Your responses to someone who claims "The hump on Spyderco knives gets in the way of proper use"?

[James Y]

I don't think I've ever heard someone say the hump gets in the way of use, but I have heard people say it's ugly and makes the knife too wide when closed and clipped in the pocket. To each his own, I guess...

Jim

[Woodpuppy]

I think the lump on top of your neck is a bigger obstacle than the hump on the back of the blade.. :)

^^ that’s funny right there.

But as to the original question, I’d tell them there are many knives available without a hump, including some made by Spyderco. I don’t prefer the chap/native family myself, but many do. Evan with as much catalog diversity as Spyderco offers, they can’t satisfy everyone.

[vivi]

i would lend them a Delica for a week and ask them after a week what did the hump get in the way of.

Last time I lent a guy at work a Spyderco he bought a Delica, Endura and a pacific Salt that night.

The hump is actually the main reason why the Delica doesn't work for me.

It was my first Spyderco and it gave me a negative impression of their knives. I was told they were the most comfortable handles out there, but the Delica didn't work for me.

There isn't enough space between where the index finger and thumb go. This makes the joints of my thumb very cramped and uncomfortable. I don't mind the thumb ramp on my police because gripped behind the index choil there is about an inch between my index finger and tip of my thumb, so I have room there.

But with the Delica....if you did that with me, I'd give the Delica back and say yes, the thumb ramp absolutely got in my way.

[Bloke]

To each there own.

Last week we bought a couple of push bikes for my daughter’s little ones which I had to assemble. I took a set of handle bars out of the box that had a cable tie hold a tag or something. The closest knife handy was an old Case Slimline trapper which I grabbed then realised I need both hands to open it. Instead of putting down the handle bars and opening it, it was easier to toss the Trapper on the couch and grab the next closest knife, a Rex45 Military and thumb it open one handed. :)

[navin johnson]

First off don't panic if someone disagrees with your beliefs. We all use tools differently.

I find for heavy cutting the manix and native to work better.

[BobABQ]

What to say about the hump getting the way on a Spyderco knife? Buy a Spyderco Lil’ Native, it does not have a hump!

[this_is_nascar]

I don't think I've ever heard someone say the hump gets in the way of use, but I have heard people say it's ugly and makes the knife too wide when closed and clipped in the pocket. To each his own, I guess...

Jim

Yep. I'd be one of these people.

[vivi]

What to say about the hump getting the way on a Spyderco knife? Buy a Spyderco Lil’ Native, it does not have a hump!

This is one of the main reasons I'm excited for the Native Chief. I love the ergos of the Native but like a longer blade.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Try it, you will like it!

Thumb studs are always in the way and by comparison pretty pathetic.

[Sumdumguy]

Go away!

In all seriousness, there is a Spyderco for any and everyone. There are so many different models, you couldn't possibly hate them all.

If you want a quality knife, there is no equal.
But I'm biased :spyder:

[The Mastiff]

First off don't panic if someone disagrees with your beliefs. We all use tools differently.

Excellent advice IMO. :)

Joe

[anagarika]

Never argue with an idiot.

^^ what he said.

The thumbstud and disk gets in the way. Hump? ^^ agree

(Except for Vivi’s thumb of course in the holding but not in the cutting)

[W7H2O]

Tell them if keeps your hands from slipping when they are bloody. :D

[Wartstein]

Mentioned it before, but am a little surprised that no one else does:

When cutting, I very often put my thumb not on the SPINE, but rather on the SIDE of the blade. Example Stretch 1: When in a regular grip, actually on the hole, when choked up a little in front of the hole.

The hump and the hole give me more surface and grip to press my thumb on the side of the blade than a flat spine would do.

[Pelagic]

The thumb ramp, like many aspects of spyderco knives, is probably just Sal/Eric's expression of practical design and user friendliness in their opinion. It turns out a lot of people share their views. I've already stated my 2 cents but I'll add this about thumb ramps.

On the pm2 and military specifically, I believe they designed the blade with it's strong taper (at least in part) to provide width at the base of the spine to provide extra comfort for harder cutting when using the thumb ramp. The ramp is aggressive and I believe most could get by without jimping, although the jimping is an excellent addition to the overall feel and extra confidence you get when cutting. By using the thumb ramp (especially without the forward 50/50 index finger choil), you introduce negative pressure on the pivot every time you cut something, which counteracts some of the positive pressure put on the pivot and lock. This allows you to cut harder and stress the internals less, as your thumb will be taking some of the stress. I only have average sized hands (I prefer size large gloves although usually end up using XL, which also works) and I fully understand Vivi's concerns about one's thumb being cramped. Hard cutting forces your thumb knuckle backwards as it compresses your thumb, which can be discomforting. You have options to escape this on the P4 and military, generally, but not really the pm2. With lighter cutting, use of both the thumb ramp and forward finger choil makes sense as well. Plenty of control, good ergonomics, jimping on the 50/50 choil is crucial and on point. All in all, I think I'd understand what someone means by "proper use" to an extent, but that is still very subjective. Different people have different needs, and no one model can satisfy everyone. I wouldn't ever call anyone an idiot over something like this. I'd probably explain why the design of the knife is intuitive and how it works out well for a large number of people, despite not working out well for all.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I am so glad to read your excellent responses, everyone, this brings new insight into the issue. As an add-on to this, when I asked the person to please give me a practical example of how the Spyderco thumb-ramp/hump gets in the way during cutting use, here was one answer I was given: For serious hunting and animal-cleaning chores, when the person has to get in and remove lungs and other organs, from a deer carcass or other animal, a straight-backed knife with a somewhat upward curve at the tip is ideal, and the Spyderco hump in the blade and leaf-shaped blade is not ideal for this, and according to them is more of a "gimmick". I would like to read what those of you who have experience with hunting both large and small game have to say in reply to that. Is there truth to that statement?

Like some have shown on here, Spyderco makes numerous models of knives, such as the Moran Hunter and Skinner/Curved blade.

[this_is_nascar]

The hump is there by default, as a result of Spyderco's signature thumb hole. Remove or reduce the size of the hole, the hump is reduced.

It's one of the reasons the Chaparral is my favorite and the Native-5 in second. Both of them have a minimal hump.

[RamZar]

In some Spyderco folders the hump is perhaps too pronounced. The blade hole is a great innovation because you use most of the blade for cutting and the hump for the hole makes opening easier. However, when it's too pronounced it takes away from the aesthetics and makes it too wide in the pocket. A good compromise are the Native and Southard.

[Bill1170]

If they dislike the spine hump, they can select a knife without one. I see no problem here.

[vivi]

If they dislike the spine hump, they can select a knife without one. I see no problem here.

I like folding knives with no hump, at least a 4" blade with no recurve, and backlock or CBBL.

Which Spyderco do you suggest?