What makes a knife great? Is it the blade shape or profile? The size and weight? The lock type? The steel and scale materials?
Or is it something that’s a little harder to qualify, such as deployment, form factor or even fidget-friendliness?
When it comes to the question of the best Spyderco knife, the Dragonfly 2 often carries that laurel, and it’s not too hard to see why.
Enter the Spyderco Dragonfly 2
The Dragonfly 2 is often called a “little big knife,” because of its deceptive dimensions. As a result of the nature and breadth of the forward finger choil, the small grip of the Dragonfly 2 can accommodate four fingers on a grip the size of which would typically accept a three finger grip at most.
This gives users the ability to use the Spyderco Dragonfly 2 for longer periods of time, with less fatigue, and minimal cramping with no hot spots. That alone makes it a contender for the best small Spyderco, if not the best Spydie of all.
But size alone won’t do a knife like that, and there are other things that users and reviewers have been quick to note about the value offered by this model.
Another thing that makes it a crowd favorite is the fact that it is available in several different configurations. While the Dragonfly 2 is available with some more standard steels, like VG-10, you can also get it with a blade of some select super steels.
Take, for instance, the Dragonfly 2 with a ZDP-189 steel blade. This lesser known super steel, a Japanese alloy, is renowned primarily for one thing: its ability to respond well to a heat treatment designed to engender hardness.
And you know what that means: edge retention. ZDP-189 blade steel can take a really hard temper, which means that it can both accommodate (and maintain) a razor sharp edge.
The downside is that it’s hard to sharpen. But you won’t need to, not for a long time. This steel holds an edge like you won’t believe – well, maybe you will, if you experience it.
And, in a EDC knife of this side, the brittleness that usually accompanies a super hard heat treatment is negligible, so you can write that off – another bonus for the Spyderco Dragonfly 2.
What else is there to love about the Dragonfly 2? Well, plenty. Consider the lightweight and low-maintenance FRN scales that come with some versions that offer a good grip in basically any conditions. This and a high thumb ramp on the spine offer excellent control despite the small size of the knife.
Or, perhaps, the lock back, which, though simple, is a time tested mechanism that has served the knife community admirably for over 60 years. It’s no compression lock but it is an excellent alternative.
Is It the Best Spyderco Knife?
Ultimately, that’s up to you. Calling any or other knife the “best” is highly subjective, so what one man’s favorite Spyderco is may not shake down the same for you. You have to test it – and other Spyderco knives – for yourself.
With that said, you could do a lot worse than to make a treat to yourself of a new Dragonfly 2. What do you have to lose from the endeavor?
Where to Explore This Spyderco Knife
Want to find out if the Dragonfly 2 really is the best Spyderco knife? There’s only one way to find out. Visit White Mountain Knives and get yourself a new model, test it out, and see if the enumerated merits here have been accurately represented.
Of course, White Mountain Knives also sells a wide range of other Spyderco models (among other pocket knives), so if there’s something else you’re looking for, they can help.
