kabar tdi ldk, how to hold it

[ZippyDan]

i bought one of this kabar tdk knives that is super thin and can fit in your wallet (https://www.kabar.com/product_detai...&categoryId=1,7,8,9&categoryName=New Products)

ive experimented with holding it however, and although ive come up with some good guesses, i cant figure out how i am supposed to comfortably and effectively wield it

can anyone give me any pointers?

 

[Elen]

Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn't say there's a way to hold it very comfortably at all. Just look at the size of that thing. It's too small to be comfortable. It's a last ditch knife, not designed, as I see it, for normal everyday use. I bought one because I was able to get it for next to nothing, but it's not something that I'm going to end up using at all. You could hold it the same way you'd hold a regular Ka-Bar TDI, but with the LDK being so much smaller, it's not going to be very comfortable.

 

[znode]

Wrap it with gutted paracord.

 

[fordf250]

Knives of this style are designed to be held in the fist with the edge protruding from the bottom of the fist by the smallest finger. The edge is forward toward the knuckles. It's use is to cut by swinging the fist like a punch. Once you position it in your hand you will understand and go doh'...

 

[ZippyDan]

Knives of this style are designed to be held in the fist with the edge protruding from the bottom of the fist by the smallest finger. The edge is forward toward the knuckles. It's use is to cut by swinging the fist like a punch. Once you position it in your hand you will understand and go doh'...

i get the idea of gripping it this way, and i did figure that out

i guess what is throwing me off is the large hole (not to mention the tiny one). it seems like this is a hole intended for a finger. but my fingers, which are not terribly large, have difficulty fitting inside. and once in, it doesnt seem terribly comfortable although it may still be effective. basically i slide my ring finger in the hole, and my pinky lies along the curve. instead of the edge pointing forward kind of toward the knucles in the hold you describe, the edge points straight ahead in line with the knuckles. in addition it gives my ring finger a little more hurting power.

my question is if this is a valid or intended hold, and if not, what is the purpose of the large hole (something to grab to pull the knife out of its sheath? weight reduction?) and the smaller one?

 

[Fonly]

Knives of this style are designed to be held in the fist with the edge protruding from the bottom of the fist by the smallest finger. The edge is forward toward the knuckles. It's use is to cut by swinging the fist like a punch. Once you position it in your hand you will understand and go doh'...

what?

There are thumb grooves on the top for a reason, you ring finger inserts into the hole(or you middle should you have big hands), index and middle under the hump, and you pinky at the bottom. A small knife like this you need complete control over, having it sticking out the bottom of you hand doesnt allow this.

 

[Siggyhk]

Bottom line about the knife is that it's too small for just about anything but the smallest tasks. Might be good for a mini survival kit, but I'd feel better off using my bare hands if it came to a self-defense. I'm pretty sure the cut outs are just to lighten the weight of the knife.

 

[ZippyDan]

what?

There are thumb grooves on the top for a reason, you ring finger inserts into the hole(or you middle should you have big hands), index and middle under the hump, and you pinky at the bottom. A small knife like this you need complete control over, having it sticking out the bottom of you hand doesnt allow this.

this makes sense too, as there are indeed friction points on top of the knife. there are however, also similar grooves in front of the the hole. what are they for? i also experimented with this grip, and while it is fairly stable, it feels most uncomfortable of all, as my middle finger ends up awkwardly overlapping my ring finger in the hole

simply holding the knife as described by elen seems the most comfortable, but maybe the least effective?

so far, my description of using the ring finger and letting the knife stick out the bottom of the fist seems to be the best balance between control/stability and comfort, but im not sure of its effectiveness

plus, i still question the purpose of the hole at all, since my ring finger, which again is not huge compared to some, fits with difficulty. i cannot fit my middle finger at all

 

[MassMatt]

If people are debating how best to hold it it seems to me like a poor design. And if it's uncomfortable and awkward in your hand it's sure a poor design for *you*. Try a lagriffe or hideaway knife if you are looking for compact last ditch design.

 

[65535]

I'm pretty sure that your middle finger goes in the ring and your pointer goes into the finger choil, thumb over top and slice away.

 

[LittleRex]

I found it most comfortable to hold it sidewise (with my thumb placed where it says KA-BAR). The blade wont be parallel with your arm but it seems to me that there is less chance of dropping it that way.

 

[Stenny]

It is designed to be held like bigger TDIs - index and middle finger on the handle and thumb on the top, in this case. Cutouts are for lowering weight only.