Pocketfriendly-ness

[toomzz]

Hi Forum,

Usual we discuss all kind of knife-features of all those lovely models or would-be models Spyderco spoils us with. (Thank you :) ) Ergonomics, material, steel, grind, bladeshapes etc. IMHO, as it is part of ergonomics, a bit underrated is the feature how friendly a knife carries. How does it fit and feel in your pocket? Is it fit for jeans, or for your sunday-suit? How do you like it?

Sometimes I see knives come by that already hurt in the 'pocketarea' when I see them. Brute angles, sharp flippers, exposed tangs when folded in (D4 and E4) etc. One of the finest knives in the pocket at this moment is the GB 2. I also love carrying it IWB on my bare skin. Smoothed, rounded, slim and perfect when provided with a deep carryclip. Another topnotch pocketfriendly knife is the Caly, but that is just my 2 cents. :rolleyes:

What's your opinion on 'pocketfriendly-ness'?

cheers,
Tomas

[elena86]

CF Caly3 is my most pocketfriendly.Enough said.

[this_is_nascar]

For me, the Chaparral is the most comfortable carrying Spyderco. I stopped carrying my Delica-4 because it's so wide and uncomfortable in the pocket, as with most other Spydercos that I've tried.

[hoimin]

For regular/light EDC usage, I'm willing to endure mild hand discomfort for the sake of pocketability. As it is not for hard/heavy cutting, the knife is usually out and back in after a couple of quick slices, spending over 90% of its carry time in pocket, not in hand. Similarly, closing speed and ease is a lower priority. Of course, if it is both pocketable and comfortable to open, use, and close, that is what I'd target, which the GB2 definitely qualifies.

For a fixed blade, handle ergonomics takes priority over almost everything other than blade-related characteristics.

[sharpguitarist]

Hey guys,
For me, the Mantra 2.
For the record, I did switch clips, and added a fob.
Later,
Don

[The Deacon]

Carry my knives loose in my back pocket and watch pocket, so my first criteria for "pocket friendliness" is that they're small enough to fit one of those locations. I definitely prefer knives with rounded corners, or at least corners that I can round off myself. As an example, back when I carried an FRN Calypso Jr regularly, I rounded off the transition between the thumb ramp and spine. I also prefer knives with handle shapes that keep my hand positioned properly without the need for scale materials textured to resemble sandpaper.

[Doc Dan]

I find the Manbug, Dragonfly, Caly3, Chaparral, Cat, and Delica 4 to be very pocket friendly. I take the clips off of them and drop them in my pocket. Some knives irritate me to no end when carried this way, but these do well. The Caly3, Delica, Cat, and Manbug are the best. The Chaparral can turn over, for some reason. Being comfortable in the pocket is a number one criteria for me.

[SpyderNut]

The Centofante Memory, Tusk, and Lil' Lionspy are some of my preferred "pocket friendly" models. I'd also include the Air and Dyad Jr. to that list.

[timlara]

Hey guys,
For me, the Mantra 2.
For the record, I did switch clips, and added a fob.
Later,
Don

^^ Yep, this ^^

Mantra 2 just disappears in the pocket and due to the slimness of the design, I don't even really notice the flipper being there. This is what made it worth the tradeoff of losing the Spydie hole for me.

For a design with the Spydie hole, I'd have to go with the Caly 3 as well.

[abbazaba]

Chaparral and Mantra2 are my favorite in loose pocket carry.

[Surfingringo]

This is one of the least talked about knife characteristics, but this is what determines what I end up putting in my pocket most days. I am often looking for a balance between useful blade size and pocket friendly. The Delica is a good performer in this area, and I would assume that the new Mantra is too. I have been carrying the Stretch a lot lately too and though it takes up more space than the Delica, I find it a bit more pocket friendly than the pm2.

Probably the best knife I own when it comes to having a good size/pocket friendly ratio is my Gayle Bradley Flipper (Tac1s). Super thin and completely disappears in the pocket, while still sporting a very useful 3.5" blade. I have a feeling this one will be well loved if that prototype they showed in Amsterdam ever comes to life.

[SpeedHoles]

Terzuola Double Bevel is one of my favorites here.
Same with Khukuri, JD Smith, Navaja, Dialex Junior, Rock Lobster, and of course Kiwi and Caly!
All fold up very slim and ride nicely in the pocket, as well as feeling pleasing when closed.


Same reason I don't quite enjoy the Sage 3 as much... it is a bit bulkier than the others when closed.



Sometimes, when I'm in deep thought or in conversation, I'll just hold a knife when it's closed.
I quite enjoy knives that have a "choil" when closed, like the Caly and Stretch for example. Even PM2 and Millie a bit, and Rescue, Tuff, etc.

Unlike GB1, PPT, and Delica/Endura, etc, that have the exposed tang corner when closed. Doesn't really bother me nor snag or anything, but just not as pleasing to feel when closed.

[bdblue]

My EDCs include Military, PM2, Manix2 and Manix2XL. The PM2 is easily the most pocket friendly, although I find very little difference with the Military or Manix 2. The Manix 2 XL is pretty tall and takes up more pocket space. It isn't a problem for me but I can tell the difference.

[kjd2121]

IWB carry at 4:00 is the only way I carry. Any sized knife just disappears so I don't need to be picky with what I carry. You guys should try it and it frees up the pockets. It is also very easy to deploy once you get used to it.

Give it a try.

[Tdog]

Another vote for the Mantra 2 and of course the Caly 3 and 3.5. Prefer the cf Caly's over the G10 as it's easier on the pockets.

[Spydersense]

IWB carry at 4:00 is the only way I carry. Any sized knife just disappears so I don't need to be picky with what I carry. You guys should try it and it frees up the pockets. It is also very easy to deploy once you get used to it.

Give it a try.

I would, but that space is usually reserved for another IWB item.

As for pocket friendliness, my top three are the Chapparal, PM2, and the Southard Flipper. I have a sneaky suspicion that the Southard Positron I just ordered will be very nice in pocket as well.

[Sharp Guy]

IWB carry at 4:00 is the only way I carry. Any sized knife just disappears so I don't need to be picky with what I carry. You guys should try it and it frees up the pockets. It is also very easy to deploy once you get used to it.

Give it a try.

I often carry a Manix or PM2 IWB at 4:00. Works well for me and I hardly notice it's there. I'll have my LTC soon so, like Spydersense, I won't be able to carry that way very often anymore.

[dplafoll]

All 5 of my Spyderco knives are excellent for me in the pocket. I don't own one, but I've heard many of the larger Spydercos like the PM2 and Manix are also very good in the pocket due to excellent design and light materials. Spyderco knives also have an inherent advantage because almost all of them come with one of two excellent pocket clips. They are a bit wide, but that's never been a problem for me personally, as even my Delica seems to tuck itself away against the pocket edge. For sheer pocketability, my best would be the Chaparral. The DF2s are just as pocketable, but they're a good bit smaller, whereas the Chaparral gives you a good bit of edge in a super slim package that is also less wide/tall than a lot of Spydies. Sal did a great job designing it to have less of a hump than it might have otherwise.

[JD Spydo]

Interesting thread for sure!>> I was just thinking about how brutal some of my favorite EDC Spyders are to my pockets :eek: The Two Spyders that I've been EDCing the most here lately have been my M390 Military and my C-60/G-10 Ayoob model. Both models have clips that do eat up the corners of your pockets which makes me get out the sewing needles quite often :rolleyes: But what can I say because the bigger Spyders do me more good in my everyday chores and I guess that's just the price I have to pay so to speak,

My most pocket-friendly Spyders are my blue PE Dodo, ZDP Caly Jr., and my TASMAN. But many of my "user arsenal" are the bigger Spyders and the clips that come with them are really not pocket friendly IMO. So maybe that's something that the Great Spyder Factory needs to take a hard look at?

Two of my all time favorite and probably pocket friendly clips were the ones that came with the GUNTING model and the wire clip that came with the DODO>> I think it would do Spyderco well if they would look into re-inventing their great pocket clips.

[PayneTrain]

Love this thread! It is often the deciding factor in what I carry for the day, and I too feel it's seldom discussed. It really takes into account and completes the description of the knife as a whole.

Features that seem to me to lend themselves the best to being a pocketable, easy to carry and use knife are wire clips, metal handles/polished synthetic scales, not overly aggressive jimping, light weight, and of course a slim and compact profile. Every knife combines these differently, and to varying degrees of success. Some winners in my collection include the Southard by far (even with its clip), the Foundry (even with its width and weight), and the Gayle Bradley (also despite its weight). Less success is found in the Native 5 (texturing too aggressive), the Military (not so much the length, but more the tip down carry which leaves the jimping in perfect position to gnaw at your hand), and the ATR (do I have to explain this one?).

But then sometimes it just doesn't matter. Depends on the pants. Today I have a fat, grippy, G-10 Sage 3 in my pocket and I couldn't care less. But in certain situations, or just when I feel like splitting hairs, these things come into play and take a good Spyderco and make it great...or not so much.