I kinda secretly wish for them to make knives with choils for 2 fingers (or more, with almost no functional cutting edge) and then somehow convince people to buy it. Would be so fun.
Another thing about Spyderco finger choils is that they allow you to close a lock back one handed. It also helps to not have an edge there after flicking out, so your index finger can come around to grip the handle.
You don’t need a finger choil to close a lockback one handed, you just need a wide enough ricasso (for example, look at the Delica/Endela/Endura series)
I just bought my 3rd Spyderco Native 5 two weeks ago because I love that perfect finger choil and fantastic grip of that knife in my medium sized female hand. I also own 5 Civivi Baby Banter's because of the excellent grip and utility in my hand with their finger choil.
As a UK native I think finger choils are a definite positive on slip joints especially. What with the non-locking laws. Now double detents are gaining popularity which don't have any spring so no lock out at all, it's essential on those, or a flipper doubling as a guard.
Regarding choils: If you intend to use a folder for food prep, a choil (or an extended ricasso) helps keep cutts away from the pivot, this avoid it gettting as easily clogged witb food bits and juices. A feature far more valuable for a folder than loosing a minimal amount of edge in my opinion.
As someone who slices lots of paper and vinyl off rolls, unless you pinch up on the blade, the paper will inevitably ride up and get hung in the choil. I'll put up with a sharpening smile over a choil and day.
FAQ please are there any other fixed blade knives that have a clip on the handle (like the upcoming Civivi Sokn)? in my personal use with fixed blades i often had to remove the knife from my pocket with the sheath anyway (being indoors around people a lot) so this is ideal as sheaths balance is always low. This would be like a "deep pocket carry fixed blade"
Choils that turn 3 finger handles into ones that you can get a full grip on are great. Even on larger knives, being able to choke up behind the edge for more control is also nice. I just don’t like when they don’t commit to the choil, so it’s too big just for sharpening but not big enough to comfortably put a finger.
If I understood correctly, I totally agree with the choil thing. Im mostly of the opinion that I dont want it on ANY fixed blade whatsoever, not even a sharpening choil because you dont only lose the part of the blade that the choil occupies, but you also make the nearby part of the blade borderline useless since it will now catch on things or tear through whatever you try to cut. I can see the merit in the Armageddon but thats mostly due to it being a chopper with a recurve, not necessarily the length of the blade. It doesnt matter how long the blade is, if you try to cut something like thick rope, thick cardboard/tarp or even wood, anything where you have to bear down a bit, you want to cut on a portion of the blade as close to your hand as possible as thats where you are strongest. Any choil ruins that, at least for me and I would sacrifice a tiny bit of leverage in whittling to avoid it any day. I also agree that they do serve a purpose in more compact folders though, I love my Native 5 because of its choil because it allows (me at least) a full grip on what would otherwise be a bit too small for comfort. On the flip side, I love my Manix 2 XL despite of its choil, I would much rather just have that 5mm extra blade there.
Am I the only one that dreams of having a choiless PM2, Military 2, Shaman, Manix 2, etc. I understand the choil on the Para 3 and Sages. The handle ergos on the medium and full size knives are perfectly fine, we don't need the choil pushing the cutting edge further away. And why the choil on the new ZT 0004? I would've bought 2 of those if it was choiless.
I'm a fan of the choil. My Bradford Guardian 3 has one that cuts me if I'm not super careful with it. That i am not a huge fan of. It's all about application and execution.
I think Spyderco has figured out the way to execute a finger choil. The jimping and the big nub right before the sharpened part of the blade starts keeps you off of the sharpened edge and the transition between the handle & blade makes for wayyyy better grip on tiny knives. I have freakishly large hands (XXL work gloves are almost too small, my palm is over 4 inches across) and I absolutely love my Chaparral, Native, Sage, and UKPK. I wish we would go back to calling it a 50/50 choil.
I've always wanted to like framelocks. My big fingers won't stay off of the lock bar. So, my collection had lots of micarta, carbon fiber and button locks
A finger choil on a knife has little bearing on whether or not I would buy it. One of my first knives to have a "finger choil" was my Spyderco Kiwi. A three finger knife even with the choil. Ironically a vast majority of Spyderco knives do not have a sharpening choil. I think you missed that point, David
I couldn't agree more about choils on EDC knives. My first Spyderco was a Para 3 LW and my hand feels cramped on the main handle. I picked up a Lil Temperance 3 LW, which is almost the exact same handle/blade length, but I can comfortably get a full grip, plus have more sharpened edge. I wish Spyderco would make more versions of their popular knives (Para 3, PM2, Manix, Safe, etc.) without finger choils.
I believe Chris Reeve made some interesting blades with serrations in the middle of the blade. He also ground the serrations on both sides of the blade so it could be sharpened as a normal blade. I confess I'm intrigued by those; I like a straight blade at the heel and at the tip, but, especially for an outdoor knife, I like having some serrations for getting easily through ropes and green willows.
Hello DCA. I have some doubts related to safety in case when blade is a moving element. 1. Automatic knives, specifically OTF. What would happen if a knife worn in a pocket fires accidentally? Would the force be enough to hurt a knife user? Is it even a possible scenario? I couldn’t see any safety feature watching your videos - there’s only a button or a slider that starts the action. But I have no OTF automatic knife, so perhaps there’s something I don’t know about how they work? 2. Tip-up vs. tip-down. I believe the material can wear out over the time, and at some point the detent can simply fail to keep blade in place. In that case intuition says the safest option to wear the knife tip-down, as the gravity itself will work to move the blade down, which is the closed position, while tip-up leads to the problem, as gravity does the opposite: it rather helps with opening the whole thing. How does this work in real life? Again: is the scenario even close to something that actually CAN happen? If so, would you recommend tip-up position for a knife in a pocket for someone obsessed with safety?
Hello, with regards to "inverted" serrations, there is a fixed blade. The Mora Bushman SRT has about an inch and a third of unserrated edge right at the heel of the blade before the rather short serrated section.
I love me a good finger choil. Spyderco is my favorite knife company, partially because of the finger choil. I also like having my index finger as close to the blade as possible.
An interesting topic would be lock wear by lock type. I have seen some used but sill with high blade resource Spyderco Endura (backlock) here on youtube that even factory could not completely eliminate the wiggle from. Makes me uncomfortable to fidget with my knives now :) What is the most wear resistant lock type available? Something like Spyderco's ball bearing lock I suspect. Thanks
Probably a triad lock by cold steel. It's a lock back with a stop bar that automatically adjusts over time to keep the lock tightly engaged as it wears down.
@@lloydchristmas2542 Yes, it needs to be self adjusting to some degree to compensate for wear. A wedged ball bearing in the Manix does that too, I think. Perhaps even a backlock has some wedging action incorporated in it's design but not that much apparently.
Hey DCA and Thomas. What's the best work EDC for a mechanic? The steel needs to stand up to constantly opening parts boxes, popping zip-ties, a bit of prying, rubber hose cutting etc without quickly dulling, chipping or breaking. Not looking for a traditional style folding multi-tool but am open to folding or fixed. Price not a factor, looking for best performance for dollar spent. Thanks.
Hello DCA. I had a knife a long time ago made by Gerber. I got it for my birthday 3 and a half decades ago. I have long since lost that knife. Is there a way to find more info on yesteryears knife models? Like an omnibus of old knife patterns?
idk if this is already in the comments _but_ is the reasons partial serrations are at the heel rather than the tip to do with penetration? If you need to pierce something, then serrations at the tip make that much harder? Just a thought rather than a fact…
Regarding partial serrations towards the tip of the blade: Spyderco had some knives for the Japanese market made in that way. IIRC, these were offered in Police models; maybe even some branded knives for Japanese dealers/companies - not so sure about that, though.
Agree with DCA on the choils issue--I'd rather not give up any sharpened edge or handle length. Just give me a good guard (or fairly long flipper tab). Even on my 2 1/2" "Chicago knives", I just add a lanyard for the pinkie.
I was trying to decide what my opinion on finger choils is, and I went to my ( admittedly not a large as I would like) knife collection and low and behold I don't have a single knife with a finger choil. I have large knives ( esee 5, many machetes) and many small knives ( i seem to always get the mini version of knives i like the normal sized version of)... but no choils. So I don't know if i don't like them and just instinctively avoid them or if I've just never really given them a chance. So... question, what knife should I get to give choils a chance to impress?
I have a question after watching the recent Shot Show coverage although it might not work for a short answer. I'd love a "blade shows 101" explanation. I'm retiring soon and would love to go to one of these shows in the next year, but not sure how to get the most out of it. Is there planning you should do? Times when the floors are less chaotic?
Hey Thomas and David, I could use some help in searching for my ideal pocket folder. I'm currently having trouble finding finger safe locks with tip down carry. Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanx. Also your previous answer was helpful. Although my wife said I can't have any of the knives you had on screen (RE: knives so thin video) cause they are ugly.
My question is what is the purpose of the convex edge in the magnacut Chris Reeves. I recently got my first CRK and I am having trouble getting used to it. With the toughness is it overkill?
Can you talk about if a leeb tester is sufficiant for hardness testing of a blade? Are they accurate? Is there a reason for larger rockwell testers being the industry standard?
I live in a nanny state. Carrying a large folder (>3.5 inches) is a no-no. Carrying a medium sized is questionable. My current favorite is a Lil Native, clip removed for easy 5th pocket carry. The design-especially sans pocket clip-is amazingly comfortable, much more so than the Dragonfly I carried for years, and more so than most larger pocket knives. And it is due in no small part to the “finger” choil.
While there are in depth comparatives of knife steels & what is in their mix; there seems a void regarding both knife blade coatings and handle materials (types & comparative advantages) .. How about a separate video on both ??..
Your cameraman dropped the ball on the Victorinox. If EVER there was a time for a close up, it was when you were talking about the kife with the serations at the tip of the blade. I had never seen that. After watching this video, I have still never seen that. But wait, DCA always puts a link to the knives...I'll just go take a look. No link. :(
Finger choils are awesome on knives as small as that Lil Native, they give you way more grip and allow the folded size to remain very small. I draw the line on larger handles though, I don't need a finger choil on a handle that's big enough to fit my entire hand, at that point for me it becomes wasted edge space. I don't buy into the whole "choke up for control" BS, if the handle is designed right you won't need to choke up to make controlled cuts.
Whether you want or need a finger or sharpening choil is ultimately personal choice. I have no fixed opinion -it depends on the knife & how I plan to use it. The one massive complaint I have is the design of most choils - finger or sharpening. Too many so called choils are nothing more than unusable useless notches on the blade. Too many finger choils are too small to use & include a sharp edge corner to cut yourself on - the choil needs to be big enough to get your finger in and the corner of the blade needs to be knocked off for safety. The purpose of a sharpening choil is to get the end of the cutting edge away from the plunge grind yet few achieve this. Designers, if you want to include a choil - great - just do it properly!! Sharp blades all.
If the Frog Leg isn’t really a bolster lock, can you show knives that do deserve that moniker? I won’t ask you to go in the weeds but I’ve been trying to find an explanation of saber grinds for years and still haven’t.
Hey there, I’m looking for a one-tool-option big hunting knife because I don’t like to carry a dozen different knives around with me. I already got a small knife but I need one big knife for the bigger tasks. It should be useable for finishing off a relatively big wild boar but also for disintegrating the animal and carving off the meat. Therefore it should be a dagger with a blade length of about 7 inches, a blade thickness of not more than around 0.15” and a blade width of not more than about 1.2”. Also it should be stainless and cost between 50-250$. Surprisingly I just can’t find something suitable, can you please help me ?
You nailed it on choils DCA. For small and large knives. I dont like them on anything else. Its one of those things I see on a ton of knives and it baffles me.
I seldom buy a knife that doesn’t have a finger choil. I prefer a smaller body overall where I can carry it in a watch pocket, so that it doesn’t scuff or interfere with anything else in the pocket. Bonus points if it has a little jimping on the top side to steady the blade for any precision work.
My opinion...they make sense on some knives specifically designed to have a "functional" finger choil but on most knives they are an ER docs best friend.
Not big on finger choils, its the one thing I dont like about my Lackey XL... Now my Stormridge, has a finger type choil cut but far too small for a finger which I dont mind as much, as I prefer the "notch" type sharpening choil. But its generally not a deal breaker.
The worst ratio of edge to handle and choil must be the Strider SMF. Never saw the use of wasting edge length. If the edge starts at the handle you don't need to choke up.
Maybe on a slip joint but if the lock does what it's supposed to then no. To me they just take usable length away from a blade. I still love Spyderco though.
I completely agree, finger choils are completely over used in that mid-lrg sized knife area. If you have a 4 inch plus handle you don’t need a finger choil. Better to have more usable blade and a nice guard for material to hit against when cutting instead of hitting your hand or slipping off the back of the finger choil. Spyderco don’t even use sharpening choils on a lot of models. You never get hung up on a box with a choil less blade. It’s also much easier to slip onto the blade with a finger choil. I have a finch harvester with no finger choil, just has a sharpening choil. Handle is just big enough.It’s a box destroyer. Never gets hung up. If it had a finger choil it would be ruined in my opinion. I’m not saying ban the finger choil, just please stop the over representation. There’s no real practical use, it’s just aesthetic. Smaller knives, I don’t mind but I like the way Spyderco does it with a guard. Safer and prevents hangup on material. That’s my opinion for what it’s worth, related to the way I use knives.
Hello. Please explain why so many knives have such a long ricasso?? Great example, Randall knives. SOG Trident. MKC Blackfoot. Lots of bowie knives.. an so on.
Non choil related comment: I LOVE my Becker knives but I really, really, really wish they would offer factory micarta or G10 grip scales. The material they use currently is functional but far from ideal.
@presidentmerkinmuffley6769 oh I know but you're paying almost half the cost of the knife just to replace the grip panels. If KaBar offered it from the factory the combination should be significantly less than buying each separately.
@@brandiwynter Should be, but you and I both know they would find a way to make it almost the same end user cost. In part because the stock panels are a cheaper material, either in material cost or man hours.
Hi DCA and Thomas. Why does Ken Onion hate lefties. I would love to have a Ken Onion knife, but I am hopelessly left handed. Nothing he makes can be accommodated for lefties.
I hate ESEE’s 3D scales and I’m actually in the process of modifying my 4 (the same model in this video) by making new scales and eliminating the finger coil, whereas it’s useless in my opinion. I agree with DCA here entirely!
Question: If you were in a survival situation in the mountains (3.5 years 😊) and you could carry one knife (no other tools), which one would that be? Same question, but this time you can carry an axe and a knife. What knife would you choose if you can have an axe with you? Thank you! 😊
Question. Is it just me or there an abundance of knives that are similar in shape to the rat 1?. I watched a lot of your shot show coverage and noticed this. Is the rat an original design shape or are there other knives that came before it? Thanks
Those who know carry Spyderco. Increasing control and comfort Spyderco designers add a deep finger choil, naturally jogging the index finger into a position on the underside of the blade directly below the thumb. Positioning the index finger in this choil blocks the blade from accidental closing when cutting and provides a grip position that allows the user to choke-up closer to the cutting edge for greater dexterity.
I kinda secretly wish for them to make knives with choils for 2 fingers (or more, with almost no functional cutting edge) and then somehow convince people to buy it. Would be so fun.
Put it on a 3” knife. Brilliant.
Benchmade will do it and retail it for $999.
@@homeofinventions Love it.!
Lolololol better put your name on that. Sounds like a bad idea so it will definitely take off😂
What you're looking for is a whittling knife.
Another thing about Spyderco finger choils is that they allow you to close a lock back one handed. It also helps to not have an edge there after flicking out, so your index finger can come around to grip the handle.
You don’t need a finger choil to close a lockback one handed, you just need a wide enough ricasso (for example, look at the Delica/Endela/Endura series)
I just bought my 3rd Spyderco Native 5 two weeks ago because I love that perfect finger choil and fantastic grip of that knife in my medium sized female hand. I also own 5 Civivi Baby Banter's because of the excellent grip and utility in my hand with their finger choil.
I like the Spyderco Native 5 finger choil and I have large hands! 😉
As a UK native I think finger choils are a definite positive on slip joints especially. What with the non-locking laws. Now double detents are gaining popularity which don't have any spring so no lock out at all, it's essential on those, or a flipper doubling as a guard.
So crazy that the uk banned a safety feature, lol. It's like trying to prevent speeding by banning seatbelts, lol.
I used to care about the cutting edge lost but I've just succumbed to the overwhelming realization that spyderco makes just about a perfect knife
Finger Choil works as a lock on my Spyderco UKPK
Regarding choils:
If you intend to use a folder for food prep, a choil (or an extended ricasso) helps keep cutts away from the pivot, this avoid it gettting as easily clogged witb food bits and juices.
A feature far more valuable for a folder than loosing a minimal amount of edge in my opinion.
As someone who slices lots of paper and vinyl off rolls, unless you pinch up on the blade, the paper will inevitably ride up and get hung in the choil. I'll put up with a sharpening smile over a choil and day.
Preach! 👍🏼
A man of culture
That’s my experience as well and I agree. Function over form.
The Smock being one of the worst all time for this
FAQ please are there any other fixed blade knives that have a clip on the handle (like the upcoming Civivi Sokn)?
in my personal use with fixed blades i often had to remove the knife from my pocket with the sheath anyway (being indoors around people a lot) so this is ideal as sheaths balance is always low. This would be like a "deep pocket carry fixed blade"
Choils that turn 3 finger handles into ones that you can get a full grip on are great. Even on larger knives, being able to choke up behind the edge for more control is also nice.
I just don’t like when they don’t commit to the choil, so it’s too big just for sharpening but not big enough to comfortably put a finger.
What could provide a more comfortable grip than a narrow piece of serrated metal ?
If I understood correctly, I totally agree with the choil thing. Im mostly of the opinion that I dont want it on ANY fixed blade whatsoever, not even a sharpening choil because you dont only lose the part of the blade that the choil occupies, but you also make the nearby part of the blade borderline useless since it will now catch on things or tear through whatever you try to cut. I can see the merit in the Armageddon but thats mostly due to it being a chopper with a recurve, not necessarily the length of the blade. It doesnt matter how long the blade is, if you try to cut something like thick rope, thick cardboard/tarp or even wood, anything where you have to bear down a bit, you want to cut on a portion of the blade as close to your hand as possible as thats where you are strongest. Any choil ruins that, at least for me and I would sacrifice a tiny bit of leverage in whittling to avoid it any day.
I also agree that they do serve a purpose in more compact folders though, I love my Native 5 because of its choil because it allows (me at least) a full grip on what would otherwise be a bit too small for comfort. On the flip side, I love my Manix 2 XL despite of its choil, I would much rather just have that 5mm extra blade there.
DCA, if you were going back in time to give Kaiser Wilhelm a handy knife for daily use what would you him? Thanks. Love the show.
Am I the only one that dreams of having a choiless PM2, Military 2, Shaman, Manix 2, etc. I understand the choil on the Para 3 and Sages. The handle ergos on the medium and full size knives are perfectly fine, we don't need the choil pushing the cutting edge further away. And why the choil on the new ZT 0004? I would've bought 2 of those if it was choiless.
Bodacious is practically choilless shaman
I'm a fan of the choil.
My Bradford Guardian 3 has one that cuts me if I'm not super careful with it. That i am not a huge fan of. It's all about application and execution.
Love the baby banter. It’s surprising how much it can punch over its weight. That choil definitely helps power through some harder cuts.
I think Spyderco has figured out the way to execute a finger choil. The jimping and the big nub right before the sharpened part of the blade starts keeps you off of the sharpened edge and the transition between the handle & blade makes for wayyyy better grip on tiny knives.
I have freakishly large hands (XXL work gloves are almost too small, my palm is over 4 inches across) and I absolutely love my Chaparral, Native, Sage, and UKPK.
I wish we would go back to calling it a 50/50 choil.
I've always wanted to like framelocks. My big fingers won't stay off of the lock bar. So, my collection had lots of micarta, carbon fiber and button locks
As long as I get close to the edge. I don't want a lot of dead space between my index finger and edge.
A finger choil on a knife has little bearing on whether or not I would buy it. One of my first knives to have a "finger choil" was my Spyderco Kiwi. A three finger knife even with the choil. Ironically a vast majority of Spyderco knives do not have a sharpening choil. I think you missed that point, David
Well done with the editing at 7:28 😂
I couldn't agree more about choils on EDC knives. My first Spyderco was a Para 3 LW and my hand feels cramped on the main handle. I picked up a Lil Temperance 3 LW, which is almost the exact same handle/blade length, but I can comfortably get a full grip, plus have more sharpened edge. I wish Spyderco would make more versions of their popular knives (Para 3, PM2, Manix, Safe, etc.) without finger choils.
I believe Chris Reeve made some interesting blades with serrations in the middle of the blade. He also ground the serrations on both sides of the blade so it could be sharpened as a normal blade. I confess I'm intrigued by those; I like a straight blade at the heel and at the tip, but, especially for an outdoor knife, I like having some serrations for getting easily through ropes and green willows.
Hi DCA. I loved that question about serrations should be closer to the point. Can you design one like the Swiss one you showed.
Hello DCA.
I have some doubts related to safety in case when blade is a moving element.
1. Automatic knives, specifically OTF. What would happen if a knife worn in a pocket fires accidentally? Would the force be enough to hurt a knife user?
Is it even a possible scenario? I couldn’t see any safety feature watching your videos - there’s only a button or a slider that starts the action. But I have no OTF automatic knife, so perhaps there’s something I don’t know about how they work?
2. Tip-up vs. tip-down. I believe the material can wear out over the time, and at some point the detent can simply fail to keep blade in place. In that case intuition says the safest option to wear the knife tip-down, as the gravity itself will work to move the blade down, which is the closed position, while tip-up leads to the problem, as gravity does the opposite: it rather helps with opening the whole thing.
How does this work in real life? Again: is the scenario even close to something that actually CAN happen? If so, would you recommend tip-up position for a knife in a pocket for someone obsessed with safety?
I agree about finger choils . 3 to 6 inch blades they tend to get in the way .
The Gerber Guardian boot knife had serrations at the front top of the blade
Hello,
with regards to "inverted" serrations, there is a fixed blade. The Mora Bushman SRT has about an inch and a third of unserrated edge right at the heel of the blade before the rather short serrated section.
I love me a good finger choil. Spyderco is my favorite knife company, partially because of the finger choil. I also like having my index finger as close to the blade as possible.
😂😂 the weeds segment always gets me
The finger choil will finally make sense on the Sage 6!
An interesting topic would be lock wear by lock type. I have seen some used but sill with high blade resource Spyderco Endura (backlock) here on youtube that even factory could not completely eliminate the wiggle from. Makes me uncomfortable to fidget with my knives now :) What is the most wear resistant lock type available? Something like Spyderco's ball bearing lock I suspect. Thanks
Probably a triad lock by cold steel. It's a lock back with a stop bar that automatically adjusts over time to keep the lock tightly engaged as it wears down.
@@lloydchristmas2542 Yes, it needs to be self adjusting to some degree to compensate for wear. A wedged ball bearing in the Manix does that too, I think. Perhaps even a backlock has some wedging action incorporated in it's design but not that much apparently.
Hey DCA and Thomas.
What's the best work EDC for a mechanic? The steel needs to stand up to constantly opening parts boxes, popping zip-ties, a bit of prying, rubber hose cutting etc without quickly dulling, chipping or breaking. Not looking for a traditional style folding multi-tool but am open to folding or fixed. Price not a factor, looking for best performance for dollar spent. Thanks.
Hello DCA. I had a knife a long time ago made by Gerber. I got it for my birthday 3 and a half decades ago. I have long since lost that knife. Is there a way to find more info on yesteryears knife models? Like an omnibus of old knife patterns?
idk if this is already in the comments _but_ is the reasons partial serrations are at the heel rather than the tip to do with penetration? If you need to pierce something, then serrations at the tip make that much harder? Just a thought rather than a fact…
Regarding partial serrations towards the tip of the blade: Spyderco had some knives for the Japanese market made in that way. IIRC, these were offered in Police models; maybe even some branded knives for Japanese dealers/companies - not so sure about that, though.
Agree with DCA on the choils issue--I'd rather not give up any sharpened edge or handle length. Just give me a good guard (or fairly long flipper tab). Even on my 2 1/2" "Chicago knives", I just add a lanyard for the pinkie.
I was trying to decide what my opinion on finger choils is, and I went to my ( admittedly not a large as I would like) knife collection and low and behold I don't have a single knife with a finger choil. I have large knives ( esee 5, many machetes) and many small knives ( i seem to always get the mini version of knives i like the normal sized version of)... but no choils. So I don't know if i don't like them and just instinctively avoid them or if I've just never really given them a chance.
So... question, what knife should I get to give choils a chance to impress?
I have a question after watching the recent Shot Show coverage although it might not work for a short answer. I'd love a "blade shows 101" explanation. I'm retiring soon and would love to go to one of these shows in the next year, but not sure how to get the most out of it. Is there planning you should do? Times when the floors are less chaotic?
Hey Thomas and David, I could use some help in searching for my ideal pocket folder. I'm currently having trouble finding finger safe locks with tip down carry. Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanx. Also your previous answer was helpful. Although my wife said I can't have any of the knives you had on screen (RE: knives so thin video) cause they are ugly.
My question is what is the purpose of the convex edge in the magnacut Chris Reeves. I recently got my first CRK and I am having trouble getting used to it. With the toughness is it overkill?
Can you talk about if a leeb tester is sufficiant for hardness testing of a blade? Are they accurate? Is there a reason for larger rockwell testers being the industry standard?
I live in a nanny state. Carrying a large folder (>3.5 inches) is a no-no. Carrying a medium sized is questionable. My current favorite is a Lil Native, clip removed for easy 5th pocket carry. The design-especially sans pocket clip-is amazingly comfortable, much more so than the Dragonfly I carried for years, and more so than most larger pocket knives. And it is due in no small part to the “finger” choil.
While there are in depth comparatives of knife steels & what is in their mix; there seems a void regarding both knife blade coatings and handle materials (types & comparative advantages) ..
How about a separate video on both ??..
Is the bestech mini Dundee really dlc as listed or is it really pvd. Seems like a lower than usual price for dlc
Your cameraman dropped the ball on the Victorinox. If EVER there was a time for a close up, it was when you were talking about the kife with the serations at the tip of the blade. I had never seen that. After watching this video, I have still never seen that. But wait, DCA always puts a link to the knives...I'll just go take a look. No link. :(
Love finger choils from Spyderco. Hard to imagine you would not understand the purpose if you put one in your hand.
Finger choils are awesome on knives as small as that Lil Native, they give you way more grip and allow the folded size to remain very small. I draw the line on larger handles though, I don't need a finger choil on a handle that's big enough to fit my entire hand, at that point for me it becomes wasted edge space. I don't buy into the whole "choke up for control" BS, if the handle is designed right you won't need to choke up to make controlled cuts.
Whether you want or need a finger or sharpening choil is ultimately personal choice. I have no fixed opinion -it depends on the knife & how I plan to use it. The one massive complaint I have is the design of most choils - finger or sharpening. Too many so called choils are nothing more than unusable useless notches on the blade. Too many finger choils are too small to use & include a sharp edge corner to cut yourself on - the choil needs to be big enough to get your finger in and the corner of the blade needs to be knocked off for safety. The purpose of a sharpening choil is to get the end of the cutting edge away from the plunge grind yet few achieve this. Designers, if you want to include a choil - great - just do it properly!! Sharp blades all.
I've not seen that Frogleg before, I hate the yellow but the knife looks like a illegitimate child of a Buck 110 and well... something else. I like!
On slip joints choils are indispensable for safety.
Pocket knife enthusiasts are funny creatures.
If the Frog Leg isn’t really a bolster lock, can you show knives that do deserve that moniker? I won’t ask you to go in the weeds but I’ve been trying to find an explanation of saber grinds for years and still haven’t.
Hey there, I’m looking for a one-tool-option big hunting knife because I don’t like to carry a dozen different knives around with me. I already got a small knife but I need one big knife for the bigger tasks. It should be useable for finishing off a relatively big wild boar but also for disintegrating the animal and carving off the meat. Therefore it should be a dagger with a blade length of about 7 inches, a blade thickness of not more than around 0.15” and a blade width of not more than about 1.2”. Also it should be stainless and cost between 50-250$. Surprisingly I just can’t find something suitable, can you please help me ?
What’s the Spyderco finger choil technically called if not a choil?
It's basically an extension of the handle.
It would be great to be able to search for bolster lock-style knives, as this is a challenge with knife sellers.
You nailed it on choils DCA. For small and large knives. I dont like them on anything else. Its one of those things I see on a ton of knives and it baffles me.
I seldom buy a knife that doesn’t have a finger choil. I prefer a smaller body overall where I can carry it in a watch pocket, so that it doesn’t scuff or interfere with anything else in the pocket. Bonus points if it has a little jimping on the top side to steady the blade for any precision work.
Hey D.C.A is the Spyderco paramilitary 2 legal to E.D.C in Virginia?
Why are there so few slip joints with pocket clips? With the modern traditional trend, I thought there would be more.
My opinion...they make sense on some knives specifically designed to have a "functional" finger choil but on most knives they are an ER docs best friend.
Hogue Ballista has both choils.
Not big on finger choils, its the one thing I dont like about my Lackey XL... Now my Stormridge, has a finger type choil cut but far too small for a finger which I dont mind as much, as I prefer the "notch" type sharpening choil.
But its generally not a deal breaker.
Thomas says, “were already in it” 😅😅😅😅
I don't care for choils personally. They tend to get things you're cutting stuck in them.
I don't even like a sharpening choil on a sub 4" blade, always getting caught up on something I'm trying to cut.
Never bought into the 'choil' as the idea of the finger that close to the Sharpened edge is stoopid
Personally I prefer a full clean blade. when cutting I like to put rope or other things at the handle and pull.
The worst ratio of edge to handle and choil must be the Strider SMF. Never saw the use of wasting edge length. If the edge starts at the handle you don't need to choke up.
So people won't cut their fingers?
Some finger choils increase the likelihood
Maybe on a slip joint but if the lock does what it's supposed to then no. To me they just take usable length away from a blade. I still love Spyderco though.
Depends on the knife
I've never liked frame-locks because it makes it so only one side of the knife handle looks good.
I completely agree, finger choils are completely over used in that mid-lrg sized knife area. If you have a 4 inch plus handle you don’t need a finger choil. Better to have more usable blade and a nice guard for material to hit against when cutting instead of hitting your hand or slipping off the back of the finger choil.
Spyderco don’t even use sharpening choils on a lot of models. You never get hung up on a box with a choil less blade.
It’s also much easier to slip onto the blade with a finger choil.
I have a finch harvester with no finger choil, just has a sharpening choil. Handle is just big enough.It’s a box destroyer. Never gets hung up. If it had a finger choil it would be ruined in my opinion.
I’m not saying ban the finger choil, just please stop the over representation. There’s no real practical use, it’s just aesthetic.
Smaller knives, I don’t mind but I like the way Spyderco does it with a guard. Safer and prevents hangup on material.
That’s my opinion for what it’s worth, related to the way I use knives.
I think some knifemakers put a choil on their knives to hide their shitty centering on their plunge lines.
Wow, ive been waiting for somebody to say this for years. They serve a specific purpose. It’s not a design feature every knife needs😭
Hello. Please explain why so many knives have such a long ricasso?? Great example, Randall knives. SOG Trident. MKC Blackfoot. Lots of bowie knives.. an so on.
Yes.
The böker subcom folders used to have the serrations in front. And some other böker Designs from CLB. But they are all discountinued I guess.
Non choil related comment:
I LOVE my Becker knives but I really, really, really wish they would offer factory micarta or G10 grip scales. The material they use currently is functional but far from ideal.
Kabar makes micarta handles for them, sold seperately.
@presidentmerkinmuffley6769 oh I know but you're paying almost half the cost of the knife just to replace the grip panels. If KaBar offered it from the factory the combination should be significantly less than buying each separately.
@@brandiwynter Should be, but you and I both know they would find a way to make it almost the same end user cost.
In part because the stock panels are a cheaper material, either in material cost or man hours.
Maybe it's time for David to collaborate with ESEE on a DCA Junglas?
Def. Prefer the ergonomics of a choil
I don't even have to watch the video; no they are not worthless. I often won't buy a knife if there isn't a finger choil.
I'd rather the finger choil is also a sharpening choil I hate when my knives get that smile after sharpening
Hi DCA and Thomas. Why does Ken Onion hate lefties. I would love to have a Ken Onion knife, but I am hopelessly left handed. Nothing he makes can be accommodated for lefties.
I hate ESEE’s 3D scales and I’m actually in the process of modifying my 4 (the same model in this video) by making new scales and eliminating the finger coil, whereas it’s useless in my opinion. I agree with DCA here entirely!
Question: If you were in a survival situation in the mountains (3.5 years 😊) and you could carry one knife (no other tools), which one would that be? Same question, but this time you can carry an axe and a knife. What knife would you choose if you can have an axe with you? Thank you! 😊
They spoil the grip, but are good as finger protection when closing the blade.
I won't buy a knife without a finger choil
my milwakee fastback has no choil. thats why i love it, /s
I like finger choils! Allows you to choke up on the blade! There is enough handle and sharpened edge on my knives...🤔
re: most serious question, I submit to you "Mustache Song" by The Photographers
Question. Is it just me or there an abundance of knives that are similar in shape to the rat 1?. I watched a lot of your shot show coverage and noticed this. Is the rat an original design shape or are there other knives that came before it? Thanks
Wrong answer regarding Seth's stache. He should've said a multitool and pluck it out with pliers. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 (just kidding)
I don't want my finger anywhere near the edge lol
THA WEEDS ARE HERE
Those who know carry Spyderco. Increasing control and comfort Spyderco designers add a deep finger choil, naturally jogging the index finger into a position on the underside of the blade directly below the thumb. Positioning the index finger in this choil blocks the blade from accidental closing when cutting and provides a grip position that allows the user to choke-up closer to the cutting edge for greater dexterity.
Finger choils are not useless - look at my Kubey KU376B even if you don't call it a choil.
Vote for no choils unless its a small knife with to objective to make it a full 4 finger knife
No, not if the knife's designed to have one.... now onto the next stupid question.
I hate all choils including sharping choils.