Better knife than SpyderCo Dragon Fly 2?

You could carve feather sticks with a sharp rock (it's been done!) or any sharp edge, but if you need to do it to get a fire going as quickly as possible, you probably want something with enough handle to allow a full grip. A little extra weight is worth it to me, but then I'm not a backpacker/hiker for whom ounces matter.

I'm curious how many have actually tried to feather stick with a Dragonfly or something similarly sized. I'm guessing it wasn't much fun when you got to the third or fourth stick. Now try it with cold hands for time! 😁
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
In the destructive testing done by Cold Steel, it took 160 lbs hanging off the back of the handle for the Bugout to fail. That's my entire body weight, not accounting for leverage; in theory, I could stab the knife into a tree and hang from it. That seems strong enough for any realistic backpacking use.

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160 lbs? That's ridiculous! Just goes to show you how strong knives can really be while also being pretty minimalist in construction.
 
knarfeng said:
Read the second line in my original response.
I do not consider the Dragonfly to be adequate for the work.

A long time ago when I was a young man, I used to backpack for days at a time. Among other things, I learned that it was better to add a couple of ounces and have an adequate tool than to go absolutely minimalist in weight and have something that does not perform the needed function. So "Dragonfly" is not in the running, even as a starting point.
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Nope, as of the time of your response it was still in the running. Here's the problem a lot of people are having, they think they can reason. Throw reason out the window. This backpacker has been doing this for years and never needed to make a fire during an emergency. Maybe one day he'll need something usable and it fails and he'll learn his lesson, or die. For now it's a fun exercise I'm enjoying.

For the record, in the winter at least, I always carry; my Ambush Alpha (made by Bark River), Bahco Laplander, GFB Small Forest Axe, and as of late the FinnWolf by ColdSteel. For summer it's a Bark River Bravo 1 LT, and a Spyderco Delica 4.

rhino said:
You could carve feather sticks with a sharp rock (it's been done!) or any sharp edge, but if you need to do it to get a fire going as quickly as possible, you probably want something with enough handle to allow a full grip. A little extra weight is worth it to me, but then I'm not a backpacker/hiker for whom ounces matter.

I'm curious how many have actually tried to feather stick with a Dragonfly or something similarly sized. I'm guessing it wasn't much fun when you got to the third or fourth stick. Now try it with cold hands for time! 😁
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I tried making feathers with my Victorinox and basically couldn't do it because I'll assume there's a bit of a time limit in an emergency, otherwise if you have all day, it's really not an emergency. I could actually do it in a timely manner with my Dragon Fly 2. I don't even carry my Dragon Fly 2 when I backpack.

kobold said:
And avoid Opinels! :)
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Okay, hold on. The Opinel 5 appears to be the only knife that is clearly better than the Victoriox in wood cutting ability. There's a handle you can actually grip, might be better for feather-sticking, and is lighter than the Victorinox keychain knife.
 
NeedItCheaper said:
... Here's the problem a lot of people are having, they think they can reason. Throw reason out the window. This backpacker has been doing this for years and never needed to make a fire during an emergency. Maybe one day he'll need something usable and it fails and he'll learn his lesson, or die. For now it's a fun exercise I'm enjoying.
...
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Okay then, how about a regular razor blade with a paper wrapper and a piece of scotch tape to keep it secure? Then he could use it to cut a notch in a found stick to seat it for a makeshift knife. A piece of thread might be helpful for that too but can he handle the weight?

Seriously, some of those UL guys get ridiculously obsessive. We've already got the right answers for actual knife use. Forget rational stuff like not worrying about an extra three ounces, losing a few ounces of body weight to compensate, or adding a few ounces of muscle mass to make carrying a few extra ounces of gear negligible. These guys will pay top dollar for high tech textiles and stress about half a gram.
 
If it were me , wanting an emergency survival knife , my first priority would be to have the most capable , reasonable sized .

Cold Steel Bush Ranger folder .

Free climbing , maybe my Mini AK-47 :
 
Bob Denman said:
My little Benchmade Valet is a bit more of a "Gentleman's Knife"...
But since I ain't northing like that: it also plays well in this crowd.
With M390 under the hood too!
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My wife confiscated my Valet as her pack knife. She has it clipped into her day pack. I love that knife, and I keep suggesting others, but she likes that one.

She has good taste.

My son carries a Dragonfly2 instead of his Para3 lightweight for most of his backpacking. He also uses a 30L pack, gym shoes and camps with a tarp and ground cloth. If you are moving to true ultralight backpacking, you are making tradeoffs. You're also probably able to cover well over 10 miles a day if you need to, and the need for a knife really is an emergency item.. I would consider an 84mm SAK which might be a bit heavier (under 2oz) not as good a blade, but have a few other tools which might be useful.

It really depends on your ultralight style. Are you actually going to be processing any wood other than in an emergency? Will you be in cell phone range? Will other people be around? Don't over think it. Try them all.
 
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Here you go:
Carbidized titanium - 0.8 oz with sheath.
You’d want to wrap the handle with some cloth/cord etc for extended feather sticking but this could even be batonned in a pinch.

What’s my prize? ;)
 
I have to say, if you want a knife that's both better and lighter than the Dragonfly 2, you aren't going to find much if anything. Accept 2 ounces and ask what's better than the DFly, and what 3 ounces could get you in terms of ergos and capability in comparison.
 
gentleman_edc said:
My wife confiscated my Valet as her pack knife. She has it clipped into her day pack. I love that knife, and I keep suggesting others, but she likes that one.
She has good taste.
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...
Her good taste in knives is matched by your good taste in smart women!
Why not just give up, and replace it with a Mnandi?
That's what I'm doing when the Chris Reeve package shows up...
 
Bob Denman said:
Where can you get those little beasties?
I'd get a couple of tem, and throw them in our gloveboxes.
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I got it years ago from a guy, (can’t recall his name and no maker’s mark on the blade), who was selling a few models of Ti, water-jet cut knives on Etsy. Just checked and I don’t think he’s on there anymore.
 
I would take this. I made it as an experiment maybe a year ago. It is my encapsulated tang configuration, high hardness AEB-L with maple scales and a micarta tang housing. It has a full sized handle but only weighs 2.2 oz, and because of the construction would not feel cold in the hand, even bare handed in the winter.

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