Best grip?

[AllNamesWereTaken]

Let's start a Sunday with a poll
Just curious to know what feeling you prefer while using your spydies

[zhyla]

Texture helps but grip is more geometry than texture imo.

[vivi]

FRN. It's easier to find FRN knives that are really light and heavily rounded on the corners. Also economical.

[knivesandbooks]

Micarta. It feels the best and ages great. Also you have different choices in micarta materials.

[TomAiello]

Best grip when wet or dry? And are we talking about any particular FRN pattern? Flat (factory) G-10? Or aftermarket patterned G-10?

Honestly, I think that the question is probably too simple.

[krikun98]

I apologize for the blasphemy, but the best grip I've had was on a Benchmade 810. Insane texturing, geometry and bumps on the liners under the G10. Dry, wet, muddy or bloody, the grip will tear your hand apart before you drop the knife.

[knivesandbooks]

I apologize for the blasphemy, but the best grip I've had was on a Benchmade 810. Insane texturing, geometry and bumps on the liners under the G10. Dry, wet, muddy or bloody, the grip will tear your hand apart before you drop the knife.

See, I hated that grip but love the knife for the blade shape alone. Which is why I bought rogue bladeworks smooth g10 grips. Love me a reverse tanto in m4.

[Bloke]

When it comes to grip I think handle/scale material and texture run a poor second to ergonomic design. :)

[ugaarguy]

I think it's a mix of both ergos and how the material is finished. I'm finding that smicarta, carbon fiber, and G10 all when sanded / blasted to a satin finish provide an excellent balance of wet and dry grip, provided the overall grip shape is there, without being too abrasive on pockets. The acid wash or whatever exact finish is used on the titanium of the Spydiechef is a close second.

Jimping on any handle, when properly done, can also exhibit these qualities. Is jimping an ergo trait or a finish trait?

[AllNamesWereTaken]

Excuse my poor choice of a title
I meant what is the best handle material/texture you prefer
Didn't have enough space to list all of the texture options so i stopped at materials

[Evil D]

I prefer G10 over FRN in most cases (unless we're talking about a handle like the D'Allara 2), and I prefer peel ply CF over G10, so that takes the win for me. It's not so much the cool factor of CF, I just like the texture more.

I would prefer a rounded/contoured grip over any specific material, so if that comes in the form of G10 or CF or FRN I can live with any of them. I like G10 and CF most for their ease of modding...FRN doesn't grind as well and tends to melt, and finishing FRN to make it look factory done is much more difficult than G10/CF. Also with FRN if you grind into the molded texture area it starts looking like crap. I can usually modify G10/CF and make it look good enough that you wouldn't know it's modded unless you know the original.

[tvenuto]

I went FRN. Although as others mentioned it’s definitely more about the shape than the material itself. I lovelovelove Spyderco’s bi-directional pattern, and that’s only gonna come in FRN so that tipped the scales (not intended) for me. Also FRN is more likely to have a comfortable shape without increasing the cost.

[PStone]

I really like the solid cf in my ppt and fluted native. Lightweight, strong, doesn’t tear up pockets, and most important, looks freakin awesome.

[Doc Dan]

I like the current FRN BECAUSE of the texturing. It simply does not let my hand slip, no matter what. Otherwise, I would have chosen Micarta or G10.

[bearfacedkiller]

I am with the others that ergonomics come first. Texturing is a good way to compensate for less than ideal ergonomics which is often a quality that we have to accept in folders due to their slab construction. In these cases I probably lean towards peel ply G10. I sometimes find the bidirectional frn too aggressive.

With great ergonomics I probably actually prefer little to no texturing but this is often only achieved on fixed blades with full hand filling contoured handles. The Shaman looks to have great ergos and smoother scales. :) During long periods of hard use like wood carving I find texture just increases friction and hot spots. My Schempp Rock tears my hands up if I am doing a lot of chopping and other hard use with it. I plan on making my own scales for it that will be much smoother. The ergonomics are certainly good enough to use smoother scales.

My favorite handle material is definitely canvas micarta.

[ZrowsN1s]

3D contoured fluted carbon fiber is as good as it gets for me. Now if only they could make it different colors....

[mb1]

Micarta

[500Nitro]

Question re Micarta and why people put it over FRN?

Before I start, I have some old Micarta Handled knives, (not Spyderco) and can't for the life of me see how
they have better grip than my Endura FRN handled knives.

I'll post a photo later of the Micarta I'm talking about but in the mean time, would be interested in your views.

[Bill1170]

Straight materials, cloth micarta hands down. Add in shape and texture you’re likely to get, and the needle swings over to point at FRN. Both these materials feel very friendly in hand, besides offering excellent grip wet or dry.

To 500Nitro, micarta can be of several types (for example, paper or canvas) and in different finishes. A canvas or linen micarta with a coarse sanded finish is comfy to hold and retains its traction when wet.

[vivi]

Micarta. It feels the best and ages great. Also you have different choices in micarta materials.

You know, if I could get canvas micarta pacific salts etc., with no liners or weight gain compared to FRN, I'd choose that. I love canvas micarta on my EDC fixed blades, but it's incredibly rare seeing unlined micarta scaled folders IME.