Handle comfort.

E

ElCuchillo

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Oct 3, 2006
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All this talk lately about keeping things simple, going retro, and bolsterless knives made me want to take out my old CV Sodbuster Jr., and I think I'm going to enlist it's services for a while. One thing I forgot about the soddie pattern is how friggin comfortable the handle is to hold!! The ergonomics on this thing are crazy!! It's rounded shape fits the hand perfectly. Nothing sticking out, no edges digging into my hand, and no other folded blade getting in the way (been wondering if I really need another blade or tool myself). Wide, thin, sharp blade, comfortable, rounded handle. I guess there's a reason this pattern has been around as a hard work knife for hundreds of years.
What patterns do you guys consider the most comfortable to hold and use?
 
Opinels, especially after I've reshaped the handles to suit me a little more. :thumbup:

And of course my old soddies that are my familys soddies now.:D
 
If we are talking slippy's its got to be my Trappers, Mini-Trappers, Stockmans and Canoes pretty much in that order.

Now if we are discussing sheath knives than its my Treeman made Scagel style skinner.:cool:
 
I agree with your comments about the comfort of the Soddie Jr. I have a standard issue Case black handle ss blade Jr. from Lowes. It is great to use!

My other all time favorite comfortable knife is a Buck 112 Ranger. Is a little too heavy for front pocket carry but for user comfort...it fits my hand like a glove!
 
fishtale... second on the comfort of the 112 it feels like it was made for my hand, wish it was a carbon blade...I don't own a soddie, but HMMMM maybe it's time....does anyone own a kissing crane soddie? any good? me and my credit card company love this place, my wife unfortunately does not.
 
I've got an EKA 88 in my pocket right now. Okay, it's stainless but it's light weight (bolsterless, linerless bubinga wood) AND handfilling. Usually those two qualities don't go together. They either fill the hand (Buck & Boker folding hunters) OR they're light weight (single blade trappers). Soddies are good, too. Wish I hadn't traded mine.

Frank
 
I would be hard pressed to call another knife more comfortable and versatile for me. keep in mind I am 6'3" @ 275 lbs and have large hands. The handle shape combined with the flat grind makes this knife perfect for me. Good thing the Lord made us all different shapes and sizes. Otherwise we would all need the same knife. I could not get these photos up for some reason . http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7293623
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RescueRiley said:
fishtale... second on the comfort of the 112 it feels like it was made for my hand, wish it was a carbon blade...I don't own a soddie, but HMMMM maybe it's time....does anyone own a kissing crane soddie? any good? me and my credit card company love this place, my wife unfortunately does not.
Click to expand...

Last I heard, Ragnar's Ragweed Forge had some KK soddies. Very resonable prices to try out a new/old pattern. The Klass brown mules are sort of like Opinels-get really scary sharp very easy.:thumbup:
 
ElCuchillo said:
Nothing sticking out, no edges digging into my hand, and no other folded blade getting in the way
Click to expand...

That's probably my biggest annoyance with multi-blade pocket knives. I need to have a nice clean spot for my index finger to grip the handle.
 
The good old swiss army knife is pretty comfortable to use, especially the two - four layer models. My sodbuster junior is easy to use as are trappers, it's a toss up as to which size I prefer, 4 1/8 , 3 7/8 or 3 1/2.
I also have a Case 6275 moose and a Schrade 77ot muskrat and they are both very comfortable in the hand.
 
It's hard to beat the sodbusters for a comfortable handle.

In multi-blade slippies, I really like the large Case copperhead. The blades don't stick out from the handle much, so it's comfortable to grip, and the angled bolster makes a good place to put your index finger.
 
Sodbuster and Opinel both have the ergonomics of genius!

But I'm well impressed by my Queen Cutlery Slimline Trapper, one bade and a very comfortable handle.

The CASE Mini Copperlock suits me too and gets neglected by many.
 
Sodbusters have nice handles. The problem is that they can come a bit rough, for the wood handled ones at least. There is an easy fix for that though. When I received my Brown Mule I did not like the handle at all. I applied some Tru-Oil to the scales, and I steel-wooled the wood in between coats. It made the knife much more friendly to the touch, brought out some of the wood's natural beauty, and made it slightly more water resistant. Now the Brown Mule has the most comfortable handle of all my slippies.
 
The Case mini Copperlock is pretty damn comfortable.Especially in ebony.Half the time I'm choking up on the blade so the clip has good control, plus its easy to open.
 
For folders: My 12cm Laguiole, with nicely contoured handles, and mid to large size Texas Toothpicks for the same reason.

My Ka-Bar is awful nice feeling for a sheath knife. So is my ShadowKnives Model XI Wharncliffe, for that matter.

Maybe I'll have to finally pick up a soddie.

-- Sam
 
Sodbusters are very comfortable as is the Buck 110. Opinels aren't uncomfortable, but soddies and the 110 are just a cut above. Smaller knives are largely in the same boat.

One traditional that just sucks handle-wise is the Kabar Little Finn- the blade is sized perfectly for a small game or bird knife, but the handle (which is proportionate) is to small and skinny- it's useable though. That's why I'm shocked that modern-style folders are as comfortable as they are, considering they are as thin as they are.
 
navihawk said:
The Case mini Copperlock is pretty damn comfortable.Especially in ebony.Half the time I'm choking up on the blade so the clip has good control, plus its easy to open.
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Id' like to try one of these. I'm holding off buying any Case off the internet for awhile though because I'm tentatively planning a motorcycle trip in the summer that will take me through Bradford, PA. Then I can handle a bunch in person at their facility!
 
Foilist said:
Id' like to try one of these. I'm holding off buying any Case off the internet for awhile though because I'm tentatively planning a motorcycle trip in the summer that will take me through Bradford, PA. Then I can handle a bunch in person at their facility!
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That sounds great. My riding days are over. A few years back I bought a nice FLHP 84 shovelhead and a guy changed lanes right in front of me and stopped.Broke my collarbone and some ribs, and the collarbone wouldn't heal for like a year, until I had to have it pinned. Talk about pain:eek:sorry to change the subject.
 
A trip to the CASE factory would be a dream come true!

Must say that a lot of the equipment looks preety ancient in the photos of their catalogue though....

That said, why WAIT for that Mini Copperlock? get one now and get another when you go there! Very attached to my Pocket Worn Red Bone model but eyeing Amber Bone one too. If only they made a wharncliffe in this. Excellent ergonomics all round.
 
Case Yeller handled Barehead Slimline Trapper.
Yeah I am biased, that is whut traditional folks do... *grin*
 
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