The primary use for this knife is exactly what you’d expect for a small knife. Truthfully, anything a letter opener can get open, so can this blade. It also works well at slicing tape apart if you are opening a box, or maybe you are looking to cut up a box for the trash, this knife can do that as well. Every little task that you have, this small knife can more than likely do.

Having a knife on hand can be a lifesaver on the go or at home. You never know when you are going to come across that package or item where you simply do not have another tool for the job that works.

The blade of this knife, as one would expect, is small. The length of this blade is only 1.9 inches long, which is very small when you consider most knives have nearly three to four times the length of the Ladybug. On top of that, you are looking at a knife that is made of (usually) VG-10 steel. What is VG-10 steel, you might ask?

Well, it’s a Japanese-made cutlery grade steel. It is a type of stainless steel with high carbon content. If you compare the cost of VG-10 to lower end steel, you will find that it can be quite expensive, but it is worth the extra cost as you get your money's worth due to the hardness of the steel while maintaining the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. In selecting steel for this knife, Spyderco did well in picking VG-10. That makes this blade stand up to quite a bit of abuse without needing to be changed out or purchasing a new knife.

This also comes in H-1 steel which is extra to get, however, this was not the version we were looking at. We chose to really take our deepest look at the original model and found that it was a cut above in enough ways that paying the extra amount for different steel was not necessary.

Accessories, always something people love to learn about, it would seem. Who doesn’t like to have some sort of customization to the appearance of their product or person? There are so many ways to customize almost anything that is out there. Unfortunately, there are zero accessories to this knife. Due to its size, the Ladybug cannot really have any extras but do not think that this knife has no customization.

It is the accessory, as it can be added to a keychain or some sort of necklace due to the small hole that the handle has punched into it. That means that you can add this knife to your appearance without having to worry about adding anything extra. Toss it on your keyring and then clip your keys to your belt or stick them in your pocket.

This knife, due to its blade’s material, is strong and will last a good long while. Add in the fact that the knife has a back-lock system, the strength of the blade is augmented by the stability that a back-lock system affords. A back-lock system is where the release to the blade is located on the back of the handle and offers more strength and stability than any other type of locking system designed for folding knives.

The handle is made of a hard plastic that is also pretty durable, making this knife even more valuable even with its diminutive size. Not too bad, really, for a knife that is no longer than five inches in total. Though somewhat difficult due to its design, the knife can even be repaired by opening the handle to realign if something slips.

One of the best things about this company with their knives is that they offer a lifetime limited warranty on all of their products as well. So instead of fixing it yourself, if your knife does have an issue, a good idea may be to contact the company and see about getting it repaired or replaced. They even offer to sharpen for your blades, but only if your knife has been treated properly and the fault lies with the actual manufacturing quality.

Sharpening the Ladybug does not need you to take the knife apart, which is always a good thing. The only real reason we can foresee you needing to take this knife apart is if you somehow manage to break or seriously damage your blade or handle and need to change it over to another one. So, the only flaw this knife has is now not even worth considering when you think about it. This company makes flaws worthless through quality design.

There is really no real flaw in its construction. The only thing that we have had any real issue with is the fact that the handle is made entirely of one piece of hard plastic. This means that the handle is held together by a few screws. This makes any maintenance rather difficult.

Weight is always a major consideration; how can a person not be worried about weight? Think about it, how useful is a knife or any object if it is too bulky or heavy to properly use it? To be frank, we could hardly begin to think that a small knife could weigh a lot, but then we had to stop and consider the size-to-weight ratio.

A small knife can weigh a lot for its size, and that can make the knife undesirable, ultimately. This particular knife, though, weighs perfectly for its size, in our opinion. Weighing in roughly at .6 ounces, this knife has nothing bad that can be said about its weight, as we have had a hard time finding a single bad thing to say about it no matter how hard we looked.

A knife’s finish is always something that is scrutinized. Is the blade shiny or dull, does it come in more than one color? The knife in question that we’re talking about does not come in multiple colors, at least as far as the blade goes. Of course, as you will find out that there is more than one type of Ladybug on the market and we are only talking about the original.

Now, we can state that while you probably cannot use the blade to double as a mirror, the blade is in no way dull in its shine. The handle DOES come in multiple colors. Want a blue handle to your knife? They have you covered. What about green or red? Yes, they have those as well. Do you want a black handle? That exists as well.

There are even various shades of colors that most people will not even think of when they first begin to look up this knife. The rainbow is represented in the handle of this knife all you need to do is look for them. The good news is, unlike other knives with a variety of colors to offer, the color won’t affect the price.

This knife is strong in its safety set-up, really. While when unfolded, this knife is as dangerous as any other knife. While cutting off a finger or such an accident would be hard to do with this knife, there is still the risk of cutting oneself with this blade. Do not think for an instant, though, that safety has not been a consideration when designing this knife.

Truthfully, getting a small knife that can easily be connected to your keyring should be a worrying thought. What if your knife catches a key or your clothes and pulls open, cutting or stabbing into you? That is something that any person should stop and consider, really. Accidents can always happen, no matter how lucky a person tends to be.

Not with this knife, really, the shape of the blade has been designed to keep such things from happening, making this stand out as one of the best small options on the market. Add in the hole in the back of the blade for ease of opening, and you never have to really get near the tip or edge of the blade to get it opened up and ready for use.

Even closing it can be done with one hand, though if a person isn’t careful, they can still cut or knick themselves. As we said, safety has been a major consideration when it was being designed.

What would a knife made of good quality materials and with an eye towards safety and functionality be worth? Sixty dollars, perhaps? Or maybe a person would be willing to pay eighty dollars. The fact is, at the time of this article, that Amazon.com is offering this knife as brand new for $42.98.

That’s a good price, really. Now, there are a few things that we feel obligated to state before we move on to our final sections in this article. First, there are more than one type of Ladybug on the market, including the original. While the appearance rarely changes between the various original Ladybugs, the materials of the blade, however, do change often. This does make the price jump up or down.

With the one we are discussing, we’ve focused on the VG-10 steel version, which the aforementioned price is for. There are more types out there. How can you tell if you’re getting a Spyderco Ladybug made out of VG-10? There is a stamp at the base of the blade marking both the company name and the type of metal it is made of.

On top of that, there is an even easier way to figure out if the knife really is a Spyderco or not. Remember us mentioning the hole in the back of the blade for an easier opening? Well, near that hole there is a stamp of a small spider that further marks this knife as made by Spyderco and not some off-brand whose quality might be less than desirable.

-1.7” edge
-Ambidextrous design
-Back lock system
-Snag-proof blade

So, here we are, looking at the end of our journey into discovering all we can about one of the greatest small knives on the market today. We’d like to remind everyone that using a knife can be dangerous, no matter its size, and to use it responsibly. But what else can be said about this wondrous knife? From its small size to its lightweight, from the quality of the metal to the shape of the blade, there is very little that can be said that has not already been said.

That’s not a bad thing, really. When you consider this knife, reader, every little thing that could color your decision as to whether you are going to buy it or not is within this article. This knife is truly one of the best on the market, and if you do not think so, look for yourself. As we all know this company provides one of the most amazing small knives in this particular model.