Camp/Comp Knife Thong Hole Placement

[John Frankl]

Hello All,

I am currently working on a Camp/Competition knife (10"x2" blade, 15" overall).

To give credit where it is due, I am largely working off pictures of a couple of Burt Foster's knives, and one Bailey Bradshaw 3V chopper (thanks Broos).

I notice that Burt's hole is at the top rear of the handle, while Bailey's is at the bottom rear. For aesthetics, I am not considering a forward thong hole. But I would like to hear from all of you about the pros and cons, or even just the differences of placing the hole and thong in one position or the other.

Thank you.

 

[d.weglarz13]

Well I never used a lanyard on any of my knives until recently. For that Comp knife, the comp rules state that it must have a lanyard hole, and I can't see any need for it if it wasn't in the top of the handle, by choil. When you put a lanyard on your wrist and through the top hole, you have a great solid feel for a larger blade like that, and a great safety precaution. Using a thong hole at the bottom, to me, doesnt really serve purpose.

 

[Longstrider]

A lanyard is mandatory for BladeSports competitions. If the lanyard is fitted by the base of the handle it can prove to be dangerous to the user. If the knife slips from the hand it can rotate about the wrist where the lanyard is attached and swing back round into the body or the arm. With the lanyard attached towards the front of the handle, if the knife slips from the grip the lanyard serves to push the handle back into the hand rather than letting it rotate freely.
If you are making the knife to compete in official competitions then check out the BladeSports regulations regarding knife design before you make it. I have known guys make a good knife but a knife that fell foul of one or more rules when making their first comp cutter..

http://www.bladesports.org/knifespec.html

 

[Jose Diaz]

As Ian mentioned a lanyard is mandatory for the competition knife. I personally recommend the forward lanyard position. It affords much more safety than the rear when the knife is used for heavy chopping. The Forward lanyard prevents a knife from becoming a sharpened pendulum aimed right at the user if the grip is lost. The lanyard though, should never be a replacement for a well designed handle. The handle and lanyard, along with training, are all parts of the safety system.

respectfully,
Jose Diaz