choosing a smaller folder

[SteelSnob]

The Chicago is the only knife you mentioned with a close to 2" blade. Kershaw Ener-G is a great little knife too but it's blade is over 2".

 

[JCK]

yeah the cost is no problem, i dropped 200 on my last one, and I'm prepared to pay a premium price for a premium product, its more I just want to save the moeny fast now, but it will take a few months .

Realistically, I'm looking at putting about 160 AUD aside for it EDIT: spoke too soon knife center has it for about 91 bucks australian, so yeah if I save 150, I can spend the rest on something else, as the MSRP is about 143 AUD, and then 12 for shipping, and a bit more just in case, and hopefully I'll be able to pick one up for cheaper, including shipping, maybe I'll try laventrix, or urban conquest - they meant to be good for Aussies wanting a knife. But I'm excited already , and I haven't even decided who/where/how I'm going to get it from.

And the loooow ride in pocket is very good for me, as people will not second glance all the time, and I can forget about it until I need it

Also, is it possible to get another handle colour, i.e. orange, through spyderco, or a custom handle maker?

Oh and @SteelSnob - I did say 2 inches but I guess i meant 2.3 inches or 6 cm, and the dragonfly's blade is 5.7cm, so that is exactly what I'm looking for

 

[hanger]

G'day JCK,

I tend to think just use whatever you want but if perceptions are important then I'd say you can't go past a Doug Ritter Mini RSK in pale pink. It's basically a deluxe version of the mini Griptillian. It's a bit pricey but it is s30v and flat grind so it will slice well. And with axis locks you can open AND close them easily with one hand (although when people are around you probably wouldn't). I was just looking at them recently and they are USD$144 inc shipping to Oz.

Pale pink!

 

[flash900]

This is a great thread -- let's keep it going.

I started my EDC journey looking for a slightly larger version of the Dragonfly (but without the built-in, molded clip.)

My search included the:

-- Persistence (my absolute favorite shape in blade, but too heavy for EDCing, as others have pointed out.)

-- Delica (a favorite with Spyderco fans, but a bit too large and no FFG -- yet.)

-- Faulkniven U2 (as sharp a blade as I've seen, good size and light-weight, but, unfortunately, no deployment hole or clip.)

-- Sage CF (beautiful, but like the Persistence, a bit big.)

-- Caly Jr.: I thought this was it. ZDP 189 steel, lockback, and extremely light for a 2 3/4 inch blade. Feels great in the hand. Discontinued and currently priced higher than I'm comfortable with. Two nits: Rivets instead of screws. And one of the two I bought has a blade that is slightly (and I mean slightly) off-center. Spyderco has offered to deal with this under warranty.

That's when I found the Cat. Different than the Dragonfly -- it's a bit heavier, in part due to the linerlock. But it has CF handles, S30V steel instead of the Dragonfly's VG10 (both are fine with me) and the linerlock is easy and fun to use.

The size is just about perfect for EDCing. And if you need something smaller, there's always the Chicago -- or back to the Dragonfly!

All of these are very fine blades, and highly recommended.

At the moment, the Cat stands at the top of the heap. It's not the best in F&F, but the size is just wonderful. And the price -- an absolute steal.

 

[BluByU]

I just bought a BM 340 Aphid. I wanted a blade less than 3" and so far this one seems like a pretty decent EDC. Only concern is the locking liner mechanism.

 

[RevDevil]

You may consider steel as well. A Cat would be the best choice for the money. Some good ole S30V is hard to beat. It's way better than the Tenacious and Persistance steels.

 

[7rip13a]

Another model to bring into the foray is the Spyderco Meerkat. It is my current EDC. Little leaf blade, larger and comfier handle than the Dragonfly (IMO), VG-10 steel with liners, and the phantom lock just kicks ass.

 

[ZDHart]

Agree with RedDevil, when strongly considering price, the Cat seems like it would be a very strong contender as the materials are tops, the size/weight is very convenient, and the price is modest. Fit and finish may not be tops, but probably not a big deal either.

 

[JCK]

Jopefully I'm not draggin this thread out too much, of course that probably the point of making a thread anyway...

G'day JCK,

I tend to think just use whatever you want but if perceptions are important then I'd say you can't go past a Doug Ritter Mini RSK in pale pink. It's basically a deluxe version of the mini Griptillian. It's a bit pricey but it is s30v and flat grind so it will slice well. And with axis locks you can open AND close them easily with one hand (although when people are around you probably wouldn't). I was just looking at them recently and they are USD$144 inc shipping to Oz.

Pale pink!

At first I was like wtf?, but then yeah perceptions would be pretty easy I'd imagagine. This is a bit pricey for me atm, however, I would like to try one eventually, w/ orange handles

I just bought a BM 340 Aphid. I wanted a blade less than 3" and so far this one seems like a pretty decent EDC. Only concern is the locking liner mechanism.

This seems pretty good, however it is an assisted opener, and I personally don't like them, and they seem to scare people more. But thanks for the suggestion.

You may consider steel as well. A Cat would be the best choice for the money. Some good ole S30V is hard to beat. It's way better than the Tenacious and Persistance steels.

I've heard that VG10 and S30V are pretty similair, as I have a BM mini rukus i recently got, and that is S30V steel, and thats why I was thinking maybe try the dragonfly G10 w/ the VG10 steel?

Agree with RedDevil, when strongly considering price, the Cat seems like it would be a very strong contender as the materials are tops, the size/weight is very convenient, and the price is modest. Fit and finish may not be tops, but probably not a big deal either.

If I can save the money, do you think I should try and get both?

Another model to bring into the foray is the Spyderco Meerkat. It is my current EDC. Little leaf blade, larger and comfier handle than the Dragonfly (IMO), VG-10 steel with liners, and the phantom lock just kicks ass.

Its discontinued, but it looked pretty good, howevr i think their newer stuff is better, of course i may be wrong

 

[ZDHart]

If I can save the money, do you think I should try and get both?

I think getting both the G10 Dragonfly and the Cat sounds like a fine idea. That's the route I have chosen. G10 Dragonfly first, but will wait a while on the Cat; perhaps production fit & finish on the Cat will improve some down the road.

 

[JCK]

@ZDHart - how much of an improvement would spyderco make over the old cat? Do they normally release a knife which may have some fit n finish issues then they fix it up down the track?

Or this just normal part of most manufactuers and i have just been oblivious to it

but i think i will do what you said get the g10 dragonfly 1st then the cat at a later date, as im able to get them through an aussie site

 

[ZDHart]

@ZDHart - how much of an improvement would spyderco make over the old cat? Do they normally release a knife which may have some fit n finish issues then they fix it up down the track?

Or this just normal part of most manufactuers and i have just been oblivious to it

but i think i will do what you said get the g10 dragonfly 1st then the cat at a later date, as im able to get them through an aussie site

JCK... I have no idea what Spyderco might do with the production of the Cats. I know some here have mentioned the F&F not quite being up to the other models, so I thought it might be possible (since the model has not been produced for very long) that F&F might improve a little as time goes on. Or perhaps not. It's a good product at a good price in any event.

My G10 Dragonfly arrived today and I'm really impressed. Fit and finish is tight and flawless. The knife is a little jewel. Seki-City, Japan is the heart of Japanese steel and knife making and the work coming out of the Spyderco plant there is superb. You will not be disappointed. And I think the size of the Dragonfly is perfect for slacks or suits or carry when you want the knife to be literally un-noticed by you when carrying. The blade is easily big enough for typical EDC light duty tasks. And man is it sharp!

Compared to the Sage 1:

 

[JCK]

Those are awesome photos, thanks for those.

Its these photo that really help me understand the size of the knife, and when I try to look at ones on company site they just don't give me the perspective I'm after.

Can I ask, how do you find the blade being 2.5 mm thick? I know this is for light edc purposes, and thats what I'll be doing, but do you think its too thin? I guess I don't want to be cutting a ziptie or something like that, and maybe do it wrong and the blade snaps (highly unlikely I think).

Of course I'm probably expecting more out of it then what it is capable of.

 

[hanger]

I've taken a fancy to that orange one too.

Another consideration. I've carried a few small knives in a similar size range to the Cat and they have been a bit small ergonomically. That's to hold, and especially to open. Not having handled the Cat I can't say what it is like and with the finger choil you have a little more to hold onto once it is open. It's always good if you can handle a knife, but it's hard down here I know.

 

[ZDHart]

Those are awesome photos, thanks for those.

Its these photo that really help me understand the size of the knife, and when I try to look at ones on company site they just don't give me the perspective I'm after.

I know... that's why I made those photos. It's really helpful to get a good comparative/scale perspective in pictures when you can't see a knife in person.

Can I ask, how do you find the blade being 2.5 mm thick? I know this is for light edc purposes, and thats what I'll be doing, but do you think its too thin? I guess I don't want to be cutting a ziptie or something like that, and maybe do it wrong and the blade snaps (highly unlikely I think).

I think for the size and type of uses such a knife is put to, it's perfect. This knife comes quite sharp from the factory and can be made wicked sharp... that helps keep you from tweaking the blade too hard... when it's that sharp, it easily overcomes the cutting resistance thereby preventing too much torquing pressure on the blade. Could you break it? Probably could if you tried. But you can do that with almost any blade. Have no worries about the thickness of the blade.

I have moderately large hands and as you can see in the pictures, when this knife is held open, with the excellent choil, there is enough knife to accept my entire hand. Very nice for such a small knife!

 

[JCK]

i think that as soon as i have enough money to get the dragonfly i will definately buy it.

The hard thing now is disciplining myself to save because at about 20 bucks a week it will take me a little while to save the 110, but that is a very reasonable price i think

thanks everyone for all your replies and recommendations very helpful and ZDHart for the photos

 

[ZDHart]

I'm glad to have been able to help in your decision. Let us hear about your new knife when you get it.