The New Lum C65bkp

[T.R Walsh]

I have carried and used Spyderco blades in Military service as well as a Public Safety Officer for over 23 years. I have a high regard for the company and its dedicated employees. My Spydercos have NEVER let me down. With this said. The new LUM was a dissapointment. I ordered one without checking the stats. When it arrived I thought is was designed as a Boy scout knife. This design should have been bigger all away around. I dare say it is a unsafe knife to use for serious social purposes or as an on duty knife. If the dimensions are increased, this would be a winner.

[GoMeR]

May i ask what other Spydercos you carry on a regular basis? What makes it unsafe in your opinion? I am just curious as i have been looking for a Lum and i like others thoughts on the knife.

[T.R Walsh]

My pleasure to explain further. For a person with large hands, as well as medium sized hands, there is not enough of handle to manipulate the knife without fear of your hand slipping and running on to the blade itself. To sum it up, The LUM design is on the money. It just needs to be supersized. I have been using the Wayne Goddard Family of knives since 1991. I would rather not say what I have subjected those knives to. I also use the Stretch, Military c-36s, the police models etc. I guess I would call this group of knives, the full sized type.

[GoMeR]

Thanks, the military is my most often edc and often i carry a police 3 as well. Perhaps i should handle a lum before purchase, i also have very large hands.

[T.R Walsh]

Please check it out first before you use it as an EDC. Stay Well....

[GoMeR]

That brings up another question who carries there Lum everyday or quite often and who bought them as collector pieces?

[RIOT]

I wouldnt think of the Lum chinese folder to be a work horse like a Police model, Endura or a Delica.

The Lum couldnt be in my EDC category, for me atleast

[CombatGrappler]

I have always viewed the Lum as a "Sunday-go-to-meetin" knife, not a hard user. You just have to compare apples to apples. The Lum does seem to look bigger in pictures than it really is. Someone finally posted a picture of it in hand and I was amazed at the actual size. No wonder your expectations were off the mark and led to disappointment!

[Slatts]

The new LUM was a dissapointment. I ordered one without checking the stats. When it arrived I thought is was designed as a Boy scout knife. This design should have been bigger all away around. I dare say it is a unsafe knife to use for serious social purposes or as an on duty knife. If the dimensions are increased, this would be a winner.

I'd like to understand your opinion better. What do you mean by saying that you expected it to be more like a boy scout knife? I had one or two of those myself when I was a wee lad and they were smaller in length and blade width than the Chinese Lum. Perhaps you had a different type of BSA knife than I did. Curious.

[yablanowitz]

Well, if you ordered a Lum Chinese expecting something the size of a Military, what would you think when you opened the box? Compared to the Millie, that Lum IS the size of a Boy Scout knife. Its proportions make it look larger than it is when there is no point of reference such as another (known) knife in the picture. Even though I knew it was the size of a Delica, it still surprised me by being so small when I got it in my (admittedly large) hands. But since I do almost all my knife shopping online, I've gotten used to such differences.

The Chinese is not a knife I would select to carry for self-defense. Neither is a Delica, and I know full well that it can be devastating in trained hands. Even a larger version of the Chinese, say with a four-inch blade and proportional handle, would not be something I would select for SD. The smooth handle and lack of a guard or choil to prevent the hand from sliding onto the blade when thrusting would rule it out for me. On the other hand, I don't carry knives for SD, and I think a 4" blade Chinese would make a good work tool.

[Fred Sanford]

I have never owned a LUM Chineese but I think the size is "ok" for me. I have held one. I do agree though that I would worry about my hand just sliding forward onto the blade with no guard.

It is however a beautiful knife.

[ozspyder]

The Lum Chinese as a defense/ attack tool it is NOT. It is a working tool, a utility folder. The ethnic design of the knife stems from its Chinese heritage where it would be used for cultivation, and general field work. I am unsure if it was ever designed or used as a weapon. However, if pushed it would make a decent enough slicing weapon.... and as mentioned already above... NOT a thrusting one :p

Due to the handle design it would most likely not suit those with larger mitts. Smaller to medium sized mitts would fit it perfectly. However, if you do have larger hands and don't mind the last finger hanging off the butt end then it still would be a great little user blade. I use my smaller knives that way and it doesn't seem to affect my liking of such blades (eg; Ladybug, Dragonfly etc.)

If you want a larger SD/ MA knife you can get one specifically design for such duties (Military, P'kal, Chinook, Khalsa etc.) For my large knife duties I tend to head for my Military first.... cos I don't want to ruin my Shabaria :D

[mikebandw186]

I guess I'm opposed to idea that this isn't a good knife. it's been in my pocket at least 5 of the 7 days in the past however many weeks I've had it. It bumped the Lum Tanto out, which i had been carrying for 3 months straight, with very little change.

The slim handle tapers smaller toward the opposite end from the blade, and I haven't had any doubts about it's usefulness as an EDC.

If you are only concerned with stabbing or forward thrusts with this knife, then it probably isn't the best choice. But for regular use, I love it.

Please consider that before you buy the knife, and especially if you have it. It was designed to be used. Don't let it die a lonely death in a drawer somewhere.

[The Deacon]

I have carried and used Spyderco blades in Military service as well as a Public Safety Officer for over 23 years. I have a high regard for the company and its dedicated employees. My Spydercos have NEVER let me down. With this said. The new LUM was a dissapointment. I ordered one without checking the stats. When it arrived I thought is was designed as a Boy scout knife. This design should have been bigger all away around. I dare say it is a unsafe knife to use for serious social purposes or as an on duty knife. If the dimensions are increased, this would be a winner.

It would seem your assessment is correct. You made a serious error in judgment by purchasing a knife without first determining whether it was suitable for your intended purposes.

It may come as a shock to you, but not every knife Spyderco produces is designed with the "save and serve" community in mind. Some, especially among their "collaboration models", are designed for folks such as myself who use a knife for more mundane tasks. And, just as you place a premium of knives suitable for "serious social purposes", some of those folks place a premium on knives that are esthetically pleasing. The Lum Chinese is one of those. I've handled larger, custom versions of it and I really don't think making it bigger would make it any more suitable for your purposes. It would still not be anywhere near as secure in the hand for "combative" use as models like the Goddard, Stretch and Military, all of which feature a prominent forward guard.

But there is some "good news" for you. The Lum is quite popular with folks who appreciate it for what it is, rather than bemoaning that is isn't what it never was intended to be. Coupled with that is the fact it was made in limited quantities. That makes it one of the darlings of collectors, who view it as a sound investment. So you should have no trouble at all selling it, perhaps even turning a profit in the process.

Next time do your homework, or at least take a good look a the knife. If it lacks a guard, a thumb ramp, and finger grooves, it's probably not going to please you. If it also a smooth metal handle, it's even less likely to be a sensible choice.

[Mr Blonde]

+1 on Deacon's comments.

The ZDP Chinese Folder has been a regular carry knife for me since I got it, and I've used it all the time. I can tell you that it's a great 'pocket knife' for urban utility use. Opening packages, cutting up lunch fruit etc... The aesthetics make it even more appealing to me as a knife afi. The Lum would make a poor tactical folder, it's much too smooth and slippery for that.

Wouter

[CombatGrappler]

I have been kicking around a few thoughts about the size of the Lum. I know that Mr. Lum was of Chinese heritage. I started thinking about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and how he designed his buildings while thinking of himself (at 5'4") as the average sized person. I am told that Falling Water seems to be just a tad smaller in every dimension than it should.

In general, the people of China are shorter than people in the West. Could the knife have been designed with the "average" Chinese person in mind as the ideal? Like I said, just a thought that was kicking around inside my head.

[yablanowitz]

I believe Sal posted that the Lum Chinese they made was a medium size, there were larger and smaller sizes already designed.

[mrappraisit]

I have seen a custom Chinese Folder that had a 4 or 4.5 inch blade. I know Mr. Lum did make some BIG versions of the Chinese and Tanto Folders. I too would like the Chinese folder a little bigger, also in G10, the almite felt way too slick for me.
If you want to see a range of his customs look here: http://www.ebhtrading.com/Detailed/527.php

I think I read from Sal that Mrs. Lum gave approval for more of his models to be made, hopefully :spyder: can make a larger CF, or Tanto with G-10.

RIP Bob Lum

[The Deacon]

I have seen a custom Chinese Folder that had a 4 or 4.5 inch blade. I know Mr. Lum did make some BIG versions of the Chinese and Tanto Folders. I too would like the Chinese folder a little bigger, also in G10, the almite felt way too slick for me.
If you want to see a range of his customs look here: http://www.ebhtrading.com/Detailed/527.php

I think I read from Sal that Mrs. Lum gave approval for more of his models to be made, hopefully :spyder: can make a larger CF, or Tanto with G-10.

RIP Bob Lum

True, in fact I believe Sal already mentioned the possibility of a larger Chinese Folder. But that does not really lend any credence to Mr. Walsh's claims regarding the current version.

It's the shape, and to a lesser extent the handle material and finish, rather than the size that make the Chinese Folder a less than ideal tactical folder. That would certainly be an issue if it was being marketed as one, but I don't believe either Spyderco or the late Bob Lum ever did so.

For the sake of those who don't have one, here's a size with a Delica and Stretch...

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The Lum is one of the older blue ones, but the black is exactly the same size and its handle is the same texture.

[mrappraisit]

Totally agree Paul. I didn't mean to lend any credence to Mr. Walsh's claims. I think it is fair to say "knife A or knife B didn't fit my hand", or "I didn't like the ergo's/blade shape", but I would hardly call it an unsafe knife. Safe or unsafe is largely a result of use, especially with Spyderco's (since they are typically so well designed). I mean't to state that for the people who may want a larger chinese folder there may be one in the future. I also meant to imply that I personally would probably buy one in G-10 as I didn't like the almite.

Well at least the OP can sell it to someone else easily, who probably won't be dissapointed.