A question for Sal regarding the Rockjumper

[ladybug93]

i will say that i didn't expect the blowback here on the forum. i never knew that it was taboo to carry a knife rock climbing. it makes way more sense to me there than in an office.

[StuntZombie]

Hi Marius,

Sorry to disappoint you. Eric and I discussed the modification last week and decided that the new tooling would be very expensive for the very small amount gained. Besides, sales on the Rock Jumper have not been stellar. The Leaf Jumper was just approved and we'll see if the Leaf version does better in the market place. The "handle forward" concept seemed like a good idea, especially for those that like mid-back-locks. The same muscle memory works for those that usually close their mid-lock-backs with a flick to put the kick on the forefinger. It may be that that particular market is too small?

Time will tell.

sal

I don't get the fuss over a few mm. It seems like lengthening the blade that little was more trouble than it would be worth, even if it was a best seller.

I still think the handle forward concept is a great idea, and I hope it's adopted into more models. I'm not kidding when I say I've gotten rid of my non-sentimental user Spyderco's, because the Rockjumper really puts them all to shame.

[Evil D]

I don't get the fuss over a few mm. It seems like lengthening the blade that little was more trouble than it would be worth, even if it was a best seller.

To be fair, I don't get the fuss about a lot of preferences other forum members have, but I understand how it feels to have those preferences. Unless a person is concerned about length laws, I would just roll with it and know that it's just slightly better for those who care, and for everyone else who probably already has one anyway it probably will never matter unless there are future steel variants. I think the most important thing to focus on here is that even though some thought this was trivial, and even Sal himself has said that he doesn't prioritize any sort of blade to handle ratio or whatever, it was a realistic doable request and they listened and that's what makes all the difference to me. I don't expect Spyderco to jump at our every whim but it's always nice to see when they do even when those things make no difference or sense to me.

[Eli Chaps]

Sal,

I agree that the Wharncliffe blade is likely holding this one back. In no way meaning that it wasn't the right choice for the application you envisioned but perhaps not appealing the broader market. I wonder if your Wharnie offerings in other models lag behind the curved ones?

Personally, there's only two things that have kept me from buying this model as offered:

1. I wanted to try an Endela first. Awesome job.
2. I know I may be in the minority, but that middle hump on the Stretch 2 just did not work for me. If the RJ was handle-forward with a neutral handle, it would already be in my house.

I will get one though and hope you don't give up on the root concept.

[Cl1ff]

I will buy one this year, so I’d like that to not be the last time. I hope this design and its potential variations a lot of success.

I do a lot of climbing, mostly in trees, and I think the Rockjumper is as perfectly suited to cutting and carry in that environment as it gets.
I don’t really use ropes to climb trees, even though many people do so as part of their profession, but I do often cut ropes or fishing line that is stuck in the branches or strangling the tree.
I could go on and on really, so I can’t wait to actually put it to the test.

The only way to potentially improve performance in the environment I outlined above is more blade length for better reach (CliffJumper), and a linerless(?) Salt version for when I am climbing mangroves here in Florida.

Should a larger version “Cliffjumper” be made, and especially if it were linerless to reduce weight, because ounces feel much more obvious upside down in a tree, I would certainly buy some.

I’m very very hopeful that’s where this ends up. Knives like that are a dream for me.

[Wartstein]

I don't get the fuss over a few mm. It seems like lengthening the blade that little was more trouble than it would be worth, even if it was a best seller.

To be fair, I don't get the fuss about a lot of preferences other forum members have, but I understand how it feels to have those preferences. Unless a person is concerned about length laws,....

As said several times, I fully agree.

And in case of the RockJumper lengthening the blade would have not changed anything concerning legality, cause it is a bit over 3" anyway already, and a few mm more would not bring it even close to 3.5".

[Wartstein]

....
An emergency cut on a rope, in a climbing situation, a fishing situation, or other, requires a one shot cut. handle close to cutting edge seems like a solution that prevented a sharpening choil or finger choil from fouling the cut. Doing this on a mid-lock-back is challenging. "Handle forward" was a solution. A Wharcliffe blade would be more effective on that type of cut than a curved (convex/belly) edge.
...

As a climber I must say: The RockJumper is a perfect design for that application indeed. Only things I can possibly see making it even better in a climbing scenario would be a bright colored handle and making it still lighter (linerless version). Both aspects will make many suggest to go all the way and make it a Salt...

Now I still wonder if it is to late for the LEAF Jumper too to get an a bit longer blade...?
But I guess so, since I seem to recall that there are already at least prototypes put there..?

[navin johnson]

An emergency cut on a rope, in a climbing situation, a fishing situation, or other, requires a one shot cut. handle close to cutting edge seems like a solution that prevented a sharpening choil or finger choil from fouling the cut. Doing this on a mid-lock-back is challenging. "Handle forward" was a solution. A Wharcliffe blade would be more effective on that type of cut than a curved (convex/belly) edge.

Very much why I'm glad we have many knives here without choils. Even an Endura family knife with a ricasso does not get tangled in material hardly at all. The RJ is even better. (I avoid choils)

I hope the RJ lasts so we can get steel options.

I carry it the most of my knives off work since I got it.

Only problem with it (for me) is I would like to see a deeper well (or more lock movement to release the blade).