First World Knife Problems

You like what you like. You don't always like what you would prefer to like, or what you expect to like. But as you say; these are first world problems.

That said, you might learn to like it if you give it some more time. It can take some time to get acquainted and understand that different can be just as good when you adapt to the differences and teach your brain that different is the new normal.

 

Well, you can't properly call yourself a steel snob, since most of the Dragonflies were made from VG-10 while the Launch 4 is CPM 154 which is considered to be the superior blade steel.

It sounds more like you're used to having the spidy in your 5th pocket and now there was something else in there.
Give it a few days and carry the Manix2 as the larger knife, so everytime you miss the Dragonfly, just stick your thumb into the Manix' hole and wait until the feeling subsides.

 

I sure as heck am attached to certain styles of knives! It doesn't mean that other knives are wrong, but they may not be as right for me.

 

As a few here probably know by now, I’m a Victorinox nut and that’s no lie.

Personally I cannot see the attraction with Spyderco knives. They fall into the same visual category as the so-called “tactical” pieces as far as I’m concerned.

I love Mora, my Eka, my traditionals and so on.

Just cannot get on with anything Spydie apart from their amazing Sharpmaker.

 

I think what a lot of people forget about is muscle memory, your hand, wrist and forearm muscles are expecting the dragonfly. It will take those muscles a little while to get used to holding something different. It's kind of the same thing as carrying an axis lock knife for a couple weeks and then switching to a frame lock, your brain knows it is a different knife, but those muscles are sort of programmed for the axis. Another example would be jumping into a car with a floor shifter after driving a truck with a column shifter, drive one or the other for a few days and see if you don't "accidentally" reach for a shifter that isn't there...

 

To me most Spyderco knives are fugly, especially the ones witht he big spyderhole.

Still the Caly3 is the most ergonomic (and sharpest) folding knife I ever handled.
It just acts like a part of my hand when I have to do rather complicated cutting.
(I'm an Orthopedic Shoemaker and one part of my job is to cut off foam or gum soles for shoe lift elevation)

 

This is very true.
I usually buy a knife after some kind of selection process and a lot of pondering, but the true selection process starts once I have it at home.
Whenever possible, I buy that knife 'used'. There is kind of a community in my neck of the woods where people buy and sell knifes without really using them, so there is always a choice of mint condition ones. I will fidget around with the new one for a time and see if the ergonomics fit with what I had in mind. Once that test is passed, I will carry it for a time, but try not to use it for heavy duty to see how it feels in real life situations. Only when that test is passed, It'll become 'my' knife.
Whenever it fails one of the testing periods, I'll just sell or trade it off.

I recently acquired a Hinderer Slippy, which is a great knife in so many regards. I desperately wanted that one to be my #1. Pulling it from my pocket and flicking out the blade is the greatest feeling ever (as long as we're strictly talking 'knife feelings'). But we're somehow not meant for each other and that knife will have to go. Luckily, I figured that out before I used it to pry open strongboxes and it still is in pristine condition so I can expect to see my investment returned.