Choil or No Choil?

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I'm all about a finger choil. Some knives I don't use it so often but its there when I need it. I don't feel right without one
 
I like them. Not necessarily for actual usefulness but because without one, that tiny spot that I can't sharpen with a ceramic rod bothers the hell out of me. Lol!
 
I like a choil on blades larger than say a Mora ~ 4 inches. I don't think my BK5 would be nearly as good without one.
 
I also prefer more cutting edge over a choil. My latest carry has been non-overbuilt 4" blades with no choil. Knives along the line of the ZT0452cf, BM710, and Shiro95 have been prefect. I don't like to compromise the knife's ability to cut larger things due to a choil being in the way.
 
Sharpening choil yes, finger choil no.

Personally I feel that if the knife needs a choil to get you "close to the work", then the handle needs to be redesigned. I also feel that the large finger choils are just making the knife longer/heavier than it needs to be for the same blade length. And if you need the handle space that the choil gives you... why settle for "second rate" finger real estate in the choil, when you could just make the overall handle larger? (with the possible exception on this point for folders, since typically blade/handle lengths are fairly similar somewhat by necessity, unlike fixed blades).

Anyway, its not a deal breaker if a knife has a finger choil, but, it does earn it demerits in my mind, and so I'm less likely to buy it. I do own a Becker BK15 though, and enjoy it (I just wish the choil wasn't there), but I believe it is the only finger choil'd blade I own.

Also, this is not an attack on people that like them, just stating my preferences :).
 
No finger choil.
If I need more precision I'll grab a shorter blade.
 
Choils can be good or bad designs...personal opinion...

Here is a good one.. it allows you to get close and personal, but you can see a "stop" that limits blade penetration BEFORE it gets to the choil.


...and here is one that I don't like at all, although I've owned several and really tried to love this design. I stabbed a cardboard box and the blade penetrated the cardboard fully and then hung up in the choil. That is a BUMMER.
 
stabman said:
So people who think differently than you do are children?
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Pretty sure he's referencing the Scandinavian tradition where childrens knifes had guards, and adults did not (the guards were their version of training wheels) ;).

I could be wrong of course though, this is the internet.
 
ocnLogan said:
Pretty sure he's referencing the Scandinavian tradition where childrens knifes had guards, and adults did not (the guards were their version of training wheels) ;).

I could be wrong of course though, this is the internet.
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Ah, that tradition thing. ;)
Good catch on that...but I tend to ignore every country's traditions anyway, so I'll remain open to using knives with choils as well. :D
 
stabman said:
Ah, that tradition thing. ;)
Good catch on that...but I tend to ignore every country's traditions anyway, so I'll remain open to using knives with choils as well. :D
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I will say, some traditions are totally worth it (they're frequently delicious), but to each their own :).

Oh, and I must say, your response time is impressive. Only two minutes (including typing)!

Cheers :D.
 
ocnLogan said:
I will say, some traditions are totally worth it (they're frequently delicious), but to each their own :).

Oh, and I must say, your response time is impressive. Only two minutes (including typing)!

Cheers :D.
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Well, traditional foods are great...I don't ignore them.
Glad you're impressed with my speedy response...speed in other things isn't always appreciated. :D
 
No, No, No! to finger choils. I prefer to have some sort of guard to keep my hand from sliding onto the blade. One famous knife maker now makes his knives with a guard because he was cut severely when his hand slid forward. The only time a choil is handy is when trying to make a short knife have more gripping room. I still don't like it.
 
It's all fashion.

A finger cut out choil means the knife was designed incorrectly with too short a handle IMHO.
Why not get the balance right initially rather than lengthening the handle and shortening the cutting edge with an added finger cut out in the choil?
Essentially, you've built a stripped down sub-hilt.

I know people will refer to the choking up for fine work and having more radius for chopping but doesn't a conventional hilt & long enough grip do the same thing with more comfort?
 
merwin said:
...Essentially, you've built a stripped down sub-hilt...
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Good description of the spyderco faux-choil :thumbup: It allows them to compact more handle into the design with an integral guard and slightly shorter cutting edge.

The spyderco Caly3 pictured above demonstrates this well, spyderco mislabels a groove in the ricasso as a "choil" when in fact a "choil" indicates the termination of the cutting-edge (where plunge meets apex). That "stop" mentioned by the poster is exactly where the "choil" is though there is no notch as usual to indicate it. The "subhilt" groove beneath it is actually NOT a "choil" per-say since it doesn't include the cutting edge.
Most knives designed like the spyderco from OTHER companies (e.g. kershaw) have an unsharpened bit of heel-edge above the unnotched choil, and I agree with others above who find that annoying. Kudos to spyderco (or Moki) for sharpening the entire edge.

But I am a fan of the larger true choils as well since they put your finger right up against the heel of the cutting-edge while still forming an integral guard and allowing even the least-skilled of us to sharpen the entire edge without leaving a blunt heel. My $0.02
 
Choils are great; the smaller, the better... ;):D:thumbup:

I find too many knife designs incorporating a gigantic choil nowadays - so much cutting edge length lost for a perceived benefit.
 
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