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Sage 1 vs. Sage 3 vs. Caly 3 vs. Chapparal vs. Dragonfly vs. Lum Chinese

Caly 3 or Sage 1 would be my choice. Chap is a bit on the small side..

The Lum is great as well, but it rides a bit high in the pocket and is a bit slippery..
 
jmflem said:
For those of you who recommend the Chaparral, please list your reasons! I'd love to hear them. :D
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Chap is lighter and disappears in the pocket. Ergos equal to the sage (both are great). I also find it to be a sleeker, prettier knife, but that is very subjective.
 
jmflem said:
For those of you who recommend the Chaparral, please list your reasons! I'd love to hear them. :D
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They're all great knives and I wouldn't feel shorted owning any of them.

But if I was picking one, the Chap has the most utility for what I will put my EDC through. Boxes. Letters. Food packaging. Etc.

The lock probably ranks second ahead of the liner lock with the Sage3 lock coming in first but the size of the sage takes up a lot of pocket. The chap doesn't feel small but it's smaller than the sage/caly. And opening one at work doesn't draw the ire of those with delicate sensibilities.

As far as the df vs chap, I like the carbon fiber just a little more.
 
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The Chaparral is thin, lightweight and build very well. Nice thin blade that's great for slicing, but can also handle heavier tasks. For me, as much as I loved my Sage-1, it was too chunky for it ever to be an EDC for me and since I don't buy knives to just have them sit in a drawer, it had to go. I think you'd be pleased with a Chaparral.
 
jmflem said:
For those of you who recommend the Chaparral, please list your reasons! I'd love to hear them. :D
Click to expand...
The Chaparral is a bit more compact in the pocket than any of the others except the Dragonfly. It is as ergonomic as the Sages and Caly 3, and considerably more so than the D'fly and Lum. It has the thinnest blade of any of them and, perhaps because of that, is the best slicer of the lot. IMHO, the twill texture CF used on it and the Sage I is considerably better looking than the scale material used on any of the other four, and it has a completely hand neutral lock.
 
One of the Sages. It doesn't matter which. The Sage 2 is my favorite to EDC, but I love them all. I've never had a knife that was more comfortable to hold and use than the Sage pattern.
 
I'm afraid I can't offer much first hand experience. I do have a Dragonfly that I'd have to say is just about the perfect smallish knife. So, so comfortable. I love that I can use a choked up grip with my index finger running along the spine of the blade and the thing just disappears in my hand - ideal for when I'm volunteering for a charity or school event and I need to open packages, cut twine, etc... That said, it obviously isn't nearly as fancy nor does it have the fit and finish of the others.

I've got a Sage 1 that is absolutely beautiful. Close to perfect fit and finish - I really wish the finish on the flat grind was cleaner, it would transform the Sage 1 into a work of art. Feels great in the hand. Good usable blade length. But for some reason I find I prefer the DF and some of my other Spydies more.

I've heard the Caly 3 described as having similar ergonomics as the Dragonfly. If that's true a Caly 3 in carbon fiber might be the perfect combination of the Dragonfly's feel with the Sage's looks, fit/finish and blade length.
 
I have the Chaparral and the Caly 3 in CF. The Chaparral is in my pocket right now. The knife is the perfect size. The blade is very useful, and the knife disappears on your pocket. I will go bigger for an inside the pocket knife, but only when there is a real perceived need. I wouldn't take my Chaparral out on the beach fishing, since that is a job for a larger knife...or a fixed blade.
The Sage 1 is a nice looking knife, but much larger for the small increase in blade length.
I prefer handles a shade smaller than 4" for pocket carry. When they get too small, I find that ergonomics diminishes. The CF looks good on the Chaparral and is functional. I have the Michael Walker ZDP. While it is very nice knife, and a similar size, I have the Chaparral in my pocket more than the liner lock. I prefer a good lockback, and the scale material of the Chaparral makes for a more secure grip than the smooth CF of the Walker.
 
I personally hate back locks (not fun to play with IMO, and that's important for me!) so I have a sage 1 that's going to be delivered today. Will tune back in when I have it in hand this afternoon!
 
MIKE969 said:
I personally hate back locks (not fun to play with IMO, and that's important for me!) so I have a sage 1 that's going to be delivered today. Will tune back in when I have it in hand this afternoon!
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Fun is important to me too. That's why I'm leaning towards the Sage1. I'd love to learn how to do a Spydie flick :D.
 
Chaparral CF, G10 Dragonfly, Sage 2, Manix 2. My go too EDC is the Sage 2. Manix 2 and Sage 3 same lock , ok but like Sage 2 better. Chaparral CF is my gentleman's knife.
 
I own the Sage 1, super blue caly 3.5, acid washed chaparral, and a super blue dragonfly. Out of those I'd pick the Chaparral. I never used to carry it because it was my smallest knife and I was still in the initial "bigger is better" stage. But now I carry it all the time. I don't get when people say backlocks aren't fun to play with..they are addictive in my opinion, and the chaparral is the perfect size for fondling! I just received my first Dragonfly a couple of days ago and I was excited to try it, but it doesn't fit my hand nearly as well as other small spydies. I'm sure the Caly 3 would be great as well because the 3.5 is almost perfect.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread, but for all of you who own a Dragonfly and don't carry it; why not? Is it too small? I've been thinking about getting one.
 
I've got 2 G10/VG10 Caly 3s, the CF Chaparral and Dragonfly in G10 and 2 in FRN (VG10 steel and the Dfly1 with Aus8 steel). The Sages never appealed to me. IMO your decision should be based on what you'll actually use the knife for. For me they're all good slicers, with the Dfly in last place due to it not being full flat ground like the others. It also has the shortest blade The Chap is thinnest and the Caly has the best ergos for me.
I don't know man, kind of a tough decision! My carry choice for any of these is based on where I'll be. RIght now my EDC is a ZT0566 and a Ladybug for small stuff. For very discreet (office, weddings, etc) carry it's usually the Chaparral or G10 Dfly. For less discreet but still dressy I consider my Caly3 or 3.5.
 
Ken44 said:
OK. You've gotten opinions in two different forums this past week.
Did we help, or only confuse the issue :p
As usual with these threads, I'm thinking the latter :D


Have you ordered yet ?
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I'm thinking I'm gonna get me a Sage 1 :D. I haven't ordered, I just bought a Sharpmaker and I think I have some other purchases in the future before I get me a Sage.
 
I previously said sage 3, but i just got my black g10 caly 3 today and love that thing already, its a close one between those 2.
 
Get yourself down to a shop where you can handle them and see what suits you best. Ergonomics are very subjective. I like the chapparal because its a good 4-finger grip using the choil, and the caly 3.5, because you have the option of a full 4-finger grip without the choil or choking up. I've never warmed to the sage or UKPK because for me they fall in the middle ground - too small for a full 4-finger grip without the choil, but larger than needed when using the choil. A lot of other people find the caly 3 / UKPK to be ergonomic perfection, however.
 
I would love to get to a shop, but sadly there are non around where I live (other than Walmart :p, but they don't carry Spydercos).
 
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