Spyderco has been very innovative in handle design, but I don't have the chance to try before I buy, so am looking for your input.
I have relatively small hands. What I want is a handle that feels really secure, with no tendency for hand to slide forward or back, or for knife to twist.
What I have tried:
Delica - my fav EDC, pretty good handle, fits well. Sometimes I want a beefier knife.
Lil Temp - love the knife, handle too wide (esp. lower part). Reshaped some for better fit, but I don't want to have to do that.
Calypso Jr - Don't like a handle that puts a finger on the blade (choil) to grip with your whole hand.
Starmate - love the knife, its my main field folder, handle is OK but not particularly ergo .
What I've been looking at and would like your thoughts on:
Gunting - its a very long handle (by design, I know), but how does it feel, particularly if you have small hands ?
Scorpius - don't like SS, too cold for field use in winter, but the handle shape looks great, and I like the blade shape.
Native - again, one of those handles that puts a finger on the blade.
Paramilitary - not out yet, will probably purchase as field knife, but has anybody handled one ???
thanks for your input
ergo handles - what works for you ?
I have handled the Para and it feels great.
<img src=http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/image ... rforum.gif
<img src=http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/image ... rforum.gif
runningdog,
I must have larger hands, I find the Lil' Temp handle great. No change needed for me. Also if I'm gripping the native I don't mind my finger in the choil. Have you thought of the dodo. It's handle is supposed to be more ergo and G10. Have you ever handled a wegner or wegner Jr? I like the full size one but the Jr. might work for you.
Chris
Be Excellent to each other.
I must have larger hands, I find the Lil' Temp handle great. No change needed for me. Also if I'm gripping the native I don't mind my finger in the choil. Have you thought of the dodo. It's handle is supposed to be more ergo and G10. Have you ever handled a wegner or wegner Jr? I like the full size one but the Jr. might work for you.
Chris
Be Excellent to each other.
For me, the most ergonomic Spydie handle is the Dodo. It's simply a work of art. Very comfortable, very secure. The G-10 makes it difficult for the knife to slip out of your grip. The grip is large enough to get a real purchase on, yet remains comfortable, even for my small hands.
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
Sniper -- One Shot, One Kill Email: ST8PEN01@aol.com
The two most comfortable knives I've handled are the Dodo and the Native. It's close but my overall preference is for the Native because of the choil and the texturing. The Dodo also has a great shape and the G-10 is much superior to any other handle material for comfort IMHO.
Edited by - chux on 11/21/2003 5:57:30 PM
Edited by - chux on 11/21/2003 5:57:30 PM
I have the same problem about the Natives index finger choil, I feel as though at any time my finger could slip foward, however I don't get that feeling at all from the Dodo. Very comfortable sturdy little cutter, I also have a good grip on both the Endura and Delica I own, a little more slip jointy but very secure
Odin guide my sword to eternal victory
Odin guide my sword to eternal victory
have you tried looking for a Goddard? I had the opportunity to handle one a while back when they first came out. That "guard" took some getting used to, but I had no feeling whatsoever of forward or rearward slide. In all my years of using Spyders of all shapes and sizes,(over a decade now...) the only folder I had some apprehension about forward slide was my Walker&Horn...Other than that, I've no problems at all, and i have small hands myself. Keep us posted! Aloha!
God will put you over...if you let Him!
Edited by - Daywalker on 11/21/2003 10:49:46 PM
God will put you over...if you let Him!
Edited by - Daywalker on 11/21/2003 10:49:46 PM
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The Deacon
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My opinions, based strictly on handle ergonomics of models I own, and colored to some extent by my left-handedness, YMMV:
The "Great Ones":
Native III - if I knew I was going to spend the day cutting up a ton of boxes or carpet, and could only bring one knife, this would be it.
FRN Native - almost as good ergos as its newer cousin, the slimmer design trades a bit of long use comfort for more discrete pocket carry.
FRN Calypso Jr - the fish scale pattern grip combines elegant looks and great non-slip functionality.
Kiwi - a small knife I can get a full four-finger grip on. The jigged bone version feels better than the all stainless one, due to increased thickness and traction. Comfortable for all the tasks I normally use a pocket knife for.
Jess Horn C34 and C38 - fit my hand like they were made for me. The micarta on the C34, although shiny to look at, always feels "sticky" to the touch.
JD Smith - if I was still hunting, and wanted to carry a folder to field dress deer, this would be it. Very comfortable to hold and use, and like the C34, the micarta handle feels nice and grippy despite looking slick as glass.
Jester - hard to believe a key-ring size knife could be this comfortable to use. (ok, I'm cheating here. The blade design, with dual thumb ramps behind the hole and near the tip contributes significantly to this.)
C14 Rescue - great handle ergos, just wish the blade opened out a few more degrees so the edge was parallel to the centerline of the handle.
The "Close but no cigar":
Navigator - great handle shape except for the "horns". I really have to get one in G10, as the almite version is too slippery to be useful. My perfect small knife would have the basic handle of a Navigator, in micarta or G10, with the three "horns" rounded off slightly, and a flat ground blade just under 2" long with the same hole size as the current Navigator.
Black Hawk - aside from the fact that I'm deeply offended by the asymmetrical handle design that give right handed users full access to the blade hole while denying it to us southpaws, this is a great feeling handle. If the hole were a decent size, I'd "correct" the handle problem with some sandpaper, as it is, this one will spend its days in the drawer.
The "Missed by a Mile"
D'holder Toad - what made me bid on this miserable little POS on eBay I'll never know. Could have been the high fever from the flu. Perhaps the tea with lemon, honey and lots of rum I'd taken to ease the aches and let me get some rest. Possibly the telemarketer phone call that dragged me out of that sleep to offer me time-shares. Maybe the combination of all these events. Whatever, I bid, I won, I paid, and now I have a Toad. The only good thing I can say about it that I've never gotten warts from it. Other than that this little knife manages to combine the slipperiness of almite with a handle design that makes it impossible to open left handed, and not a lot easier right handed. I have to remember to grip it by the clip, not the handle when opening it, or my ring finger will inevitably be in the path of the blade. Couple that with a blade design that is really only suitable for a box cutter and you come up with a knife that will spend its days at the VERY bottom of the drawer, buried under those thirty year old hand-knit orange and black striped socks from aunt Matilda that I'll never wear but can never make up my mind to just throw out either.
The "Ergos need not apply here"
SpyderCard - lets just say that, IMHO, last ditch defensive weapons are immune to normal ergonomic considerations as long as they are capable of doing what the are intended to do. Hope I never need to put this one to the test, but am betting it would pass with flying colors. Just have to hope nobody ever gets too curious as to why the little pocket calculator in my shoulder bag is so darn heavy.
Paul
The "Great Ones":
Native III - if I knew I was going to spend the day cutting up a ton of boxes or carpet, and could only bring one knife, this would be it.
FRN Native - almost as good ergos as its newer cousin, the slimmer design trades a bit of long use comfort for more discrete pocket carry.
FRN Calypso Jr - the fish scale pattern grip combines elegant looks and great non-slip functionality.
Kiwi - a small knife I can get a full four-finger grip on. The jigged bone version feels better than the all stainless one, due to increased thickness and traction. Comfortable for all the tasks I normally use a pocket knife for.
Jess Horn C34 and C38 - fit my hand like they were made for me. The micarta on the C34, although shiny to look at, always feels "sticky" to the touch.
JD Smith - if I was still hunting, and wanted to carry a folder to field dress deer, this would be it. Very comfortable to hold and use, and like the C34, the micarta handle feels nice and grippy despite looking slick as glass.
Jester - hard to believe a key-ring size knife could be this comfortable to use. (ok, I'm cheating here. The blade design, with dual thumb ramps behind the hole and near the tip contributes significantly to this.)
C14 Rescue - great handle ergos, just wish the blade opened out a few more degrees so the edge was parallel to the centerline of the handle.
The "Close but no cigar":
Navigator - great handle shape except for the "horns". I really have to get one in G10, as the almite version is too slippery to be useful. My perfect small knife would have the basic handle of a Navigator, in micarta or G10, with the three "horns" rounded off slightly, and a flat ground blade just under 2" long with the same hole size as the current Navigator.
Black Hawk - aside from the fact that I'm deeply offended by the asymmetrical handle design that give right handed users full access to the blade hole while denying it to us southpaws, this is a great feeling handle. If the hole were a decent size, I'd "correct" the handle problem with some sandpaper, as it is, this one will spend its days in the drawer.
The "Missed by a Mile"
D'holder Toad - what made me bid on this miserable little POS on eBay I'll never know. Could have been the high fever from the flu. Perhaps the tea with lemon, honey and lots of rum I'd taken to ease the aches and let me get some rest. Possibly the telemarketer phone call that dragged me out of that sleep to offer me time-shares. Maybe the combination of all these events. Whatever, I bid, I won, I paid, and now I have a Toad. The only good thing I can say about it that I've never gotten warts from it. Other than that this little knife manages to combine the slipperiness of almite with a handle design that makes it impossible to open left handed, and not a lot easier right handed. I have to remember to grip it by the clip, not the handle when opening it, or my ring finger will inevitably be in the path of the blade. Couple that with a blade design that is really only suitable for a box cutter and you come up with a knife that will spend its days at the VERY bottom of the drawer, buried under those thirty year old hand-knit orange and black striped socks from aunt Matilda that I'll never wear but can never make up my mind to just throw out either.
The "Ergos need not apply here"
SpyderCard - lets just say that, IMHO, last ditch defensive weapons are immune to normal ergonomic considerations as long as they are capable of doing what the are intended to do. Hope I never need to put this one to the test, but am betting it would pass with flying colors. Just have to hope nobody ever gets too curious as to why the little pocket calculator in my shoulder bag is so darn heavy.
Paul
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dialex
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A Delica with a beefier look could be the C05 Standard. It's basically a Delica with G-10 handles and a slightly thicker blade (3 mm instead of 2.5).
I guess also that the new Persian Folder (to be released in 2004) may fit you.
<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>
I guess also that the new Persian Folder (to be released in 2004) may fit you.
<a href="http://users.pcnet.ro/dialex"><font color=blue>(my page)</font></a>
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The Deacon
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Daywalker, if you, or anyone else here ever wants to email me, you can use my username here, in lower case with no space between the two words (in other words: thedeacon), @earthlink.net (I don't like to make thing easy for the spammers email harvesting software by writing it out here). And it's not really all that cruel, it's a nice warm drawer, and those socks have never been worn.
Paul
Paul
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java
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- Location: Rosamond - Tropical Paradise without the tropics.....(or the paradise)
Runningdog
I'll echo the general agreement of the Native and the Dodo for ergos. I have mid sized mitts and these two feel full and natural in my grip. I also like the fit of the Gunting. It protrudes from my hand as a good yawara stick should but is unobtrusive. Come to think of it the Dodo sticks out a wee bit as well and it could be used in the same manner.
Java the younger has smaller hands and he is happy with his Delica, Meerkats, and Navigators. Like Deacon says though, I would try to find the G10 Nav for improved grip. I also agree with Deacon on the Jester. They have amazing control and feel very comfy for such a small knife.
Stay safe! Stay sharp!
I'll echo the general agreement of the Native and the Dodo for ergos. I have mid sized mitts and these two feel full and natural in my grip. I also like the fit of the Gunting. It protrudes from my hand as a good yawara stick should but is unobtrusive. Come to think of it the Dodo sticks out a wee bit as well and it could be used in the same manner.
Java the younger has smaller hands and he is happy with his Delica, Meerkats, and Navigators. Like Deacon says though, I would try to find the G10 Nav for improved grip. I also agree with Deacon on the Jester. They have amazing control and feel very comfy for such a small knife.
Stay safe! Stay sharp!
wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I actually found a Native III at the local sporting goods store. The handle fit reasonably well (a bit too fat for me), but I could get all my fingers on comfortably without any on the blade choil. Maybe a Native I, which appears to be flatter, would work even better.
I'd love to try a Dodo because it is such a cool looking knife and the handle would probably be great, but I prefer straight blades. I love the idea of a short blade knife with a handle that gives a strong grip (I've carried a dragonfly for years, but the handle is actually too short for anything but light cutting), but I like the delica or even Scorpius blade shape over the s-shaped Dodo.
I'm still curious about the Gunting - not so much for EDC, but to see how such a long, but sculpted handle feels.
But I may just wait for the paramilitary, which looks to me like the "perfect" EDC knife.
I'd love to try a Dodo because it is such a cool looking knife and the handle would probably be great, but I prefer straight blades. I love the idea of a short blade knife with a handle that gives a strong grip (I've carried a dragonfly for years, but the handle is actually too short for anything but light cutting), but I like the delica or even Scorpius blade shape over the s-shaped Dodo.
I'm still curious about the Gunting - not so much for EDC, but to see how such a long, but sculpted handle feels.
But I may just wait for the paramilitary, which looks to me like the "perfect" EDC knife.
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glockman99
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For me, (I have large hands), the Native III feels pretty good, as does the Police model and Endura.
Dann Fassnacht Aberdeen, WA glockman99@hotmail.com ICQ: 53675663
Dann Fassnacht Aberdeen, WA glockman99@hotmail.com ICQ: 53675663