Recommendation? Chaparral FRN or Dragonfly 2 FRN

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I'm looking to purchase a small light weight Spyderco that I can drop in the front pocket. I have no experience with either model. Would you fine folks give me your options please?
Thanks in advance!!

Chris D.:D
 
I would have to say DF2. I haven't had a Chaparral yet but I love my DF2. Simply an awesome little blade. Great ergos for such a small knife and very utilitarian blade shape. Honestly, you'd probably be fine to go either way.
 
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Have the CF Chap and several DF2s -- I love both models. So you can't go wrong with either.

That being said, the slightly fuller grip, slicier grind, and steel give the Chap the edge in my book.
 
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Both! Benjamin made good points above. You can get the DF2 in ZDP189 too though. For me, it comes down to size in the pocket and the DF2 is the winner there. I never carry it clipped and it's the only knife I regularly carry without using the clip.
IMG_3685.jpg
 
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sounds like the df2 is what you're looking for.
love em both, but i think the df2 does almost everything the chap does, in a considerably smaller package.
 
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I'm not sure the DF2 is really any smaller when it's closed than the Chap. It's certainly smaller overall when opened, but the handles are just about the same length, making them similar in size when closed. I'm not sure you can make a wrong choice here. I don't have the numbers up, but I'd bet the FRN DF2 is a little bit lighter, which might make a difference to you. Otherwise, get whatever you like more. Or get both and flip a coin in the morning.
 
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T.L.E. Sharp said:
I'm not sure the DF2 is really any smaller when it's closed than the Chap. It's certainly smaller overall when opened, but the handles are just about the same length, making them similar in size when closed.
Click to expand...


Interesting...I need to check the sizes closed.

Chris D
 
The more I think about it, the more clear the answer becomes. Both. Get both. They both are awesome. Get both.
 
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Chaparral has steel liners inside and internal stop pin so it takes force away from lockbar. (My cf Chaparral does so hopefully the frn one does aswell) Its a small sage and it's more durable than df2. It fills the hand nicely even in hammer grip without using choil, medium to large hand. Its going to say made in usa. Boooooom. (Just saw a video and it looks like it's made in taichung. Wasn't there a post on here saying this will come out from Golden?)

There i was curious and found this pic
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David Lowry said:
I vote for DF2 since the back-lock is so damn hard to operate on the Chap.
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It's easy to adjust the pressure by moving the spring toward the lock bar pivot a little bit. See my pic above. The spring has been relocated, the lock bar is much easier to depress, and the knife still locks up tight. You don't even have to take the knife completely apart. Just remove the scale and liner, lift the spring from under the lock bar, slide out of the notch in the backspacer a little, and put it back in position under the lock bar. Put the liner and scale back on and your done. Took me less than 10 min and I did more than I described above.
 
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I don't have a Chaparral nor have I ever, but my Dfly 2 FRN in H1 SE with no clip tops the scale at a mighty 1 oz. When I put it in my pocket, I often don't even know it's there.
 
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Sharp Guy said:
It's easy to adjust the pressure by moving the spring toward the lock bar pivot a little bit. See my pic above. The spring has been relocated, the lock bar is much easier to depress, and the knife still locks up tight. You don't even have to take the knife completely apart. Just remove the scale and liner, lift the spring from under the lock bar, slide out of the notch in the backspacer a little, and put it back in position under the lock bar. Put the liner and scale back on and your done. Took me less than 10 min and I did more than I described above.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, I did this and it worked marvelously! The lock bar is MUCH easier now, buttery smooth, and still locks up tight.
One thing I learned - If you slide the spring bar out just a little to far, it will catch/contact the very lowest and forward part of the finger choil when you go to close the blade (I did mine with my blade open).
I used a small flat tip screw driver bit as a spacer. That tip measured 3.97mm on my digital caliper. That brought it nice and close, but not quite touching. A quick opening and closing of the blade while one side was still off confirmed everything was clear and good - and back together it went. Way softer now.

u.w.
 
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