Cobra hood?

J

JSR

Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
338
Anyone else like the Cobra Hood feature? I really like it and would love to see more spydies offered with it.

Any chance more spydies will be offered in the future with Cobra Hoods?
 
JSR said:
Any chance more spydies will be offered in the future with Cobra Hoods?
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Probably not. The cobra hood has more people who dislike it than like it. No new hooded models have been mentioned lately.

With that said, I agree with you - I like the cobra hood, and find it useful.
 
Hey JSR, what do you like so much about the cobra hood?

I am definitely not a fan of the hood. The spydie-hole already makes opening a breeze. The hood seems excessive to me & I just don't see what the it adds to an EDC. I can see the justification of using it on first responder & emergency knives (like the Assist), where efficient opening is critical. But in my everyday activities I have never wished that my Spydie had a hood.

I hope that Spyderco refrains from putting the cobra hood on any new knives...
 
The one model that I did like with the COBRA HOOD on was the Titanium ATR. It honestly seemed to enhance that knife for some reason. Keep a look out because in about 2 to 3 years Cobra Hooded Spyders could really cash in on the collector's market.

Now I did have a good buddy who is now deceased that dearly loved the titanium Salsa with the Cobra hood really well. It's funny too because the Ti Salsa is already showing signs of becoming collectible already.

Was the COBRA HOOD a Spyderco in house innovation? If so I wonder what it's original intended purpose was?
 
For me, for some reason, my thumb doesn't engage well with most spyderholes. One time, my thumb slipped and the pressure from the lockback closed the blade down on the meaty part of my palm under my thumb giving me a good size gash. The worst part?...this happened when I was taking my wedding pictures, so not good to get blood and what not on my bride's dress, or the big bandaid I had that I was trying to hide from the camera (which made some poses look weird). The hood gives me a much more secure method of opening as it engages my thumb much better. I also prefer thumb discs. I know many don't like studs, discs, ramps, etc. because they can snag in the pocket, but I don't mind it snagging in my pocket occasionally if it allows for faster and more secure opening for me.

I don't think the Cobra Hood is a Spydie exclusive as it's really just a variant of a thumb disc, but I haven't seen people go nutso about it's similarity to a thumb disc to call it infringement on design and what not. Too touchy a subject there. I just like it because it guarantees my thumb won't slip. And with gloves, I can still engage it very easily without wondering if I'm getting enough engagement with the hole from my thumb. Oh well, guess I won't see the Cobra Hood any more. My likes often seem to counter that of the majority, so it's sometimes hard to find the ergos I like.
 
I also love the cobra hood on my ATR and would like to see the back of the blade on all Spydies drilled n tapped so we can add our own, if you read the spydie "folding camp knife" thread a few days back I mentioned that the cobra hood makes it very easy to "wave" a non waved ATR with a little DIY tinkering. If you dont like the hood just take it off.

A
 
You can use a cobra hood to 'wave' out the assist no problem and no DIY. I see no reason to take it off, and I think tapping and threading the back of all the blades is a really good idea (except for maybe the native).
 
Maybe put a hood on a much smaller spyderhole to make a slimmer profile spyderco? Otherwise, I don't like having an extra bit of metal there for no reason, especially when you are making deeper cuts, and the hood hangs onto whatever you're cutting.
 
I envision a "Half-hood" version. Instead of a full Cobra hood, the half-hood would only extend in one direction. For right front pocket carry the half-hood would project only leftwards from the spine. Opposite for left pocket carry. The same torx screw would be utilized so you simply flip the half-hood from right to left, when you flip the clip from left to right.

Benefits: You would still get the original benefit of aiding opening the blade, especially for wet, arthritic, or gloved hands.

The half-hood would still have plenty of surface to provide a thumb jimping point.

Since it won't be projecting on the unneeded outside of the knife, when in pocket, there will be much reduced snagging of the hood.

Downside: it would be asymmetrical, so knife purists would complain and not buy.
 
i like the 'hood on my only spydies that have one the ti ATR, i like the way it looks and it helps some with opening, i dont see any cons to it myself.
 
I hated it. Constantly snagging my pants and half opening, and it was ugly and unnecessary.
 
I have this "cobra hood" on the TI Salsa and I like it, makes the opening much easier for me.
 
One of the issues that I have with the hood is that it leaves a cutout on the top of the blade when it is removed. The cutout was necessary to secure the hood in the proper orientation. I bet Spyderco could have incorporated this feature into the hood itself so that the only a hole is left behind in the top of the blade, rather than a cutout/hole. Then it would be similar to the blade of the P'kal with its wave removed.
 
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