Choil-less Ratmandu?

T

tantrik77

Joined
Apr 25, 2013
Messages
108
Is there any chance that we will ever see a choil-less Ratmandu, Infidu, or Swatmandu? Can the custom shop make one for me? I absolutely love the ergos, blade shape, and overall design of the Ratmandu, but I hate choils with a passion. A Ratmandu without the choil would almost make the perfect "all-around" fixed blade for me. I'm sorry if this has been beaten to death, but I didn't find much on the subject. What do you guys think?
 
Just curious, what's so bad about a choil?
Most my fixies have them, but my finger never goes to it and it doesn't bother me it's there, i never use the heel anyways (other than kitchen knives).
 
I would post over in the Swamp or shoot an email to Swamp Rat Custom Shop.
 
I've asked the custom shop. And was told no. :(

But things change.

Also, the proposed B13 is to be choilless if we get what we want...
 
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xxwarderxx said:
I've asked the custom shop. And was told no. :(

But things change.

Also, the proposed B13 is to be choilless if we get what we want...
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Well, I've emailed the custom shop three times without a response, so I figured that would be a no. Thank you for the info.
 
tantrik77 said:
... but I hate choils with a passion. ...
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I pretty much agree.

HwangJino said:
Just curious, what's so bad about a choil?
...
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I especially dislike any choil on small knives. Why, because:
1) The larger the choil the more cutting edge is lost;
2) Try cutting something like thick cardboard, when the material you are cutting get caught in the choil (I think this is especially true with a smaller choil on a short blade like an AD); in other words, the choil gets in the way of fast, efficient cutting.

I really do not see the need to choke up on a small knife by using a large choil, nor do I need a small choil to aid in sharpening. A choil can always be added to a knife without one if you like it, so why not make the knives without a choil and then add it later if desired?
 
On top of that, choils get in the way of different grips and make doing certain bushcraft/woods tasks even more difficult. Scraping and feather sticking is easily accomplished with edge of the blade nearest your grip. It's that same reason why people hate serrations; they take up some of the most important real estate on a shorter blade.

Most choils are not even comfortable for finger placement. I prefer the grind to come back as close to the handle as possible so there's no need to choke up on the knife. Use the pinch grip/pencil grip if you need to do some detailed work. It allows you to do more delicate work than with a choil anyway.

Basically, choils are pointless, especially on blades under 8-9 inches.
 
tantrik77 said:
On top of that, choils get in the way of different grips and make doing certain bushcraft/woods tasks even more difficult. Scraping and feather sticking is easily accomplished with edge of the blade nearest your grip. It's that same reason why people hate serrations; they take up some of the most important real estate on a shorter blade.

Most choils are not even comfortable for finger placement. I prefer the grind to come back as close to the handle as possible so there's no need to choke up on the knife. Use the pinch grip/pencil grip if you need to do some detailed work. It allows you to do more delicate work than with a choil anyway.

Basically, choils are pointless, especially on blades under 8-9 inches.
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I search based on a choil, I couldn't consider a busse without one. If it gets in the way of what you are doing I'm sure Jerry makes another knife that would suit your needs better. Beggars can't be choosers, if you complain too much it can sound like bitching.... In my opinion. It's like our culture, wanting everything to be perfectly tailored for them. That's why there is a custom shop and if they don't want to make one without a choil, then whatever Jerry says goes. Those are the rules of the game. If you want to complain then just don't play. If you have to play then understand that you cant just have anything you want.

This is only my two cents, in reading this many people are seemingly complaining about these amazing knives, I just don't see it.

Any choil-less anything will have to be way behind the 13asic 13 as that has been sought after for a long time by several forumites. I feel confident that the 13asic is coming in about 2 weeks....
 
For wilderness trips you better have a knife and an axe. In a real "survival" situation (which luckily not too many of us will ever see :D) bigger knife with longer cutting edge is a plus, however, IMO ratmandu is a perfect small camp knife which is mostly for kitchen, food preparation, can opening, etc jobs. Having a choil for a finer type of duties on a smaller knife is a plus. I value the choil on my ratmandu and would not go without. :)
 
tantrik77 said:
...
Use the pinch grip/pencil grip if you need to do some detailed work. It allows you to do more delicate work than with a choil anyway.
...
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I use a pencil grip when possible (depending on the size of the knife), to do the most precise work with a smaller knife.


breavis5694 said:
...
This is only my two cents, in reading this many people are seemingly complaining about these amazing knives, I just don't see it.
...
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I don't view it as complaining but instead as a discussion of the pros & cons of choils as each individual sees it – my opinion is different from yours but that does not make one of us wrong and the other right, we simply have different opinions. I have learned a lot from reading what others have said on this forum over the past 14 years.

A healthy discussion can make a great product even better, including Busse knives. Jerry knows more about knives than I would ever hope to, but I am sure he values honest feedback and at times uses it to make improvements in his knives.
 
I love choils. Especially on knives like the RMD. That part of the blade goes completely unused by me anyway so I would never complain about the missing length of cutting edge. Plus I find that little tip of the cutting edge right before the choil to be useful. I use it like the tip of the knife but with more control. Especially when I'm cutting fancy patterns in my kids walking sticks. I really think this movement against choils is a bit trumped up. Kinda like the whole tip up vs tip down. Get used to either way and you will be fine.
 
tantrik77 said:
On top of that, choils get in the way of different grips and make doing certain bushcraft/woods tasks even more difficult. Scraping and feather sticking is easily accomplished with edge of the blade nearest your grip.
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But if you actually use the choil, your hand will be even closer to the finer detail work therefore making it easier.


tantrik77 said:
Most choils are not even comfortable for finger placement. I prefer the grind to come back as close to the handle as possible so there's no need to choke up on the knife. Use the pinch grip/pencil grip if you need to do some detailed work. It allows you to do more delicate work than with a choil anyway.
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I find using the choil to be WAY more comfortable and easier to control that the pinch grip. Your hand is way more likely to slide around with a pinch grip. Much less control than simply choking up. And you throw the balance of the knife way off in that grip. It's just much harder to control than choking up and using the edge closest to the choil.

tantrik77 said:
Basically, choils are pointless, especially on blades under 8-9 inches.
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I completely disagree. Saying they are pointless is goofy. Maybe pointless to you but others find them useful so no. They aren't pointless. Also I can't see why they would be more useful in large blades. That's when choking up is less useful. It's way more useful in small/medium knives in the 5" blade range. Larger than that and it's already more difficult to do fine tasks. The bigger the blade, the less useful it is at fine detailed work. Choking up on a big knife is awkward. I'll take my 13asic 13 without a choil but leave it on my RMDs please.
 
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No thread is safe..... 13asic 13 is coming

call your congress man and have him send all of his top shelf liquor to ohio, attn jerry busse. Let's get this done fellas
 
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