Spyderco Forums

Looking for a small lightweight knife I can slip into the bottom of my pants pocket. Which of these do you prefer and why?
Thanks so much!

Chris D :D

This is exactly the debate I had for my first Spyderco, finally settling on the Chap. After handling both, to me the Chaparral feels more solid, has better ergos for my hand, the fit & finish is everything you'd expect from Taichung (superb), and the upgrade in steel to XHP makes it a pretty unbeatable value. I also like that the Chaparral feels a bit more weighty in the hand with the liner and backspacer. However, while it's an absolute joy to carry (you'll never really notice it in pocket), the Dragonfly seems to completely disappear like magic.

So that's why I went with the Chappie, though to be honest I'm definitely picking up a DF in Vtoku when the sprint comes out... Hence I'll also echo the common refrain heard around here - get both! :D :D

toocool006 wrote:This is exactly the debate I had for my first Spyderco, finally settling on the Chap. After handling both, to me the Chaparral feels more solid, has better ergos for my hand, the fit & finish is everything you'd expect from Taichung (superb), and the upgrade in steel to XHP makes it a pretty unbeatable value. I also like that the Chaparral feels a bit more weighty in the hand with the liner and backspacer. However, while it's an absolute joy to carry (you'll never really notice it in pocket), the Dragonfly seems to completely disappear like magic.

So that's why I went with the Chappie, though to be honest I'm definitely picking up a DF in Vtoku when the sprint comes out... Hence I'll also echo the common refrain heard around here - get both! :D :D

Word.

Between the two I prefer the chaparral. I have a DF2 and never really warmed up to it.

If I want something to drop in the bottom of my pocket, it is normally a SE Cricket.

I have a Dragonfly 2 in ZDP 189 with FRN scales and one with VG10 steel in G10 foliage green scales with full steel liners. The VG10 version is fuller in your hand and has more substance and solidity to it having the stainless liners along with the G10 scales. I like the ZDP but it is hard so you will need to go with diamond stones. That may be an issue or not, most all other Dragonfly 2 have VG10 steel which is very good steel that you can sharpen with regular stones. I like the G10 version for the feel that Dragonfly has and it will be getting a blade transplant soon. I will swap the VG10 for the ZDP 189. I also have a Delica 4 in ZDP and will be getting an Endura in ZDP 189 as well so I have already invested in a DMT diamond sharpening system since my other knife is also a very hard steel (a Manix 2 in Maxamet).
I am buying a Cat in BD1 steel for a friend as a gift, nice size great looks with the G10 and leaf blade, BD1 is easy to sharpen with conventional stones and it's a very affordable knife. The Cat is a nice gents pocket knife, a little smaller than the Chaperral but a little longer handle than the Dragonfly for a more secure grip, blade length is about the same as a Dragonfly 2. Most important is what works for you. My solution was to buy more than one knife because it is too hard to choose.

Update 2/14/2018: I came very close to buying the Cat then decided rather to get my friend a Delica 4 in ZDP 189.

frn chap. love that thin blade

i'm holding out for a Chap in G10 or Peel Ply CF

It's a toss up for me. I usually carry a Manbug in the bottom of my pocket. I guess if I wanted something a little bigger I'd go with a Dragonfly and take the clip off.

I have both - just got the FRN Chappy and have had the DF2 for a year. Both knives are excellent.

In my opinion, although the Chappy is only a bit larger, the DF2 is a "Big Mini-Knife" and the Chappy is a "Small Normal-Knife" to me.. If that makes sense. If you really want a small blade to forget it's in your pocket, the Ladybug is also fantastic.

If I had to keep only one though, it would be the Chappy. I can four finger grip it without the choil, and the thinness is very impressive. It has a more quality look and feel to it, and feels like a full sized knife in a forget-its-in-your-pocket package, with the DF2 you will feel the compromise in blade length when cutting things like an orange or avocado.

Don’t torment yourself. Get an Urban instead. Best of both worlds.

elena86 wrote:Don’t torment yourself. Get an Urban instead. Best of both worlds.

I really like the Urban especially with K390.

I don't even miss the lock on it.

The Chaparral and the Dragonfly are close to the same size in overall length when closed. However, the Chaparral packs a much longer blade into those hand dimensions. I have both and use both, but the Chaparral is my hands down choice. Also, as Elena said, if not having a lock does not bother you, the Urban LW is a great choice. I have that one also. Basically, in my opinion, there are not two better pocket knives made than the Chaparral LW and the Urban LW.

Could someone post pics of the Urban and Chaparral side by side?

Thanks!

Chaparral LW, without a doubt.

I love the Dfly, especially in ZDP, but if it's the only knife I'm going to have, I'll go with the Chaparral every time.

CAD wrote:Could someone post pics of the Urban and Chaparral side by side?

Thanks!

Terrible pic, but here is the Chap, Urban, and DF2

...and for me, the shorter thumb-ramp on all the Chaparrals make it such a more comfortable knife to carry.

Notice in the picture the handles are all about the same length. Of course the DF is narrower top to bottom, but the Chaparral is thinner. The Urban has a nice thumb ramp on the blade and the texture of the knife and scales is very smooth. It feels nice. The Chaparral and the DF are rougher because of the texture of the non-slip scales.

Hi, joined the forum primarily to get some opinions about this very issue. I have a Dragonfly that I love for its light weight and pocket-ability, but I wouldn't mind something with a slightly longer blade. I also have a Cat, but it's a little heavier/thicker than I prefer, and the blade isn't much longer than the DF. I LOVE the feel of the Sage1 in my hand, but it's bulkier than I prefer in my pocket. So the Chaparral seems like the perfect solution! I bought one a few weeks ago, and it was SO tight that it wasn't at all pleasant to use. (I returned it.) It was quite stiff to open, but more importantly, the lock was so tight that it was painful to close. I've owned and handled many different back-lock knives, including various Spydercos, and I've never felt any this bad.
So - my question - was this a fluke on the copy I received, or is this an inherent design aspect of the Chaparral FRN? Is it realistic to expect the lock to feel about like the DF, or will it be significantly tighter? In searching around online, I've seen mostly VERY positive reviews on the Chaparral FRN with no complaints about the lock. But I've also seen a few separate complaints similar to mine.
Thanks for any feedback!
Andy