Spyderco Endura: Why No Choil?

I like the extra cutting edge on my Endura G10 that a choil design would sacrifice.

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The problem with the choil is that it gets caught up when you are making long cuts. Many times in the factory, I uncrate a piece of equipment then you have a few nylon pallet straps and those suckers are fairly hard to cut and the extra length helps. Then you either have plastic palletizing wraps or cardboard on it. I just make a stab where it's appropriate and try to do as long a cut as possible. (Think cutting a fridge out of a cardboard box). There's no real precision needed. Just a sharp blade that can make a couple 4-5' cuts. The choil in this case limits the cutting edge plus the curve and jimping ends up getting caught. Same problem when you have to cut 20-30 bags of seeds to load into the hopper when planting your food plot or garden etc.

I hunt average 30-40 days a year and fish twice as many. Me and my buddy have about 20 acres of food plot and I also have a garden in my backyard and a community allotment as well. From cleaning few hundred geese and ducks and a hand full of deers every fall, to doing work around the house such as cutting mesh back tiles for backsplash (last weekend), to harvesting lettuce and peppers and eggplants. Never once did I think that a choil would be an advantage.

All of the above are simple cutting jobs that a SAK or old case trapper would be able to easily handle, but many of the thicker bladed "hard use" knifes struggles with. The design in the endura with no jimping and a straight line leading to the edge makes it slide through materials if you happen to stick the blade in too deep. The endura has been a proven design and adding a choil in a sea of spyderco lock backs with said design would be sacrilege.
 
I have to admit that, after using it, it can be adequately controlled without one. I wouldn't be opposed to them creating a small space on the FRN handle for greater control, but the knife seems to be very controllable as is. The Endura really isn't a big folder (the blade is just under 4-inches, same as the Byrd Cara Cara). I don't care much for the serrations, but what the heck, I only paid $35 each for two of them on eBay. Not a bad price. I can live with the serrations at that price. But many people like them because they can cut through rope and seatbelts. I think the plain edged Enduras can cut through them as easily as serrations, but the serrations don't get in my way. There's plenty of cutting edge left over.
 
You can't go wrong with that price.

As far as needing control goes. You can choke up on any knife to gain control on delicate task, such as peeling an orange that doesn't run juices down your sleeve. You rest your thumb on the flat of the blade as you would with a saber grip. Then you tuck up to 3 of your other fingers under the blade, with the pinky wrap around the handle. Depending on how much of the blade you shield with your thumb and fingers, you effectively knock your 4" blade down to half inch or smaller if needed. If you have a sharpen edge, you can make some very fine cuts safely and effectively.
 
I for one have never cared for a choil on a knife. I am way too uncomfortable having my finger that close to the blade while using a knife.
 
I think, on Spyderco's, the forefinger position needs to match ergonomically with the bump behind the hole, where I put my thumb.
The endura & delica do this well. If there was a finger choil at the blade/scale junction, my thumb would be in a terrible position.
So the choil would not get used.
 
They reduce cutting length and they also make the edge start further away from the hand when you hold it in the regular grip (without a finger on the choil).
 
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