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Best and worst feeling Spyderco handles?
- Thread starter kgriggs8
- Start date
My votes are, from what I've owned:
Best: Ronin
Worst: Paramilitary
For those who haven't owned one, don't let the naysayers dissuade you from the Lil Temperance. It is surprisingly ergonomic, and has a very comfortable feel, assuming you're right-handed. I wish more knives had that kind of swelled handle.
Best: Ronin
Worst: Paramilitary
For those who haven't owned one, don't let the naysayers dissuade you from the Lil Temperance. It is surprisingly ergonomic, and has a very comfortable feel, assuming you're right-handed. I wish more knives had that kind of swelled handle.
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- Jun 23, 2002
- Messages
- 837
If you use saber grip, then I agree, but it's not comfortable in any other grip-at least to me.
-Blair
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2006
- Messages
- 117
D'Allara Drop point :thumbup:
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2006
- Messages
- 9,673
Best: Lil' T and Dodo
Worst some of the older Terazula designs (they were blocky like benchmades(ick))
Worst some of the older Terazula designs (they were blocky like benchmades(ick))
Yay:
Manix
D'allara
Native
Cara Cara
Endura 3
Nay:
Delica 4 (Couldn't fit 4 fingers on it, didn't feel right with just 3.)
Meadowlark (Didn't feel right in 3 finger grip, with 4 fingers the grip felt unnatural and my thumb felt squished)
Para (4 finger grip only worked well in the choil, which again squished my thumb.)
Yojimbo (This one I always thought looked comfy. When I tried it I found only certain grips felt good, the rest felt unnatural. Disappointed with the ergos overall.)
Dragonfly (I think the large finger groove feels terrible for any finger but the index finger. This ruined the knife for me, as well as the choil placement in relationship to where one places the thumb)
I've had a very specific complaint with Spyderco's ergonomics for some time now. I described it a bit with my Dragonfly comment, but I think I need to use photos to really illustrate it. It has to do with where they place their choils.
First, the Endura 4. I have not handled it, but my Endura 3 is similar enough.
If you look at the photo, I have marked where my index finger and thumb would lie if I picked up the knife and held it in the most natural feeling position for my hand. Every knife I use my thumb instinctively goes to the spine of the knife. With the Endura this works well because of the space between the thumb and index finger positions.
This is the Dragonfly model. This is one of the most uncomfortable knives I've carried, which disappointed me because I was attracted to the small, light package with a full flat grind. This is why I didn't like it (As well as the Byrd Meadowlark, the Para and even the Yojimbo to a degree).
As you can see, the index finger and thumb positions are nearly right on top of eachother. If I scoot my thumb back far enough to fit on the thumb ramp, which is needed so my thumb isn't in the way of what I'm cutting, this is not only unnatural feeling for me, but it actually hurts my hand to even use a knife in this sort of grip. Most of the knives that are designed this way are too small or uncomfortable for me to use out of the choil, making me sell the knife for another design. If I place my thumb on the spine of the blade up past the thumb ramp, this is usually uncomfortable as well and often gets in the way when I'm whittling etc. This is the only major complaint I've had with Spyderco knives since purchasing my first. I can accept that some knives will have ergos that don't fit my hand as well as others, but this is something that I've honestly wondered if others feel is comfortable.
Something else that has bothered me in certain designs (Meadowlark, Dragonfly, Delica) but not in others as much (Native) is the oversized finger groove. I think it feels great in a knife like the Endura where your index finger falls into the oversized groove, but on one like the Dragonfly where your index finger takes up the choil I think the groove feels really bad when placing your middle finger in it. Just one of those things that never felt right to me. When I bought a Delica 4 (My first Spyderco) I wasn't sure if I should put one or two fingers there. Two fingers felt cramped and with one finger there....well the Delica always felt like a knife that just shouldn't be a 3 finger knife. It never felt right to me with just 3 fingers on it. In retrospect I should of bought an Endura for my first model.
Manix
D'allara
Native
Cara Cara
Endura 3
Nay:
Delica 4 (Couldn't fit 4 fingers on it, didn't feel right with just 3.)
Meadowlark (Didn't feel right in 3 finger grip, with 4 fingers the grip felt unnatural and my thumb felt squished)
Para (4 finger grip only worked well in the choil, which again squished my thumb.)
Yojimbo (This one I always thought looked comfy. When I tried it I found only certain grips felt good, the rest felt unnatural. Disappointed with the ergos overall.)
Dragonfly (I think the large finger groove feels terrible for any finger but the index finger. This ruined the knife for me, as well as the choil placement in relationship to where one places the thumb)
I've had a very specific complaint with Spyderco's ergonomics for some time now. I described it a bit with my Dragonfly comment, but I think I need to use photos to really illustrate it. It has to do with where they place their choils.
First, the Endura 4. I have not handled it, but my Endura 3 is similar enough.
If you look at the photo, I have marked where my index finger and thumb would lie if I picked up the knife and held it in the most natural feeling position for my hand. Every knife I use my thumb instinctively goes to the spine of the knife. With the Endura this works well because of the space between the thumb and index finger positions.
This is the Dragonfly model. This is one of the most uncomfortable knives I've carried, which disappointed me because I was attracted to the small, light package with a full flat grind. This is why I didn't like it (As well as the Byrd Meadowlark, the Para and even the Yojimbo to a degree).
As you can see, the index finger and thumb positions are nearly right on top of eachother. If I scoot my thumb back far enough to fit on the thumb ramp, which is needed so my thumb isn't in the way of what I'm cutting, this is not only unnatural feeling for me, but it actually hurts my hand to even use a knife in this sort of grip. Most of the knives that are designed this way are too small or uncomfortable for me to use out of the choil, making me sell the knife for another design. If I place my thumb on the spine of the blade up past the thumb ramp, this is usually uncomfortable as well and often gets in the way when I'm whittling etc. This is the only major complaint I've had with Spyderco knives since purchasing my first. I can accept that some knives will have ergos that don't fit my hand as well as others, but this is something that I've honestly wondered if others feel is comfortable.
Something else that has bothered me in certain designs (Meadowlark, Dragonfly, Delica) but not in others as much (Native) is the oversized finger groove. I think it feels great in a knife like the Endura where your index finger falls into the oversized groove, but on one like the Dragonfly where your index finger takes up the choil I think the groove feels really bad when placing your middle finger in it. Just one of those things that never felt right to me. When I bought a Delica 4 (My first Spyderco) I wasn't sure if I should put one or two fingers there. Two fingers felt cramped and with one finger there....well the Delica always felt like a knife that just shouldn't be a 3 finger knife. It never felt right to me with just 3 fingers on it. In retrospect I should of bought an Endura for my first model.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2005
- Messages
- 18,769
Not sure why you care about ergos Vivi, considering your propensity to destroy your knives in a seemingly manic orgy of senseless mutilation.
I'm noticing a few trends. One is that there are certain knives that people either love or hate.
Native
Lil' Temp
Para
I notice that most people seem to dislike the same grips. The Endura 4 doesn't seem to work for anybody.
There are a few that everyone seems to like. I have never really heard any complaints about these:
Manix
Military
D'allara
Civilian
Endura 3, and Delica 3.
What went wrong with the E-4 and a D-4? Personally, I think the D-4 is at least as good as the D-3 with one exception. The lock release is a little too far back to disengage the lock without having to re-position your hand. On the D-3 and E-3, it was just a matter of swinging your thumb down to the lock and once you got used to it, it felt natural. On the E-4 and D-4 models, you do have to go a little further out of your way to reach it. For those of us that have grown used to the older Delicas and Enduras, it is probably more noticable than for someone that has never held an E-3 or D-3.
That is the only problem with the D-4 but the E-4 is another story. The finger grooves are all in the wrong places. It is like the knife is just a little off in every way. It is the same way I feel about the Para handle. It is just not quite right.
Native
Lil' Temp
Para
I notice that most people seem to dislike the same grips. The Endura 4 doesn't seem to work for anybody.
There are a few that everyone seems to like. I have never really heard any complaints about these:
Manix
Military
D'allara
Civilian
Endura 3, and Delica 3.
What went wrong with the E-4 and a D-4? Personally, I think the D-4 is at least as good as the D-3 with one exception. The lock release is a little too far back to disengage the lock without having to re-position your hand. On the D-3 and E-3, it was just a matter of swinging your thumb down to the lock and once you got used to it, it felt natural. On the E-4 and D-4 models, you do have to go a little further out of your way to reach it. For those of us that have grown used to the older Delicas and Enduras, it is probably more noticable than for someone that has never held an E-3 or D-3.
That is the only problem with the D-4 but the E-4 is another story. The finger grooves are all in the wrong places. It is like the knife is just a little off in every way. It is the same way I feel about the Para handle. It is just not quite right.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2003
- Messages
- 1,727
I think the ergos in the E4 are a major step up from the E3. For me, there's no comparison. The texturing is grippier. The clip is less obtrusive. Placing the lock back further has lessened that slight disengagement when gripping the knife tight. Switching grips is easier. IMO, its a huuuuge step forward. The more I use the knife the more I'm impressed with the improvements. Someone at Spyderland is paying very close attention to detail.
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 562
I find the Paramilitary to be very comfortable as well. I have small hands, so I can fit all my fingers between the two bumps, and I can use the choil very comfortably. I would imagine that people with larger hands would have their index finger on that forward bump though.
I like the Street Beat handle, but as someone said, the swells seem oddly placed. It seems like it would be better if it was just one wide swell in the middle instead of a short swell followed by thinning followed by another short swell at the end.
The handle is pretty short, so the thinned out area is in the middle of my palm (size small gloves) and makes the handle feel really thin overall. Then at the end of my palm it swells out. So my hand is mainly gripping on the front of my palm at the first swell, and at the end of my palm on the second swell and little to no feeling in the middle. Probably very comfortable handles for very small hands though.
I like the Street Beat handle, but as someone said, the swells seem oddly placed. It seems like it would be better if it was just one wide swell in the middle instead of a short swell followed by thinning followed by another short swell at the end.
The handle is pretty short, so the thinned out area is in the middle of my palm (size small gloves) and makes the handle feel really thin overall. Then at the end of my palm it swells out. So my hand is mainly gripping on the front of my palm at the first swell, and at the end of my palm on the second swell and little to no feeling in the middle. Probably very comfortable handles for very small hands though.
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2006
- Messages
- 781
Best: Manix
Worst: Byrd Robin SS
Worst: Byrd Robin SS