Lefty Chinook?

Jeff -

Yes, a lockback and the SpyderHole are part of the requirements to make the Chinook a knife to be used by righties and lefties; however, they are not the only requirements. Consider also that the clip needs to be repositioned for a southpaw otherwise the knife will be riding in something of an awkward position for fast deployment.

And no, I don't know if the clip is reversible...
 
removing the clip and carrying it in a sheath kind of defeats the porpose of much of the design IMHO....One of ther reasons I bought my Mariner - one of their first, about 16 years ago!- was the fact that they made a left-handed model.

So tell me: how come they won't add tapped holes on the "other side" so us lefties can switch the clip? Seems like a cheap and easy way to open up a large market.....?
 
I am left handed and have been for 45 years. I find very little difference in speed of deployment left or right handed with right handed clip placement on most knives designed to be opened with either hand. The chinook is really easy to open left handed. Its all mental. There is some movement of the knife in hand needed either way to open it. Also, for the record I think pocket clips suck. I far prefer to let them ride, chinook included in my jeans pocket. Even the best clips, scream knife, scratch the heck out of furniture and upholstery, and can be broken right off if they catch on the edge of a door jam or other obstacle, and finally they just plain can come undone and you lose your knife. They are nice for occasionally clipping the knife behind your belt inside the waist band. Other than that I never use them and would take most off if it would not leave ugly holes.

All that said, I heard Sal of Spyderco explain once why its was not as easy as you might think to swap clips side to side on all models. Seems like it entailed other design changes as well.
 
The clip on the Chinook is not a reversible design. We have to design and tool up for a dedicated clip on the Chinook before we can make a left handed version. Also, James said that he wanted the clip switched to tip up with a few other changes to the handle. This further complicates the issue.

The model is currently selling well and it is not an immediate problem to redesign and retool the model right now. We have a number of other new models that need to come on line before we can go back and retro design the Chinook. The "lefty" market is a small market that we service to be "proper". It is not and has never been a market considered to be "profitable".

sal
 
....hey, if you don't want our business, there are other makers who do and who make "left handed" models of their blades... or at least are willing to drill those 3 extra holes, so we can switch the clip. S'your business and you go for whatever market you choose. Your answer seems to indicate that that's not where you want to go..... but, point taken!
 
Uh I m pretty new here but i'm not sure i've ever heard sal even imply something like "screw you" I think that you're just a little too sensitive Maury maybe you need a hug. how about you buy a chinook, try out the carry method that I was referring to earlier, and if you don't like it you can give me the Chinook. I'll give you a penny because i wouldn't want the frendship to be cut. How bout it. I could always use a bombproof heavy duty folder. I still have about 5 spydies to get before my list gets to the Chinook so you would be helping me out. Thanks bro!
 
Since lefties don't live as long as righties to begin with, one would believe that keeping the old blood pressure to a minimum would be kind of important to a lefty. ;)
 
Hi Maury. A little history might broaden your view. Spyderco introduced the first asymetrical folder in 1981. 20% of all of our models were left handed. Spyderco has made more left handed and left/right models over the past 20 years than ALL of the other knife factories combined. I think it might be a little unfair to say what you did. Making a Chinook lefty requires more that "just drilling three holes" or we woulod have done it, a little credit, please.

Hope that helps your understanding.

sal
 
Maury, it wouldn't be as easy to just tap and drill 3 holes on the opposite side, the clip isn't symmetrical and thus wouldn't fit.

And a dedicated lefthand side clip must be made, tooling for that would be expensive.

Any company doesn't sell things for charity, of course a desicion must be made before marketing something if it'd be profitable, it'd be rather stupid otherwise...

I've always been impressed by the extensive range of lefthand dedicated knives offered by Spyderco, and not to mention the ambidextrous ones.

Chill man, if you don't like the offerings then by all means buy something else, but don't come here and piss' and moan about it.
 
I just got my Chinook, this week and as a "left" I have been practiseing with it and have no trouble handling it. Some knives are a pain, but so far the chinook hasn't been.

BTW what a knife!!!!!!!
 
To use a phrase borrowed from a competitors forum, I don't know why more knives are not "swiss cheesed", that is, drilled so the user can position the knife tip up or down, right or left. These are working knives, after all. If you don't like the holes, just pretend they are "added traction grip retaining divots". I'm still not sure what benifits the funky curved clip has over the regular one. I'm eagerly awaiting the tip up version, though it sounds like its some time coming. Oh well, i understand its a low priority. Would be nice if the new one is cheesed though, make every one happy in one go (save the people affraid of a few extra grip retainers :D
 
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