Purpose of Rocklobster?

Netsquash · #1

Just wanted to know what the Rocklobster was designed for? I like it in theory but can't figure out who Spyderco had in mind when they designed it.

(borrowed from Wouter's IWA 2009 thread)

stonefrog · #2

Cutting stuff...

sorry

Netsquash · #3

stonefrog wrote:Cutting stuff...
sorry

Haha, but who do they intend to do the cutting and what sort of stuff will it be cutting?

stonefrog · #4

:)
I have no idea but I have been waiting for it to come out for ages.

When I look at it I think it would be great for picnics. Pretty sure that's not what the designer had in mind tho.

genius5th · #5

its same purpose as the mariner. A sheepsfoot blade so you wont accidently stab something if you use it as a paramedic or cop but it also has a long blade so it can be used for basically anything such as preparing food

Netsquash · #6

HAHA, yeah it looks like a tactical bread knife, I mean that in the best way possible. I am very excited about this sucker. Hopefully it comes in full SE, I think this knife would be well paired with serrations.

Did anybody hear what the blade steel will be? Is it H1? I definatly could see this as being a people friendly LEO service blade big and blunted.

jezabel · #7

genius5th wrote:its same purpose as the mariner. A sheepsfoot blade so you wont accidently stab something if you use it as a paramedic or cop but it also has a long blade so it can be used for basically anything such as preparing food

Thats what I find attractive about the design, a large blade which I can use in a confined space when there are plenty of people running around like headless chickens... I'm less likely to accidently injur someone.

SoCal Operator · #8

Netsquash wrote:Did anybody hear what the blade steel will be? Is it H1? I definatly could see this as being a people friendly LEO service blade big and blunted.

VG-10

Netsquash · #9

SoCal Operator wrote:VG-10

I guess I should have looked closer at the picture of it :)

Chris_H · #10

Here's a previous thread (last year) discussing the Rock Lobster design:
http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33146

Lord vader · #11

It looks like it would be good skinning.

ColonelX1 · #12

if they made it in full spyder edge it would make one **** of a bread knife :spyder: :D :spyder:

THG · #13

It's for cutting rocks and lobsters, duh! :)

FLYBYU44 · #14

I love the blade design, hate the liner lock. But I have a general hatred for liner locks anyway. I wish Spyderco would make some more back locks, it's kind of what they are known for and they do them so well. Compression or ball lock on this knife would be nice too.

Netsquash · #15

FLYBYU44 wrote:I love the blade design, hate the liner lock. But I have a general hatred for liner locks anyway. I wish Spyderco would make some more back locks, it's kind of what they are known for and they do them so well. Compression or ball lock on this knife would be nice too.

I generally don't like liner locks but I like this one simply for the ability to pull it off. This does not seem like it could support a liner lock but the design was pure genius. I like how intrusiveness the knife is when folded. A back lock would have actually threw me off on it, not something I would have ever thought I would find myself saying.

As for the name, it kind of turns me off a bit. The B52's drive me crazy and I don't like to be reminded of them. It also reminds me of family guy. Peter was singing a song and would say "Rock Robster", it annoyed me a whole bunch. I don't think I can let a name turn me off though.

clovisc · #16

Netsquash wrote:I generally don't like liner locks

why not? my experience has been that spyderco's liner locks are strong and reliable enough that my hand/wrist will go long before the lock does. only time i saw one fail was when i was throwing my old mili at a tree. (boring day in zambia... at least it wasn't "tree stabbing," though... :D

)

i think lesser knives with liner locks have given this potentially ultra-dependable, fail safe feature a bad name. spyderco has definitely gotten it right... don't worry...!

TexSierra · #17

The reason I dont like them is because you put your thumb in harms way when closing. The backlock allows good safe finger position, at least on the Endura and Delica I have. My Captain scares me every time I close it in a hurry.

Netsquash · #18

clovisc wrote:why not? my experience has been that spyderco's liner locks are strong and reliable enough that my hand/wrist will go long before the lock does.

I'm not worried about them failing. I trust Spyderco 100% and would never expect them to fail. I just don't like the feeling of the placement of the lock. The locks feel weird when I grip around the lock. I don't like the thin piece of steel that stick out that digs into my skin.

I do like the look of the new IWA liner lock knives. They seem to better handle the liner lock. The Rocklobster and Leafstorm both seem to fix the problem I don't like about liner locks. The new Sage, and similar family models don't seem to fix it, but I simply can't pass them up, especially the Sage with it's titanium handle.

Netsquash · #19

TexSierra wrote:The reason I dont like them is because you put your thumb in harms way when closing.

I didn't even think about that. Yeah another good point. I am prone to cutting myself so any added safety feature helps. Strange that metal digging into my finger concerns me more then potential cutting myself though. Maybe that's why I'm accident prone. Thinking too much about the here and now, and not about the potential future :p

The Deacon · #20

Netsquash wrote:Just wanted to know what the Rocklobster was designed for? I like it in theory but can't figure out who Spyderco had in mind when they designed it.

It's not a Spyderco design. It was designed by Jens Anso and he's been selling custom Rock Lobsters for several years, so there's obviously a market for it.

As for the "what's it for", you can really ask the same question about almost any knife design. Most are just somebody's idea of either the most efficient, or most attractive, way to carry a given blade style, or to improve one. Or, if the name implies fitness for a certain use, the question gets asked "what make the Zombiekiller a knife for killing zombies". :D

On a more serious note, the Rock Lobster will appeal to those who find a regular straight edged sheepsfoot blade like the Mariner's "almost perfect" but think a a bit of "belly" would make it ideal. There may well be some merit to that. I know I've found that, while I love my Kiwis, straight edged blades much over 2.5" are of limited usefulness to me.