One of the most beautiful knives ever: Nishijin Dragonfly

[holeshot]

I'd buy a Nishijin ZDP dragonfly for sure.

Me as well, my G10 Dragonfly is in my pocket every day. Dare I say it's the perfect small EDC. :)

[BigGrove]

You need to get it in the Sun or into good light to really see the 3D depth and the changes in texture in the scales.

Direct sunlight seems best but a room with multiple overhead light sources (like in a jewelry store) is good too.

Does anyone recall or know where to find what the Nishijin Dragonfly MSRP and advertised selling price was?

[SpyderScout]

Nishijin really compliments an already great knife IMO.
The Dragonfly is one of the best looking Spyderco knives (both open and closed).

[cwp]

The Nishijin L'il Lum is a great looking knife but I've found the ergos to be a little on the 'meh' side. The scales are so smooth and the handle shape is so graceful that it feels like it's constantly trying to jump out of my hand (or ride up into my hand, depending on the angle). The Dragonfly's shape keeps it in the hand better, so it doesn't have this problem. Of course, I like the blue better than the silver-gray ...

I'd be on board for more Nishijin on just about any knives, but a Nishijin comp-lock L'il Native sounds pretty striking. A Nishijin Rhino wouldn't look half bad either, and I'll throw in my longshot wish-list idea for a Nishijin Meerkat while I'm at it.

[BigGrove]

This didn't turn out too bad for a first attempt. The weave really catches the light.

[DougC-3]

This thread must have been communicating telepathically with me :confused: -- 10 minutes ago I was thinking about starting a thread asking for more nishijin (black is my favorite). Then I thought about entering a shot of my nishijin R and Cricket in the calendar contest. Then I scrolled on down, saw this thread and Darby's shots of his black R and Cricket :eek: They make a great dressy combo, and the Cricket is a snazzy money clip, but I too wish I'd picked up the Dragonfly. I carry my Super Blue D-fly every day in my shirt pocket, and if I got the nishijin model, I'd be tempted to transplant the SB blade into it.

The R is probably one of my top 5 knives. I love the ergos and wish Sal would include it in the next Seki sprint series. The choil and hand fit put it above the Endura for me.

[Doc Dan]

This didn't turn out too bad for a first attempt. The weave really catches the light.

That is the best video or picture of Nishijin I have ever seen. Thanks! It normally does not come out at all. Beautiful stuff.

[Bloke]

This didn't turn out too bad for a first attempt. The weave really catches the light.

That is the best video or picture of Nishijin I have ever seen. Thanks! It normally does not come out at all. Beautiful stuff.

Wow, it truly does looks wonderful. Thanks heaps BigGrove. :cool:

Probably silly questions but I’d like to ask about Nishijin’s durability. Is it susceptible to scratches or chipping? Is it like G10?

[Doc Dan]

It is some sort of carbon or glass fiber. It is durable. Mine is still in good shape but I would assume it will scratch because of the high polish. Mine still looks good, but this is a Sunday-go-to-meeting knife, so to speak.

[Bloke]

It is some sort of carbon or glass fiber. It is durable. Mine is still in good shape but I would assume it will scratch because of the high polish. Mine still looks good, but this is a Sunday-go-to-meeting knife, so to speak.

Thanks Doc! :)

[talonne]

Just gorgeous!! I'm new to the world of Spyderco and feel like I'm falling into a rabbit hole. What are the scales made of, exactly? A bit of google searching turns up the term nishijin being used to describe a fabric. Are the scales this fabric encapsulated in some type of resin?

[talonne]

Ugh, ignore my above post. Not sure how I missed Doc Dan's answer!

[BigGrove]

It's called Nishijin because the weave recalls style of the fabric by that name. It is not made of natural fabric like micarta. My understanding it's carbon fiber with glass fibers woven in. Like all carbon fiber it's impregnated with a plastic resin to form a composite which in this case has a smooth finish.

[Doc Dan]

That short vid above shows how it changes looks, but what it does not show is the 3D depth to it. In person that depth looks 1/4 inch deep or more (its not).

[Crux]

I have been carrying my Nishijin Dragonfly lately and am, again, stunned at how beautiful this little knife is. No picture can do justice, even remotely, to the scales on this knife. The polishing on the ZDP-189 blade and other metal parts is smooth and lovely. To me, this is one of the prettiest little knives ever made. I now wish I had bought two.

I would love to see Spyderco re-issue this knife in another color of Nishijin, perhaps red.

That is awesome!!!!!

[Doc Dan]

Yeah, this is a truly good looking knife.