Michael Janich on the Stovepipe

[ladybug93]

I was very pleased and happy that the lady interviewing Mr Janich didn’t experience any “hot spots” by just holding the knife for a few seconds.

dude. i thought the exact same thing. they gingerly held the knife. i wouldn't even say they gripped it. it was quite hilarious. i also thought it was funny when mr. janich says there is no finger grooves (or whatever he said to that effect) when the knife clearly has bumps everywhere. i can't imagine paying $420 for this (seemingly) uncomfortable piece of art that just happens to also be capable of cutting things.

[Soanso McMasters]

I always appreciate listening to Mike; he's well spoken. I think the knife will be popular even though it's not appealing to me.

I do as well. He’s very good at explaining things in great detail without dumbing anything down at all.

[ladybug93]

I always appreciate listening to Mike; he's well spoken. I think the knife will be popular even though it's not appealing to me.

I do as well. He’s very good at explaining things in great detail without dumbing anything down at all.

agreed. i don't remember even noticing the yojimbo before seeing his video about it. as soon as i watched his video, i had to have it.

[jdw]

I enjoyed Mike's explanation of the design and the history of the knife quite a bit. I am not sure that I am any closer to buying one but the design makes more sense to me and I am able to appreciate the knife more. The interview didn't do a lot to convince me of it's actual utility and it's a lot of money for pocket art. I am sure that it will be extremely popular though.

[Bloke]

dude. i thought the exact same thing.

Ah, hahaha! I think both should probably brush up on their “interviewing” skills.

As the knife goes, I think it will appeal to the collectors amongst us and likely the self defence mob too but how would you know?

I personally have no interest in this type of knife irrespective of price and always chuckle when we used ergonomics and folding knives on the same sentence.

[ladybug93]

dude. i thought the exact same thing.

Ah, hahaha! I think both should probably brush up on their “interviewing” skills.

As the knife goes, I think it will appeal to the collectors amongst us and likely the self defence mob too but how would you know?

I personally have no interest in this type of knife irrespective of price and always chuckle when we used ergonomics and folding knives on the same sentence.

that's because you carry a ladybug! have you tried a manix?

[timlara]

They did interrupt Michael a bit much just for my taste, but otherwise interesting to watch!

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that...

[RadioactiveSpyder]

The interviewers are Frankie and Bird, a very fun married couple that very much like to attend blade shows and make goofy videos. I wouldn’t consider them “professional” reviewers, and in my conversations with them, they don’t consider themselves that either. They’re just a pair of normal everyday EDC nuts that make some fun videos and IG posts. Cheers, Radioactive

[Wartstein]

I was very pleased and happy that the lady interviewing Mr Janich didn’t experience any “hot spots” by just holding the knife for a few seconds.

......
when the knife clearly has bumps everywhere. i can't imagine paying $420 for this (seemingly) uncomfortable piece of art that just happens to also be capable of cutting things.

Totally agree on the "hot spot -check" the lady did... though this was actually just in line with what most "reviewers" do in my opinion... perhaps just a bit exaggerated in her case. I am always puzzled when folks (on youtube or where ever) just grab a new-to-them knife, hold it, and then do as if they were actually able to talk about its ergos... ergos as in "KNIFE that actually gets USED as such"....

/ But I also think that perhaps we can not tell by just looking at the Stovepipe if it is actually uncomfortable (@Ladybug: I am aware that YOU did not say this, since you added "seemingly" !!)

As I´ve said in my previous post here: I could even imagine (but don´t know of course) that it is actually fun and a joy (and comfortable) to use, especially with the various, unique "fingers-on-the-thick-spine" grips it should offer

Sure: It DOES have finger grooves, which always makes it more likely that a knife will not fit ALL hand (sizes).
But when comparing it to the Delica (screenshot below): It looks like as if the Stovepipes first finger groove should be wide enough for actually accommodating THREE fingers with most hand sizes (if considering the blade part of the "groove") - something the Delica does not do, when I think of the issues some people have with the Delica ergos.
And the second finger groove should certainly be wide and comfortable enough for the fourth finger.

Or, just from looking at it: Putting just TWO fingers in that "first groove" should also result in a overall comfortable grip.

Anyway - not possible to talk about the Stovepipes ergos without actually using the knife.
I would certainly like to just try the design. But, as said, it almost certainly could not become a regular EDC folder for me, and yes, it IS too expensive for me (which does not mean it would be not WORTH the money!)

[RamZar]

Nice thorough rundown on the Stovepipe and its features and history. Years ago I got a Kingdom Armory Mini Samaritan V2 S30V Titanium Framelock with the cratered faux bolster for $400. Small, light and slim but never warmed up to it and eventually sold it. KA has some unique designs.

[spoonrobot]

The Stovepipe is on the pricier side.
The Stovepipe wouldn't be the MOST useful knife.
But the cool factor could overcome any negatives.

However, it's right-hand only.
That's a BIG negative.
Fuggetaboutit.

I can only dream of the day when Spyderco finally makes left-handed framelocks, like what Chris Reeve has been doing, and only recently, Hinderer. It's a nice dream, but just a dream nonetheless.

[b]Left handed males make up ONLY 6% of the population.

And that is why Spyderco doesn't make that a manufacturing priority.
[/b]

And the % of those males that carry knives is minuscule.

In the USA, left handed males are 9%-12% of the population. Left-handedness has increased more over time and some estimates for Generation Z are around 18-20% of that age cohort. Males are more likely to be left handed and while it's probably impossible to speculate on the relative percentage that carry knives, left-handed men are generally overrepresented in vocations where the rate of pocket knife use is higher than the general population (military, law enforcement, skilled trades). They're also significantly overrepresented on this forum.

Whether or not this creates a market for a high-end titanium framelock is not clear. The left-handed Military sold well, not sure how the lefty PM2 is selling. I've purchased both. Left handed clip mounting option(s) are often enough to make a knife "ambidextrous" even if the actual lock isn't. It's sad that the progress made in ambi pocket clips has pretty much been undone by the Chinese maker boom. Chinese knives, almost as a rule, are only drilled for right handed carry and this signal has been observed by enough USA makers that ambi drillings have been leaving domestic models now too.

[Bloke]

Anyway - not possible to talk about the Stovepipes ergos without actually using the knife.

Agreed.

You’ve prolly worked out I’m a little strange and I find humour in most things.

Anyhow, the two knives below are what I consider ergonomic so when someone tells me how ergonomic their slab sided folder is and how it fits there hand like a glove etc. I’ll just be me and laugh, ay?

[JD Spydo]

Interesting new blade. That design has a distinct resemblance to the older "Breeden RESCUE" model from back in the 2010-2011 era. I like a blade like this design and I'm hoping that this model will be available in full SE.

It really does look like a stocky, rigid version of the "Breeden RESCUE" model.

[Wartstein]

Anyway - not possible to talk about the Stovepipes ergos without actually using the knife.

Agreed.

You’ve prolly worked out I’m a little strange and I find humour in most things.

Anyhow, the two knives below are what I consider ergonomic so when someone tells me how ergonomic their slab sided folder is and how it fits there hand like a glove etc. I’ll just be me and laugh, ay?

...

Actually I was referring to Ladybugs post (who, to be clear, also did not claim to actually know if the Stovepipe would be ergonomic or not)

But I am 100% with you anyway: Nothing against the lady in the vid, but her way of finding out how the "ergos" of the Stovepipe are actually was humorous and a bit like a caricatur of what many "reviewers" do indeed...

/ Yep, we discussed the "ergonomic" - thing some time ago already I think??? (Not sure).
It actually is an interesting topic, and I guess can be differently seen, depending on what factors one counts in.

For me personally factors how well the knife is "locked in" the hand, how naturally the edge alignment is always perfect and so on also count here.
The Opinel you show undeniably has a very comfortable, not prone-to-create-hotspots feel in hand, but it can also get slippery and prone to roll a bit when the hand is wet or sweaty (I really like Opinels, don´t get me wrong, they are amazing for the money!!)
While with a knife like the Manix (or actually with the vast majority of Spydies) this does not happen and the edge always remains perfectly aligned with the matter that gets cut (I know, good edge alignment is not a major thing at all with knives - it would be with swords for example, where with a round, slippery grip one would mess up cuts a lot more often).

Anyway: No doubt that the close-to-perfection ergonomic handle would have to be "not slab sided" AND "locked in (the hand)"

[twinboysdad]

Mike J has always had that demeanor that I could imagine him responding to a dumb question or interruption with a wolf stare for about three seconds and then moving on and everything that needed to be communicated was through the stare and the pause…

[dan31]

I was not interested in the stovepipe until I learned of the back story. Reading about Bill the butcher and the historical ties is making kind of want a stovepipe. I shall try to resist. It could be a fine cheese knife.