Yojimbo EDC

[freeman7]

I liked my collector's Blue Yojimbo, (#42), so much that I bought a Black version from NGK. The rather long, but not thick, handle was a good fit for my hand. The blade is pointy and sharp and very useful. However, it is too big for my taste to carry in a pocket, plus I did not feel comfortable carrying it tip up. It now resides,minus clip, on my right hip in a G2 sheath. So light and thin that you hardly know it is there. Anyone else using it as an EDC?

[loki88]

yep, i also carry a blue Joyimbo as a EDC. I don't really have any negative feelings about front right pocket carry. The only "negative" thing is that i cant "snap" it open like my military. I do wear it as a SD folder and try not to cut anything with it , unless REALLY necesary.

[Michael Janich]

Dear Loki88:

Thanks for your confidence in the Yojimbo. It's also my EDC (I know, big surprise).

The Yojimbo will snap open very readily with proper technique. The key to any inertial opening is to make sure that your motion is centered around the pivot pin, since that's where the blade will always pivot. The Military is just easier because it has more blade mass.

If you still have trouble, you can also apply pressure to the compression lock release with your index finger before you snap. Like most third-generation locks (axis, compression, etc.), the lock also acts as a detent to keep the blade closed. By applying pressure before you snap, you remove the detent pressure and the blade will swing free.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

[HoB]

It has been my EDC for the past 2 (?) weeks now. After initial problems (mine is from the first production run) it has really grown on me. Last weekend I put my favorite edge on it using benchstones and must say, the Warncliff blade is really a pleasure to sharpen. I absolutely love the looks and lines of this knife and I have come to like the feel of it as well. Definitely two thumbs up here.

[loki88]

Thx for your advice, Michael, will practice on that. I tried to find out how to close it one handed, but it seems, because of the liner lock, not as easy. So now i close it by flipping it over and while disengaging the lock i rotate the blade closed by pushing it with the back of the blade against my upper right leg. Like a Gunting but the other way around. Works great, but i realise the inherent danger of this type of closure. :)
Michael, another question regarding comma cuts, isn't it harder by the shape of the blade to perform a comma cut while extracting the blade? I know the Warncliff blade has massive penetration power, but because of this design can't it also wedge itself easier between ribs, bones etc? Should i use a push-pull instead? Or a combination?

[Michael Janich]

Dear Loki88:

For closing, I like to draw all my fingers back into a pinch grip, apply pressure to the liner, and just swing the blade down into the closed position. There's nothing contacting the edge on closing, so a little impact is no problem.

As for the comma cut, the wharncliffe produces absolutely devastating results because it cuts with maximum force all the way to the tip. If you should get snagged, you are correct that a push-pull and straight extraction is the appropriate "immediate action drill."

In my testing, I've found that this blade shape penetrates well, but does not tend to snag or bind as much as a narrower blade. It seems the broadening shape of the blade creates a channel that makes extraction very easy.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

[loki88]

I haven't been able (and wanting) to do any test cutting on meat and luckely not on live flesh either. I hope u don't me asking these types of questions, but i'm rather serious on my SD tools. That's why i almost immediate realised that the Ronin, and Yojimbo had great potential as a SD blade. I think that the knives u designed are designed with only one purpose and that is getting the job done. I think it is a pitty that the potential of your blades are sometimes not fully understand by the knife community. Only if u go a little deeper into the use of a knife for SD, u start to understand why this, and other knives u design, have "unusual" features. The holes in the handle, the longer handle on the Yojimbo (koppo stick) the unusual blue handle, the blade design. This makes the knives not really "look" macho , intimidating and dangerous. IMHO all for the better! I like my adversaries to realise that they are in trouble the moment they find out that attacking me was a bad idea. I don't mind them realising that in hindsight. So keep up the great work and i hope u will keep making your knowledge available to all us armed professionals and the "white hats" alike.

"Speak soft and carry a big stick"

Tom

[Qship]

" ... I did not feel comfortable carrying it tip up. . .

I have been a carrying blue one for a while, great knife. I have a black one on order for left hand carry.

There is the danger that a poorly made knife, set up for tip up carry, will open slightly in the pocket, and stab the user when he reaches for the knife. The detent on the Yojimbo seems positive, and I have not had a problem. I have not gotten cut carrying a Yojimbo, a Native, a Masters of Defense Tempest, or an Emerson Raven (all tip up) since I was convinced to switch to tip up carry about seven years ago. I strongly advise against tip up carry with a badly made knife.

As it was explained to me, it is good practice to move any tip up knife to the back of your pocket, which will put the blade spine against cloth, which acts as a safety to hold the knife closed. It also is easier to draw the knife, because you just stick your thumb in your pocket and move your hand back, which will give you a proper grip immediately. This is one of the reasons I value a knife that will allow the clip to be adjusted for left hand carry.

Qship

[BOK]

Well, I finally went ahead and ordered a black one from NGK. Been putting this one off for way too long.

Does anyone own the custom version too? Care to do a comparison of the two?

Mr. Janich I'm sure you have both. Are there any attributes making one superior to the other or are we just talking personal preferences?

[BOK]

Well, unfortunately I've had to cancel my order. NGK informed me that the pivot is not able to be tightened down and that all of the ones they tried seem to 'flip' open pretty easily.

Don't want to risk losing it to Canadian customs :mad:

[M M]

Hi to all,

I carry the yojimbo since I got the blue one about 8 weeks as EDC knive and I love it I got also a black one for carry it with black jeans...

Its very good for EDC, light, small and very good for using as an Impact tool.
the longer handle and the horn at the top, the spinning holes and the back of the blade is also good for fingerlocks ... Great SD knive ...

Snap opening and closing with one hand is no problem it work very good.

Very great knife thank you Michal Janich for the design and spyderso for making it.

If anyone needs a Trainer for the Yojimbo I make some Plastictrainers and they work very good.

Pictures from the Trainers can be seen under http://www.plastictrainer.com

best wishes

Martin
http://www.plastictrainer.com

[loki88]

Did some cutting today on poolnoodles as i don't have acces to goza, or large chunks of meat. The Poolnoodle cuts where VERY impressive. This is hard foamlike material as thick as an arm. Due to the lenght of the blade the blade didn't penetrate totally but it slit effordly thru the poolnoodle. Now i know this is not an scientific way of measuring cuttingpower, but it gives me a referencepoint. I also did some comma cuts, with very impressive coneshaped cuts. Does anyone else do testcutting and what materials do u guys use?

Thx

Tom

[Michael Janich]

To all:

Thanks for the great comments and discussion. It's very gratifying to know that serious folks are developing an understanding of what I had in mind with the Yojimbo and that it works for your needs.

By the way, the pivot on the Yojimbo can be tightened, but requires two Torx bits (one from each side) because it is not a "D" pin.

I personally carry a blue Yojimbo, even though I also own black ones. It's still not denim colored, but it's close.

Also, I recently obtained some of Martin's trainers (www. plastictrainer.com) for an open Yojimbo, a closed one, and a Ronin. I had the opportunity to try them out this weekend while teaching in Ohio and found that they worked very well. Although the Yojimbo trainer is solid and doesn't fold, it is very reasonably priced and replicates the feel of a live blade very well. If you carry a Yojimbo for self-defense, you should get one of these trainers for your kit.

Stay safe,

[BOK]

To all:

By the way, the pivot on the Yojimbo can be tightened, but requires two Torx bits (one from each side) because it is not a "D" pin.

Great info! Thanks Mr. Janich. I'll go ahead and see if they can't do that for me then.

[HoB]

Well, I think I can lay the question how the Yo cuts thru human tissue to rest, having just performed the experiment myself. No don't worry this is not another murder story. Till right now I always thought, only dumb and careless people cut themselves with knives.....I guess I join those ranks now :D . I was just fooling around (practicing indexing to be precise) with the Yo, and if you note the time, it is pretty clear that I shouldn't have. Just as you shouldn't play with a live blade when intoxicated, you should play with a live blade when tired (note to myself!) . Well the Yo slipped and I was immediately worried that the fall might have damaged the tip...no the tip is perfectly fine. So I relaxed and after a few seconds noticed a strange sensation on my lower leg about 4 inches over the outside ankle. So I check and sure enough, the Yo went right through my pants as if they weren't even there right into my leg...deep! Nothing really bad. I was really lucky that it missed tendons and ligaments and the cut is along the mucle fiber so not much structural damage done and the cut is so clean that it doesn't even hurt. But I would say it is about a 1/4 inch deep and 1.5 inches long and looks really nasty. Probably should get stitches, but I've pulled the cut close with athletes tape. Will take a look at it tomorrow and will see if I need to see a doctor, but I doubt it (I wouldn't know what kind of explanation I would give anyway :rolleyes: ). Bottom line: This was by the Yo's own weight, there is now question that even the weekest person will effortlessly slice the entire calf in one clean cut, whether the opponent wears jeans or not. Hey, my pants (which were fairly thick polyester sweat pants) didn't provide any protection what-so-ever. I doubt that they even slowed the fall down.

Mmmh, speaking of time...I wonder which timezone this forum is in. Its 2:00 am eastern right now, but my post says 6:00 am. Mountain time should be 2 hours behind not 4 hours ahead?!