I Hate Thumbhole Knives!

I have some of each and I think all work well.I do like the hole opener because it has no attached parts.Plus you can open Spidercos with the "handle drop" method.I bet if you carried a knife with a hole in the blade you would adapt quickly and might even prefer it after some time.
troy
 
The Military and the Chinook have the larger sized thumbholes. Try those on for size. You also might look at how your nails are trimmed, possibly square the edges less. I suppose you could have really really big hands. Seems like you should be able to catch the edge of the holes with your nail at the very least.
 
Spyderco's fantastic success has led other folder makers to include a thumbhole in their designs or alternatively, a thumb stud. The bald truth is that the mere addition of a stud or thumbhole does not make a folder deploy faster if placed in the wrong spot along the spine of the blade. My new Worden tactical folder is just such an example. I've carried thumbhole and stud designs for 15 years and found them to be quick to deploy and genuinely a great design idea. The Worden has the stud in the wrong place and when I put my thumb in the index slot and push... the blade doesn't open. I instead have to push outward with my thumb and flick the knife to open - not a good design for my particular hand and thumb. My suggestion to those having problems with one-handed folders is to try different designs and not give up on the genre as there definitely is value there.
 
I've never noticed a problem opening a knife with a hole, but I'll say one thing, to me it looks wrong like a "weak point". Even though practically speaking I'm sure the blades funtion fine. The thumb stud or nail notch looks right to me.
 
You can also use your middle finger in the thumbhole. You hold the knife normally, put your middle finger in the hole, and ease the blade out as you do a mild wrist flick.

I like this method better as it lets me open the knife into using position. No repositioning required.

Bear
 
Stud - Hole - My CRKT Ryan has both. Came with a larger stud that if removed leaves a very usable hole.
 
I hope this doen't sound insulting, but are you trying to stick your thumb IN the hole ?? If so, no suprise it won't work.

And someone gave you advice about cutting your nails ?!? Folks, the hole, stud, and slots were all designed in the same way - you are supposed to press the fleshy part of your thumb against it and push the blade around it's axis. No nails need be involved. I too have a Gerber EZout, and find it one of the worst to open, because the small slot and bead blast finsish is hard for my thumb to grab (low friction). Though ugly, I find the holes to be fastest and easiest to deploy.
 
Hole (opening), Disk or Stud (projection method) - the key is placement of the opening device relative to:

1) the pivot pin
2) modification of the handle to access the device (if any)
3) size of the device
4) size of you hand
5) blade thickness and weight

Although I prefer opening holes (whether Spydie, slotted or otherwise) over other gizmos, there are Spydies where the combination of the afore-mention factors make the particular knife undesireable to me (even a Spydie - heresy!)

Two main reasons for preferring the hole over the projection method is that when your thumb enter the hole, your tissue is forced into the hole and "locks" in. Too many times I find that on a quick-open, my thumb slides off of a stud on the arc around the pivot - dropping my thumb down onto the blade. On a large blade, this generally is not a problem, but on a mid-size to small blade, it is very dangerous. From a industrial design point-of-view, subtracting mass and bulk is often better than adding mass and bulk.

I think one reason that it is so easy to get addicted to continual acquisition of knives is that find a knife where the sweet spot is just right for you is not easy.
 
I like thumbholes... But they had better be round! With the circular action of opening the blade it only makes sense.
 
I have ham fists. I can barely get size XXX gloves on my hands. My wedding band is size 14. I also chew my nails til they bleed, so I can't use them to open stuff. There has never been a Spyderco that I have had a problem with opening. All sizes and styles. All it takes is the desire to open it being stronger than the desire to complain about it.
David
 
I have rather large hands myself, and all I carry are Spyderco's. They just fit my hand perfect.
 
When I tried my first Spyderco, an SS Police that I still have, I felt as if I had finally come home. The action felt so very natural to me that I have never really felt all that comfortable with another system since. And I find that I very much prefer round holes to any other shape!
 
Welp, for better or worse i think I can't go through life without owning at least one Spyderco, and what with the restrictions lifted on the Civilian and Matriarch... I think it'd be one of those.
 
I like knives with holes, disks, and thumbstuds...but my favorite is still the thumbhole, esp. the round Spydie holes. I don't think they create a weak blade...at least I haven't heard anyone claiming their thumbhole blade broke due to structural weakness caused by the hole. Holes are also a completely out-of-the-way opening system, unlike some studs that can hang up on the material you're cutting.
Jim
 
Correction:

After examing the information available to me carefully, there is definetely a Chinook in my future.
 
I told you last week about my problems opening my Worden tactical. On Sunday a friend showed me a Kershaw Whirlwind and all I can say is that you should try one. I've never seen a better designed and engineered one handed knife - that sucker is fast! Still having trouble with my Worden large tactical. Anybody have any suggestions? Am I missing the boat on this one? I've no problems with my Spydercos.
 
This woun't help much but.... the thumbhole/studs/disks is one of the reasons why I like folders so much!
 
Distanceed,

i've already got a Kershaw Blackout (basically a teflon coated Whirlwind) and i'm buying my dad a Whirlwind for christmas.

yes, great one handed knife - I love speedsafes, so much so there is a Black Boa in my not-so-distant future, meanwhile my Blackout is quite fine for most tasks, but I find it a little lacking in the strength department :( ah well, it makes a great casual use knife - which is mostly what I use it for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top