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Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:11 am
by Doc Dan
The Endura 4 is almost perfect...that is except for that first finger bump. Ten or so years ago I rounded down the first bump on my gray E4. My hands are very large and thick ( some are bigger) and I wear a 2XL glove. Rounding it down, but not off or flat made it fit my baseball mitt hands better.

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I don’t think it needs to come down quite as much but I do think taking it down a tad and rounding it off would make the grip better all around. Now, I can choke up, or hold it in the middle with equal comfort.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:16 am
by JuPaul
Funny, I think even with smaller hands I'd like that mod. It just seems like it'd give you more options for positioning your first two fingers rather than having them forced into a certain grip.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:10 am
by p_atrick
I find the Endura's handle to be uncomfortable. I wish I had thought to do the same thing. That way I would still have my very first Spyderco. Sigh...

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:21 am
by Wartstein
p_atrick wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:10 am
I find the Endura's handle to be uncomfortable. I wish I had thought to do the same thing. That way I would still have my very first Spyderco. Sigh...
I personally love the Endura handle in any grip, but still what I´ve found:

At least with a bit larger hands it is better suited for a hammer grip than a "thumb on the ramp" grip.
In a "thumb on the ramp" grip the hand is most likely positioned a bit more backwards and the middle finger does rest on the first finger bump. This is what many seem to perceive as being uncomfortable (not me personally though)
In a hammer grip the hand will or at least canbe positioned a bit more forward and both the index- and middle finger fit better in the first finger groove.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:30 am
by elena86
I like the Endela's handle more. I hate the fact that they ruined the Pac Salt 2

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:33 am
by Doc Dan
FRN is soft so the mod only took minutes. I used a medium stone then a fine and it looks factory as far as the finish. I took it down a bit, tried it, took it down, tried it again. That way I didn’t take too much. I figured I could always take more off if I later felt I needed to do so, but I couldn’t put it back on. I’ve seen some people’s mods that I felt went too far.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:45 am
by VooDooChild
It drives me crazy that there isnt a second handle option for the endura 4 and delica 4. Something similar, just without the points.

Anyways, nice mod.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 11:15 am
by vivi
I did a similar mod to a FFG gray scaled Endura a few years back. It makes a pretty big difference for just a few minutes work.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:07 pm
by dan31
I can second the Endela handle. They rounded off that first point and made the rear end a bit wider. Best handle so far. The K390 version will get the Endela into more hands.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:21 pm
by foofie
I do not have 2XL hands (more like L), and the first bump on both the endura and delica made the knives so uncomfortable that I could never keep any of them. Then I heard about this mod - and it really works! Not to oversell it - but it made a night/day difference for me, such that I am buying enduras and delicas now. It doesn't take much - not even 5 minutes with a dremel to knock off the bump.

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Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:22 pm
by foofie
And, not to derail the OP, but the scales are made of frn - fiberglass reinforced nylon. I know the fiberglass in g10 dust is horrible for the lungs. Does anyone know if the frn dust is similarly bad? Respirator?

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 9:27 pm
by PeaceInOurTime
Nice mod! I've considered trying that on mine, but honestly, the E4 handle works well for me. That hump really helps "lock-in" my index and middle fingers when pressing my thumb on the ramp. Even when my middle finger occasionally slides back on the hump, it doesn't really bother me. I can certainly take it either way, with or without the hump (I do like neutral handles), but I appreciate the secure ergos of the E4 handle.

I may have to try it on one of my E4s just to see the difference.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 10:13 pm
by Doc Dan
foofie wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:22 pm
And, not to derail the OP, but the scales are made of frn - fiberglass reinforced nylon. I know the fiberglass in g10 dust is horrible for the lungs. Does anyone know if the frn dust is similarly bad? Respirator?
I did not mention this but it is a good point. I used a diamond hone by hand. I kept the handle moist to keep down dust and I wore an N95 mask (it is what I had). I was afraid a dremel or etc would put too much dust in the air and it would take it down too quickly for me to test at each stage. But, yes, the dust could be harmful so anyone modding should take precautions.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:47 am
by rak2
Thanks for the tip! What worked for me was a couple of minutes with some 600 sandpaper to remove the 'pointyness' / sharpness of the points. Not even sure I can tell the difference in the profile visually. The hump is not gone at all, just has less of a 'digging into my skin' feeling. Also have an Endella and love the feel of that handle (small hands) but this simple adjustment on the Endura will make it more difficult to decide which to use/carry. rak2

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 9:21 am
by Doc Dan
foofie wrote:
Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:21 pm
I do not have 2XL hands (more like L), and the first bump on both the endura and delica made the knives so uncomfortable that I could never keep any of them. Then I heard about this mod - and it really works! Not to oversell it - but it made a night/day difference for me, such that I am buying enduras and delicas now. It doesn't take much - not even 5 minutes with a dremel to knock off the bump.

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Looks great. It does make a huge difference, doesn't it? The trick is to take it down just a little, see how it feels, take it down some more, repeat until it feels good, otherwise it can be taken down too far very easily.

Re: Endura 4 handle mod

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 9:22 am
by Doc Dan
rak2 wrote:
Sat Aug 08, 2020 6:47 am
Thanks for the tip! What worked for me was a couple of minutes with some 600 sandpaper to remove the 'pointyness' / sharpness of the points. Not even sure I can tell the difference in the profile visually. The hump is not gone at all, just has less of a 'digging into my skin' feeling. Also have an Endella and love the feel of that handle (small hands) but this simple adjustment on the Endura will make it more difficult to decide which to use/carry. rak2
Yes, only a little bit makes a huge difference.