Jimping?

I remember watching this youtube video by a person whose first language was not English. He kept saying "Gimping." I think that is a more appropriate name for putting annoying grooves that dig into your hand while you're working.

I really don't understand the "thumb on spine" grip. The only time I put my thumb there is if I'm doing small push cuts in wood carving, even then I'm pushing with both thumbs. I know lots of people do it, like it's their natural inclination, but it's weaker than wrapping your thumb around your fingers. Your hand would tire really quickly if you did any amount of work that way. I watched a video of a guy trying to make feather sticks with his thumb on the spine of his knife, which kept rolling this way and that, and his feathers kept falling off. If your handle is not comfortable to grip with a full fist, maybe it's time to look for a new knife.
 
The most popular hunting knife in the U.S. before WW II was the Marble's Woodcraft, It had jimping.

The most popular military knife-as-weapon in the U.S. since 1942 is the MK II (AKA "Ka-BAr"), and it lacks jimping.

Jimping has nothing necessarily to do with use of a knife as a weapon.
 
PURPLEDC said:
...I for one am hoping makers and collectors start taking a cue from the Justin Timberlake play book and decide to bring sexy back.
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This! I feel like folding knives are being pushed farther and farther into extremes. You've got the way overbuilt overly jimped ti constructed designs which inevitably leads to people mistaking these fads for true necessities. Like if a knife doesn't have thumb shredding jimping and an 1/8" blade stock than it can not live up to "hard use." When history has proven that some of the most timeless and iconic blades have zero jimping and fairly thin blades. I understand that there are situations where someone might need these attributes in a blade to a certain degree, but I feel WE are taking it a little to far. And I emphasize we because I am fully aware that I can get wrapped up in the latest trends as fast as the next guy.
 
Thumb ramp jimping is great for scratching an itchy thumb. I'm doing so at this very moment on a Utilitac II. Feels great! :D:thumbup:
 
Jimping? For most part I don't understand it at all. That might be because I'm from Sweden and grew up with Moras, Puukos, Leukos and the similar style of knives. They don't have jimping, fingerchoil or even guards for the most part. You simply learn how to handle a knife correctly instead. A knife is not a bloody toy or even a weapon. It's a tool! At least in my eyes! :) Obviously you can have another standpoint but I don't really understand the extreme focus on the "tactical" aspects of our hobby. Sure it can look cool and I own my fair share of so called tactical folders but how many of us in this forum run around and decapitate people for a living?

Regarding jimpings: Let me put it this way, I used to work extra as a butcher for a couple of years when I was younger and the knives used in the industry definitely lacks jimping and that is a very slippery environment!


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Thomas Linton said:
The most popular hunting knife in the U.S. before WW II was the Marble's Woodcraft, It had jimping.

The most popular military knife-as-weapon in the U.S. since 1942 is the MK II (AKA "Ka-BAr"), and it lacks jimping.

Jimping has nothing necessarily to do with use of a knife as a weapon.
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But wasnt the popularity based on military contracts? I think the results might be different if based on user preference.
 
IMHO anything done well and well thought that adds to the function of a knife is a bonus while anything put on there without proper thought detracts from the knife. This goes for Jimping, guard, holes in the blade/handle for lashing to a pole to make a spear or any number of things... all of these things have merit in some peoples eyes and if done right can add value to that customer, while if done poorly take away comfort and utility. All i know is that most people who buy one of mine ask for one with the jimping on the spine, and that tells me that people find them useful, so i offer it as an option.
 
PURPLEDC said:
But wasnt the popularity based on military contracts? I think the results might be different if based on user preference.
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Yes. But is jimping were all about "tactical", you would think it would have been all over the MK II or more numerous 225Q.

Jimping is not tactical or military. Like it or not, it was invented to keep your thumb from slipping, not for "deanimating."
 
Thomas Linton said:
Yes. But is jimping were all about "tactical", you would think it would have been all over the MK II or more numerous 225Q.

Jimping is not tactical or military. Like it or not, it was invented to keep your thumb from slipping, not for "deanimating."
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the name alone "jimping" means it can not by definition be tactical... it's simply not cool enough for the genre. now if they called it blood studs or combat claws... maybe sandbox slits or something, then it could be on a tactical knife. Jimping is more for the bird and trout/antler handled hunter market.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Yes. But is jimping were all about "tactical", you would think it would have been all over the MK II or more numerous 225Q.

Jimping is not tactical or military. Like it or not, it was invented to keep your thumb from slipping, not for "deanimating."
Click to expand...

True. I personally like it but I must admit that I have held and used plenty of knives that operate flawlessly without it.
 
I like jimping. It's great for some knives and some knives I prefer it without.

The jimping on Entrek knives is horrible. I don't know what Ray was thinking :confused:
 
I think CRK jimping is suitable for most edc knives. It gives some traction without tearing your thumb up. My Strider SNG has some good jimping on the g10 but one you get to the spine of the blade it's useless! I have a mini butcher from adv that is more aggressive than CRK in its jimping and dare I say just about as rough as I like.

I don't see anyone using a knife, even a tactical blade (even bloody or muddy in a life or death situations) that calls for cheese greater like jimping.
 
I like jumping on the rear spine of the blade and along the handle spine where the thumb would rest. Small teeth are best in my experience, like that on Spydercos. If it hurts when you bear down it is too rough.
 
Jimping has a role as an "indexing" agent allowing the user to feel the orientation of the knife. I hear this from tactical knife designers (Laci Szabo, Fred Perrin, DJ Urbanovsky) but don't see much about this in reviews or discussions on theory of use.
 
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