How perfect the Delica could be...

[Blerv]

For me the Delica has never been perfect like the larger frame Spyderco knives. That said, I'm not smitten with the Caly3 either. You can only do so much with size constraints.

It always has been balanced and compact to me. The lack of choil or deep guard (Persian 79mm) don't make it as forced. That gives up a bit of security while avoiding a polarized audience.

[Michael Janich]

Dear Evil D:

Actually, that's a great observation.

I started carrying a Delica in 1998 and it quickly became an integral part of my EDC kit. When it came time to redesign the Yojimbo concept to create the Yo2, my goal was to scale the handle length to be comparable to that of the Delica, while maximizing blade length. The broad blade of the Yo2 required an equally broad handle (at the pivot pin end), which supported the inclusion of a pronounced guard. The taper at the butt end of the handle fits the natural "cone" of the closed hand. Since the fingers get shorter toward the pinky, the hand creates a cone shape. The most secure fit in a cone is an object with a matching taper.

The grooves on the handle are designed to match the lengths of the respective fingers of the average-sized hand so when gripped, the fingertips all touch the palm evenly. The Delica handle is narrower near the pivot pin, so the index finger and middle finger wrap deeper and, at least for me, the fingertips "bottom out" on the palm before the grip is completely secure. The design of the Delica would definitely support a more pronounced guard and a wider handle near the pivot pin, but it's still an amazing knife as is. That's why I carry two Delica4s every day.

Stay safe,

Mike

[setldown]

Thanks for the enlightning explanation, from your perspective, Mike.

[ZL1]

Delica fits nicely for me
Yojimbo does as well after I lightly sanded down some of the hot spots

[Pyrite]

The Delica 3 is magnitudes better feeling (to me) than the 4.
The 4 has too much handle. The 3 was just compact and handy for almost everything.

[Evil D]

Dear Evil D:

Actually, that's a great observation.

I started carrying a Delica in 1998 and it quickly became an integral part of my EDC kit. When it came time to redesign the Yojimbo concept to create the Yo2, my goal was to scale the handle length to be comparable to that of the Delica, while maximizing blade length. The broad blade of the Yo2 required an equally broad handle (at the pivot pin end), which supported the inclusion of a pronounced guard. The taper at the butt end of the handle fits the natural "cone" of the closed hand. Since the fingers get shorter toward the pinky, the hand creates a cone shape. The most secure fit in a cone is an object with a matching taper.

The grooves on the handle are designed to match the lengths of the respective fingers of the average-sized hand so when gripped, the fingertips all touch the palm evenly. The Delica handle is narrower near the pivot pin, so the index finger and middle finger wrap deeper and, at least for me, the fingertips "bottom out" on the palm before the grip is completely secure. The design of the Delica would definitely support a more pronounced guard and a wider handle near the pivot pin, but it's still an amazing knife as is. That's why I carry two Delica4s every day.

Stay safe,

Mike

Thanks for the input Mike. I know I'm asking a lot, being a guy with a rather large hand, so I know this is all pipe dreams. I wouldn't expect a "sure thing" like the Delica to cater to one end of the spectrum like I'm sure I represent. I think the answer for me is probably to look into finding one of the G10 variants and modding the grip to better fit my hand, like I've done with my Yojimbo 2. Speaking of which, have you seen it? I'm pretty proud of it. I don't know how much input you had to the inner workings of the design but I really appreciate how there's an extra amount of G10 extending beyond the nested liners, it's almost as though modding the grip was thought into the design. It could easily be modded to fit a wide variety of unique hand sizes.

[Evil D]

I ran across a pic of the Pro Grip, and THIS is how I would love to see the handle of the Delica shaped. Just do away with those points on the handle altogether and it'll be great for everyone.

[GoodEyeSniper]

The Native has always been the cream of the crop as far as small handled knives go for me. YMMV

[noseoil]

I guess I have smallish hands, as the Delica fits me very well. My index & pinkie fingers don't quite extend far enough around in a grip on the Delica to touch my palm, the two middle fingers ("family" finger & ring finger) just touch the palm in a closed, tight grip. I guess that's why I like the Delica 4, it just fits me well. It's light to carry and the ZDP is a marvel of steel technology (now that I'm learning how to sharpen it). Trying to make a "one size fits all" just isn't possible, but hey, there's plenty out there to choose from. Hats off to Spyderco for the Delica design.

Here's how it fits for me. tim

[razorsharp]

cool seeing how thought out the ergos are. I find some handles suck for me due to my fingers "bottoming out" thats one reason the strider SnG is extremely comfy to me, all my fingers touch my palm evenly, the butt angle fits in my palm swell perfect, its just one of THE most comfy knives in my collection