HELP First EDC Purchase Spyderco Dragonfly 2 VS CRKT EROS 2

K

kms7852

Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
22
Hello,
I'm new to BladeForums and I need some help on choosing my EDC.
I used to have Benchmade 580 Barrage, Gerber Guardian, and many more when I was in active service for Marine Corps.
Now I'm back in as a civilian and I'm a college student.
So far, I've found out that blades only less than <2.5 inches are allowed in colleges in CA.
My college, USC, probably has the same rule of blades less than <2.5 inches.
Gosh, I miss carrying Ka-Bars on my hip.

So here's my final question.
I'm debating if I should get
1. Spyderco Dragonfly 2 with VG10 Steel ----- $53
OR
2. CRKT K450TXP Ken Onion Eros 2 with Acuto + ----- $77

Purpose of EDC: Cutting food packaging, papers, boxes, everyday package, cut up pickles occasionally, not going to baby it.
No hard wood work, no skinning deers, no digging up UXO's.

I've been doing some research and here's what I know so far.
I'm not going to baby whatever I buy and I'm not going to have time to sharpen it every week.... maybe use pocket sharpener usually...

1. Spyderco Dragonfly 2
Pro: VG10 does not rust easily, Clip is great, Super sharp out of the box, Lightweight 1.2 Oz, Ergonomic FRN Handle, Cheaper than the other option, got great scores on reviews.
Con: So-so design (at least for me), Lockback Design (Can't open and close with one hand), Orange...



2. CRKT K450TXP Ken Onion Eros 2
Pro: Lightest ever with 0.7 Oz (If I'm correct), Titanium Handles, Thinner profile than Dragonfly 2, Fast Flip with IKBS one hand closing Frame Lock, Looks great
Con: Expensive compared to the other, Clip looks fragile to Dragonfly 2, The Handle scales are too sharp that it hurts from the edges (according to youtube review), Acuto+ Steel Rust?, not sharp out of the box?



Let me know if any of these info I posted above is wrong.
Any input would be appreciated on which of these two I shoot money toward.

Thanks
Semper Fi-

Here's the photo of my custom knife I received from my marine fellow for you guys to look at for fun!
P.S. I shouldn't store this knife in this leather sheath, should I?







 
I have owned both knives, and they are both good knives. However, for me it's the Dragonfly hands down.

The Eros is more of a gentleman's knife, very thin blade and very pointy. It is a fantastic letter opener. The pocket clip also sucks on the Eros, I took mine off and just carried in it my pocket with a lanyard.

The Dragonfly is more robust, a little work horse. You'll find the back lock to be very strong, and the amount of times you actually need to close knife one handed are few and far between. If you have to it can be done by depressing the lock with your finger and using your leg to close the blade.
 
Thank you Erik for the insight on both of those.
I wasn't able to find a person who owns both Dragonfly and Eros.
I'm definitely leaning toward Dragonfly now because it's cheaper and strong.
Did you have any rusting problem with Dragonfly VG10 Steel?
Do you use your Dragonfly as EDC? Do you have something else to recommend that is less than 2.5 inches?
Thanks again

Kim-
 
Dragonfly. Excellent blade shape for EDC purposes, the FRN is grippy without shredding your pockets and it's a very friendly design for non knife people
 
kms7852 said:
Thank you Erik for the insight on both of those.
I wasn't able to find a person who owns both Dragonfly and Eros.
I'm definitely leaning toward Dragonfly now because it's cheaper and strong.
Did you have any rusting problem with Dragonfly VG10 Steel?
Do you use your Dragonfly as EDC? Do you have something else to recommend that is less than 2.5 inches?
Thanks again

Kim-
Click to expand...

I should clarify that I don't currently own either of them any longer (although I want another Dragonfly). I did not have any issues with VG10 rusting, and I did carry quite a bit. VG10 also takes a great edge with moderate retention, and sharpens easily.

Off the top of my head the other knives I can think of are the Spyderco Cat, Spyderco Techno, and the Kershaw Scallion. The Techno might be a shade over 2.5". I would still pick the Dragonfly over all of them.
 
eschwebach said:
I have owned both knives, and they are both good knives. However, for me it's the Dragonfly hands down.

The Eros is more of a gentleman's knife, very thin blade and very pointy. It is a fantastic letter opener. The pocket clip also sucks on the Eros, I took mine off and just carried in it my pocket with a lanyard.

The Dragonfly is more robust, a little work horse. You'll find the back lock to be very strong, and the amount of times you actually need to close knife one handed are few and far between. If you have to it can be done by depressing the lock with your finger and using your leg to close the blade.
Click to expand...

As is usually the case, I'm with Erik on this one. The clip on the Eros is sucky and the smaller Eros is on the dainty side. The Dragonfly is more sturdy and comfortable in use.

That said, I actually prefer the cheaper, and bulkier, Spyderco Cat to both. While I generally find Spyderco's wide handles and finger choils a waste of space on larger knives, on smaller knives like the Cat and Dragonfly I love them, and the wider handle of the Cat compared to the Dragonfly IMO makes it more comfortable in use.
 
the Kershaw chive or scallion would fit the bill as well if your looking for alternative suggestions.
 
I own the dragonfly and carry it daily. I usually don't buy doubles but with the dragonfly I'm going to (actually triples)

The wire clip is perfect, the blade shape makes it a slicing machine, the ergo's allow me to comfortably get three finger grip and all four using the choil, its very light so its perfect for slacks or other light weight pants.

Like I said I carry/use it daily and I do not remember the last time I used two hands to open or close it.

ETA: sweet fixed blade BTW! The grip looks like it would melt into my hand.
 
Last edited:
I have a Dragonfly and an Eros (Eros 2 with 3" blade). About the only advantages the Eros 2 would give you over the Dragonfly would be that it has a slimmer profile, is lighter (though at 0.7 oz it may float away in a gentle breeze), and has very smooth and fast deployment.

The Dragonfly is ergonomic, stout/strong, and the blade shape is more versatile and utilitarian than the pointy letter opener of the Eros 2. My mother was caught at the garbage dump with a few large cardboard boxes that needed to be cut up. Mission accomplished via the Dragonfly. If she was toting the Eros 2, either her patience or the knife would have broken first.
 
Last edited:
Another vote for the dragonfly2. I would argue that it's simply one of the best EDC knives out there. Super light, cuts like a mofo, and gives you so much blade control. Also, don't know if others have said here, but you definitely can open and close the dragonfly with one hand. It's hard to explain but it's really easy to do and not a hassle at all.
 
I'd go with the dragonfly. It's a great little knife that feels good in you hand. I don't carry mine as much as I used to but I would never get rid of it. Keep in mind I don't collect knives usually if I don't use a knife anymore it gets sold.
 
I don't own an Eros, so I won't comment on it. However, I do own and EDC a Dragonfly 2. You are absolutely correct about the advantages of the Dragonfly. I would like to address 2 of your concerns. First, as others have mentioned, the knife is very easy to open and close with one hand. Second, it is available in a variety of handle colors, including black. The Dragonfly will easily accomplish the tasks you have described, require minimal care, and disappear in your pocket.
 
Another vote for dragonfly 2, I can't think of another sub 2.5in knife I would rather carry and use than the dragonfly.
 
Another for the dragonfly. My first EDC and I still love it. You forget you are carrying it until you need it. I also find it comfortable for such a small knife. I have one in black so definitely check out all the colors.
 
The is a no brainer. Dragonfly all the way. It is an amazing little workhorse. I just gave mine to my 9 year old son because it is the one he feels most comfortable and safe using. That gives me the excuse to get either the G10 or ZDP189 model for myself.

Also, it takes about 2-3 seconds at most to close the Dfly one handed. Place your index finger right behind the point of the choil cutout on the FRN. depress lock with your thumb and flick down the blade. the choil on the blade will be stopped by your finger. shift the knife position and close the rest of the way with your thumb. Really simple I did it about 9 times just now so I could make sure I was describing it properly.
 
Dragonfly all the way. It has a stronger and more usable grind, a beefier tip, better ergonomics, and is capable of handling larger tasks that most knives of that side cannot. Also, I think VG-10 beats Acuto based on my limited usage of the latter. Super Blue or ZDP-189 may be a good option if you want it to hold an edge longer, but I don't think the ZDP and Super Blue versions are worth the money in most cases given VG-10 performs very well as-is, and it has all the right properties for a general use folder (including rust resistance, which is something the other two lack compared to VG-10). Oh, and it is a lot less expensive!

The K450 is more of a concept knife to me than it is a practical EDC. It's an awesome design, has a great fit and finish, and there is a ton of innovation, but I just do not find it very usable. The tip on it isn't exactly very strong, the hollow grind is really deep and I doubt it would give anywhere near the performance of the full flat of the Dragonfly on heavier tasks, and you can't get anywhere near the leverage on it that you can with the Dragonfly. I can use my Dragonfly on tasks the K450 simply is not capable of doing. I think it would be a much nicer knife if it was about 1/2 inch longer on the handle and 1/4 inch longer on the blade.
 
Another dragonfly vote, the Eros looks stabby. You might pull the df out sooner than the crkt.
 
I have the Eros 2 in titanium and Accuto +. I love it! It is fantastic; however, for Edc tasks you'll want to consider :
It is smaller than you think. I knew it was a small knife when I ordered it and was still shocked when I opened the box. It's blade is very narrow and super pointy; which is good. I got it to be a gents folder/ dedicated splinter remover( carpenter). The blade came very sharp so I don't know what that's about. The size and position of the pocket clip make it so it feels as if it's going to fall out of a normal pocket. It rides too high for the length of handle. So it clips well to shirt pockets , the coin pocket of jeans, and (how I carry it ) in the tight little pocket on the side of my 5.11 8" atac boots. The action is very nice and I love the steel. The you tube reviewer was talking about the larger version. The scales are not too sharp on this one. Overall excellent knife!
I don't have the dragonfly2 ,so can't say. Between the two I 'd go for the spyderco . What about a victorinox alox cadet? Also great choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top