Is "Choking up on a blade" a new thing?

I see choking up as a very old technique. It usually involves a pinch grip and not a finger choil.
Do you evr use a pinch grip on an outdoor knife?
I use a pinch grip often on my chefs knives. But never on my outdoor knives,
But then I don't carve wood.
 
OK. I haven't skinned a deer in 25 years so maybe I don't remember...lol.

Take a look at some Caping knives. They’re purpose built for skinning in tighter areas like the head and ‘cape’ and have larger choils and recessed areas on the spine for your index finger. Essentially a knife designed for choking up on and having fine tip control.


73ebbdeb-9af0-467c-992c-7c4251885f97_1.759353a80b2258b999ff0ad902f8169e.jpeg


The Schrade Sharp Finger knives are another example from decades ago where a more forward grip and your index finger on the spine gave you just that. A “Sharp Finger” .
 
Take a look at some Caping knives. They’re purpose built for skinning in tighter areas like the head and ‘cape’ and have larger choils and recessed areas on the spine for your index finger. Essentially a knife designed for choking up on and having fine tip control.


73ebbdeb-9af0-467c-992c-7c4251885f97_1.759353a80b2258b999ff0ad902f8169e.jpeg


The Schrade Sharp Finger knives are another example from decades ago where a more forward grip and your index finger on the spine gave you just that. A “Sharp Finger” .
Yes, I'm familar with them. Please see my post above with the Kershaw 1030 which also has a finger choil forthat purpose.
The question is whether one can use a pinch grip, with no finger choil, for skinning.
 
Pretty much any knife with jimping on the spine above the handle encourages choking up for certain tasks, no?
 
Yes, I'm familar with them. Please see my post above with the Kershaw 1030 which also has a finger choil forthat purpose.
The question is whether one can use a pinch grip, with no finger choil, for skinning.

Ah, understood. For some reason I confused you with the OP. 😬 Not enough coffee.
 
Pretty much any knife with jimping on the spine above the handle encourages choking up for certain tasks, no?
Jimping as you are referring to does give on a place to put there thumb for better grip, but your thumb would not be vulnerable to getting cut in that case.
Just the other day I used a pinch grip near the ricasso on a paring knife to dice some small tomatoes, I slipped and got a little cut. So, in general I try to keep digits away from the business edge of the blade. Just to be clear I was gripping near the tip with my thumb and first to fingers, the ring finger got cut as it naturally fell under the blade.
 
I remember it being brought up back when I first got into knives so, as others have mentioned, it isn't new. Not something I've ever needed to do and I avoid buying anything with a large finger choil.....which is a lot of stuff.
 
I actually use it when I have to cut some hard to go through material,
cutting with the part of the edge that is very close to the choil.
IMO, the best folding knives I used for "choking" are generally the Spyderco's designs and Hindered XM18

7Ractv.jpg


But Spydercos are absolutely great. This is the Manix XL and the much smaller Caly, both are great designs and the way the choil is design, your finger doesn't
actually rest much on the blade but on the cutoff of the handle where they also would have sort of "hidden" jimping.
I worked a lot with the XL and it is exceptional design (along with the smaller broter). You can see that even the Caly is much smaller, they did the cuttoff in such way
that you can choke the knife by the handle and have no issue with safety.

XL:
p9AgpX.jpg


Caly:
alFwJo.jpg
 
I actually use it when I have to cut some hard to go through material,
cutting with the part of the edge that is very close to the choil.
IMO, the best folding knives I used for "choking" are generally the Spyderco's designs and Hindered XM18

7Ractv.jpg


But Spydercos are absolutely great. This is the Manix XL and the much smaller Caly, both are great designs and the way the choil is design, your finger doesn't
actually rest much on the blade but on the cutoff of the handle where they also would have sort of "hidden" jimping.
I worked a lot with the XL and it is exceptional design (along with the smaller broter). You can see that even the Caly is much smaller, they did the cuttoff in such way
that you can choke the knife by the handle and have no issue with safety.

XL:
p9AgpX.jpg


Caly:
alFwJo.jpg
Off topic, but what model is that Hinderer, -an XM 3.5”? I thought he only did M390 on DLT exclusives, which usually have no choil. Must be a rare one…
 
Off topic, but what model is that Hinderer, -an XM 3.5”? I thought he only did M390 on DLT exclusives, which usually have no choil. Must be a rare one…
Honestly I don't remember... It was purchased for a friend of mine 5 years ago and went to Europe, I got it from USA Made Blades,
member of this forum, I believe. It could be a special model, I believe the blade was longer than 3.5", hopefully I'm not mistaking...
 
I don't really remember hearing about choils or choking up on knives until recent years. When I was coming up in the 70's - 80's we were always taught and told to keep you fingers away from the blade to keep from cutting yourself. I can see where it is a handy technique for certain fine cutting tasks and certain situations, but personally I have never been crazy about choils and the knives I own that have them I typically don't use them. Because I don't choke up on my blades, I also do not mind a guard on a knife, I don't find it getting in my way like I have heard others complain. I think that was always viewed as a positive attribute of the Scandinavian knives when they got popular. Before that, I never really heard much about it.
 
Honestly I don't remember... It was purchased for a friend of mine 5 years ago and went to Europe, I got it from USA Made Blades,
member of this forum, I believe. It could be a special model, I believe the blade was longer than 3.5", hopefully I'm not mistaking...
Yeah ill bet it’s an XM-24, you must have big hands
 
Yeah ill bet it’s an XM-24, you must have big hands

You could be correct, I really don't remember but - yes, I do have sort of large hands. 😂
This is the XM-24 I also purchased for this friend of mine, its sheepsfoot profile.
I find this model to be very well suited for "chocking"

RhMukS.jpg


avoln7.jpg
 
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