I'm choil spoiled.

Do you prefer a choil.

  • Yes, I like to make fuzzsticks and might cut my hand.

    Votes: 31 48.4%

  • No. I want all the cutting edge available when I field dress my Apple for lunch.

    Votes: 24 37.5%

  • I use my teeth as a knife.

    Votes: 9 14.1%
  • Total voters
    64
On the right knife, choils absolutely rock.
On other knives, not so much.
This works for me (YMMV):

s0ncOAt.jpg
 
Finger choils are a waste of blade real estate.

If the handle doesn't give satisfactory holding options, then the handle-blade relationship is a bad design.

JMHO
 
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I hadn't really given choils much thought until I got these two ball bearing flippers. While I agree that they do rob you of some blade real estate they really do allow you to bear down hard and get closer for fine work without fear of your finger slipping.

42137653742_f32b059f8a_c.jpg
 
Depends on the design. In general, I like a finger choil as a means of giving a full grip on a small folder. Spyderco Dragonfly, CRKT Pilar, etc. I dislike finger choils on folders with full size handles. Those just feel like a train wreck. I don’t want to trade cutting edge so that I can take my lead finger off of the comfortable handle and place it on a less comfortable piece of thin steel. Manix 2, etc.
 
I like the choil on the knives where it goes to the edge like the ti lock, XM 18 , SNG etc. I like that far better than the hump the edge hits on Spyderco knives. But even those are fine by me.

I also appreciate a knife like the sebenza where it's not really needed .
 
So, my opinion on finger choils stems from the fact that I consider the end of the cutting edge to be the end of blade. I prefer handles that go right to the end of the cutting edge (lower guards, and sharpening choils/notches are acceptable, as long as they aren't crazy).

So how I see it, a finger choil is this awkward middle ground where the edge has already ended, but the handle is still ~0.5-2in away, and you end up holding half handle, half bare steel. Hence my personal viewpoint on them.

Out of curiosity, those that prefer finger choils, do you believe/find that you'd prefer the finger choil to a handle that ended at the same place as a finger choil? I mean, in my mind (and personal experience) it seems that a full girth handle is/would be easier to control for fine work, and more secure for powerful cuts. But clearly others have different preferences, and I'm curious about it.
 
shinbone said:
Finger choils are a waste of blade real estate.

If the handle doesn't give satisfactory holding options, then the handle is a bad design.

JMHO
Click to expand...
I dont agree.

If you'd care to look at the post directly above yours (post #21), handle on the top knife (CPK HDFK) is more than ample and of a great design.
What the choil does on this knife, is to give the user the option of using a finger on the choil for fine work.
Sort of how one (I) would want a Heavy Duty Field Knife to work:)
 
ocnLogan said:
So, my opinion on finger choils stems from the fact that I consider the end of the cutting edge to be the end of blade. I prefer handles that go right to the end of the cutting edge (lower guards, and sharpening choils/notches are acceptable, as long as they aren't crazy).

So how I see it, a finger choil is this awkward middle ground where the edge has already ended, but the handle is still ~0.5-2in away, and you end up holding half handle, half bare steel. Hence my personal viewpoint on them.

Out of curiosity, those that prefer finger choils, do you believe/find that you'd prefer the finger choil to a handle that ended at the same place as a finger choil? I mean, in my mind (and personal experience) it seems that a full girth handle is/would be easier to control for fine work, and more secure for powerful cuts. But clearly others have different preferences, and I'm curious about it.
Click to expand...
Check out post #27.

Not neccesarily referring to the above quote/forum member but I have a hunch, that many posters in this thread have folders in mind, when they judge choils.

IMO there ia s a big difference between choils on a small to medium folder and that of a heavy duty/camp fixed blade.

Caveat: Perfectly willing to admit, that I may be barking up the wong tree.
 
JMO, but choking up by one finger width makes little improvement for fine work. Especially if the cutting edge were to come almost all the way to the handle, anyway. Maybe everyone has different definitions of "fine work." Again, JMO.
 
Maybe @lorien has some choil input. I couldnt be more happy with his designs, thats fer sure...*

Look forward to the DEK BTW.
 
BladeScout said:
Check out post #27.

Not neccesarily referring to the above quote/forum member but I have a hunch, that many posters in this thread have folders in mind, when they judge choils.

IMO there ia s a big difference between choils on a small to medium folder and that of a heavy duty/camp fixed blade.

Caveat: Perfectly willing to admit, that I may be barking up the wong tree.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, I actually feel stronger (against) finger choils on fixed blades than I do on folders.

On folders they can help pseudo lengthen the handle, when attempting to keep a useable handle size, while keeping it pretty small in your pocket.

On fixed blades you don't usually have the same constraint. You can usually just make the handle longer (within reason).

I just can't personally understand how having a 3\16 - 1\4in chunk of steel between my index finger and middle finger is better than having a real handle that went to the same point (other than its less weight).

Maybe an easier way to explain it it is that I would prefer a handle-and-a-half (or, handle and a quarter, or whatever fraction is more accurate) instead of handle + a finger choil.

Again, not a knock on people that like them, or designs that have them. I've just found I don't prefer them is all, but maybe I've not found the ideal situation for them or something ,as we all know preferences can change :).
 
It depends on how the knife is designed.
On some knives, the choil is really handy and improves usability. :)
On others, they should have made it without a choil.

On some knives I got that had the edge all the way to the handle pretty much, I thought "Wish they'd put a choil on it."
On others, having the edge all the way to the handle was great for powerful pushing cuts. :thumbsup:

The knife is more than simply a collection of features.
A great knife is great...and some great knives have choils. ;)
 
I didn't vote.

I have choils on most of my user knives...Hinderers and Busse(kin) and find sometimes they are convenient and sometimes, as I'm cutting things, they can catch material and be a frustration.
 
I'm a fan of sharpening choils on all my knives and finger choils on some folders and my larger(above 5 inch blade) fixed blades.
 
I usually don't prefer prefer a choil on a knife but after seeing GooberBoober GooberBoober `s photo of his Junglas , a choil on a large fixed blade seems like a nice addition , it gives you the option to use a large knife for finer cutting tasks
 
I don’t have anything against choils per se but I do love sharpening choils! I have even modded sharpening choils to some knives that did bot have them. I absolutely loathe that curve at the beginning of the edge that some knives either have or develope as you sharpen them.
 
User27 said:
I usually don't prefer prefer a choil on a knife but after seeing GooberBoober GooberBoober `s photo of his Junglas , a choil on a large fixed blade seems like a nice addition , it gives you the option to use a large knife for finer cutting tasks
Click to expand...

I had a lot of doubt if I should do the mod or not beforehand, but I'm really glad I did it. It really changed the knife for me. It went from being a great chopper to becoming a great knife period ime.

I don't have very large hands though, that probably plays a big part in the experience too.
 
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