Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

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rogatsby
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Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#1

Post by rogatsby »

I just got into collecting Spydercos and bought the Delica. Overall, I love it and for me, it is almost a perfect knife.

The only problem? It does not have the 50-50 forward finger choil like many other Spydercos. Does anyone know the rationale for this? If the Delica had the jimped finger choil like the Dragonfly, it would literally be the perfect knife for me. It seems strange, and I was just wondering if Spyderco ever laid out a reason for this.

Despite the lack of a choil, I love my Delica and consider it to be almost the perfect EDC knife.

Hopefully there is a Delica 5 with this feature.
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Jazz
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#2

Post by Jazz »

Does every knife need a choil? No. The ricasso on the Delica is long enough to put your finger there. Don't try to change what is just fine (my opinion, of course).
- best wishes, Jazz.
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abbazaba
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#3

Post by abbazaba »

This has been hotly debated for longer than I've been around. If you really want this, Boomer52 on BladeForums can hook you up.

Image

I still love the stock Delica, but this mod fits my hand much better without the finger grooves, and the choil feels natural to me.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#4

Post by rogatsby »

Jazz wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:41 am
Does every knife need a choil? No. The ricasso on the Delica is long enough to put your finger there. Don't try to change what is just fine (my opinion, of course).
I just think the choil design is really great and it would improve what is already an amazing knife. So I think it would be an improvement. Yes, the Delica is already fine, but why not make an obvious improvement?
RickC27

Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#5

Post by RickC27 »

Choils are always a touchy subject. Some people love them, some people hate them. I have a few knives that I would hate if they didn't have their choil (Sage 5, Para 3, Chaparral) But I also have some knives that I love that don't have one. I find my Delica Pakkawood and Centofante 3 to be some of my most comfortable knives to use. All depends on preference, handle size and shape, as well as hand size, so it's impossible to please everybody with any particular knife.
Last edited by RickC27 on Tue Jul 24, 2018 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Evil D
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#6

Post by Evil D »

Does every knife need a choil? No not necessarily but I see the ricasso as a waste of space so it may as well be shaped into a proper choil.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#7

Post by BornIn1500 »

I think in order to make enough room for a proper choil on the Delica, it would push the regular grip slightly further back. I think that would be a bad thing. I vote for keeping it the way it is. I'd rather move the ricasso forward than move it backwards to make room for a choil. But then again, I'm not much of a fan of choils to begin with. I love the way the Polestar has the regular grip right against the blade. It's the only reason I bought the Polestar over the Raven 2.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#8

Post by wrdwrght »

I’ve come around to the idea that the notch on the Delica/Endura provides every bit the safety and enough precision-purchase as that offered in choiled models, which often sacrifice edge-length.

Would not shortening the ricasso bring the edge onto one’s index finger when closing with a flick, unlike the Delica/Endura?

The bare-edge is my one complaint about the Caly series. Addressing this complaint, however, would make the Caly series something else. I’m inclined to live with a design’s limitations, if I’ve gone so far as to acquire the design.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#9

Post by rogatsby »

abbazaba wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:47 am
This has been hotly debated for longer than I've been around. If you really want this, Boomer52 on BladeForums can hook you up.

Image

I still love the stock Delica, but this mod fits my hand much better without the finger grooves, and the choil feels natural to me.
Looks nice, but I love the existing handle design and materials. I just want that choil!
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#10

Post by Doc Dan »

No choil on the Delica, ever. No way, no how. However, if you want a similar knife with one, find a good Caly3 (which I wish had no choil, though I love the knife).
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rogatsby
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#11

Post by rogatsby »

Doc Dan wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:09 am
No choil on the Delica, ever. No way, no how. However, if you want a similar knife with one, find a good Caly3 (which I wish had no choil, though I love the knife).
Just curious. Why are you opposed to a choil? What are the downsides of having one in your opinion? I ask because for me, it's just an additional feature, and would not take anything away.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#12

Post by GarageBoy »

So you want something more like a cara cara 2?
I personally think that choils can't simply be tacked in, it needs to be fully integrated, and basically you would have to use it. (Try a caly 3 without using the choil, it's awkward) Your hand ends up too far back from where the heel of the blade ends
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#13

Post by Evil D »

BornIn1500 wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 9:07 am
I think in order to make enough room for a proper choil on the Delica, it would push the regular grip slightly further back. I think that would be a bad thing. I vote for keeping it the way it is. I'd rather move the ricasso forward than move it backwards to make room for a choil. But then again, I'm not much of a fan of choils to begin with. I love the way the Polestar has the regular grip right against the blade. It's the only reason I bought the Polestar over the Raven 2.
It would actually make more sense to me if the grip were redesigned so that it extends further forward, so that it swallows up more of the ricasso and moves your grip closer to the edge. Then there wouldn't be any need for a choil and the grip would improve.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#14

Post by Frozenspyder »

Isn't the R essentially a delica with a choil?
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#15

Post by rogatsby »

GarageBoy wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 11:14 am
So you want something more like a cara cara 2?
I personally think that choils can't simply be tacked in, it needs to be fully integrated, and basically you would have to use it. (Try a caly 3 without using the choil, it's awkward) Your hand ends up too far back from where the heel of the blade ends
The Delica already has a small unsharpened portion behind the blade. It wouldn't change it much to just add a real jimped choil there. And having it the choil doesn't mean you have to always use it. Heck, even on the tiny Dragonfly, I don't always use the choil.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#16

Post by MichaelScott »

Once again, this appears to be a case of “I want what o want, so make it happen for me”. Many people suggested a choil on a Delica, including me. I have changed my opinion. Let Delica be Delica.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#17

Post by ugaarguy »

Jazz wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:41 am
Does every knife need a choil? No. The ricasso on the Delica is long enough to put your finger there. Don't try to change what is just fine (my opinion, of course).
Maybe it's long enough for your finger, but it certainly isn't long enough for my finger. Like others here. I also find the long ricasso on the delica and endura to be wasted space.
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#18

Post by BornIn1500 »

rogatsby wrote:
Tue Jul 24, 2018 12:17 pm

The Delica already has a small unsharpened portion behind the blade. It wouldn't change it much to just add a real jimped choil there. And having it the choil doesn't mean you have to always use it. Heck, even on the tiny Dragonfly, I don't always use the choil.

There really isn't enough room for it the way it is. Look at the Byrd Meadowlark 2 to get a good idea for how this finger choil would be implemented. The ricasso was moved back and it also looks like the length of the blade edge was shortened a touch as well. On the Meadowlark, the ricasso is in line with the pivot, whereas on the Delica the ricasso is in front of the pivot. The entire regular grip would be shifted back to make room, which will change the ergonomics. It's not as simple as you think.


Either way... why not buy a Meadowlark instead to have that same basic Delica design with a choil?
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sal
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#19

Post by sal »

Hi Rogatsby,

Welcome to our forum.

The Endura and Delica have been without a finger choil for many years. It's been discussed many times. Some folks just don't want it.

sal
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Re: Delica - Why No Forward Finger Choil?

#20

Post by Daveho »

Byrd meadowlark
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