Pet Peeve - Handle Ergonomics

A

akula57

Joined
Jul 24, 1999
Messages
198

If a knife has a less than great handle, I may admire it, but I won't buy it - knife shows are a revelation due to this (as well as surprisingly dull-edged tactical customs!!!!). I'm always amazed at how this simple but incredibly important aspect of knife usability is sometimes overlooked - be it for a tactical folder or heavily used camp knife.

This is the why the (large) AFCK is a long time favorite of mine - perhaps the best shaped handle in a mass produced knife today. I don't have to worry about cutting my fingers in any circumstance - no matter how dire - and can get great leverage. It's also why I purchased a KFF. And why I skipped.....XXXX ;-)

Warm Regards
 
That's a good point thats often overlooked. To me, handle ergonomics were really not a huge factor until I picked up a CRKT KFF. This knife to me feels so nice in my hand. Big, beefy, comfortable and strong: all I need in a folder. Now only if they made it with 420V.
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Dave

Some of my knives - http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=950012&a=7073911
 
I agree with you, and I have even found that various styles of pocket clips realy dig into your hand. Pocket clips are great but I always try the knife out in various grips and apply various amouts of pressure to make sure the clip is not a drawback of a great feeling handle.
thanks,
Don
 
That is a lesson I learned the hard way when I made my first knife. I made a pukko style carving knife out of a peice of pre hardened swedish tool steel ( working with that stuff at RC64, is a different story
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) I made a huge cherry handle for it ( two 3/8" thick slabs, hidden 3/4" wide tang) Now thats a handle that fills your hand. I thought it would be more comfortable to use during long carving sessions. Then after I had finished the handle and polished the blade and sharpened it to a hair splitting edge and put hours and hours of work into it, I tried using it. "Holy SH%#$ is this @$#%#$^#$##$ thing clumsy feeling. I think I'll just put it in this drawer of the tool box and leave it there"
Since then I have put much more thought into handles. And its safe to say my "first" knife will last a lifetime
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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 

If a knife has a less than great handle, I may admire it, but I won't buy it.

The old 'Form vs. Function' question, I agree, I wouldn't buy something that was not functional, even if it was beautiful. There are many definitions of funtional though. I am large, as are my hands, and things I find comfortable may not be for you.

My definition of beauty may also differ from yours, making this a very subjective topic.
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I have few knives that combine function and form perfectly, the ones that do are usually are a more specialized type.

Steve-O


 
My favorite folder handle is still the Emerson Raven in kydron. For a zytel handle Cold Steel voyagers work much better ergonomically than they have a right to. Expensive is not always better.
 
For factory knives I like the BM 710 axis,Microtech Elite and SpeedTech Synergy.
Of all my custom knives D.C.Monroe's Chimera is amazing.
 
Custom (so far): Darrel Ralph EDC - this thing just feels like it was made specifically for me, and that is weird, since I have oddly-sized hands.

Production: not sure - Benchmade's Nimravus is nice, as is their Ares. Just played with a Microtech LCC, and, while I just held it for a few seconds so I can't really form an opinion yet, it shows promise - I'll havea better idea when mine arrives and I have a chance to really use it.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
This is one reason I've gone nutso for the various Pirela designed knives...Joel designs furniture for yer fingers
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Yeah but,

The handle has to work with various grips according to what it's designed to do. That means that a dagger needs a different style handle/grip than a scalpel.

Besides fit, I'm looking for solid design. Something that won't crack, split, warp, and doesn't have little goo-ga's that will eventually fall off.
 
This is a huge pet peeve of mine also. I cannot comprehend why there are so many "knife designers" out there that cannot just make a handle that feels good and works! Makes me want to become a knife designer! I could do so much better than most of what is on the market. I think that most knife designers, and most high end knife buyers, never really use their knives, so they would not know the difference anyway.
Especially what peeves me are these "tactical folders" that have horrible handle shapes. There are tons of them out there, with no type of guard, little or no index grooves, nothing to keep your fingers from slipping up the blade, and no form fit to your hand. What is so "Tactical" about pulling out a knife when you are in dire need, and slipping on the handle and gashing your self open...only adding to the dire need you were already in.
No thanks. When I shop for a knife, I look at the handle first. Most people get hung up on the blade. I can make any blade work, but the handle has to fit. Heck, I can make a well designed box cutter wdo most jobs. Any length or style of blade will do. The handles on many modern box cutters are far superior in shape to the handles on many high end folders. Go to Home Depot and check out the box cutter selections, some of them really feel great in the hand.
That is why I keep going back to my AFCK. The handle is very well designed (thanks, Mark McWillis, if you are out there). And, I can get it in M2. Sure, I would prefer an Axis lock on it (attn Benchmade: when are you going to get on the ball and make the knife we have all been begging for for at least a year now - An M2 AFCK with an Axis lock!).
Other winners in the regard are the Emerson Commander and the KFF, but I still end up going back to my trusty AFCK.

I consider "blade presentation" part of the handle also. I like a knife that curves forward so the blade edge addresses my target easily without torquing my wrist to get it there. The AFCK wins there as well.

If I wanted a dagger or an icepick, I would look for something else, but when I want a knife to cut with, I want the blade to naturally address the target in a cutting motion. The AFCK is an outstanding design. So far, my liner lock has not failed on mine, even when I hammered it through a car hood, but I would still like to see an Axis lock on an AFCK.
 
Originally posted by e_utopia:
Custom (so far): Darrel Ralph EDC - this thing just feels like it was made specifically for me

Yep, that just about says it all. Most comfortable folder I have used, without compare.
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What a concept! A comfortable handle for a hand-held tool. Seems there are more than a few makers, production and custom, who have overlooked this simple need. I've tried my hand at making simple fixed blades. All of my handles look amaturish and bit asymetrical (wife says odd) but fit my hand.
 
To drill my point home a bit:
I think that most knife designers make their knives for eye appeal first. It has to look good in the advertisement, and make the buyer pick it up. It has to give them the warm fuzzies.

Most knife makers, and buyers, spend far more time looking at and fondling their knife than actullay using it. So, they would not know the difference between a well designed handle or not. All they know is if it "looks cool" etc.

Now, go look at the humble box cutter selection at Home Depot and suddenly you are looking at knives designed by USERS, to be bought and used by hardcore knife USERS. People that actually WORK with the knife all day and can appreciate one that feels good in the hand and performs well at cutting.
For this reason, you can go buy a cheap box opener for a few bucks at Home Depot, and somehow they can make a handle that feels great, but a high dollar knife designer doesn't seem to be able to make it happen.


I do think there are better handle designs out there than the AFCK, but what I like about the AFCK is that it accomplishes the task with minimal material and bulk. The same cannot be said about the Commander and the KFF, which is why I end up carrying the AFCK when it comes down to it. The AFCK is a nice light, thin carry package, but when you draw the knife, your hand fills up with the handle and as you present the blade edge to whatever you wish to cut, you instantly know you have a grip on a really good cutting tool.


 
I agree, esp with production folders, where all too often it seems someone comes up with a cool/suitable blade shape, builds a chassis to house it, and then just whacks on some slabs and calls that the handle, end of story.
 
Originally posted by Loki:
All of my handles look amaturish and bit asymetrical (wife says odd) but fit my hand.
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There's nothing wrong with assymetrical, is there?
I had <a href="http://www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/knives/custom/chk.html">this</a> knife made with an assymetrical handle partly with the reasoning that the sheath would only go on the right anyway (well, not quite, some people carry it on the left but draw it with the right hand anyway, to keep the right side of the body clear).

Originally posted by Ferret:
I agree, esp with production folders, where all too often it seems someone comes up with a cool/suitable blade shape, builds a chassis to house it, and then just whacks on some slabs and calls that the handle, end of story.
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And it's apparently profitable too, as so many do it.



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Urban Fredriksson www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/
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"I've always been fascinated by Scandinavian knives [...] they're simple, in an advanced way". - Bob Loveless
 
I must agree with Akula and Thaddeus - the AFCK is a long time favorite of mine. Too bad Benchmade has dropped the left handed versions of this fine folder.

Regards,

Leo Daher

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"Though the meek shall inherit the Earth, they won't keep it past Saturday night..."
 
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