- Joined
- May 7, 2012
- Messages
- 4,971
I really hope you are right!
My concern with the clip is, for me currently it fits perfectly. Angling it either does two things. Moves it to a spot that is not comfortable anymore, or doesn't change it enough to make it uncomfortable, while hopefully moving it JUST far enough that it makes it comfortable for more people, while not effecting as many people negatively. As in trying to fit a wider mean. I'm going to have to try one to find out. So far people have reported it feels much like a 25. What we need to do is find someone who said, Ahhh the 25 feels awful with the clip poking me but this Inkosi fits like a glove. So far having people say, Oh man, it feels just like a 25 isn't give us much info on it. If it fits the same, it's not really an improvement. So when you get one in hand, and it fits the same as a 25, I doubt you will say it's an improvement. You will probably cut it down too! Lets hope it's a better fit.
Stop pin, I agree making changes to the stop pin would be idea. Something user serviceable that doesn't need a specific placement. However, taking a hex head out and putting a pin in ruins the symmetry of the presentation side to me. So currently, when I service my 25 I simply leave the stop pin in place so it doesn't make any difference. Now I have an asymmetrical presentation side as the alternative, this is not an improvement as it degrades the symmetry of the knife. Chris went to a symmetrical fastener on the classic and I appreciated that. So to me, this solves one small problem I could easily avoid and makes another larger one I cannot. I would like to see them correct that. Sooo not an improvement. If we set the standard it's about function and not aesthetics, then I will go forward saying other things aside, the new pin is an improvement. In my mind, aesthetics are super important in a knife at this price point, and this is either going to go unnoticed by some, in which case they probably didn't notice the stop pin on the 25, or they will notice it and care to some degree, and I doubt I'm alone in saying that this negatively effects the symmetry of the presentation side.
Pinched washer complaint. I think the Inkosi definitely has a better washer system. No chance to bend the little tabs with user error, and less contamination. Making things idiot proof is a big part of the design process when it comes to servicing and I think they did it right here vs the stop pin. No downsides and improvements all around. I will definitely agree that the washers are a nice change, and I hope they make their way into the 21.
Finally the inlay. They did thin out the top one to make room for the bottom one to come out into the grove making it a tad longer. This may not be functionally different. Personally I didn't love the shape of the 25, but they work in hand. If there is no functional difference, then this is not an improvement as there is no objective way to quantify the subjective aesthetics of a personal choice. I really prefer symmetry when appropriate, so making the top inlay get really thin to let the bottom come slightly further, thus ruining the symmetry of the inlays as they are on the 25, is certainly a loss of aesthetics in my book. If I had to chose the inlay on the 25 vs the new Inkosi, I would take the 25 all day.
So in short, this model potentially improves on the 25 from a functional standpoint, if the clip works for more people than the 25 did. This is going to take time to see. If both models work for a person, it's going to come down to this:
Is getting the newer washers and stop pin worth the newer aesthetics.
In my book, No. The 25 is a better looking knife because if the symmetrical fasteners and inlay width. The functional improvements are so small they are not worth having an uglier knife.
In your book Yes, regardless the Inkosi is better for you because in you hand the clip either is as bad as the 25 or works better, and you prefer the newer aesthetics so this is better all around. For this, I am happy for you!
We both get what we want.
Personally, I think my aesthetic preferences are pretty close to Chris's. That I think is why so many things he has done have really worked for me. Personal preference here. I don't see much of Chris in this model. It felt like he went out of his way to make things symmetrical where possible, and that is lost here.
