Spyderco Dragonfly 2 Review

The Spyderco Dragonfly 2 is one of Spyderco’s smaller options. It performs well but isn’t my favorite. I think there are a number of better knives of this size out there on the market.

Specifications

Overall length: 5.61"

Blade length: 2.28" (cutting edge is only 1.88" though)

Handle length: 3.33"

Steel: VG-10

Weight: 1.3 oz.

Quality

My Dragonfly isn’t the best quality. There’s a major flaw with the pivot that has become very frustrating. I can’t loosen or tighten it, because the whole pivot screw spins as I attempt to unscrew it. I’ve tried a couple different ways to fix it with no luck. I have one more fix to try, but after that, I’ll just have to give up. I know that I’m not the only one that’s encountered this problem either. Spyderco really needs to figure this out. It’s pretty much turned me away from this knife. I can’t comment on the lock-up or centering because of the pivot issue.

Blade

It’s a simple blade shape that Spyderco always does well. It looks nice and is extremely practical for EDC. I’m a big fan of the VG-10. It may not be the fanciest steel, but it just works. It gets super sharp and retains its edge decently well. The Spyder hole is my favorite opening mechanism. Even though it adds a lot of width to the blade, I think it’s definitely worth it. There’s also some nice jimping that adds a good amount of grip to the blade. The Dragonfly is cool because it’s offered in a ton of steel variations. Some of the other steels the Dragonfly is offered in are H1, ZDP-189, etc.

Handle

The FRN is nice and grippy. Some people say it feels cheap, but I’ve grown to like it a lot. The orange is super bright. I love that Spyderco offers it in different colors. The Dragonfly even comes in stainless steel or G10 handles. The ergonomics are pretty good. They’re not the best ergonomics I’ve ever felt, but they do the job. Even though this is a small knife, I can fit a full 4 finger grip. I love the addition of the choil. It gives you a lot of extra control over the blade. The lockback is simple and just works. It may not be the most hardcore lock, but it won’t fail during basic EDC tasks.

Carry

The wire clip is awesome. It’s got great retention and carries well. The small size and light weight help this knife disappear in the pocket. It carries perfectly in the waistband, which is how I prefer to carry my knives. One thing to note is that this blade doesn’t carry the deepest. It’s not a huge issue but if you prefer blades that carry pretty deep, this may not be for you.

Price

It retails for around $50. I personally think that price is a little too high. I think $35-$40 would be a better value. This blade is a great performer and will last you forever. The VG-10 and FRN are a great combo.

I wouldn’t personally recommend this knife because of the pivot issue. I had an H1 version a while ago that didn’t have an issue with the pivot. It’s probably just bad luck, but it has still been annoying to deal with. I think a better small knife is the Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite. Its ergonomics are superior plus I didn’t have to deal with an annoying pivot. The Dragonfly’s not a bad knife by any means. I just don’t give it my own personal recommendation. It would work out quite well as an EDC knife. It's quite popular in the knife community, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. Give it a look if it interests you. Thanks for looking!