Explain the Spyder hole to new guy

I never understood how people could have trouble with the Spyder hole. It so intuitive for me and easy compared to the thumb studs/disks for me. I can open the knife in 4/5 different ways without thinking about it. By far my preference.
 
Wolverine666 said:
I think adding a zip tie to a Spyderco looks incredibly foolish and sloppy. The Spyder hole looks so elegant that a ridiculous plastic zip tie on it is like adding Sweet N' Low to a glass of Johnny Walker Black. Blasphemy.

Yeah yeah just my opinion.
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I agree with Wolverine, I would never want to add plastic to my steel....and it does change the whole look of a Spydie !
-Also I'll cast a vote for an Adamantium blade myself....:thumbup: B.T.B.
 
fp627 said:
So, ever since I casually tried knives in my teens until today, the one thing that has never clicked with me in any Spyderco medium sized or above is the thumb hole.
- When I reach my thumb down to open the knife, it often doesn't hit the hole quite right and I have move my thumb around a little to get it in.
- When I do hit it right, it sometimes doesn't feel good to/in my thumbs and the thumb movement to move my hands in and upwards is awkward to me.
- Even when both of the above do go right, it feels less intuitive/harder than any other opening system to me. Idk if it's just my hand shape/size doesn't work with the holes, my thumb joints are funky, or w/e. I have large or maybe XL hands in a Mechanix glove but medium (definitely small for my handsize) fingers.

For those of you who are big Spyderco fans or maybe have another explanation, please chime in.

I know not everyone likes Spyderco, but from what I see, it seems like most of the times when people don't like Spyderco it's not for the thumb holes, but a lot of other stuff.

On the other hand, I think this is a shame b/c I actually like a lot of things about their knives, but I have yet to find a medium size or above Spyderco that just "calls" to me because the thumb hole always seems to ruin it. Not sure why, but a lot of their smaller knives on the other hand really appeal to me - thumb hole and all.
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So, are you saying that you can pick up any medium size and above knife that uses a thumb stud or thumb disc opener and have your thumb hit the stud/disc precisely and move smoothly as you open the knife? If so, the answer is simple, stick with what works for you.

For me, the Spyderhole always works. I can press the ball of my thumb against the hole and rotate the blade open in one smooth motion. On some models that motion feels more natural than on others, but it's always possible to open the knife without my thumb slipping off the opener. I can't say the same for thumb studs.
 
The Deacon said:
I can press the ball of my thumb against the hole and rotate the blade open in one smooth motion. On some models that motion feels more natural than on others, but it's always possible to open the knife without my thumb slipping off the opener. I can't say the same for thumb studs.
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Yes, I'd say that describes it perfectly. The Spyderhole is the most consistent and comfortable single-handed opening method I've ever encountered. It's so intuitive even a caveman could do it. ;) :)
 
Here's my 3 ways to flick it.
Thumb, middle finger and pointer finger. I think I'm quicker with the pointer.
 
I've always been into holes, they just feel so natural. Studs just don't do it for me and always feel awkward.

If you like studs, then why not stick with them. If you give a hole a try for a while, then maybe you'll find that you enjoy them. Don't worry, nobody around here is going to make fun of you if it doesn't work out.

I wonder if the hole/stud preference is something we're born with or if it is a learned preference. I bet we'll never know. :D
 
Reading this, I'm surprised the hole works so well for so many over all the other common methods. I'm not the only one I've talked to/know where the spyderco hole just doesn't work for them personally. As a matter of fact, more often than not it doesn't work for people I've talked to (not that many, but a decent number). However, now that I know about the index or middle finger method, I need to find a spyderco I like for a good price (used or new) and try it out more extensively.
 
The hole is (in my opinion) the simplest, yet best way of opening a folder. Thumb studs and discs are just not reliable for me. The hole is almost impossible to not be reliable. All you have to do is get your thumb in there and flick. The nature of the hole lets you do this easily and correctly every time as the thumb basically just "falls" into place. I cannot understand how people have problems with the hole as a deployment method. I'm not saying anything bad about those who do not find it ideal, but I really just cannot see how a thumb stud or disc could ever be more reliable. Just because it does not make sense to me does not mean others should not use what they get the best results with. Your a weirdo if you don't like the Spydie hole though. :D
 
Wolverine666 said:
I think adding a zip tie to a Spyderco looks incredibly foolish and sloppy. The Spyder hole looks so elegant that a ridiculous plastic zip tie on it is like adding Sweet N' Low to a glass of Johnny Walker Black. Blasphemy.

Yeah yeah just my opinion.
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If it looks stupid and works, it ain't stupid. ;)
 
fp627 said:
I need to find a spyderco I like for a good price (used or new) and try it out more extensively.
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I agree! Try to find one that you can hold before you purchase so you can check the ergos. Also remember that the back lock designs do not always open as easily as many of the other lock designs. That doesn't mean that they're not smooth and flickable, but some might be a little stiff out of the box.
 
Problem solved!

It was an ergonomics issue all along. I tried a sheepsfoot Benchmade Grip that comes with a thumb hole today. It worked amazingly and it was very intuitive for my thumbs! Didn't miss the hole or have to poke around for it, didn't get stuck half way while opening, etc. Even worked with my other fingers. I also tried a few Spyderco from the Tenacious line back to back with it - still didn't work at all, regardless of if I used the thumb, middle, or index finger flip.

After a few more tries on both, it became very clear to me that it came down to how/where the hole was placed in relation to how my hand grabs/holds the handle and how my thumb fits into it all and is able to move. The hole on the griptilian sat in a slightly different spot and had a different "track" that it followed when opening/closed vs any of the tenacious line (and any other similar Spyderco I've tried recently).

Guess I'll have to try each Spyderco in particular more extensively before I buy (unless I collect eventually... but I don't right now). Somewhat inconvenient but at least the mystery has been solved now.
 
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fp627 said:
Reading this, I'm surprised the hole works so well for so many over all the other common methods. I'm not the only one I've talked to/know where the spyderco hole just doesn't work for them personally. As a matter of fact, more often than not it doesn't work for people I've talked to (not that many, but a decent number). However, now that I know about the index or middle finger method, I need to find a spyderco I like for a good price (used or new) and try it out more extensively.
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Try one of the Byrds--larger hole with more areas to give your thumb purchase, excellent quality for the price, and comparatively low prices compared to other Spydies. There's also the issue of early prejudice--my introduction to one handed openers was with the original model Endura. I had seen Spydercos advertised for years in magazines and thought them ugly and impractical. Getting my hands on an Endura changed that, and thumbstuds and discs for the most part have never worked as well for me, although I do own folders with thumbstuds that I'm happy with.
 
As someone who is just getting reacquainted with Spyderco knives (Manix 2 LW received yesterday - love it!) I was initially struggling with the one handed opening. I don't have large hands and the track of the hole through the opening motion is a little awkward. I had seen this thread and the middle/index finger flick but that didn't work immediately either. After reading a thread on a different forum the tip that finally made a thumb flick work for me was to "pre-load" tension in the hole in the direction of the pivot with your thumbnail, then gradually shift it outward and upward until the blade snaps open. After working the knife a bit and applying a little oil to the pivot this worked well for me consistently. As it breaks in more hopefully it will become even easier.
 
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