Sal and other folks from Spyderco, if you read this,
How feasible would it be to produce blades with the serrated portion of the blade in the middle of the blade, and plain-edge at either end?
I ask this because I often find myself doing precision cutting with the part of the blade closest to the handle - think holding the knife squarely in the right hand, while working whatever I'm cutting against the blade with my left, thumbs nearly touching. Stuff like stripping insulation off wire, or cutting cord off an object I don't want to damage, or making a small notch in something.
Serrations really get in the way. But, at the same time, for doing things like cutting sheet materials, you want the plain edge up near the point.
So I'm wondering, are serrations in the middle possible? Even a half-inch section of plain edge near the handle would be a really good design modification.
And, while I'm at it, could we see more of those carbide glass breakers ;-)
There aren't that many situations I'm in where a knife could save my life - lots where it makes me more functional and comfortable, but I don't climb, save people, work in the military or get into knife fights. But window breakers do seem to be generally useful and (I imagine) it might not be too difficult to make them a standard feature on many knives, if the design could be standardized into the knife body?
I think the recessed-level approach on the Assist II is probably overkill for a breaker on more general purpose knives - I wonder if you could simply mount it in the plastic body of the knife? Or, if that's a strength problem, is there some way to have a protrusion in a lock back knife mechanism? Something which is exposed when the blade is rotated into the handle, so close the breaker is visible? I don't know if that's possible, but if it was, it'd put the breaker directly on the structural part of the knife.
Similarly, would it be possible to "notch" the handles, so that even in the closes position, a portion of the blade is accessible so that one could slide a seatbelt into the closed knife and cut a belt? Think of a delica/endura body, with the plastic on the back of the knife cut through to the blade, half in inch or an inch from the lanyard hole? Might need some structural reinforcement not to weaken the handle, but if it's close enough to the end of the knife, the leverage should be fairly minimal.
Particularly, if the slot runs parallel to the blade? I should really draw a diagram, but think a half-inch slot running from just below the lanyard hole straight into the blade? Something like that?
Anyway, just tossing around ideas, see what you think.
How feasible would it be to produce blades with the serrated portion of the blade in the middle of the blade, and plain-edge at either end?
I ask this because I often find myself doing precision cutting with the part of the blade closest to the handle - think holding the knife squarely in the right hand, while working whatever I'm cutting against the blade with my left, thumbs nearly touching. Stuff like stripping insulation off wire, or cutting cord off an object I don't want to damage, or making a small notch in something.
Serrations really get in the way. But, at the same time, for doing things like cutting sheet materials, you want the plain edge up near the point.
So I'm wondering, are serrations in the middle possible? Even a half-inch section of plain edge near the handle would be a really good design modification.
And, while I'm at it, could we see more of those carbide glass breakers ;-)
There aren't that many situations I'm in where a knife could save my life - lots where it makes me more functional and comfortable, but I don't climb, save people, work in the military or get into knife fights. But window breakers do seem to be generally useful and (I imagine) it might not be too difficult to make them a standard feature on many knives, if the design could be standardized into the knife body?
I think the recessed-level approach on the Assist II is probably overkill for a breaker on more general purpose knives - I wonder if you could simply mount it in the plastic body of the knife? Or, if that's a strength problem, is there some way to have a protrusion in a lock back knife mechanism? Something which is exposed when the blade is rotated into the handle, so close the breaker is visible? I don't know if that's possible, but if it was, it'd put the breaker directly on the structural part of the knife.
Similarly, would it be possible to "notch" the handles, so that even in the closes position, a portion of the blade is accessible so that one could slide a seatbelt into the closed knife and cut a belt? Think of a delica/endura body, with the plastic on the back of the knife cut through to the blade, half in inch or an inch from the lanyard hole? Might need some structural reinforcement not to weaken the handle, but if it's close enough to the end of the knife, the leverage should be fairly minimal.
Particularly, if the slot runs parallel to the blade? I should really draw a diagram, but think a half-inch slot running from just below the lanyard hole straight into the blade? Something like that?
Anyway, just tossing around ideas, see what you think.