Dragonfly 2 in ZDP or Native 5 LW in S35vn?

native out of those two, that said id prefer a dragonfly in a different steel if i could change your options. zdp tend to be a bit chippy for my tastes, also for the amount of work to sharpen it should stay sharp longer IMO. im not a fan of it. either are great knives really, but id prefer a run of the mill dfly in vg10...
 
I never really considered the two together as small blades (the Native is more mid-sized to me), but therein lies the beauty of this hobby and the people in it. :D Honestly, you can't go wrong with either; they're both excellent knives for the money with supreme ergonomics, materials and fit and finish. ZDP does have reputation for being 'difficult' to sharpen. For me, it's been a total non-issue.

That being said, its really challenging to choose just one. On one hand, I would choose the Native because I typically gravitate toward a larger EDC folder...little bit more reach and perhaps slightly more capable. But, on the other, if something small is really what you're looking for, the Dragonfly is basically as good as it gets IMO. I've been carrying mine quite frequently as of late. Its strange to go from regularly carrying a GB or a Military and then go to DFly, but its honestly perfect for 90% of most people normal daily needs.

8R7fIBw.jpg
 
I've got VG in other knives and find it OK. I don't mind putting in the time on my Lansky to sharpen S30V for the first go round followed by light stropping for many months afterwards (my PM2), that's what I imagine ZDP would be like.

I've had a Dfly 2 before and really liked it, but gave it to my wife. Now I'm wondering if the Native is a better choice...
 
I love both knives. There is no better tiny knife than the DF2 for me. But if I could only have one knife in my life, the larger utility knife feel of the N5 would be great. If you already have larger knives, I'd go DF2 cause it's a uniquely awesome knife.
 
I have both a Dragonfly in FRN VG-10 and the Native 5 S35vn but in the G10 handle . If small and light is what you want then the Dragonfly. I was not a fan of the FRN Native 5 when I handled it, but I love the G10 version. I don't regret picking the G10. That solid smooth shiny back spacer, the way it blends in with the lock mechanism just does it for me.
(picture Homer Simpson drooling).

There is a significant difference to how a Native 5 feels to a Dragonfly. Sort of like a Chevy Cruise and a Malibu. One is easier to park and the other will be a nicer ride on the long haul.

Having said that you cannot really go wrong with either knife.

,,,Mike in Canada
 
I'd say if you're mostly just going to be using the tip for slicing the df2 disappears in the pocket which I prefer since I don't use clips, if you want a bit longer blade and dont mind the increase in size the native 5 might be better. Had df2 in zdp and thought edge retention was great, s35vn is I think almost identical to s30v but a little tougher, I now have manix 2 & native 5 do really enjoy both of them its nice to have a few in slightly different sizes miss my df2 though, next to buy for me that and n5 in maxamet when it comes out hopefully in November.
 
I have a Native 5 in my shopping cart right now, waiting for me to pull the trigger. (It's actually the CPM 110, lightweight version).

The reason I chose that design is because it seemed to be the smallest, lightest knife that I could get a full four finger grip, plus the palm of my hand on the butt of the handle. That's important to me and I have rather large hands.

I have larger, heavier folding knives and I have a ladybug on my keychain, so the Native 5 lightweight fits a niche for me.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Native 5 in either variation.
G10 or a LW modle.

DF is just too small.
 
By chance would anyone be able to provide a picture of the Dfly on top of the Native, in a closed position, to show how they compare height wise? Since the Native doesn't have the hump that the Dfly has, I'm thinking it may actually be shorter.

I do think that I am leaning towards the Native. Does anyone know of a brick and mortar store in Southwest Florida that sells them so that I could get a better feel for it in the hand? I've called sporting stores, gun stores, etc and nobody is selling Spyderco, it's all done via their websites.

Thanks again,
Tom
 
Thanks for the link. :thumbup: Only a couple around me and one of those is a person's house when checking Google Maps! I will call the other one after they open to see if they have any in stock.
 
BigDogTom68 said:
By chance would anyone be able to provide a picture of the Dfly on top of the Native, in a closed position, to show how they compare height wise? Since the Native doesn't have the hump that the Dfly has, I'm thinking it may actually be shorter.
Click to expand...

This was a surprisingly challenging picture to take...but here you go:

1d7VTh5.jpg


Even without a hump, the Native is still just a wee bit taller.
 
Thank you for taking the time to do that for me (nice foreground too) as it has me leaning strongly in favor of the Native.

Thank you all,
Tom
 
BigDogTom68 said:
Thank you for taking the time to do that for me (nice foreground too) as it has me leaning strongly in favor of the Native.

Thank you all,
Tom
Click to expand...

You're very welcome. It was beneficial for both of us...got me out of bed. :yawn: :D Keep us all updated!!
 
Just ordered the Native and decided to upgrade to S110V and it will be delivered tomorrow thanks to Amazon Prime!
 
ZuluKilo said:
This was a surprisingly challenging picture to take...but here you go:

1d7VTh5.jpg


Even without a hump, the Native is still just a wee bit taller.
Click to expand...
I'll add my observation that the Dragonfly has a rather sharp metal corner exposed, whereas the Native is smooth. I imagine the Native is more friendly to the lining in the pocket.

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MAD777 said:
I'll add my observation that the Dragonfly has a rather sharp metal corner exposed, whereas the Native is smooth. I imagine the Native is more friendly to the lining in the pocket.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Are you going to go ahead and pull that trigger on the one in your shopping cart? :D

Really, the Native looks like the slightly beefier big brother to the Dragonfly with the Manix 2 being the bigger brother yet. Seems like that might be birthday present next year...
 
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