Calypso or Dragonfly?

yobbos1 · Jul 5, 2004

I guess the title says it all. I'm treating myself to a new Spydie and I've settled on either the all stainless Dragonfly or the Calypso plain edge for both. Any advice reviews or whatever would be appreciated.

gull wing · Jul 5, 2004

Don't know your size preference, but the Calypso Jr is larger but the best cutter I have ever owned. It's got the just right balance of a great handle feel and a slicing champ. It clips away in my wasteband at the office and I hardly know it's there. It cuts cardboard, wood, banding, apples.
I guess you know by now I go for the Calypso Jr. Good Hunting!

The Deacon · Jul 6, 2004

Both are excellent knives, so either way you can't really go wrong. Both offer super slicing ability, by virtue of their flat ground blades. The differences are size, weight, feel, steel, and carry mode. While the Calypso Jr. is larger, it is also lighter, so the choice there becomes one of less bulk versus less weight. I strongly favor the fish scale textured FRN on the Calypso Jr over the smooth steel of the SS D'fly, but this is mostly a matter of taste. If you strongly prefer one carry mode over the other, then you may want to base your choice on that. If you favor tip up, go with the Dragonfly. If tip down is your preference, go with the Calypso Jr. Some will say the VG-10 makes the Calypso Jr. a better choice, but personally (although I often carry a Calypso Jr. and rarely carry any of my D'flys) I find ATS55 easier to maintain. Of course, if you are left handed, then the ambidextrous clip on the Calypso Jr. would becomes a major plus for it. I personally prefer the way the larger handle of the Calypso Jr feels in my hand, and its light weight just adds to its appeal to me.

cerulean · Jul 6, 2004

The Calypso is large (for a pocketknife). The Calypso Jr. is medium sized. The Dragonfly is small.

Handle them before you decide which one is the best for you.

fudo · Jul 6, 2004

Calypso Jr. all the way, unless your hands are really small.

KeithAM · Jul 6, 2004

I have both. The flat ground leaf-shaped blades are of course similar. The Calypso, Jr. has a better grip, although the grip on the Dragonfly is surprisingly good given the size of the knife and the polished SS handle.

I'm not sure I'm able to make a fair comparison between the VG-10 on the Calypso, Jr. and the and ATS-55 on the Dragonfly. I have several VG-10 Spydies and they cut amazingly well and are very easy to sharpen to the hair-popping level. I've sharpened the Dragonfly only once. I restored it to no-pressing arm-hair shaving sharpness without difficulty. I'm too much of a newbie to say for sure, but my subjective impression is that the edge on the hair-popping (yes, you see it and hear it) VG-10 is sharper than the mere easy shaving edge of the ATS-55. It could merely reflect my skill level.

After I ordered the Dragonfly I read some horror stories on the forum concerning ATS-55 rusting. So far I haven't seen any rust on mine, but I'll reserve final judgment until after I carry it through a hot, humid summer.

I got the Calypso, Jr. based on the many glowing reviews on this forum which talk of its superior cutting ability. I haven't done any side-by-side comparisons to say much about this, but I plan to do a cardboard-cutting test with the Calypso and my Mini-Griptilian when I have the time.

The sole reason I have a Dragonfly is because of the 2 and 1/2 inch blade limit in the building where I work. If allowed to do so, I'd carry the Calypso, Jr. instead.

HoB · Jul 6, 2004

I think the Dragonfly is the best knife on the market for an "undersized" knife. Meaning a knife where ergos have been sacrificed to keep the package compact. For such a small knife the ergos are still surprisingly good IMO.
The Calypso however is not an "undersized" knife. It is absolutely handfilling.
I think they are both really great knives but tailored to fit a very different task.

neetones · Jul 6, 2004

I'm going to take a cue from the Sebenza folks and say:

Calypso Calypso Calypso!

Really though, it is a fantastic knife. And if it is really a limited run, you should get as many as you can. My girlfriend is looking to get her first real knife, and she's carrying mine as a test right now. We're looking at a lot of other knives in higher price ranges, but there's nothing the Calypso can't beat on most levels (steel, ergonomics, weight, lockup, size....)

for $40 can't go wrong.

Nitin

yobbos1 · Jul 7, 2004

Thank you all for the well though out replies, Spydiefans always give such great advice.

I ordered a Calypso jr. plain edge today based almost entirely on what I read on this forum and can't wait. It sounds like one heck of a little slicer. Review to come!