I may have a thing for the Dragonfly

[srivats]

Newly joined here, but I have been reading the board a while. Love this board and love what Spyderco does

I maaaaaaaay have a thing for the Spyderco Dragonfly It was love at first sight. I mostly always have one of these in my pocket and yes I do use them and it's difficult to pick a favorite.

Top two are the OGs with AUS-8 and G2. Each one on the 2nd row is a different steel. From left to right -
H2, Cruwear, 20CV, VG-10, K390, ZDP-189, VToku2/SUS410, HAP40/SUS410, Superblue/SUS410


*click to enlarge

The only modified one is the all black one (incl clip) with the Cruwear blade. I will get the upcoming PD#1 because why the heck not. I hope to add a Teal S30V someday, that one is very hard to find. Of late, the Superblue has been finding it's way a little more than the rest. It's silly just how sharp you can get it with little effort. The stainless and the G10 scale models don't do anything for me so they aren't part of the collection.

I have 4 other LW Natives and it is a struggle to not go NUTS with collecting them - Magnacut, S90V, S30V, M4. Something about the shape of the Native is very really appealing to me and it's a beast when it comes to cutting. The S90V holds an edge for a crazy long time, I mean it's just ridiculous. Of course I have a FRN Chaparral too, that thing is a slicing beast with it's thin blade stock and it's still amazing just how much blade is there in that small package.

I like smaller/smallish knives in general. The Para 2, Shaman, Manix etc are all interesting but just too big and too beefy for what I need. I used to have a VG-10 Delica but much prefer the Native's ergonomics. I have tried the Para 3 LW when it came out .. very good knife/tool but it doesn't excite me the same way as the Dragonfly/Native does visually. I did like it's deep carry clip and easy "pocketability" though, wish the Native's clip were like that (and yes I know about the aftermarket Lynch clips, just does not do it for me visually).

I tend to read more than I post but I hope to participate here more. Great forum and good discussions!

[Michael Janich]

Dear srivats:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Doc Dan]

I love the Dragonfly, too. I have about ten of them. My wife has four. She stole two from me because it fit her hand and her tiny pocket. So, we have duplicates of some. Great knife. I have a thread on here somewhere in which I compare the DF to popcorn. You can't have only one piece.

[toml4185]

Really great collection and the dragonfly is just awesome, punching way above its weight.

I really enjoy my K390 version for dry conditions and my salt version in H2 for fishing and by the water.

If you want something a little beefier, you could consider taking a look at the Lil native however you will miss the sliciness of the Dragonfly since it's beefier but it could be a complementary knife to go alongside your Dragonflies.

[benben]

Two that stand out to me that you’re missing….and I know you said the G-10 didn’t do anything for you, but that Foliage Green G-10 DF is awesome and would look great in your collection! The other is a serrated Salt, it’ll out cut and take more abuse than any other DF in your lineup!

Very nice collection!

[spydergoat]

Welcome srivats, great collection of dflys! If I could add to my collection it would be that burnt orange HAP40. I just have 2- use my zome green VG10 dragonfly extensively, and I recently got the 20CV DLT exclusive. I lost another one, an orange vg10, that was my main backpacking knife for a while. I prefer to use this knife clipless because it feels nice in the hand, and just pocket carry it. That may be why I lose mine in couch cushions and such and often it ends up in the washer. Have you tried the wharncliffe blade shape yet?

[cabfrank]

I have basic black VG-10 which is carried a lot, as my dress pants/work knife. I will probably add another variant, but mine has been very capable and durable, and has even made a trip through the wash machine. It is a great design, and great knife. I understand wanting multiples.

[jwbnyc]

srivats,

You would not be alone.

[tzirconia]

Nice collection, thanks for sharing!

I really like the Dragonfly too, and will echo two things already suggested by others:
-A wharncliffe variant could fit nicely in your collection, they offer great cutting performance for most of my use cases.
-An SE Salt version could be a good complement to all your PE versions. I'm amazed how my H2 SE Dragonfly stands up to all the abuse I throw at it.

Looking forward to more pics as the collection grows!

[srivats]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Really made me smile reading all the replies.

@toml4185 Perfect description of punching above it's weight. I have had some expensive knives before but after I got my first Dragonfly I realized it was something really special. Just makes me happy to have one of them on me when I go out the house.

Two that stand out to me that you’re missing….and I know you said the G-10 didn’t do anything for you, but that Foliage Green G-10 DF is awesome and would look great in your collection! The other is a serrated Salt, it’ll out cut and take more abuse than any other DF in your lineup!

Very nice collection!

I have an eye on the serrated salt version. Maybe for the holidays! The G10 version, looks nice but for me the beauty of the Dragonfly is how it disappears in the pocket. I imagine the G10 one would feel denser. One benefit I can see is maintenance.

[srivats]

Nice collection, thanks for sharing!

I really like the Dragonfly too, and will echo two things already suggested by others:
-A wharncliffe variant could fit nicely in your collection, they offer great cutting performance for most of my use cases.
-An SE Salt version could be a good complement to all your PE versions. I'm amazed how my H2 SE Dragonfly stands up to all the abuse I throw at it.

Looking forward to more pics as the collection grows!

I have to think about the Wharncliffe blade. What do you like about it more than the regular dfly blade?

[Synov]

This is my favorite Dfly

[twinboysdad]

I have SS DF and then a HAP 40 and SE H1 DF2. They are the best. I lost my Wharn DF2 that was very close to being my favorite EDC

[aicolainen]

Welcome to the forum, srivats!

You are not alone having a thing for the Dragonfly.


I also prefer to carry mine clipless, typically in my back pocket.
The wharncliffe k390 is not only my most carried DF, but my most carried knife overall.
Wharncliffe works very well for my work related knife tasks, but it may not be the right choice for everyone.
The precise tip is ideal for delicate cutting tasks where you need to control where you’re cutting and how deep you penetrate. The WC blade shape is also perfect for sliding under tie wraps and pallet straps without damaging the wrapped item(s). The straight plane edge makes it very easy to cut cable sheaths etc with the correct force throughout the cut because without any serrations or curve to the blade you always know where you’re edge is, even when it’s buried in the material you’re cutting. Lastly I’ll say that the DF2 is the perfect platform for a wharncliffe in my use. The choil combined with a short blade brings my hand all the way up to the edge and very close to the tip for ultimate control and the short overall length makes the knife very maneuverable in tight spaces.
If you haven’t tried a wharncliffe I would strongly recommend that you do - and already know why it should be a DF2

[SpyderEdgeForever]

The Endela is the baby of the Endura and Delica. The Dragon Fly is the baby of which other Spydercos?

[tzirconia]

Nice collection, thanks for sharing!

I really like the Dragonfly too, and will echo two things already suggested by others:
-A wharncliffe variant could fit nicely in your collection, they offer great cutting performance for most of my use cases.
-An SE Salt version could be a good complement to all your PE versions. I'm amazed how my H2 SE Dragonfly stands up to all the abuse I throw at it.

Looking forward to more pics as the collection grows!

I have to think about the Wharncliffe blade. What do you like about it more than the regular dfly blade?

aicolainen gave some good examples where the Wharncliffe shape works well, and if you're interested in more info take a look at this thread and the links/videos there, especially the video with Mr. Janich describing Wharncliffe blades:

viewtopic.php?t=88897&sid=b2b9dd01a29da ... c82d516652

Hope this helps, figured the experts can do a better job explaining than I can

[ChoilsChoilsChoils]

The Endela is the baby of the Endura and Delica. The Dragon Fly is the baby of which other Spydercos?

As far as I can tell, the Dragonfly is not part of a larger design family like the Delica-Endura or Chaparral-Manix lines. Its closest relative might seem to be the Byrd Robin, but the Robin has the handle contours and rounded thumb ramp of the Delica, while the Dragonfly has a totally different handle profile and a concave thumb ramp. Strangley enough, out of all of Spyderco's catalogue the knife that most closely resembles the Dragonfly's general contours is the small Lum Chinese Folder. Different lock, no finger choil, no pronounced thumb hump, but you can draw a Dragonfly inside the lines of the Lum.

[zuludelta]

The Endela is the baby of the Endura and Delica. The Dragon Fly is the baby of which other Spydercos?

From what I understand, the Dragonfly is sometimes considered as part of the Delica/Endura lineage because it was originally made by the same Seki City-based partner as the original Delica/Endura (I could be wrong on that score, but I think I read that on here before).

Strictly speaking in terms of the lines of the design, though, the Dragonfly looks like a smaller version of the Calypso, Jr. and the Calypso. Although in this case, the Calypso, Jr. (introduced in 1997) and the Calypso (introduced in 1998) would be the offspring of the Dragonfly (introduced in 1994).

[nosuchagency]

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Newly joined here, but I have been reading the board a while. Love this board and love what Spyderco does

I maaaaaaaay have a thing for the Spyderco Dragonfly It was love at first sight. I mostly always have one of these in my pocket and yes I do use them and it's difficult to pick a favorite.

Top two are the OGs with AUS-8 and G2. Each one on the 2nd row is a different steel. From left to right -
H2, Cruwear, 20CV, VG-10, K390, ZDP-189, VToku2/SUS410, HAP40/SUS410, Superblue/SUS410


*click to enlarge

PXL_20240811_165441772.jpg

The only modified one is the all black one (incl clip) with the Cruwear blade. I will get the upcoming PD#1 because why the heck not. I hope to add a Teal S30V someday, that one is very hard to find. Of late, the Superblue has been finding it's way a little more than the rest. It's silly just how sharp you can get it with little effort. The stainless and the G10 scale models don't do anything for me so they aren't part of the collection.

I have 4 other LW Natives and it is a struggle to not go NUTS with collecting them - Magnacut, S90V, S30V, M4. Something about the shape of the Native is very really appealing to me and it's a beast when it comes to cutting. The S90V holds an edge for a crazy long time, I mean it's just ridiculous. Of course I have a FRN Chaparral too, that thing is a slicing beast with it's thin blade stock and it's still amazing just how much blade is there in that small package.

I like smaller/smallish knives in general. The Para 2, Shaman, Manix etc are all interesting but just too big and too beefy for what I need. I used to have a VG-10 Delica but much prefer the Native's ergonomics. I have tried the Para 3 LW when it came out .. very good knife/tool but it doesn't excite me the same way as the Dragonfly/Native does visually. I did like it's deep carry clip and easy "pocketability" though, wish the Native's clip were like that (and yes I know about the aftermarket Lynch clips, just does not do it for me visually).

I tend to read more than I post but I hope to participate here more. Great forum and good discussions!

Welcome srivats the Dfly Salt SE is definitely my most carried knife and if I was forced to sell my entire collection it’d be the last one standing and still in my pocket