How thick is your Spyderco handle?

Shakyamuni · #1

Hi folks,

One dimension that is not mentioned in the catalogs is the thickness of the handle. I haven't been able to find this information anywhere, and I've bought and sold several knives just to find out that the handles are thicker than my preference. I wear blue jeans and like a knife which does not feel uncomfortable. So far the Delica, Caly 3.5, and Chaparral are OK, but the Sage 1 and Para 2 are not OK.

So I want to create a list of handle thicknesses from anyone that has the capability of measuring. Notes:

Please use a caliper or a "mike" and not a ruler. I'm looking for a high accuracy here because the variation is going to be so small
Measure the handle, not the screws or clips. If you have a measure of the thickness with the screws (like the pivot screw on the Caly) or with the clip, go ahead an post here and I'll include that information
Use whatever units you want (inches or millimeters) but provide as many digits of accuracy as you can and I can convert

Credit to those who performed the measurements: monsterdog, Cave Dave, The Deacon, dem0n1k, Douglas, shimage, JCP1969, pinepig2, sharpguitarist, Simple Man, MarcusH, RIOT, FarmerTed, PanChango, shimage, Bladekeeper, BladeHQ, and Per-Sev.

This information is also included in my table (which includes closed, blade, edge, edge:closed ratio, weight, and handle thickness): http://goo.gl/Iwqzm

Bug: 0.197"
Honeybee: 0.197"
Etched Cricket: 0.205"
Spin Etched: 0.222"
Jester Stainless: 0.223"
Grasshopper: 0.256"
Kiwi 2: 0.256"
Lava: 0.282"
SS Dragonfly: 0.285"
Rookie: 0.3"
Delica CF: 0.3"
Police SS: 0.301"
Chaparral 2 Ti: 0.312"
Ladybug 3: 0.315"
Jester Burgundy Micarta & FRN: 0.326"
Blue G-10 Sprint Lava: 0.328"
Stretch SS: 0.33"
Dragonfly2 G-10: 0.335"
Jester Gray G-10: 0.336"
Manbug FRN: 0.340"
Chaparral: 0.345"
Kopa Cocobolo: 0.346"
Dragonfly2 FRN: 0.354"
UK Penknife FRN: 0.354"
Kopa Blue: 0.360"
Urban: 0.362"
Caly3 CF: 0.363"
Caly3.5: 0.364"
Caly3 G-10: 0.367"
CF Balance: 0.367"
Native 4: 0.369"
Salt 1: 0.371"
Delica 3 FRN: 0.371"
Tasman Salt: 0.371"
Nishijin "R": 0.371"
Salsa Titanium: 0.371"
Dyad Jr. FRN: 0.372"
Lum Chinese Small (Al): 0.374"
Persian 2 G-10: 0.383"
Police3 G-10: 0.383"
Dodo Blue: 0.386"
Stretch CF: 0.387"
UK Penknife G-10: 0.391"
Gayle Bradley Air: 0.393"
UK Penknife Ti: 0.394"
Junior: 0.394"
Rescue 79mm: 0.394"
Delica 4 FRN: 0.394"
Atlantic Salt FRN: 0.394"
Centofante3: 0.400"
Dodo CF: 0.400"
Sage3 G-10: 0.402"
Sage2 Titanium: 0.403"
Lum Chinese Large: 0.406"
Endura 4 G-10: 0.406"
Centofante Memory: 0.407"
Calypso Jr: 0.408"
Pacific Salt: 0.408"
Starmate: 0.409"
Volpe: 0.409"
Endura 3 FRN: 0.41"
Rock Lobster: 0.413"
Chokwe: 0.413"
Military 440v: 0.415"
Ambitious: 0.428"
Endura 4 FRN: 0.431"
Sage1 Carbon Fiber: 0.44"
Sage4 Wood: 0.444"
Kopa Jigged bone: 0.445"
Shabaria Micarta: 0.449"
Persian 75mm: 0.451"
Manix2 G-10: 0.451"
Manix2 FRCP: 0.451"
ParaMilitary 1 & 2: 0.453"
Techno: 0.455"
Military G-10: 0.455"
Stretch FRN: 0.457"
Native: 0.458"
Manix2 CF: 0.463"
Native5: 0.468"
Tuff: 0.470"
Tenacious: 0.471"
Meerkat: 0.472"
Superleaf: 0.472"
Embassy: 0.476"
Micro Dyad: 0.478"
Manix 1 C95: 0.480"
Dyad: 0.484"
Gayle Bradley: 0.512"
Citadel 92mm: 0.524"
Superhawk: 0.531"
Southard Flipper: 0.531"
Citadel 83mm: 0.549"
Zulu: 0.570"
PPT: 0.591"
Native III: 0.615"
Assist: 0.675"
Vallotton: 0.776"

shimage · #2

The Deacon posted a partial list here: http://spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php ... stcount=17

FWIW, I don't have calipers or a micrometer. I use a flat surface and a ruler with 100th and 64th markings. I also get something between 0.34" and 0.35" for the chaparral. I don't think accuracy past 100ths place is useful, since you aren't going to feel that in your pocket (in fact, I would be surprised if you could feel a 10% difference in handle thickness) and I doubt most people here are going to measure that precisely even with calipers (see, for example, the variance in Deacon's measurements). I am confident in my precision, but there may be systematic error on the order of a couple hundredths.

The Deacon · #3

shimage wrote:The Deacon posted a partial list here: http://spyderco.com/forums/showpost.php ... stcount=17

FWIW, I don't have calipers or a micrometer. I use a flat surface and a ruler with 100th and 64th markings. I also get something between 0.34" and 0.35" for the chaparral. I don't think accuracy past 100ths place is useful, since you aren't going to feel that in your pocket (in fact, I would be surprised if you could feel a 10% difference in handle thickness) and I doubt most people here are going to measure that precisely even with calipers (see, for example, the variance in Deacon's measurements). I am confident in my precision, but there may be systematic error on the order of a couple hundredths.

True. Some of that may very well be operator error. I'd also suspect that the thickness of a given model's handle can vary a by a hundredth along its length and by a couple hundredths between specimens.

To me, the most interesting thing is that almost all Spyderco models fall within a 1/8" range, varying from just under 3/8" thick to just under 1/2" thick.

JCP1969 · #4

I don't have any measurements but the large Chinese Lum I have is rather thin for a larger folder. Its thinner than a military . Which can be a bit different. My old 440v military is thinner than my new brown XHP by about a 1/16" . Will be interesting to see the numbers. Hopefully to be saved for future users and updated.

I just took the time to get out a micrometer. The Large Lum is .406"
440v military is .415
xhp brown military is .455

Douglas · #5

Caly 3 (G10/VG-10 version) 0.367"
Manix 2 0.451"
Sage 3 0.402"
Native III varies a lot, but at thickest 0.615"
and finally custom cherry-scaled Delica 4 0.513"

Okay, that last is probably useless information. :D

Cave Dave · #6

Measured one of the thinner spyderco's

1. FG G10 Rookie: 0.30"

dem0n1k · #7

interesting thread :) however when you are talking about the comfort in hand... shouldn't you count the width including the pocket clip? though i guess most clips are a fairly standard height from the handle scales so the handle width sans clip is probably a good measurement to compare.

i only have my chapparral & pacific salt with me today but tonight (if i remember) i will take my callipers home & measure some more models :)

chapparral : handle (no clip) = 0.349" (8.83mm)
handle (with clip) = 0.556" (14.16mm)

pacific salt : handle (no clip) = 0.408" (10.38mm)
handle (with clip) = 0.586" (14.9mm)

Shakyamuni · #8

Demon1k,
If you have measurements with clip, I'll record that also, but I'm mostly interested in the handle itself. Please do as many measurements as you can!

Will update the OP soon.

Does anyone have a Junior they can check out? It looks pretty thin from the pics.

dem0n1k · #9

Shakyamuni : i think you were right in the first place to make the base measurement without clip :) I have measured a few more that were in my toolbox & when i measure with the clip included there can be quite a variation as the clip bends slightly with very little pressure from the callipers.

so the 3 more i measured (no clips this time) :-

Ambitious : 0.428" (10.78mm)
Centofante3 : 0.400" (10.1mm)
Native (FRN) : 0.458" (11.59mm)

monsterdog · #10

Measured with calipers, rounded to closest 0.5mm

Junior : 10mm
PPT : 15mm
Superleaf : 12mm
Superhawk : 13.5mm
FRN UKPK : 9mm
Ti UKPK : 10mm
FRN Dragonfly 2 : 9mm
D2 Paramilitary : 11.5mm
ZDP 189 Caly 3 : 9mm
Rock Lobster : 10.5mm
Meerkat : 12mm

FRN Ladybug Salt : 8mm
Kiwi 2 : 6.5mm
Grasshopper : 6.5mm
Honeybee : 5mm
Bug : 5mm

The Deacon · #11

dem0n1k wrote:interesting thread :) however when you are talking about the comfort in hand... shouldn't you count the width including the pocket clip? though i guess most clips are a fairly standard height from the handle scales so the handle width sans clip is probably a good measurement to compare.

i only have my chapparral & pacific salt with me today but tonight (if i remember) i will take my callipers home & measure some more models :)

chapparral : handle (no clip) = 0.349" (8.83mm)
handle (with clip) = 0.556" (14.16mm)

pacific salt : handle (no clip) = 0.408" (10.38mm)
handle (with clip) = 0.586" (14.9mm)

It's also something of a trade off, at least for me. Thin knives are more comfortable in the pocket, thicker ones more comfortable in the hand. I carry in my back pocket so, if I know I'm going to walking and/or might be doing a good bit of cutting, I will opt for one of my thicker handled knives like the FRN Stretch or my Lignum Vitae one, a C83 Persian, or the Native V. On the other hand, if I know I'll be spending most of my day sitting on it in the truck I'll opt for something thin, a CF Stretch, Caly 3.5, or Chaparral.
',

Shakyamuni · #12

monsterdog wrote:Measured with calipers, rounded to closest 0.5mm
Kiwi 2 : 6.5mm

Thanks for all the great info monsterdog! But I can't find mention of a Kiwi 2, only a Kiwi or a Kiwi 3. Is this with a stainless steel, carbon fiber, or jigged bone handle?

Shakyamuni · #13

Ok, updated the OP, sorted from thinnest to thickest.

Some knives that I'm looking for measurements:

Native5
Salt 1
Sage 2
Lum Chinese Small
Caly 3.5
Tenacious/Persistence (same as Ambitious?)
Stretch
Endura (same as Delica?)
Gayle Bradley
Police
Rescue

Thanks!

The Deacon · #14

Kiwi 2 would be the locking all stainless version and measures as MD indicated, or .265 inches .

Shakyamuni · #15

JCP1969 wrote:I don't have any measurements but the large Chinese Lum I have is rather thin for a larger folder. Its thinner than a military . Which can be a bit different. My old 440v military is thinner than my new brown XHP by about a 1/16" . Will be interesting to see the numbers. Hopefully to be saved for future users and updated.

I just took the time to get out a micrometer. The Large Lum is .406"
440v military is .415
xhp brown military is .455

JCP1969,
How is the 440v Military handle so much different than the XHP that it is significantly thinner?

Shakyamuni · #16

The Deacon wrote:Kiwi 2 would be the locking all stainless version and measures as MD indicated, or .265 inches .

On the Spyderco site I see a model C75SS3 and a model C752 for the Kiwi. I assume this is the C752?

And by the way, I am in the process of bringing over your measurements from the "Thin?" thread, which captures a few I was looking for. Still no Native5 numbers though!

The Deacon · #17

In no particular order:

Caly 3.5 = .361"

Sage II = .403"

Endura 4 (FRN) = .431"

Stretch (SS/Kraton) = .330"
Stretch (CF) = .387"
Sretch (FRN) = .457"

Tenacious .471*

Salt 1 would be same as Delica 3 (.371") (also Tasman Salt and Merlin)

Rescue = .394" (also Atlantic Salt)

Police = .301"

Police 3 = .383"

Lum Chinese (AL) = .374"

Can't help with the Native V, had mine modded without ever measuring it. :o

Shakyamuni · #18

The Deacon wrote: Lum Chinese (AL) = .374"

Thanks for the update, I had some of those from your other post, but some of them were new. What is a "Lum Chinese (AL)"?

Updated the OP. Anybody with a Native 5, Persistence, or Gayle Bradley?

And how about a Dyad or Dyad Jr. for fun? I bet they are pretty thick.

The Deacon · #19

Shakyamuni wrote:What is a "Lum Chinese (AL)"?

Aluminum.

C44 Dyad = .484"
C39 FRN Dyad Jr. .372"
C112 Micro Dyad (jigged bone) .478"

Shakyamuni · #20

Got it, thanks. I did not realize the small Lum Chinese had an Aluminum handle.

Updated.