Hi Mike,
Could you elaborate on how you came up with this design. I love this knife and wondered if you could provide any background information. How it is used, deployed, etc...
Thanks,
Fred
Janich/Snody Ronin
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Michael Janich
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Dear Mort:
Thanks for your post.
I developed the Ronin design as a folder first, after doing some ballistic cutting experiments with different styles of blades. My tests revealed that the most efficient cutting weapons are those that take the cutting edge all the way to the point and apply pressure into the cut throughout the entire cutting stroke. Conventional fighting knife design dictates that the blade have a curve or “belly” to the cutting edge to allow it to cut and slash effectively. However, when held in a natural grip and wielded in a cutting motion, most knives of this type reach a point in their arc of travel where the angle of the cutting edge and the arc of the arm run parallel. At this point, the knife no longer applies pressure into the target being cut and in many cases actually pushes the target away from the cutting edge.
Conversely, the straight cutting edge of the Ronin applies constant cutting pressure into the target and typically cuts at least ¾-inch deeper than traditional blade designs of comparable length. The chisel edge created by the single hollow grind further enhances the Ronin’s cutting power by creating superior edge geometry that cuts with almost no drag.
The tapered back of the blade meets the tip to form an extremely sharp point that also outperforms traditional designs. As the point is thrust into a target, the back of the blade acts as a ramp, pushing the cutting edge downward. This downward force, combined with the shearing cutting motion of the edge enables the Ronin to penetrate deeply with very little effort.
The handle of the Ronin is tapered toward the butt like many traditional Japanese blades. This taper naturally fits the “cone” formed by the last three fingers of the hand and anchors the handle firmly to the meaty portion of the palm. The single finger groove for the index finger and low positioning of the cutting edge create a very functional guard that makes it impossible for the hand to slide forward onto the blade. It also puts the cutting edge in line with the knuckles of the fingers, making it less likely that the hand will impact before the edge, minimizing the force of the cut.
The grooved area on the back of the Ronin’s blade provides a solid purchase that encourages the user to extend the thumb forward into a Filipino grip. In this position, the blade becomes a natural extension of the thumb and can be employed with great power and almost instinctive control.
Although I made a working liner-lock prototype of the Ronin and pitched it to a number of knife companies, it wasn't until Mike Snody asked me for my input on a neck knife design that it really took off. I adapted the folder design to a fixed blade, sent the drawing to Mike, and he made it a reality.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for asking.
Stay safe,
Thanks for your post.
I developed the Ronin design as a folder first, after doing some ballistic cutting experiments with different styles of blades. My tests revealed that the most efficient cutting weapons are those that take the cutting edge all the way to the point and apply pressure into the cut throughout the entire cutting stroke. Conventional fighting knife design dictates that the blade have a curve or “belly” to the cutting edge to allow it to cut and slash effectively. However, when held in a natural grip and wielded in a cutting motion, most knives of this type reach a point in their arc of travel where the angle of the cutting edge and the arc of the arm run parallel. At this point, the knife no longer applies pressure into the target being cut and in many cases actually pushes the target away from the cutting edge.
Conversely, the straight cutting edge of the Ronin applies constant cutting pressure into the target and typically cuts at least ¾-inch deeper than traditional blade designs of comparable length. The chisel edge created by the single hollow grind further enhances the Ronin’s cutting power by creating superior edge geometry that cuts with almost no drag.
The tapered back of the blade meets the tip to form an extremely sharp point that also outperforms traditional designs. As the point is thrust into a target, the back of the blade acts as a ramp, pushing the cutting edge downward. This downward force, combined with the shearing cutting motion of the edge enables the Ronin to penetrate deeply with very little effort.
The handle of the Ronin is tapered toward the butt like many traditional Japanese blades. This taper naturally fits the “cone” formed by the last three fingers of the hand and anchors the handle firmly to the meaty portion of the palm. The single finger groove for the index finger and low positioning of the cutting edge create a very functional guard that makes it impossible for the hand to slide forward onto the blade. It also puts the cutting edge in line with the knuckles of the fingers, making it less likely that the hand will impact before the edge, minimizing the force of the cut.
The grooved area on the back of the Ronin’s blade provides a solid purchase that encourages the user to extend the thumb forward into a Filipino grip. In this position, the blade becomes a natural extension of the thumb and can be employed with great power and almost instinctive control.
Although I made a working liner-lock prototype of the Ronin and pitched it to a number of knife companies, it wasn't until Mike Snody asked me for my input on a neck knife design that it really took off. I adapted the folder design to a fixed blade, sent the drawing to Mike, and he made it a reality.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for asking.
Stay safe,
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Clay Kesting
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Apart from any MBC applications I find these Wharncliffe style blades really useful for utility tasks and can't understand why there aren't more knives available with them. My aluminium Centofantes are my absolute favourite EDC for work with their sharp points and excellent edge geometry. There seems to be some sort of "conventional" wisdom that a blade has to have belly to be of any use. I'm hoping a folding version will become a reality as I would love to have a more robust version of my Centofantes apart from the fact that it will be a terrific self-defence knife. Mike, any word yet on the Yojimbo?
Clay
"The trouble is that you think you have time."
Clay
"The trouble is that you think you have time."
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Michael Janich
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Dear Clay:
You're exactly right. I also fell into the "conventional wisdom" pit for a long time. When I started doing more cutting and empirical testing, the function of the Wharncliff pattern became very apparent and my ideas changed. By the way, a good portion of that testing was done with the Centofantes.
With regard to the Yojimbo, Sal and I met and discussed what I'd like to see in the design. He then set about finding someone to actually make them that way. So far, no luck. Since that time, I've been rethinking the production side of the knife and have some ideas that I hope will make it a reality much sooner. When Sal gets back from Europe, I'll approach him on that.
To Pachucko, yes, in my cutting tests the unsharpened back edge still allowed the point to penetrate as well as, and in most cases better than, double-edged knives. I attribute it to the excellent edge geometry terminating in excellent point geometry. I did a comma cut on "pork man" during my recent MBC off-site classes in Ohio and the results were frightening. In fact, the results were so graphic, I almost got one young lady in the front row to blow lunch.
Stay safe,
mike j
You're exactly right. I also fell into the "conventional wisdom" pit for a long time. When I started doing more cutting and empirical testing, the function of the Wharncliff pattern became very apparent and my ideas changed. By the way, a good portion of that testing was done with the Centofantes.
With regard to the Yojimbo, Sal and I met and discussed what I'd like to see in the design. He then set about finding someone to actually make them that way. So far, no luck. Since that time, I've been rethinking the production side of the knife and have some ideas that I hope will make it a reality much sooner. When Sal gets back from Europe, I'll approach him on that.
To Pachucko, yes, in my cutting tests the unsharpened back edge still allowed the point to penetrate as well as, and in most cases better than, double-edged knives. I attribute it to the excellent edge geometry terminating in excellent point geometry. I did a comma cut on "pork man" during my recent MBC off-site classes in Ohio and the results were frightening. In fact, the results were so graphic, I almost got one young lady in the front row to blow lunch.
Stay safe,
mike j
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Clay Kesting
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Mike,
I'm glad to hear the Yojimbo is still a possibility, I'll start putting my much devalued dollars aside. BTW hy tells me that there's a chance you may be coming down here in the next year or so. If you do I hope you'll let me show you around my "patch".
Clay
"The trouble is that you think you have time."
I'm glad to hear the Yojimbo is still a possibility, I'll start putting my much devalued dollars aside. BTW hy tells me that there's a chance you may be coming down here in the next year or so. If you do I hope you'll let me show you around my "patch".
Clay
"The trouble is that you think you have time."
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Knife Knut
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Clay Kesting
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Michael Janich
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Dear Clay:
Thanks for posting the image.
To Mort and anyone else interested in purchasing a Ronin, right now, Mike Snody is severely backlogged and is only turning them out in small batches. He is not taking orders directly and all the Ronins he makes are going to knife purveyors like bladeart.com and tripleaughtdesign.com. That's where you'll have to look for them.
The good news is that Spyderco has decided to do a sprint run of double-flat-ground Ronins and will hopefully have them available in a few months.
Good things come to those who wait.
Stay safe,
mike j
Thanks for posting the image.
To Mort and anyone else interested in purchasing a Ronin, right now, Mike Snody is severely backlogged and is only turning them out in small batches. He is not taking orders directly and all the Ronins he makes are going to knife purveyors like bladeart.com and tripleaughtdesign.com. That's where you'll have to look for them.
The good news is that Spyderco has decided to do a sprint run of double-flat-ground Ronins and will hopefully have them available in a few months.
Good things come to those who wait.
Stay safe,
mike j
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Clay Kesting
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Michael Janich
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Dear Pachucko:
My understanding is that a sprint run is about 1,000-1,200 knives. Distribution should be through the normal Spyderco channels.
Please bear in mind that I am not an official "representative" of Spyderco and cannot speak authoritatively for their production side. I'm simply sharing what they told me.
Stay safe,
mike j
My understanding is that a sprint run is about 1,000-1,200 knives. Distribution should be through the normal Spyderco channels.
Please bear in mind that I am not an official "representative" of Spyderco and cannot speak authoritatively for their production side. I'm simply sharing what they told me.
Stay safe,
mike j
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Mike Sastre
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Michael Janich
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Michael Janich
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Dear Mr. Skin:
I'm supposed to work with Sal on the sheaths, but ideally I want them to mirror what Mike Snody did with the customs: a hollow channel at the tip instead of grommets or holes for the chain (to keep the sheath from spinning) and a slightly asymmetrical shape (to allow immediate tactile orientation of the edge) that leaves enough handle exposed for a good 3-finger grip. If possible, I'd also like to make them adaptable to carry with a Tek-Loc and/or IWB loop.
As for trainers, I would love to see some, but I'm not holding my breath. It probably makes sense to see how the live blade sells before making the commitment to produce trainers. I'm not going to make promises I can't keep...
Stay safe,
mike j
I'm supposed to work with Sal on the sheaths, but ideally I want them to mirror what Mike Snody did with the customs: a hollow channel at the tip instead of grommets or holes for the chain (to keep the sheath from spinning) and a slightly asymmetrical shape (to allow immediate tactile orientation of the edge) that leaves enough handle exposed for a good 3-finger grip. If possible, I'd also like to make them adaptable to carry with a Tek-Loc and/or IWB loop.
As for trainers, I would love to see some, but I'm not holding my breath. It probably makes sense to see how the live blade sells before making the commitment to produce trainers. I'm not going to make promises I can't keep...
Stay safe,
mike j