I figure if I can review forty five and half versions of the Para3 (here and here and here), I thought it only fair that I review my favorite exclusive DF2. This is long out of stock, but it went in a direction that none of the sprint runs or other exclusives have gone since—the well balanced steel. We have had dozens of sprints each with steels that are a bit different—ultra hard steels, tougher steels, but thus far, to my knowledge we have not had an M390 family DF2 other than this one. There is no DF2 in M390 (I think) nor is there one in CTS-204P (the other steel in the M390 family). We have a lot of exotic steels, but they tend to go in one extreme direction or another. If you want a DF2 with a great all around steel, this is pretty much it.

We all know and love the DF2’s ergos. You won’t find a better EDC knife anywhere—less than 2 ounces, full four finger grip (thanks to a great handle design), and an absolutely banger of a blade. The leaf shaped blade in full flat grind steel is just a wonder and it is stunning to me how few companies have followed suit. Its a drop point hunter but better. For all around use, I can’t think of anything that beats a leaf-shaped blade.

One of the unsung parts of the DF2 is, of course, the sturdy wire clip. Some of the wire clip Spydercos are pretty terrible. The original Techno, for example, had a clip that moved and flopped around quite a bit, banging up and scratching the handle. Here you get a knife with a stout, flexible clip. Its shorter size contributes to that and makes it better in the hand and the pocket. All of this is part of the reason I still think that the DF2 bones are the best on the market. Its only the detours into niche steels since the ZDP-189 version went OOP that have held the DF2 back.

This version has what Spyderco calls Zome. Zome is a Japanese resistive dyeing process that imparts color into textiles. A layer of resistive material is applied to the textiles and then the dye is introduced. The resistive coating is then removed, leaving a remarkable, beautiful, and unique pattern behind. On a kimono or a tapestry from Japan, the process is stunning. On a knife handle, especially one that is red and black, the result is something that reminds me of a scab. The first Zome handles were green which kind of gave the knife a camo pattern, something I don’t like, but don’t find ugly. Here, with the black and red, it looks like the FRN has a festering infection. Its ugly. Really ugly. And probably why it was never repeated on another knife. I hate it. Would the knife have been better with British Racing Green handles? Of course. Everything looks better in BRG (or micarta).

Would it have looked better if it were baby poop yellow? Yep. Does any of this matter in terms of performance? Nope. I just wish someone would make replacement scales.

In the end, it is very hard to find a knife that is as good an EDC as this exclusive version of the DF2. It was a great combination of design and steel, one that has not really been repeated despite dozens of sprints and exclusives. Until we get a Magnacut or Vanax DF2, this is probably the best version out there in terms of all around performance. I like the ZDP-189 better, but it can be a bit rust prone in wetter climates. If there is a “best DF2 for most people” this is it. And since the DF2 bones are the “best EDC knife for most people” this is an extraordinary little cutter on par with the N2 and the Bel Air as the peak of EDC circa 2025.

Overall Score: 20 out of 20; NOT PERFECT because of the Zome scab handles. Yuck.

Amazon Links

Spyderco Dragonfly 2

Spyderco Para3