Where do you grip large knives with a choil?

[JD Spydo]

I guess in a way I've probably got a weird approach to folders with a choil option. I've got several models with a choil but I hardly ever use them in the way most people do. I just go with what is comfortable for me and I also try to attain the most leverage I can get no matter what type of handle design I have.

I've always had a philosophy which simply states "Whatever Works" and it has done me well over the years.

Now I always keep safety in mind>> that's always my ultimate top priority.

[kennethsime]

You know, it's a good question. On the PM2, Para 3, Stretch, and Dragonfly I immediately grip the choil.

On the Military, I initially grip without the choil, then slide forward into the choil to get more control over the blade. That's the primary reason I like the choil - my hand is closer to the cutting edge, and I feel like I have more control.

I hope that the Military 2 will use the larger choil from the PM2; the one on the current Militar is a bit small and has a bit less bite.

[VashHash]

If the knife is large enough I grip behind the choil. I use the choil on smaller knives or when choking up for better control. Like when cutting tape on boxes without stabbing the blade all the way in.

[Cambertree]

I use both holds, depending on the kind of cutting I’m doing. I’ll also often use a pinch grip with my thumb in the Spydiehole and first or middle fingertip in the choil. I like the feature, myself.

I also like the minimal kind of forward finger choil, which can be more like a ‘finger shelf’ like the Stretch 1, GB1, Junction and Bradley Bowie have.

I also like the way utilising it subtly alters the balance of the knife in hand for different tasks.

[xceptnl]

I am the exact opposite vivi. I instinctively reach for the choil on knives that have one. I prefer a more choked up grip to maximize the control on blades. This is more important for me on large knives like the Millie, ATR, Police 4, etc.

[Doc Dan]

Why would anyone purposely reach so far forward on a large knife as to miss the handle and grab the choil? I do not understand this. I understand grabbing the handle and then choking up, but not bypassing a normal grip.

[Cycletroll]

No choils . A properly designed handle and finger guard is best.

Agree!

[GarageBoy]

Maybe because I grew up with finger choils, but I also immediately reach for them

Grabbing a military or police behind the choil makes the edge seem so far away

[Enactive]

For me it depends on the task and the knife. I find the range of grips useful- catering to reach or fine control depending on need.

[dj moonbat]

Depends on how I'm using the knife. For most I'll grip behind the choil, but for finer work I'll use it, and for really fine work my thumb and most of my fingers are out on the sides of the blad and my index finger is on the spine.

Exactly. I don’t even really think about it. If I’m getting up close, the index finger just naturally slides up front.

[xceptnl]

Why would anyone purposely reach so far forward on a large knife as to miss the handle and grab the choil? I do not understand this. I understand grabbing the handle and then choking up, but not bypassing a normal grip.

I realize the grip is subjective and dependent on the cutting chore, but I always try to make the most use of the mechanical advanrage of having my hand as close to the edge as possible. I usually have my thumb on the ramp or on the spine for heavy cutting so the choil aids in my leverage.

[Doc Dan]

Why would anyone purposely reach so far forward on a large knife as to miss the handle and grab the choil? I do not understand this. I understand grabbing the handle and then choking up, but not bypassing a normal grip.

I realize the grip is subjective and dependent on the cutting chore, but I always try to make the most use of the mechanical advanrage of having my hand as close to the edge as possible. I usually have my thumb on the ramp or on the spine for heavy cutting so the choil aids in my leverage.

I understand that. What mystifies me is choosing that grip as the normal grip, first and foremost. If I need to choke up on a knife I will do so, but not in normal cutting.

Incidentally, the Military is the only knife larger than a Chaparral that gets the choil right, as far as I am concerned. I do not care for choils but actually like the one on the Military.

[Tucson Tom]

Unless I am doing something truly bizarre with the knife, I always ignore the choil. To my mind, it is there for that one in a million case where I want it, but if it vanished, that would suit me fine. I have a Manix 2 (not XL) here next to me and picking it up, I have no urge or inclination to use the choil. So it by no means annoys me, but I rarely use it.

[zuludelta]

It depends on the task, really. I do find that I naturally gravitate towards holding my Manix 2 or PM2 behind the choil because it is in that grip where my slightly extended thumb falls exactly on the thumb ramp.

[The Deacon]

Why would anyone purposely reach so far forward on a large knife as to miss the handle and grab the choil? I do not understand this. I understand grabbing the handle and then choking up, but not bypassing a normal grip.

Might depend, to some extent, on how you open the knife. I almost always open mine by using a controlled rotation with the pad of my thumb in the Spyderhole. That tends to place my hand fairly forward on the handle of even a really large Spyderco folder like the Police 4. Because of that, there's no "reaching" involved when my index finger winds up in the choil. In fact, I have to move my hand back on the handle if I don't want to use the choil.

Also, for me anyway, there's another advantage of the choil on a large midlock Spyderco folder. If I place a finger there, I know I can let the blade drop onto it when closing the knife without cutting myself.

[Wartstein]

......

Incidentally, the Military is the only knife larger than a Chaparral that gets the choil right, as far as I am concerned. I do not care for choils but actually like the one on the Military.

Doc, have you ever tried the Kapara choil? I happened to like it a lot. Rather subtle and nostly in the handle (and not in the blade) so it sacrifices very little cutting edge.

[Doc Dan]

......

Incidentally, the Military is the only knife larger than a Chaparral that gets the choil right, as far as I am concerned. I do not care for choils but actually like the one on the Military.

Doc, have you ever tried the Kapara choil? I happened to like it a lot. Rather subtle and nostly in the handle (and not in the blade) so it sacrifices very little cutting edge.

No, I haven't. I love everything about the knife except one thing: the lock. I would have preferred a back lock. But that's me.

[Wartstein]

[quote=xceptnl

No, I haven't. I love everything about the knife except one thing: the lock. I would have preferred a back lock. But that's me.

I am totally with you. A Kapara with a backlock or maybe linerlock would be great (though I think that probably with a backlock the exact same blade would not fit in the narrow handle).

I generally prefer back, CBB-, and linerlock over the comp.lock, but especially the Kapara complock is a bit awkward to operate in a bit "harsher" conditions due to the small cutout and narrow handle.

The design of the subtle choil s perfect though!

[Bill1170]

I almost never grip the choil on four-finger folders. Even on a Delica I find the handle length adequate such that I don’t long for a choil. For detail work I often perform a pinch grip on the blade, closer to the tip. But for most uses I just grasp the handle to accomplish the task.