Knife that's like a comfortable pair of shoes?

[Road Tripper]

I was away from home for a while and took a Delica. It got a fair bit of use, and was just fine. When I got back, the knife I picked the next morning was the mid-backlock Manix 2. Much as I enjoy the Delica, the Manix was like putting on a pair of well broken-in shoes! I like all my Spydies, but I was struck by how right the Manix felt in hand.

Do you have a favorite like that?

[ladybug93]

the manix is that one for me too. i love my yojimbo and caribbean, but the manix is my perfect fit. also, the pac salt is like my broken in flip flops. a little less comfortable and durable, but always ready for whatever i need them to do, rain or shine.

[Ramonade]

My favorite model (and mainly because of comfort) is the Native 5. G10 or LW, same fit for my hands. I can cut with this knife for a long time without any hotspots, and I find the clip really well thought out.

The fact that there is no ramp on the blade allows me to grip it different ways without any problem. With the Para 3 g10 (I use the Maxamet one a lot), my thumb wants to go beyond the ramp. That causes my hand to be in a weird position sometimes.

[jstanfield103]

I have the regular Manix 2 with G10 scales and liners. Love it, but never carried it that much. Carried the Efficient because it was cheaper and just felt good to use. But I found my perfect comfortable knife when I ordered a Manix 2 LW. It has not left my side since. I like that knife so much I have bought two more for Christmas gifts to my 2 Son In-Laws. Perfection

[TkoK83Spy]

For my Spyderco knives, it's definitely any of these 3. I enjoy other models as well, but whenever I grab any of these ones...it's like they were meant just for me!

[kobold]

All these really: the Native, Chief, Chap, Millie, Sage, M2, PM2. The N5 feels the best, for having no hump and the lock.

[Doc Dan]

Delica and the Manix 2 LW and now the K390 Stretch are like that.

[FK]

Delica and Endura, carry both daily, in addition the favorite Stretch.
When I switch off to PM2, Para 3 or Military, which I have a large collection,,,,, the change back to Delica, Endura and Stretch is much more comfortable.

Regards,
FK

[VooDooChild]

Shaman
Military
Pm2
Native chief
Police 4
Endura 4
Others

[PocketShredder]

D’allara Rescue for sure. Gotta love that three-dimensional handle. Fits like a glove.

[Manixguy@1994]

I have both of the Manix lock backs and had the large in pocket for a couple of days and yesterday I went with my Super Leaf . I only have two Manix 2 knives and really like them a lot but I love the sound of the originals opening with that reassuring clunk only my Chinook 2 replicates. It’s great Spyderco has such a variety of different types and models so everyone can be happy with what they have in hand . Regards MG2

[Pokey]

Usually anything with a finger choil. PM 2, Manix 2, Stretch 2, Raven 2, UKPK, etc.

[Evil D]

I think this is something that I subconsciously look for in a knife, being able to quickly adapt to it and feel comfortable with it, and I think sometimes choils and having too many grip options can complicate that (how many ways does a good pair of shoes fit your foot?) so the knives I like the most are the ones that I "slip back into" the easiest.

To list a few..

Military
Caribbean
Autonomy 1
Rock Jumper


I think most of us could use a knife enough to build familiarity with it and be comfortable using it, but some tend to offer it up more freely than others and those four suit me really well. The Autonomy especially is interesting because I tend to really dislike finger grooves and obviously it's all about finger grooves, but the spacing is just right for me and when I grip that handle it's like squeezing a piece of clay between my fingers and it fits my hand so well.

[5-by-5]

Military

[p_atrick]

Police 4. My Sage is pretty comfy too. I wonder if length of ownership plays into our feelings about this?

[Evil D]

Police 4. My Sage is pretty comfy too. I wonder if length of ownership plays into our feelings about this?

I think it has an impact, if you had to use the knife you hate the most everyday for 5 years you'd get very familiar with it regardless of how much you actually like it. I look at it like, the ones that actually stick around in our collections have proven themselves, and that says a lot. Then opposite of that, there are relatively new models like the Rock Jumper that I immediately latched onto that felt very familiar right from the start, and I think that's a sign of both a really great design and simply how well that design fits your preferences. It's also easy to overlook how much DNA a knife like the Rock Jumper may share with other knives when a guy like Sal designs it, it's almost impossible for a designer to scrap everything they know and start over from nothing and not draw from their past successes, he knows what works and there are similarities between the Rock Jumper and the Stretch for example which has literally decades of development behind it, so in essence you could say the Rock Jumper also benefits from decades of development too or if nothing else decades of knife design knowledge.

[yablanowitz]

Oddly enough, the Dodo is the one that offers me a firm handshake, then drags me around looking for things to cut.

[Wartstein]

Several that feel extremely comfortable to me, but the particular term "like a comfortable pair of shoes" fits best for the Stretch 1.

Feels very "locked in", but just a bit less than it is for example with the Manix 2 LW, but in return, well.. more comfy, somehow "softer", like really "worn in" (if knives were shoes and could actually wear in handle-wise).

This handle feel translates to the Stretch 1 being the most comfortable, least "hotspotty" Spydie I personally own when it comes to cutting really tough stuff, where one has to grip the handle really tight.

[TomAiello]

Manix 2 for me. Definitely.

[Manixguy@1994]

Here is an old shoe in my pocket today . MG2