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Which Spyderco knife do you think would be good for someone (as a gift) who has limited mobility with their hands due to severe arthritis, but, which would very much like a good quality cutting tool/knife for everyday around the house uses, ie, cutting up various foods for meals, opening packages, that sort of thing?

Ok, I'll offer my thoughts. Given that you say the arthritis is severe, your friend will likely be using both hands to open the knife. I would suggest something with smooth action that doesn't have a heavy self close bias. So that eliminates the lockback knives. I would also choose something that doesn't require a lot of finger strength or dexterity to close. So no CBBL and maybe no compression lock either. The best option that comes to my mind would be something like a Sage 1. It is comfortable in hand, smooth and easy to open with two hands and the lock is simple to operate.

You may want to avoid folders. Perhaps a small fixed blade, like the Enuff leaf.

how about an assisted opening spydie?

Fixed blade is my suggestion as well.

I would recommend the Manix 2, but the ball bearing lock would probably be hard for someone with arthritis to operate. Really, any type of lock may be hard to operate.

What about a slip joint, perhaps the UKPK? There's no lock to operate and the handle is pretty robust as to be easier to grip.

Thank you all. Yeah I was trying to figure out one that would be within a basic budget ceiling, like in the ~100 dollar range at the most, and was trying to decide whether one of the fixed blades, like the Enuff Salt, which seems nearly perfect for these everyday uses, and, is very maintenance -free, being the H1 won't rust, or, one of the slip-joint folders like the UK Pen Knife. Any other suggestions would be most helpful.

Regarding the assisted opening, I guess that would also be good. What about the Atlantic Salt, would that be okay for the person with this condition, or go for one of the others?

A thick/fat/large-handled fixed blade :spyder: may be the better choice... which :spyder: model would depend on the intended purpose of use. Does the individual need a large bladed knife or something smaller? Seems the size of the handle (thicker and larger) would be the decision maker.

If a folding :spyder: is truly the preferred knife, maybe a model with a large Spyderco Trademark Round Hole with a liner lock where thumb pressure could be use to disengage the blade.

Perhaps the best thing to do to make sure the right :spyder: is chosen would be to have the individual try out the different Spyderco knives (both fixed blade and folder) to see fpr him/herself which :spyder: works the best for him/her in terms of opening, closing, and using... and, consideration needs to be given as to whether the chosen :spyder: would continue to work for him/her as expected/desired should his/her condition worsen over time.

Seems this needs to be a personal, individual choice where the person tries out the knives firsthand to see what works best and will continue to function properly and effortlessly as planned/desired for this person over the years.

UKPK with the finger protection choil but no lock (simply press on the spine), if folder.

Fix blade makes more sense. Make some lanyard to assist releasing the knife from sheath (check Gary Grayley's post over BF).

Again, depends on the use and the actual severity of the arthritis condition.

I kind of agree with Water Bug about letting the person try the knives or at least asking them what they prefer. I say this because when trying to make a person happy, their wants are often more important than their needs. I once gave a Spyderco to a young man with a severe muscular disease. His lower body did not work at all and he had only minimal use of motor skills in his hands. Now for actual use he might have been better suited with a fixed blade but I don't think he could have been more happy with the Yojimbo 2 he got. He even was able to adapt and learn to flick it open. His hands shouldn't really have been able to do that but its amazing what we are capable of when we want to do something.

My point is this...you have to decide what it is that your friend is going to enjoy about a knife...and I think the easiest way to figure this out is to ask them (whether subtly or directly). If they are going to (like many of us) enjoy carrying it daily and fondling it, etc then even severe arthritis is not going to stop them form enjoying a well made folder. Pick the easiest opener and closer you can find and they'll be fine. If their need for a knife is based purely on utilitarian demands then a fixed blade might indeed be the right answer.

"their wants are often more important than their needs"
Along these lines there is also the possibility that they may feel insulted if they are gifted something based on their disability.

I have no first hand experience (no pun intended) with arthritis, but I would think a back lock would be just the thing. It seems like the easiest lock to manipulate, one- or two-handed. A liner lock with a generous cutout, or even possibly a compression lock also seem like reasonable choices. They don't require a lot of force, and are pretty easily accessible. There are plenty of models I think would work just fine for someone with limited dexterity. So many winners, in fact, that the recipient really never has to know that you took his disability into consideration. I think as long as you don't get him a Ladybug, he'll be excited and grateful for whatever Spyder you choose.

Here's an idea though: keep your hand in ice water til you can't stand it anymore, and then see which knives you find easiest to use. :D

If size is not a limitation, I'd recommend a Military. The thing with arthritis is limited motion and hindered dexterity, so you actually don't want a knife that's too small because it requires your thumb to reach way down to reach the hole. The Military opens easily too with a very generous thumb arc and nothing in the way of getting to the thumb hole and no excessive guard sticking down to get in the way while opening. Then the closing is easier than most and there's a good size cutout for the lock tab.

If size is an issue, a Sage 1 is a great choice, possibly even the Sage 3 as the bolt action lock can be operated with just the thumb very easily and the opening action is extremely easy and smooth.

Another option outside the Spyderco world (trying to think for the person and not the brand) is an assisted open knife, or if the law allows it even a full on automatic. My grandfather carried a switchblade in his later years because of this very reason. A Citadel/Embassy would be great options if they can legally carry them.

If going with a folder, I would agree a larger knife would be easier.

I would go with a short bladed fixed blade. Maybe one of the Enuff knives.

A fixed blade like the Bill Moran would be my first choice. It is light and capable. However, if you are set on a folder then stay away from the Compression Lock as it takes a bit of dexterity to use. Also, larger knives are more comfortable to hold and easier to manipulate. Perhaps a Military or other large liner lock?

"or if the law allows it even a full on automatic" After reading this it jogged my memory. One of my clients has bad arthritis and is also a Benchmade dealer. He was showing me the smaller BM auto he carries and was explaining how he could no longer open certain types of knives but the auto worked for him.

Thank you all for more of the great replies. Do you think this would be a good choice or not? After considering this more in depth and looking through the Spyderco sales catalog, I started to look at the Kitchen Knives, such as the Paring Knife. Would that, coupled with some form of durable sheath, be a good choice, if one wanted to keep the price lower?

Or if you were in their shoes, would you prefer one of the more sporting ones like the Military or a backlock folder?

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:Thank you all for more of the great replies. Do you think this would be a good choice or not? After considering this more in depth and looking through the Spyderco sales catalog, I started to look at the Kitchen Knives, such as the Paring Knife. Would that, coupled with some form of durable sheath, be a good choice, if one wanted to keep the price lower?

Or if you were in their shoes, would you prefer one of the more sporting ones like the Military or a backlock folder?

Have you considered the Spyderco ARK? It has a nice sheath that is readily deployable, it looks cool and is a reasonable price.
It's a really nice knife with a certain amount of sporting style.
I work with people with physical limitations and FWIW the thing that I see that matters most is to keep a
sense of independence and "normality" in their lives. If they loved sporting knives in the past then I would think
the ARK would be a pretty solid choice.

Fixed blade sounds pretty good.

What about the Friction Folder? No minor motion required, no single finger movement, no bending of individual joints. I don't know the price point of the friction folder, I kind of think it is higher. If it is that important, there are probably companies that make a cheaper/lower quality friction folder.

Knifeworks has a Nagao Higonokami for $15.