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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
chinook II - 2 thumbs up
- Thread starter dogrunner
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 25, 1998
- Messages
- 7,394
I love mine. Fit and finish are excellent. No blade play at all. Locks up with authority. The handle is comfortable. The knife screams reliability. Cuts like a lightsaber as well.
This will be one of the knives I buy multiples of.
This will be one of the knives I buy multiples of.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2002
- Messages
- 53
Could someone that owns a Chinook II do a little favor for me?
Try the knife in a few different grips. I would especially like to know how it feels in reverse grip and edge-in reverse grip (the blade is pointing out of the opposite side of your thumb and the edge is facing you). How about edge-in forward grip (blade is up, but the edge is facing you).
How does the point line up in these grips? Does the grip feel secure? Does the lock disengage if you squeeze hard on the handle?
Thanks!
Try the knife in a few different grips. I would especially like to know how it feels in reverse grip and edge-in reverse grip (the blade is pointing out of the opposite side of your thumb and the edge is facing you). How about edge-in forward grip (blade is up, but the edge is facing you).
How does the point line up in these grips? Does the grip feel secure? Does the lock disengage if you squeeze hard on the handle?
Thanks!
- Joined
- Dec 25, 1998
- Messages
- 7,394
This is all my subjective opionion but here goes.
Feels pretty good in reverse grip. Also feels fine in edge-in forward grip. I have pretty wide hands so the edge-in reverse grip wasn't very comfortable to me. If my hands werent so wide I think it would be okay. I have not been able to make the lock disengage by squeezing on the handle. The grip feels secure to me in all but the edge-in reverse grip and thats because my wide paws cover much of the handle.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
Mine just arrived an couple hours ago! Fantastic, solid as a rock, execellent fit and finish, extremely smooth action, and typical Spyderco razor sharpness. Fits my hand like it was made for it.
Well, I finally have the money and I plan to go in search of a Chinook II as soon as I finish this post.
I still don't get this Boye dent thing.
Although several credible people have written on these forums they can release a front-lock/lock-back with a squeeze of the whole hand, with all respect, I remain unconvinced until I actually see it with my own eyes.
A Boye dent only decreases the value of a knife, in my humble estimation.
I really can't say why it bothers me so much, but it does.
Again, no disrespect intended towards those who see the Boye dent as a solution to a problem.
Now to find a Chinook II and buy it.
I still don't get this Boye dent thing.
Although several credible people have written on these forums they can release a front-lock/lock-back with a squeeze of the whole hand, with all respect, I remain unconvinced until I actually see it with my own eyes.
A Boye dent only decreases the value of a knife, in my humble estimation.
I really can't say why it bothers me so much, but it does.
Again, no disrespect intended towards those who see the Boye dent as a solution to a problem.
Now to find a Chinook II and buy it.
- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 6,250
None? All of my Spyderco lockbacks (4 I think) have some vertical blade play.
The Boye dent contributes to what seems to me a myth regarding the front-lock/lock-back.
I consider the front-lock/lock-back the premier martial blade craft lock, and I would like to see more knives made with this lock.
However, if the general buying public believes they can inadvertently unlock a front-lock/lock-back, then the manufacturers will tend to make less of their flagship knives with this type of lock.
Witness Benchmade: BM reserves this lock for their less than prestigious knives; and I consider BM's front-lock/lock-backs poorly made, almost on purpose, and for that reason I will not own a BenchMade knife.
Conversely, Spyderco has perfected the front-lock/lock-back.
Handling Spydercos over the years, I have only seen the front-lock/lock-back's get smoother, stronger and more reliable.
Again, no disrespect intended towards those who have written they can inadvertently, or purposely, unlock a front-lock/lock-back with a squeeze of the whole hand.
For myself, not having observed this nor managed to do it even with the most concerted effort, I consider inadvertent unlocking of a front-lock/lock-back a myth, and the Boye dent only contributes to the myth.
Although I come from Oregon and not from Missouri, I still have to say "show me."
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As far as my search for a Chinook II, I came across one at EmergencyOptions, but they had a picture of an original Chinook and so I didn't buy it.
I sent them an e-mail instead, asking them to clarify which knife they had in stock for sale.
If anybody else knows of a trusted vendor who has a genuine Chinook II in stock, let me know 'cause I have the money and that doesn't happen very often.
I consider the front-lock/lock-back the premier martial blade craft lock, and I would like to see more knives made with this lock.
However, if the general buying public believes they can inadvertently unlock a front-lock/lock-back, then the manufacturers will tend to make less of their flagship knives with this type of lock.
Witness Benchmade: BM reserves this lock for their less than prestigious knives; and I consider BM's front-lock/lock-backs poorly made, almost on purpose, and for that reason I will not own a BenchMade knife.
Conversely, Spyderco has perfected the front-lock/lock-back.
Handling Spydercos over the years, I have only seen the front-lock/lock-back's get smoother, stronger and more reliable.
Again, no disrespect intended towards those who have written they can inadvertently, or purposely, unlock a front-lock/lock-back with a squeeze of the whole hand.
For myself, not having observed this nor managed to do it even with the most concerted effort, I consider inadvertent unlocking of a front-lock/lock-back a myth, and the Boye dent only contributes to the myth.
Although I come from Oregon and not from Missouri, I still have to say "show me."
-----
As far as my search for a Chinook II, I came across one at EmergencyOptions, but they had a picture of an original Chinook and so I didn't buy it.
I sent them an e-mail instead, asking them to clarify which knife they had in stock for sale.
If anybody else knows of a trusted vendor who has a genuine Chinook II in stock, let me know 'cause I have the money and that doesn't happen very often.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
Give Mike or Mary Beth at New Graham a call Ken, they were out of stock on the PE when I ordered mine early last week, but were willing to take an order for one. It came in last Friday, shipped the same day, and was in my hands Tuesday. I suspect they have more coming in, and, even if that batch is all spoken for, would bet the longest you might have to wait would be a bit over a week for the next batch after that. You'd be hard pressed to find a better price on them, and I can assure you that what NGK is selling are Chinook IIs.
- Joined
- Dec 25, 1998
- Messages
- 7,394
My other Spydie lockbacks do as well, but the Chinook II, mine at least, has none. Locks up like a vault. I have only handled the one I have, so I can't say this for all of them. Maybe someone else with a Chinook II can chime in.
Mr. Cox with your hands and your grips, you're correct that in your universe that the Boye detent is useless. However, its a big real world and there are a lot of hands and grips you've never seen or imagined; although like Thomas the Apostle, you must see and touch yourself. Production knive manufacturers make knives for the world and the Boye detent is good for the world.
I have a Puma knife where the lockback wore and could be opened with a hard squeeze in a normal grip. I have big hands and the lock releas was on the end of the handle. Putting in a Boye detent with the Dremel solved the problem. I have also opened a midlock Coldsteel, twice, using an extended grip while gardening; once getting a minor cut. One of these days I am going to put a Boye detent on the Coldsteel.
I have a Puma knife where the lockback wore and could be opened with a hard squeeze in a normal grip. I have big hands and the lock releas was on the end of the handle. Putting in a Boye detent with the Dremel solved the problem. I have also opened a midlock Coldsteel, twice, using an extended grip while gardening; once getting a minor cut. One of these days I am going to put a Boye detent on the Coldsteel.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2002
- Messages
- 9,948
Brownshoe,
You told Ken he won't believe unless he touches himself. I don't remember that being a publicly-known habit of doubting St. Thomas. Your version of the good book scares me.
Still, though, some folks may benefit from Boye dents more than others. I thought that the Boye dent interfered with Keating's proposed MBC use of the Chinook II, but maybe only for some hands.
You told Ken he won't believe unless he touches himself. I don't remember that being a publicly-known habit of doubting St. Thomas. Your version of the good book scares me.
Still, though, some folks may benefit from Boye dents more than others. I thought that the Boye dent interfered with Keating's proposed MBC use of the Chinook II, but maybe only for some hands.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
Just checked all my front lock Spydercos for vertical blade play, the results
5 out of my 5 unlined micarta handled ones have a minute amount, not enough to see, just enough to feel.
My only single liner micarta handled one, a JD Smith, has none.
None of my 14 stainless, and stainless with scales have any play. In this group I've include my bone and stone Kiwis, Persian, Chinook II, Massad Ayoob, C27 Horn and C76 Delica as the dual stainless liners on them put them, in my mind in the same category as the all stainless ones.
Neither of my 2 almite ones have any play either.
1 out of 3 of my CF handled ones, a Dragonfly, has the same minute amount of play, the others, a Police and a Delica, have none.
1 out my 13 FRN handled ones, a Ladybug, also has a minute amount. None of the rest, including one of the much maligned BRK Natives, have any. My SpyderHawk will, the first time you put downward pressure on the blade, give one little trace of it, after that, it's tight as a drum. Think this may be mostly a factor of it not really being broken in.
My Black Hawk, the only unlined G10 handled Spyderco I currently own, is also the only one with what I would consider excessive vertical play. It is the only one where, if I open it, hold it by the handle, and shake it up and down as if trying to dry it off, I can see, feel, and hear the blade rattle. Considering the raft of other fit and finish issues this particular knife displays, my guess is that it was a factory second.
Of these 39 knives the two I have the most total confidence in are my Persian and Chinook II. I have an old sofa, heavy wooden frame, exposed wood arms, I can hook either of these knives under one of the arms and yank up hard enough to lift that end of the sofa off the ground, with the spine of the blade. While my Ayoob, and a few of the others as well, may very well be up to this task, they don't give me the same degree of confidence to try it.
As for the Boye dent, perhaps to some people, and for some grips, they may inspire greater confidence, I've never had a problem with any Spyderco front lock, and fewer than half, eighteen to be exact, of the ones I own have the dent, but would not want to try the little trick I mentioned above with my Buck 501, even with something considerably lighter than a sofa, as I know from experience its back lock, positioned at the extreme end of the handle, can be at least partially disengaged by the heel of my hand when used that way. The only position I can hold the Chinook in and get the lock to partially disengage is if I hold it with the blade at the thumb end of my hand and the edge of the blade toward my knuckles. In this grip, my middle finger can depress the lock significantly, but not quite enough to cause full disengagement. I suspect this because the outermost joints of ones fingers, which can move significantly more than any other part of the hand except the thumb while gripping something tightly, are on the back of the handle and, at least for me, the middle finger lands squarely on top of the lock. Of course using that same grip, I can induce the same result with my Persian or Ayoob, which have Boye dents. In any event it is next to impossible, even in this odd (and to me anyway rather useless) grip, to get any of them to disengage completely. Since I do not look on any of my knives as weapons, the thought of what odd positions a knife might get into in a high-stress do-or-die situation is not my highest priority when buying a knife. With that in mind, I am glad that none of my Kiwis or Horns have the dent and do wish they'd have left it off the Persian, it's such a pretty knife that it was a shame to break the line of the backstrap with it. On the more "tactical" looking Spyderco's, including the Chinook and the Ayoob, I'm neutral. While I don't feel it's presence necessary, or its absence a cause for worry, it does not bother me in the same way it does on the Persian.
Thom, I know zilch about MBC, could you enlighten me as to why the presence of a Boye dent would make a knife unsuited for it? While I personally don't see any positive benefit to them and, as I mentioned above feel they detract from the looks of at least some knives, I can't, for the life of me think of any tangible negative impact one might have, but realize that may be due to my lack of knowledge about MBC techniques.
Muchas Gracias and Many Thanks to The Deacon for sending me to New Graham.
I had the most pleasant talk with Mary Beth, right there in the beautiful mountains of Bluefield, Virginia, and she ships my new Chinook II PE to me even now as I write this.
Very nice people.
I like doing business by phone.
In regards to vertical play, my Spyderco's have none.
I thought my old, old, very old Native had some vertical play at first examination, but then I could not duplicate it.
I can induce a very small amount of side play in my Native by putting more side force on it than I would in prudent use (in other words, by really yarding on it), but otherwise it feels tight in all axes.
In regards to the Boye dent, I don't think it detracts from MBC, except to the extent that it negatively impacts the mindset and undermines confidence in the lock by implication.
I note Brownshoe specifically cites an old knife with a release at the butt end, like my thirty-some year-old tight as a drum and stout as a locomotive Buck 110, which will never inadvertently unlock in my lifetime.
I think Brownshoe needs to save up his money and buy a better knife.
Like a Chinook II!
I had the most pleasant talk with Mary Beth, right there in the beautiful mountains of Bluefield, Virginia, and she ships my new Chinook II PE to me even now as I write this.
Very nice people.
I like doing business by phone.
In regards to vertical play, my Spyderco's have none.
I thought my old, old, very old Native had some vertical play at first examination, but then I could not duplicate it.
I can induce a very small amount of side play in my Native by putting more side force on it than I would in prudent use (in other words, by really yarding on it), but otherwise it feels tight in all axes.
In regards to the Boye dent, I don't think it detracts from MBC, except to the extent that it negatively impacts the mindset and undermines confidence in the lock by implication.
I note Brownshoe specifically cites an old knife with a release at the butt end, like my thirty-some year-old tight as a drum and stout as a locomotive Buck 110, which will never inadvertently unlock in my lifetime.
I think Brownshoe needs to save up his money and buy a better knife.
Like a Chinook II!