• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Dragonfly2 vs. Cat G-10 Need Opinions

jeremy1517

jeremy1517

Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
1,036
I have the Para2 and am wanting a smaller knife.

What are your thoughts on the Dragonfly 2 vs. the Cat with G-10 material?

My local shop, which I have a gift card for, has those two in stock. What are your thoughts or impressions on both? Which is better?

They also have a Cricket, is the cricket worth the extra money?
 
The dragonfly is pretty cool, for a small knife it fits in the hand well and that little blade can handle some big cutting chores.
 
Make sure you look both knives over before walking out of the store with one. I have handled several Dragonflys and they always seem to be built very well with a good firm lock. I recently purchased a Cat. I like the size and G-10 handle material, but the lock has a little up and down play or flex. I looked at more than one Cat before I made the purchase and they were all the same. For the money the Cat is a good knife, but I think the Dragonfly is better. Just my opinion. :)
 
If the have the Tenacious, do they also have it's smaller versions, the Persistence and Ambitious? I think the Ambitious compares best to the Dragonfly and Cat.

I own them all. Dragonfly feels the lightest and smallest in the pocket (especially the FRN handle verson). The Cat feels kind of cheap for it's cost, but it's certainly an ok knife and has a longer blade than the Dragonfly. Make sure it has jimping, as my Cat is the 1st gen G10 one, and it has no jimping and feels too slick. The Ambitious has the most stout/thick blade, and is the cheapest. However it's also the heaviest, has no forward finger choil, and no wire clip.

If you're getting it from your local shop hopefully you can handle all of them before you buy. It will come down to personal preference, and if you want a back lock or liner lock.
 
Since you already have the Para 2, and considering something smaller I would definitely go with the Dragonfly. I love the knife so much I ended up with 6 of them in a matter of 2 weeks. Tenacious is a great knife if you are looking for a beater knife.
 
I like backlocks more, so i chose the dragonfly. It is a fine knife. I havent got ahold of the cat though.
 
I prefer the Cat. It has G10 vs. the Dragonfly's plastic scales, and a wire clip that buries deep in the pocket. And to me it feels more like a "real knife". But the Dragonfly is a winner too, and gives you a little better blade steel. If you are into TNP, the Cat is Nutnfancy's most-used knife. Which for some guys will make them want the Dragonfly. :) Note that depending on the production run, some Cats have jimping and some not.

20131216_132543_zps41cb3beb.jpg

Spyderco Cat.

[youtube]sEOgE2_w1cI[/youtube]
 
If I had tp pick between the 2.. And I own both.. I would take the CAT.. To me.. A little more hand filling,more my style.. JMO.. BUT.. Buy both!!!! John
 
I have a Cat and several Dragonfly's. They are both very nice knives. Here's my take on the two knives and how they compare. The Cat is slightly larger in every dimension. I have average sized hands, and the wider and slightly longer handle gives me a full four finger grip. On the Dragonfly, I always feel like I need a lanyard to stabilize my pinky.

On the other hand, the slightly smaller size of the DF allows it to hide better in a watch pocket in jeans. The DF is noticeably more nimble in the hand, and I like it better for fine cutting jobs.

Even though the Cat is a Taichung made knife, the fit and finish on all of my DF's are better. The Cat that I have has a lanyard tube that rattles very annoyingly, and comparing the G-10 on the Cat to that of my G-10 DF, the Cat's scales are not nearly as grippy.

The blade steel on the DF is also better, AND you have choices. The Cat comes with 440C, and the standard DF has VG-10, with ZDP-189 as an option, and a Super Blue version coming soon. Plus, on the DF you also have choices in both handle material and color. I currently have eight Dragonfly's, each with a different handle material or color, and I don't have them all yet.

Personally, I view both of these as secondary knives. When I carry one of them, I'll almost always be carrying a larger knife as well. I see a place for both knives in an EDC rotation, but overall, I'd recommend the Dragonfly.



The Cricket on the other hand is really a niche knife. For normal tasks it's really not that comfortable to use. It's cool looking, but not terribly functional as a knife.
 
Last edited:
KrisOK said:
I have currently have eight Dragonfly's, each with a different handle material or color, and I don't have them all yet.
Click to expand...

Can you post a pic when you get all 8? I would love to see that! You should probably post a pic of what you have now too.;)
 
Here they are. I have 8 now, but there are others.



OK from the top going clockwise: Black FRN with VG-10, Yellow Salt with H1, Orange FRN with VG-10, Pink FRN with VG-10, Carbon Fiber with ATS 55, British Racing Green with ZDP-189, Foliage Green G-10 with VG-10, Tattoo with VG-10.

There is a Gray FRN with Super Blue coming out this year, and I still don't have a regular SS Dragonfly, the Nishijin Glass Fiber, or any of the Santa Fe Stoneworks editions.
 
I ended up picking up the Dragonfly. Great small knife. Everything felt better about it then the other knives.
 
KrisOK said:
Here they are. I have 8 now, but there are others.


OK from the top going clockwise: Black FRN with VG-10, Yellow Salt with H1, Orange FRN with VG-10, Pink FRN with VG-10, Carbon Fiber with ATS 55, British Racing Green with ZDP-189, Foliage Green G-10 with VG-10, Tattoo with VG-10.

There is a Gray FRN with Super Blue coming out this year, and I still don't have a regular SS Dragonfly, the Nishijin Glass Fiber, or any of the Santa Fe Stoneworks editions.
Click to expand...

Ahh... I misread. But thanks for the pics! They all look awesome! Which ones are you missing from your collection?
 
The Cricket is a classier small knife. I'd put the extra cash in and buy that.

The Cat and Dragonfly are both very nice knives. I'd try to handle both if before deciding. My Cat is S30V and carbon fiber and I'd take that over most Dragonflys :D
 
KrisOK said:
Even though the Cat is a Taichung made knife, the fit and finish on all of my DF's are better.
Click to expand...

The Cat is made in Taiwain but I'm almost positive it's at a different factory, not at the Taichung factory.

My vote goes to the dragonfly. Better steel.
 
The F&F on my CAT is dead nuts on!! And as far as the lanyard tube rattling I just tightened up the screws around it and no more rattle!! Got it in the rfp as I type this!! John
 
IMO, the Dragonfly looks like a "Big" small knife and the Cat looks like a "Small" big knife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top