How perfect the Delica could be...

[Evil D]

I was playing around with my ZDP Delica today, and had just been handling my Yojimbo 2 moments earlier. When I gripped the Delica, this weird deja vu came over me. I realized, the handles are shockingly similar in shape.





Look at the finger grooves on the handle, and how both handles come to a pointy butt at your pinky. Look how both have a "two finger choil" behind the pivot. Both have a raised handle spine to fill your palm. Both have 3 grooves for your fingers to land in.

Obviously, the thumb ramp areas are completely different, but the finger grooves are really similar. The only problem is, the two finger choil on the Delica is WAY TOO SMALL. I can't even come close to fitting two fingers into it, and it forces my middle finger to land on that point after the choil, which completely ruins ergonomics for the rest of the grip.

Sal, if you're reading this.....PLEASE find a way to open up this area in the next Delica. Having realized all this, it's really saddening because there are so many great Delica variants, and they come at such a reasonable price, I could own so many badass knives and the ergos could be perfect, if only that choil was bigger.

[twinboysdad]

and throw a hollow ground wharncliffe variant in the Delica since we are dreamin?

[[ENFORCER]]

To me, they are nowhere similar.

[ABX2011]

The problem with finger grooves is that they fit one person's fingers but not another's. The Delica happen to fit my hand perfectly. The Endura does not. A groove designed for a single finger is not a good idea, IMO on a mass produced knife.

[Evil D]

The problem with finger grooves is that they fit one person's fingers but not another's. The Delica happen to fit my hand perfectly. The Endura does not. A groove designed for a single finger is not a good idea, IMO on a mass produced knife.

Not a single finger, both are designed for two fingers but the Delica is designed for small hands. The Endura doesn't fit me either, the spacing is all wrong.

And enforcer dude, hold both back to back and you'll feel the similarly. Ergonomics aren't always easy to see.

[r small]

I must have a small hand. Delica fits my hand like a glove.

[[ENFORCER]]

The delica is a bit easier for slicing and pocket carry and is rounded off a tad more.
The Yojimbo is a bit less ergonomic IMO.
The delica just feels a lot smoother in my hand.

[KardinalSyn]

Something that makes me buy Spydies a lot more is the thought put in to designing their handles. I think I have medium sized hands and all the blades I own work really really well for me.

I won't give any comments Evil as I do not own these two knives.

[gbelleh]

There aren't many Spydercos that don't fit my hand well. But nothing fits everyone perfectly.

[DRKBC]

Have you compared to the Stretch?

[Evil D]

I figured most would think I'm crazy here but I still can't help but feel a lot of similarity in my hand. The Yo is a lot more "exaggerated" in how the finger grooves are shaped but otherwise they feel really similar to me except for that index/middle finger choil being too small to fit both my fingers. It has me thinking about modding my Delica the same way I did my Yo 2 and see how it feels.

The one thing I've always lived about the Delica is the blade shape. It's not a wharnie but not a Skinner either. It has just enough belly to be more versatile than a wharnie but is straight enough to have a lot of cutting power at the tip like a wharnie does. It's a good compromise between the two.

[The Deacon]

I figured most would think I'm crazy here but I still can't help but feel a lot of similarity in my hand. The Yo is a lot more "exaggerated" in how the finger grooves are shaped but otherwise they feel really similar to me except for that index/middle finger choil being too small to fit both my fingers. It has me thinking about modding my Delica the same way I did my Yo 2 and see how it feels.

The one thing I've always lived about the Delica is the blade shape. It's not a wharnie but not a Skinner either. It has just enough belly to be more versatile than a wharnie but is straight enough to have a lot of cutting power at the tip like a wharnie does. It's a good compromise between the two.

David, it's one of those "eye of the beholder" things, the same as with "copies". Some folks look at two knives and think they're virtually identical, some see strong similarity, some see minor similarities, and others see none at all. In the case of the Delica 4 and Yo 2, FWIW, I can see the lack of similarity in other areas making it harder for some to see the similarity of the grips area. Kind of the same with as with comparing a Stretch and a WTC Knife or D'Allara. As for the other, I think that's one of the reasons I've come to prefer handles without finger separators, the darn things seem to be in the wrong places more often than not.

[razorsharp]

I was playing around with my ZDP Delica today, and had just been handling my Yojimbo 2 moments earlier. When I gripped the Delica, this weird deja vu came over me. I realized, the handles are shockingly similar in shape.

Look at the finger grooves on the handle, and how both handles come to a pointy butt at your pinky. Look how both have a "two finger choil" behind the pivot. Both have a raised handle spine to fill your palm. Both have 3 grooves for your fingers to land in.

Obviously, the thumb ramp areas are completely different, but the finger grooves are really similar. The only problem is, the two finger choil on the Delica is WAY TOO SMALL. I can't even come close to fitting two fingers into it, and it forces my middle finger to land on that point after the choil, which completely ruins ergonomics for the rest of the grip.

Sal, if you're reading this.....PLEASE find a way to open up this area in the next Delica. Having realized all this, it's really saddening because there are so many great Delica variants, and they come at such a reasonable price, I could own so many badass knives and the ergos could be perfect, if only that choil was bigger.

thats why I dont like my delica as much as my others...it hasnt seen pocket for...hmmm....2 years now, i prefer the bumps between my fingers, not digging into them haha

[BAL]

It's funny how different people have different opinions about how a knife
feels in their hands. I see the similarities in the shape of the Yo2 and the
Delica as Evil pointed out, but the Yo2 is one of my most comfortable knives
to handle and the Delica isn't. However, the Endura has a much better feel
than the Delica in my hand.

[ABX2011]

Not a single finger, both are designed for two fingers but the Delica is designed for small hands. The Endura doesn't fit me either, the spacing is all wrong.

I should have said fingers grooves in general are a problem. If the Delica front groove were enlarged and I still wanted to grip the knife as far forward as possible, then my middle finger would be on the peak in the middle of two grooves.

[CarbonFiberNut]

I should have said fingers grooves in general are a problem.

That's the crux of it, really - while I find the Delica and Endura handles to be plenty comfortable, and never really thought of them as having defined "finger grooves", I see where you guys are coming from.

I recently had to pass on a great price on the Benchmade Axis Flipper because I hated the pronounced finger grooves on it. It just felt "off" in my hand. I LOOOOOVE the half-blade, half-handle choils Spyderco puts on some models (like my current EDC, the Caly-3), but really heavily pronounced finger grooves are a big turnoff.

That said, I still wouldn't call the grooves in the Delica pronounced. It's a nice bump that helps you grip the knife even if it doesn't land in the "ideal" position.

[Evil D]

I should have said fingers grooves in general are a problem. If the Delica front groove were enlarged and I still wanted to grip the knife as far forward as possible, then my middle finger would be on the peak in the middle of two grooves.

OK consider this...the Yo 2 has a larger front choil, do you really think the majority of people are having the problem you're having with that area being too big? I may be biased but I think as far as men go, larger hands are the majority and smaller hands are the minority.

[Evil D]

That's the crux of it, really - while I find the Delica and Endura handles to be plenty comfortable, and never really thought of them as having defined "finger grooves", I see where you guys are coming from.

I recently had to pass on a great price on the Benchmade Axis Flipper because I hated the pronounced finger grooves on it. It just felt "off" in my hand. I LOOOOOVE the half-blade, half-handle choils Spyderco puts on some models (like my current EDC, the Caly-3), but really heavily pronounced finger grooves are a big turnoff.

That said, I still wouldn't call the grooves in the Delica pronounced. It's a nice bump that helps you grip the knife even if it doesn't land in the "ideal" position.

Yeah the bumps didn't stop me from buying it, but knives like the Para 2 and Manix 2 that fit my hand without points in my fingers sure do stop me from carrying it.

[ABX2011]

OK consider this...the Yo 2 has a larger front choil, do you really think the majority of people are having the problem you're having with that area being too big? I may be biased but I think as far as men go, larger hands are the majority and smaller hands are the minority.

Sure they can size finger grooves for an average male hand. There will always be people with smaller or larger hands that don't fit well.

[r small]

I never thought about it until this thread started but I can get my index and middle fingers in the finger groove of the Delica. It's a tight fit but still feels pretty comfortable. With the Endura there's a little more space and still pretty comfortable. I can see how it would be uncomfortable if the little ridge that separates the fingers poked right into the center of the middle finger.