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Small Spydies. Which one, and why?

My favorite "key ring" knife is the old burgundy Micarta Jester. My favorite small pocket knife is the original C75 Kiwi, which is why I have "a few" of them...

kiwi_collection_8X6.jpg
 
I suggest the dragonfly as well, the better grip/ergos is worth it. Like others have mentioned though, adding a lanyard to the ladybug or manbug works great for adding purchase.



 
I'd suggest getting another dragonfly, I'm gonna pick one of those up in the next couple weeks hopefully. I have yet top see a bad review on the Dragonfly, but that goes for most Spyderco's, because their just that damn good.
 
Maybe the Des Horn? All of the listed options are great, but I figured I would throw another into the options pool.

I went Dfly-> Cat-> Techno. Love all three, but nothing really beats the Dfly for practical daily use, for me.

Mike.
 
The Deacon said:
My favorite "key ring" knife is the old burgundy Micarta Jester. My favorite small pocket knife is the original C75 Kiwi, which is why I have "a few" of them...

kiwi_collection_8X6.jpg
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Wow! Thanks for sharing this photo! They sure have some unique scales!

I vote for dragonfly 2, the clip is great. Blade locks very strong. Very sharp out of box!
Also I just got a leafstorm which I like even more. The frame lock is amazinggg. Perfect thumb space. More than a techno. But they're discontinued so don't really want to hard use it.
 
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I do not carry a small knife by itself but rather accompany a larger knife with a smaller knife so if you are looking for a stand alone small knife my advice may not be as useful but I enjoy backing up a larger knife with either a balance or a cricket. They are both unique, attractive, functional and innocuous. The latter being why I mainly carry a smaller knife, that way I do not have to pull a para2 or military out in public if it would be unacceptable.

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First of all, I think the DFly and Manbug are excellent blades. If a non-locking blade is not an issue, however, I recommend you try to get your hands on a Squeak and see what you think. While the Ladybug and Manbug are great little blades and the DFly is a stroke of genius, I prefer the Squeak to all three of them. I really think it's one of Spyderco's most underrated blades. Sure, it was developed for a specific market with specific restrictions, but it's still a phenomenal little knife. I prefer it's ergos and aesthetics to the DFlys and I've had satisfying results with N690. Just a thought.
 
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If you feel like getting something exotic and interesting you could always go with the Tusk. It is a marvel of Spyderco design and engineering and has some of the best small knife ergonomics of any knife I own. A little more pricey than other suggestions but christmas is almost upon us. :cool:
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ZuluKilo said:
First of all, I think the DFly and Manbug are excellent blades. If a non-locking blade is not an issue, however, I recommend you try to get your hands on a Squeak and see what you think. While the Ladybug and Manbug are great little blades and the DFly is a stroke of genius, I prefer the Squeak to all three of them. I really think it's one of Spyderco's most underrated blades. Sure, it was developed for a specific market with specific restrictions, but it's still a phenomenal little knife. I prefer it's ergos and aesthetics to the DFlys and I've had satisfying results with N690. Just a thought.
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For those who must have a lock, steel liners and G10, the Chicago is pretty much identical in size and shape to the Squeak with reliable old 440C.
 
Can't beat the original Meerkat. Small, effective and fun to play with!

Meerkat001.jpg
 
GronK said:
Can't beat the original Meerkat. Small, effective and fun to play with!

Meerkat001.jpg
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I miss my Meerkat :sorrow: I made the mistake of giving it to someone who clearly did not deserve it. I paid almost next to nothing for it and now it is sincerely missed. Damn I should have kept that knife.
 
Echoing many others, but worthy of another vote ...

The Man/Lady Bug and the D-Fly are differently "purposed" knives IMHO.

I have a ZDP-189 manbug - it either rides in my coin pocket as a "secondary" EDC, or hangs from my steering column in the truck. Great 'convenience' or 'back-up' knife.
I have two D-Fly's - a G-10 and a PE Salt ... love the Dragonfly - it can stand alone as the only knife in my pocket ... when I am canoeing or kayaking, that D-Fly salt with a bright orange lanyard is all I have on me ...

So I guess the question to the OP is - what is your intended purpose? If it's to be a stand alone EDC then D-Fly wins, hands-down.
 
The Dragonfly Salt is a favorite; why you ask, well...they're just cute as a button; that, and I really like the aesthetics of this particular blade, hollow/sabre ground, H1 "stain free", and simply the little knife that does more than can, or will...it does, and in a big way.

 
It is cool to see everyone's small Spydies! However, other than in places where a larger than 2" knife is illegal, I have never understood the rationale for carrying a tiny knife. To me, this becomes especially baffling when I consider that everyone here usually carries a regular size knife (3" or more). I am not trying to hijack this thread, but I would be interested to learn how / when you use these tiny (but very cool) knives, and why you choose to use them in place of your other, and presumably larger, EDC.

FWIW, my current EDC rotation consists of Benchmade 527 and a VG10 Saber Delica 4.
 
ncrockclimb said:
It is cool to see everyone's small Spydies! However, other than in places where a larger than 2" knife is illegal, I have never understood the rationale for carrying a tiny knife. To me, this becomes especially baffling when I consider that everyone here usually carries a regular size knife (3" or more). I am not trying to hijack this thread, but I would be interested to learn how / when you use these tiny (but very cool) knives, and why you choose to use them in place of your other, and presumably larger, EDC.

FWIW, my current EDC rotation consists of Benchmade 527 and a VG10 Saber Delica 4.
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If I carry 2 then one is 3.5-4" and the other something like a Ladybug/Jester since very few people manage to get scared when seeing one of those. If I'm carrying a bigger small knife like a C22 CF Walker or Techno then I don't carry a second knife. Both of the aforementioned knives have quite a bit of cutting edge (same as a Delica) in a small package.
 
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