Natural Outlaw Handles?

Tyrkon Lawson

Tyrkon Lawson

Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
8,583
Currently I have an NO-E and have always liked the Ergo handles. But with the special NO Variant comming up I have to ask:

For those of you who have used and/or handled both the Ergos and the Fusion which would you prefer on the NO and why? I have seen a few threads talk about fusion handles as they relate to heavy chopping but I am more interested in the two handle types as they relate to the Outlaws.

The only thing I have noticed is that it takes a little effort, for me, to switch from standard grip to reverse grip single handedly using an Ergo. Not a big deal. But I have never handled the Fusion. Thanks guys. :)
 
I have to say go mag handles with a SFNO. I think Im going to wait for the re-release of SFNOs. Prices are just to high on them for my taste. Unless the variant isnt priced to high. :D
 
i love the ergo handles, but nothing feel quite as nice as mags. funny though, i dont care for the look of the mags, but when doing heavy chopping, mags are great!
 
In a knife the size of the NO, I prefer the Ergo handle, 10 to 1.:D

371.jpg
 
This is kinda what I thought from pics I have seen of the Fusions. The Ergos looked flatter. Thanks for the responses guys. Or are you HOGS just trying to knock me out of the race for the NO Variants Friday? (Not like I have a chance to survive that stampede anyway).
 
I prefer the Fusion handles over the Special Forces handles, but the Ergo handles are very comfy in the latter generations where the radius's have been ground smooth. The older Ergo's are rather abrasive.

I assume your talking of the Special Forces handles instead of the Fusion, correct?

I agree with everyone else as the Magnums are much better feeling to me. But the Fusion Mags fit me better than the SF mags.
 
leatherman said:
I prefer the Fusion handles over the Special Forces handles, but the Ergo handles are very comfy in the latter generations where the radius's have been ground smooth. The older Ergo's are rather abrasive.

I assume your talking of the Special Forces handles instead of the Fusion, correct?

I agree with everyone else as the Magnums are much better feeling to me. But the Fusion Mags fit me better than the SF mags.
Click to expand...

SF handles is correct. Thanks for the correction. How could I tell whether or not I have an earlier or later generation NO-E? WITHOUT SENDING IT TO YOU! ;)
 
look at the spine of the blade, in the handle area the shoulders of the handle scales should be ground smooth. If the quilted texturing is still intact all the way to the spine then its an early model. I'll get into the shop and take a couple of pics, I have an older Badger with "sharp" scales and one with sanded scales, that ought to bring a little light. :)
 
Here is a pic of my Ergo. It does look like it was ground smooth on the edges but I have nothing to compare it to.

no-escales004.jpg
 
my hands are pretty big so, out of the Busses I own, I prefer the magnum handle on my NO.

on the other hand. the fusion handle feels A LOT better in hand then I thought it was going to at first glance. just grips it naturally.
 
Tyrkon Lawson said:
Here is a pic of my Ergo. It does look like it was ground smooth on the edges but I have nothing to compare it to.

no-escales004.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks like most of mine do. I got mine late in the game. I handled some of the really early ones and they were a lot more blocky. I have a couple of polished spine ones where the edges are actually rounded smooth.

Are you planning on doing a lot of chopping with it? I've heard some say the pointy end on the SF handle digs into their palm if they choke back on the handle. I like the SF handle a lot. I also like the ergo a lot. I prefer the ergo for chopping. With the extra length and width of the SFNO I almost would compare it to a SH-E over the NO-E as far as size goes. The SFNO is somewhere in between. The SFNO is really in between the SH1 and the birds beaked SH2.

That probably didn't help at all. :)
 
Looks like yours is an earlier rough handle version Tyrkon, Mine looks just like yours with little points on the spine area.

In this shot the camera focused on the green handle :o but it shows how polished the radius's are on the late ones. The center knife is an early one, far left is a polished spine like the green one.
ehandlespines.jpg


This closer shot shows a little better, dagnabbit I need a new camera that can take close shots!! :grumpy:
ehandlespinesclose.jpg
 
leatherman said:
Looks like yours is an earlier rough handle version Tyrkon, Mine looks just like yours with little points on the spine area.

In this shot the camera focused on the green handle :o but it shows how polished the radius's are on the late ones. The center knife is an early one, far left is a polished spine like the green one.
ehandlespines.jpg


This closer shot shows a little better, dagnabbit I need a new camera that can take close shots!! :grumpy:
ehandlespinesclose.jpg
Click to expand...

I know the very early ones I handled were very squared off. The ones I got from hamguy were some of the last ones out of the shop. They were late shipments after the ergos were discontinued. They have the look of the one in Tyrkon's pic but they are contoured and smooth and not left rough like the early ones were. One of those hmmmm things. My polished spined Ergos are all smoothed on the edges like the one you posted. Makes for a nice feel. Plus the handles are a little smaller. Just a smidge. :)

My main user NO-E is like the one in the earlier pic but it's been used and handled so much that all the points on the handle are all smooth. Great feeling blade.
If you want to get rid of that roughness quick just get the handle wet and go over it with a toothbrush. That's how I would clean the micarta and it smoothed things out nicely.

I think a lot of it is just the manufacturing process. None of my SFNO's feel the same. None of mag handles but they are different in finish and thickness.
 
I guess it's time to get this baby smoothed out a bit. Hard use, some sandpaper, tooth brush, etc... Good ideas. Thanks for all the great feedback guys.
 
Paradiggum said:
I
If you want to get rid of that roughness quick just get the handle wet and go over it with a toothbrush. That's how I would clean the micarta and it smoothed things out nicely
Click to expand...

That's a great idea! :thumbup:

My single e-handle was a Mojo ergo. The grip felt waaaaay too narrow yet still high with a spine-side hump that pressed into the palm of my hand, almost hitting a nerve. It felt a bit like gripping a large, skeleton blade. Maybe all of the ergos were not that size... I would still like to give a NO-E a chance.

The SF grip? I've got a mag SF grip on my HR. The first time I held it, the clouds parted with a ray of light and I heard a chorus of angels. :D I had NEVER felt a grip that nice and secure! Since then, the Fusion mag grips have been nearly the same experience. Another addition would be the new grips Jerry and crew are putting on the Custom Shop straight handles. They are between a mag and std in thickness and contour: just about perfect. Yes, my CS SHSHII is a safe queen but if I had to grab one, and only one, to escape with, the CS SHSHII would be it.


Your mileage may vary! I'm a big guy (6'3", 225#) but I don't have thick hands. Terry Newton has meatier paws and finds the mag grips to be too thick.

I think that is a common thread: Thick hands - std grips. Thin hands - mag grips. Ergo - SF? It all depends on your hands. One caveat: The mag grips make a quick change to a reverse grip a bit more clumsy.

Good luck, bro!
 
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