Another Yojimbo Review

R

Russell92

Joined
Aug 17, 2000
Messages
53
I finally received my black handled Yojimbo and I have mixed feelings towards it. It's slightly bigger and heavier than I thought it would be and I definitely notice it more in my pocket than the Delica I've been carrying for a while. As everyone else has said the blade is ridiculously sharp and an outstanding cutter. The G10, combined with the deep choil and handle shape, make it feel extremely secure in my hand.

Some of the problems I have with it are that I find it fairly difficult to open. The thumb hole is very close to the handle when closed and makes a pretty long arc as it opens. My thumb slips out of the hole fairly often when opening it quickly. Also the compression lock often pinches the last digit on my index finger as it locks open, I'm a lefty by the way. I also am unable to close the knife one handed with my left hand. Another thing that concerns me with this knife is that the blade does not spring shut when open just a little bit. Therefore, it could open half an inch or an inch in my pocket and stay that way instead of springing back shut. This wouldn't be such a large problem if I could just carry the knife all the way against the back of my pocket so the blade couldn't open but the clip allows the knife to move around on my pocket. I'm somewhat nervous carrying it because it seems like there's a pretty good chance I could stab myself reaching into my pocket. Anyone else feel the same way?

Also I would prefer if the clip were not so shiny since I do not want to draw attention to the knife. The blade has a slight bit of movement forward and back when locked open, this won't affect the function of the knife or the reliability of the lock will it?

Now I'm not sure if I want to start carrying the Yojimbo or stick to my Delica. The Yojimbo is great once it's open and in my hand but I am not pleased with the way it carries or opens for me. I got it to carry for SD at school in Washington DC where the blade length limit is 3". My only choices appear to be the Yojimbo or Delica and I was hoping I'd like the Yojimbo a lot more than I do so far.
 
Hi Russell,

While I don't have my Yojimbo yet, I do have a Lil Temperance with the compression lock, so I thought I'd share a couple of thoughts.

I noticed the same thing re: pinching on opening, however, after playing with and carrying the knife for a while, it stopped happening (mostly). I think I might have made a slight change to my grip to avoid it. It never really hurt, but was a little disconcerting, but the most important point (especially if SD is you thing) is that it doesn't seem to interfere with the lock up at all.

The way I usually use the opening hole for quick openings is to stuff the tip of my thumb (not the pad) into the hole so that I'm pushing with the nail and then I just give it a quick flick (i.e. don't follow the blade all the way around). Maybe this will work for you, too (it works better with the bigger holes). However I usually just use a flick of the wrist with the Lil' Temp as the compression lock is so smooth.

The compression lock on the Lil' Temp does 'suck' the blade in the last few millimetres or so, but it is not as pronounced as with a lockback or a good BB detent on a liner lock. I don't know if this a specific problem with the Yojimbo, or perhaps your specific knife, but secure closure is such an important requirement for any folding knife that I'd be very surprised if Spyderco had overlooked it completely. I would certainly be totally confident in carrying the LT (and the Yojimbo if the lock is equally as good).

I hear you on the clip, tho. I like low, low key. Bead blast would have been knice.
 
Little claw said:
The compression lock on the Lil' Temp does 'suck' the blade in the last few millimetres or so, but it is not as pronounced as with a lockback or a good BB detent on a liner lock.
Click to expand...

My Yojimbo does not suck the blade in at all. I can open it so the tip sticks out just a millimeter or 2 from the handle and it'll stay that way. Is there something wrong with mine or are all of them like this? Anyone else concerned about stabbing themselves with their Yojimbos?
 
Russell92 said:
My only choices appear to be the Yojimbo or Delica and I was hoping I'd like the Yojimbo a lot more than I do so far.
Click to expand...

You could try looking at the Dodo. Most of the problems you seem to have with the Yo' would be sorted out.
 
Russell92 said:
Anyone else concerned about stabbing themselves with their Yojimbos?
Click to expand...

Not really. So far, the detent on the compression lock holding the blade closed seems quite effective.
 
Hi,

you can easy close the yojimbo with one hand... specialy left

pull with your thump the lock and then snap the blade in with a forward motion.. hold the grip like in normal cuting position and hold specialy your index finger in the mulded grip.. if you did not hold it like this you will get cut if you hold it right the blade stops at the indexfinger and you can close the blade easy then at this part of the blade were it stops is no cutting edge proof it ... it must work

I have no problems with opening the blade with the hole left or right... notice that you rotate the knive a little in your hand and it will work... I have small hands... I did not know if its easier with smal hands...
or make a snap opening out of your wrist... it goes easy then the lock is very smooth..
or make a snap opening out of your wrist in revers grip hold the knive between your fingers at the indexing holes and snap it down..


I have also no problems with the lock on my yojimbo...
Hope that helps

Martin
www.plastictrainer.com
 
Russell92 said:
My Yojimbo does not suck the blade in at all. I can open it so the tip sticks out just a millimeter or 2 from the handle and it'll stay that way. Is there something wrong with mine or are all of them like this? Anyone else concerned about stabbing themselves with their Yojimbos?
Click to expand...

Technically that should not happen actually. The ball detent should pull it down somewhat if its only been opened that much. One of my Guntings is a little like that and so was my EKI commander.

It shouldn't happen though. Out of the hundreds of liners that have passed through my hands these are the only ones that have done this.
 
After reading this review I felt promted to put in my two cents since I just got my Black Yo' on Mon. First of all its much better than I anticipated. I have not experienced any of the problems Russell92 has. My Yo' locks up tight with no movement in any direction and it feels really good in the hand. I will agree with everyone about the pocket clip, it is a bit shiny but it carries well IWB. While I'm confident the dentent holds blade closed quite securely I find that even when closed the point comes awfully close to being exposed from the handle. About compression locks, I love them they are a huge improvement over the liner lock. I have a Lil' Temp., Para, and now the Yo'. Both locks on the Yo' and the Lil' Temp operate flawlessly but there is vertical play in the Para. I know that there are some threads out there that already address this issue but I never thought it was a big deal. Now that I have felt more of a difference between the quality of the locks I may send my Para in for service. One last thing about the Yo' I'm really afraid I'm going to accidentally break off the tip. It's so thin!! Oh well.

Btw, Russell92 I go to school in D.C. too. I got the Yo' so I could beat the 3" blade laws. Where are you going to school? I would be interested in comparing the knives to see there is as much vertical play as my Para.
 
I picked up my black Yojimbo about two weeks ago and have had no problems. It carries just fine. Mike Janich said that he had to reject severeal Yojimbos due to minor, yet fixable, engineering flaws. I do not know what they were specifically. I do know of three of my friends that have all gotten Yojimbos recently. They have all managed to bend the pocket clips. One bent it while drawing it from the pocket. The others have caught it on something. Anyone else have this problem?
 
got mine yesterday, i wrote also a little review in Biogon post.
mine Y snaps closed at 0.5 cm (0.197 inch) that isnt enuf.
the clip bent too..i would substitute it.and is too shiny.
for the rest, is one of the best knives i ever had.open smoothly, snap closed firmly, ergo is astounding... actually i'm practicing in "scrima" with him and he's like an extnsion of my hand.
spyder drop works well..but a question.. it happened to me, spyderdropping a centofante , that the lock now "scratch" a little , probally for the hitting of tang ,, spyderdropping could be dangerous for locks ?

thanks and sorry for my english
 
Thanks to everyone for their feedback on the Yojimbo -- both good and bad. For the record, here are my thoughts and comments.

First of all, the size of the knife was a deliberate choice. Althought it was ony recently released, the design was conceived and contracted for production more than three years ago -- before September 11th and back in the days when you could carry a knife on an airplane. The basic idea of the design was to provide a large handle that would fit even oversized hands while still offering a blade that could be legally carried in virtually all jurisdictions. At the time, the normal FAA reg was 4 inches, but could drop to 3 under heightened security. In the event of the latter, and based on a detailed study of the depths of the anatomical targets I train to go after, three inches was my choice.

The longer handle was also intended for use as an impact weapon, either with the knife closed or open. To ensure that there was enough handle sticking out as a striking surface, it was purposely made longer than the blade.

The wharncliffe blade style and full double flat grind were chosen because together they provide outstanding edge geometry and cut with full power no matter what portion of the edge you make contact with. Although this does thin the tip slightly, it does not weaken it as much as people hypothesize. Based on actual thrusting tests, the tip penetrates better than most daggers and, even after thrusting into wood and twisting out, does not break. Even if it did, due to the straight cutting edge of the blade, its cutting performance would not be affected. While its thrusting performance would diminish, it would still penetrate better than the average tanto.

With these design parameters in mind, and based on the size specs that are readily available on the Internet and in the Spyderco catalog, a potential buyer should be able to determine whether the knife fits the envelope of what they consider comfortable and acceptable for everyday carry.

As for opening the knife, the index finger groove in the handle does protrude farther than the groove-free handle of the Delica, but the hole dimensions and opening radius are still well within the parameters of what Spyderco and most other manufacturers consider acceptable. I have no problem opening the Yojimbo quickly with thumb, ring finger, middle finger, Spyder-drop or inertial openings. Ease of opening this knife a matter of personal preference, not a design problem.

Although I've explained this before in the forums, the original idea for the blue handles was to have them denim colored to match jeans. The original clip was also to be gun metal blue. Spyderco determined that these features were not cost effective, so they were not implemented. Until I own my own knife company, I have to learn to live with decisions like that.

The original clip (which I prototyped myself and provided with a full-scale plastic model of the knife) was wider than the current clip, but had the same size index hole. Spyderco chose to narrow the clip, but left the hole the same diameter. Obviously, this weakened the clip and makes it more likely to bend. This is supposedly being addressed, based on what I've heard from a noted custom kydex guy who is in the know, not from any direct source at Spyderco.

As for the detent, if you compare the Yojimbo to the Lil' Temperance, you'll notice that there is a milled shelf on the lower portion of the obverse side (the near side when the knife is held edge down and tip to the left) of the ricasso. This shelf extends all the way to the blade bevel and acts as a recess for the lock spring. When the knife is closed, the spring drops onto this shelf and the front edge of the spring indexes the radiused edge of the shelf, which serves as a very effective detent. It works so well, it actually will pull the nearly closed knife back into the handle. It will not do it with the same authority as the back lock of a Delica, but neither will most locks, including liner locks with ball detents: few locks have the same mechanical advantage that back locks have to snap a blade shut.

If you look at the Paramilitary, the milled shelf in the ricasso does not extend to the blade bevel. It has a shoulder both in front and in back so it is not visible when the knife is open. When the knife is closed, the shape of the lock spring rides over the kick and tang of the blade so the full profile of the forward portion of the spring recesses into the milled shelf. Again, the radiused edges of the shelf act as an effective detent, but do not snap the blade shut like the Lil' Temperance.

The original plan for the Paramilitary and the Yojimbo was for them to share the same lock guts, just like Henry Ford's commonality of parts of a century ago. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. The way the lock was engineered on the Yojimbo, the lock spring does not ride over the tang of the blade. As such, only a small portion of the forward edge of the spring drops into the milled shelf when the blade is closed. This gives it a better detent tension than most liner locks, but does not snap the blade back into the handle when almost closed.

I am a die-hard advocate of tip-up carry because it allows me to draw, open and use my knife without having to change grips. At the same time, I have donated my fair share of blood to liner locks that don't hold the blade closed well and can open slightly in the pocket (find one of the original Al Mar liner locks made prior to the detent and see what I mean). A consistent draw requires a consistent knife position. For me, that's with the back of the blade against the back of my pocket. When it's there, I know exactly where the knife is and I know that it will stay closed. Like a straight trigger finger when drawing and reholstering, the user is the primary safety with tip-up carry.

As for vertical blade play in the Yojimbo, that has been the most disappointing thing of all. I have returned several of my original Yojimbos directly to a Spyderco rep who, in my presence, opened the knives and opined that the cause of the problem was that the pivot pin holes in the blade had been reamed too large. I recently received the same knives back from repair. Most of them now exhibit no signs of blade play; however, two of them will go back a second time.

On the positive side, my most recent order of Yojimbos from the most recent production run were a tremendous improvement over the first knives I received, so it appears that the problems are being fixed.

So what's the bottom line? Like many things, the initial production of the Yojimbo had a few bugs. I personally think that a more vigorous prototyping and review process would have mitigated this, but that was not the case. I am disappointed that some Yojimbos hit the market in less-than-perfect condition. If you ended up with one of those, I strongly recommend that you return it to Spyderco so they can repair or replace it and incorporate that experience into the overall process. If you're not sure the Yojimbo is for you, do your research before you buy and make the most educated decision you can based on your needs and preferences. And once you decide to carry any knife for personal defense, get the training you need to be able to use it effectively.

Sorry for the long post.

Stay safe,
 
Thanks for the informative post Michael. The one suggestion I would make for improving the Yo' is changing pivot to something more substantial like the Lil' Temp. or Gunting. I had issues with a Para pivot pin snapping fairly easy so I would advocate stronger pivots for the MBC rated knives like the Dodo and Yo'. Also, the Para seems to have fairly similar construction to the Yo' other than the detent issue so what is excludes it from a MBC rating?
 
Michael,

Here's my original post:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313304

I have a black handled one with the redesigned lock. I have had no blade play issues at all. However, I do have lock overengagement problems... but that will be fixed when it really becomes an issue.

The knife is amazing. It's become my mandatory EDC due to its cutting ability and extremely good ergonomics. I had some problems opening it earlier, but most of the time I can get it right one-handed, and, of course, two-handed is completely sure and fast.

The compression lock doesn't seem to be able to have the capacity for a longer "suck-in" distance, and the redesigned shelf on mine holds the blade closed very securely. I wish it had the draw and range of the AXIS, but the security of the CL over the LL (which has failed on me innumberable times in testing and use) is very welcome.

I would also like to see a fatter pivot pin and a wider clip as you designed. I have bent the dratted thing a second time.

-j
 
I know that im not nearly as knowledgeable about knives as many of you are but I do have a nice collection of spydercos and with the the exception of my military the Yo' is one of my favorites. I've been carrying it every day since I've had it and I absolutely love it. I have the black one and I've had no problems whatsoever. No blade play in any direction and a nice lock up. I know this knife was designed primarily for self defense and I was a little hesitant to purchase one, But I have relly put this knife through its paces.I work as an electrician and Ive skinned wire, both copper and aluminum, cut through drywall when my keyhole saw wasnt handy, Cut through alot of tug rope(thick nylon rope used to pull wire through conduit). All I can say is I am very happy with its performance. Acouple of minutes on the 204 at the end of the day with a COLD beer by my side and Im happy as a pig in poop. Just my 2 cents.
 
Hi, i also have the blue Yojimbo, and bought it as a companion for my Ronin that rides on my neck most of the time. I was impressed by the knife handle, performance, and overal look. It is a rather strange looking knife, especially in blue. But i bought in blue to give it a lower Sheeple profile during plaincloth assigments. Considering the SD capabilities i think it's a better idea for a non trained or informal trained person to use the Yojimbo as a slasher, to produce deep non lethal bloody cuts. I don't think it's a good idea for a non trained person to administer one DEEP stab into a non incapitating region in the body and think that it will solve the problem. It will only inflict pain and will probably enrage the attacker more then a deep Bloody cut in his arm cutting his muscles and tendons of his knifearm, or a deep cut across his face.

It can even mean the difference in a courtyard when u where to use your knife in SD. A light blue small bladed Yojimbo, looking as a TOOl, is better to impress the jury then a 9 inch bladed fixed bladed knife.
 
Hi Mr. Janich, today i practiced with a Y. (drawing and opening with thumb flick - less than 1 second) in "scrima" (italian's Arditi fightin tech) and i must say (and my instructor says) that is probally the BEST folder for such ( and general techiniques of SD.)
i own also the gunting and i'm very happy of it, only it needs a dedicated techninque and it's too heavy and bulky to everyday carry - i use it only sometimes-

thank you Michael for the efforts in designing such a tool, and thanks for your books, i've found them a valuable help in practice.

p.s. with a drop of militec i can open the Y. only with a flick of the thumb : very very fast and reliable..better than an auto
 
I am one of those who got a first production run of the Yo' that wasn't quite as it should have been. Just got it back from the second trip to Spyderco and it is still not as smooth as I wish it was...oh well. I guess I will live with it now.

Aside from that, it grows more and more on me. It is a really great knife has a great feel to it. What surprises me most though is the absolutely mind boggeling penetration power. The other day I stabbed it into a thick catalog...it went effortlessly right through, I couldn't believe it (it was a THICK catalog). There is something about this bladeshape that does this. Just as Mr. Janich said a while ago: The spin acts like a ramp that forces the blade right into the edge when pushed into something. Really nice design.

I don't know I like the blue it comes in.
 
HoB said:
The other day I stabbed it into a thick catalog...it went effortlessly right through, I couldn't believe it (it was a THICK catalog). There is something about this bladeshape that does this. Just as Mr. Janich said a while ago: The spin acts like a ramp that forces the blade right into the edge when pushed into something. Really nice design.

I don't know I like the blue it comes in.
Click to expand...

Yep, the penetration is astonishing.

As for the blue... that's why I held out for the black. It's much nicer. :)

-j
 
indeed going for colourful handles is definitly a plus to hide the fact that this is a hardcore fighting knife. Most people i show it think it's a tool to cut boxes SUPRISE SUPRISE SUPRISE!! :D
 
shady A.M., I go to GW. I'd let you take a look at it but I already got rid of it.

A lot of the problems I had with it were personal and had nothing to do with the quality of the knife. I really wanted to like the Yojimbo but it just wasn't for me.
 
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