Lefty-friendly knives please

[fanglekai]

Almost everything in the 2018 mid-year product guide is not lefty-friendly.

Right-handed compression locks:







The button on the Smock might get accidentally pressed when held in the left hand:


Occluded, unusable Spyderholes:




This one has a flipper at least:


However, some of these not lefty-friendly knives are confusingly tapped for "ambi" carry:
Mantra 3
Amalgam
Kapara
Brouwer
Techno 2 (Techno 1 also had an occluded Spyderhole so it was unusable for lefties)
Autonomy 2
Lil Native
Sprint PM2

Then there are usable Spyderholes but the knives aren't tapped for lefty carry. The Subvert even has G10 milled for lefty opening:



This one I understand because the right-handed crowd would cry over "unnecessary, ugly, extra tapped holes":


Auto model is right-hand only but also tapped for "ambi" carry:


More right-handed only Military and PM2 sprints, as usual:



The only lefty-friendly knives are the Salts, Byrds, and Manix 2. I'd like this to serve as a friendly reminder that left-handed people exist and want to buy Spyderco knives. Please keep that in mind when you're making design choices.

[zhyla]

10% of the world is left handed. Way more than 10% of Spyderco models are fully ambidextrous. What’s the problem? :)

I think this sort of thing is expected from collaborations. Small makers don’t have enough resources to worry about lefties. And when Spyderco does collaborations on these very niche products they can’t afford to put it lefty versions of each knife. Where as a mainline production knife like a PM2 they can sell enough to make the left handed configuration profitable.

There are a lot of great backlock and CBBL models to choose from.

[holeshot]

Any BM with an Axis lock is totally ambidextrous. This is one reason since the patent expired on the Axis lock I wish Spyderco would try it out. :)

[shaztec]

I have to agree that I'm not into the righty compression lock since I've picked up the lefty pm2. But the lefty pm2 and lefty military are amazing and there are many other ambidextrous options available. I begged Alistair and sal not to make the kappara a compression lock but they felt that was the best way to go. Thems the breaks, I'm just going to focus on what does interest me instead. It can lead to some interesting choices, I wasnt happy that the opening hole on the spydiechef was covered so I bought the hundred pacer instead, for example. Happy hunting!

[tvenuto]

Any BM with an Axis lock is totally ambidextrous. This is one reason since the patent expired on the Axis lock I wish Spyderco would try it out. :)

Fat chance of that, but I do wish we’d see another bolt action lock like on the sage 3. Phenomenal, underrated lock design.

[spyderg]

As a lefty, my only concern is left carry. If I can’t tip up left carry, I don’t even look.( I have a couple that are tip down but I really don’t like carrying that way. Too awkward to adjust it to use, clip ends up in uncomfortable position).
I find compression locks work just fine in my left hand. I was going to get the lefty version but the Cruwear was released first and the only thing better than a Cruwear PM2 would be a lefty one, but not s30v,(no issues with s30 but Cruwear!).
As far as the “unusable” Spydie holes, in my mind they are far BETTER for us lefties as we get to finger Spydie flick them!

[Sharp Guy]

I'm right-handed but I like being able to also close my knives with my left hand and do so often. I find frame, liner, and compression locks very easy to close with my left hand. Yes, they're not as ideal as they are for righties but I wouldnt let it keep me from buying a knife I like.

For compression lock knives, hold the knife in your left hand with the blade open, move the lock bar with your thumb and let the blade fall so the ricasso-kick area hits your index finger, turn the knife over, move fingers out of the way, and pull the blade closed the rest of the way with your thumb on the spydie hole.

[TomAiello]

Any BM with an Axis lock is totally ambidextrous. This is one reason since the patent expired on the Axis lock I wish Spyderco would try it out. :)

The CBBL is totally ambidextrous. Spyderco uses it on the Manix 2, Manix 2 LW, and Manix 2 XL, with lots of sprints and variants. The BBL on the d'Allara and the bolt action lock on the Sage 3 are also fully ambidextrous.

To be fair, the back lock is fully ambi as well--so you could include almost everything made in Japan--Dragonfly, Manbug, Ladybug, Police, Endura, Delica, Stretch...

[TomAiello]

Any BM with an Axis lock is totally ambidextrous. This is one reason since the patent expired on the Axis lock I wish Spyderco would try it out. :)

Fat chance of that, but I do wish we’d see another bolt action lock like on the sage 3. Phenomenal, underrated lock design.

What do you guys see as the advantages of the Axis lock over the CBBL?

The CBBL is my favorite lock, period. I own way too many Manii and the CBBL is the main reason. But I also own two Sage 3's, the Ritter mini-grip (in two variants) and an M4 mini-grip. I honestly don't have any preference between those three locks--in my use they're all pretty much interchangeable.

[ZrowsN1s]

I get what you mean fanglekai. True left handed options are best for lefties. Though I'm sure as a lefty you are used to adapting. I'm ambidextrous and carry left and right handed. If you haven't tried a compression lock, they are fairly easy to use left handed. The spyderhole and(or) flippers make for easy lefty opening and as far as closing a compression lock, I just use my thumb instead of my index finger to depress the lock and swing it closed like I would with my right hand. It's not as good as a true lefty knife would be but it is very doable.

[tvenuto]

I find that on the CBBL you need to grip both sides to unlock effectively. The BAL (like the axis) is far easier to unlock with one side only.

[silvershade255]

Improvise, adapt, and overcome my friends. I do agree the lack of left side carry options and occluded holes is a bit disappointing, but it won't stop me from interesting knives. I'd considered whether it'd be productive to make a thread just for lefty discussion, which knives are difficult to use and techniques to adapt to them, things like that.

[blendergasket]

This seems like as good a place to ask as any...

I've been seriously looking at the GB2 but I am worried that the pick would be difficult for me (a lefty) to disengage. Have any southpaws been able to make that one work well?

[shaztec]

This seems like as good a place to ask as any...

I've been seriously looking at the GB2 but I am worried that the pick would be difficult for me (a lefty) to disengage. Have any southpaws been able to make that one work well?

I have the 1 and the two and they are fine.

[Cambertree]

This seems like as good a place to ask as any...

I've been seriously looking at the GB2 but I am worried that the pick would be difficult for me (a lefty) to disengage. Have any southpaws been able to make that one work well?

Yeah, I brush my left thumb over the lockbar with a bit of inward pressure. Besides the inherent liner lock concern of having to place your thumb or finger in the path of the free swinging, closing blade, it works fine.

10% of the world is left handed. Way more than 10% of Spyderco models are fully ambidextrous. What’s the problem? :)

Sure, but if we're talking true proportional representation in design, 10% of Spydie models would be left hand biased, not just ambidextrous, no? :D :p

It's interesting that the original compression lock design was actually on the other side for righties, and was described in the patent as having a cutout for thumb access, not finger access. So it could be said that the current setup of the compression lock is actually lefty specific, at least in the way it was originally envisaged by Sal and Co. :)

I don't personally have any issue manipulating the compression lock left handed, so the lefty PM2 had less interest for me than getting the Cruwear version, like brother @Spyderg. I'll probably eventually get the lefty Millie, despite S30V not being among my favourite steels, to support the concept, if nothing else. I recollect in one of the last discussions on this subject, that Sal said something along the lines of 'Spyderco would look at making a lefty specific model once every 5 years or so.'

I'd love a lefty Millie in a sprint style steel like Cruwear, or Rex45. The Spydiechef is definitely another knife I wish was available in a left handed version.

What model would other southpaws most like to be produced in a left handed edition, if you could only choose one?

[The Deacon]

I'd agree that the percentage of truly "full ambi" Spydercos in the lineup has seriously declined in the past ten years. Granted, almost all that existed then are still in production, and a few new ones have been added, so we do have "more" to choose from now than we did then. However, that marginal increase is nothing like the explosive growth of models favoring (and in some cases virtually demanding) right handed use.

As for dedicated left hand versions of "handed" knives, I'm enough of a realist to understand that offering lefty versions of every model would not be economically feasible for Spyderco, but one would think there'd be enough demand to sustain production of a left handed Military, PM2, and perhaps a Sage 1 or 2.

[TomAiello]

I find that on the CBBL you need to grip both sides to unlock effectively. The BAL (like the axis) is far easier to unlock with one side only.

Hmm. I'll have to mess with that. I think I'm just in the habit of gripping both sides on all those knives, anyway, so I've never noticed any difference. I'll break out my BMs and start trying to compare.

[Nate]

...but one would think there'd be enough demand to sustain production of a left handed Military, PM2, and perhaps a Sage 1 or 2.

Yes, one would think, but since Spyderco released the lefty PM2 and re-upped on the Lefty Military I've seen a lot of lefties passing on them in favor of the righty models, due to the availability of sprints and exclusives. Some examples are here in this thread. It's basically made me resolve to stop even asking for more lefty options. I have duplicates of those and a whole lot of the full-ambi options, so the reality is I'm good.

I do get what the OP's saying, but anymore I almost feel glad that I can filter out so many new models and not feel the need to buy them lol. :p

And yes, lefties can adapt and overcome, we often do. It's about preference and comfort for me though. Sure I can operate a righty comp lock well in my left hand, I just prefer the left hand version, it's easier and more comfortable, same with liner locks.

I wish I had the resources to send any righty who says standard comp locks are fine for lefties the actual left hand model to carry exclusively for a week and then see what they say. I also wish I could send a left hand model to all the lefties sticking with the standard versions and see how many feel they'd been fooling themselves afterward... but I digress, everyone is of course free to do and say what they want.

I still bought the Sliverax despite the "wrong-handed" lock because I liked the overall design so much, but I feel like the exceptions I make will only get more rare over time. More recently I looked through the mid-year supplement, then went out and bought a PITS, it's worked out brilliantly.

[guywithopinion]

However, some of these not lefty-friendly knives are confusingly tapped for "ambi" carry:

I'd just point out, one does not have to be a lefty to want clip holes drilled on both sides. I am right handed, but carry knives almost exclusively in my left pocket. I also carry them with the blade against the seam, so "lefty" pocket clip holes are important to me.

[StuntZombie]

Personally, I always felt that the current compression locks are more easily operated with my left hand, rather than my right. YYMV though.