the EDC organizers and it works well for me.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/3-x ... r-p896.htm" target="_blank

I can pocket carry this Maxpedition in my front pocket with jeans on if I do not pack it too full. I have it set up as a first aid/survival kit with a leatherman, some different fire starters, some cash and some first aid supplies.

[HarleyXJGuy]

I do not have a need for stainless steel most of the time but with that said I have only had knives rust on me if they were packed away and not used for a while. You plan on carrying the maxpedition with you so as long as you take the knife out and use it or just wipe it down it should be fine. However, if you want to stick it in there and forget about it then the vg10 or h1 really are much better options.

I have a SB Stretch and a SB Delica4 and love them both. I also EDC a Maxpedition notepad holder. It is a little smaller than either of the EDC organizers and it works well for me.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/3-x ... r-p896.htm" target="_blank

I can pocket carry this Maxpedition in my front pocket with jeans on if I do not pack it too full. I have it set up as a first aid/survival kit with a leatherman, some different fire starters, some cash and some first aid supplies.

Both this organizer and the mini seem almost the same size? 5.5x3.5 or so. Yours does seem like it would be a little slimmer though.

Didn't think to put a regular VG-10 option on the poll. To bad I think it may be the best choice in this type of situation with its rust resistance. ZDP-189 is not very good in this regard?

[jujigatame]

The issue of longer edge retention vs. ease of sharpening does not figure to be large concern if the Dragonfly is in the role of backup knife with your EDC kit. That said, if it were necessary to redo an edge outside of your home setup I think Super Blue or VG10 would be faster and easier to work with than ZDP.

With either Super Blue or ZDP that was going to sit around in a closed space like that pouch I'd put a light coat of mineral oil on there (keeps it food safe) and check it now & then just to be sure.

[bearfacedkiller]

Zdp is not as good as vg10 when it comes to corrosion resistance but it really depends on where you live and how you use it. It is dry in CO and most of the "semi-stainless" stuff is stainless enough for me out here. I don't really even have to worry too much with 1095, 52100 or super blue out here and they aren't stainless at all. Stainless is more of a spectrum. I have had discoloring and some rusting on blades that were stainless steel so I guess none of it is really stainless except for H1 and a few others but even they are probably subject to some discoloration under the right circumstances.

Super blue will patina extremely easily and can develop rust if ignored for just a little while. It is not stainless at all. I have had no rusting with my SB but it is dry where i live and I keep it clean. I do not use any oil on it because it is used on food a lot. I just keep it clean and dry.

ZDP doesn't really patina the way super blue or other carbon steels do but it will discolor over time and it can develop rust that tends to pit a little bit. It is actually very stainless and this is not my experience at all but it does come up on here once in a while. Some searches for ZDP and either rust or patina should show what i mean.

Performance wise I wouldn't say Super Blue is any better than VG10 just a little different and if corrosion resistance is a major concern than I would say that vg10 is actually far superior.

ZDP has better edge retention than both.

[Evil D]

Voted ZDP, but I'd really prefer SE H1.

[3rdGenRigger]

A steel is typically considered "Stainless" at roughly 12% Chromium (Though they can still rust if neglected...it just takes longer). ZDP has 20% Chromium so one would think it should be very stainless, but it has a VERY high Carbon content of 3% (S30V is considered to be high Carbon at 1.45% if memory serves me correctly), and because of the high Carbon content it can pit if neglected. It's certainly better than any of the tool steel or pure Carbon steel knives though. VG-10 isn't an option in the poll and I'd buy a ZDP Dragonfly before a VG-10 one because it's not very stain prone if you live in a climate that isn't extremely humid. However, I'd buy the G10 handled premium Dragonfly which has a VG-10 blade before the ZDP in a heartbeat because it really is an awesome knife. I still think if corrosion resistance isn't too much of an issue the SuperBlue will be fine, especially if you force a patina because it's a different type of oxidization than rust and will prevent rust to a small degree. I stuck my SB Stretch and SB Ladybug in an onion for about 45 minutes and it worked very well. They're also clad with 420J1 which is very stainless so corrosion isn't as much of an issue as a non-laminated Carbon steel blade. And it's a sprint run so you can buy any of the others later, but the Superblue will be harder to find later if you decide that you want one. I bought a SuperBlue and G10 Dragonfly and did a blade swap...I forced a very dark patina on it with lemon juice, but I don't have pictures of it yet with the dark patina. I'll include a shot of my Stretch or Ladybug to show what 45 minutes in an onion will do to it.

[opusxpn]

I would go with these in this order,

1. DGF super blue
2. DGF G10 VG10
3. DGF H1 spyderedge
4. DGF ZDP189
5. Cat G10 (don't leave out the Cat same size more or less but more robust blade)