That hole

A

audiopile

Joined
Nov 2, 2007
Messages
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I will admit that until I stumbled into compression locks - I wasn't all that much of a Spyderco guy. However - something I have noticed in handeling knives at dealers and shows - Spydie holes just seemed to have some sort of magic ergo going for them? Sal has been sincerly flatered by a whole lot of competitors over the years - but their efforts just don't seem to work as well in terms of gettin the knife open.
The latest education in the Spydie hole came by way of the the Benchmade 635 Mini-Skirmish. What a fine knife -except - I can't easily open it via the not Spydie hole in the blade. What's intersting about this is that I went back and really tried to figure out what was going on here - Benchmade doesn't make junk - Blue class knives are generally good tools - very patient dealer let me play with his knife and i figured out that something I liked on this knife was the problem - they have a really nice rounded edge to the hole on this knife - unfortunatly ( at least with my thumb) - this doesn't allow me to put enough force into the blade to get it easily open. What's funny about this is that I find a lot of Spyderco's come with what I consider a too sharp edge to the Spydie hole . If I decide to carry/use a particular knife - I grab some 600 grit sandpapaer and knock this down some. Have always sorta mentally whined to myself along the lines of " Why don't they smooth this out at the factory" - now I know - that 90 Deg. shoulder is important to the function of that not as simple as it looks hole in the blade!
 
The size of the hole and the distance from the pivot are very important. It looks like that knife has a main hole that is too small and too close to the pivot. Those two factors likely play more of an issue than how sharp the edges are on that knife. Spyder dropping that knife would be pretty easy with all of those extra holes.
 
A lot of thought went into that Hole. Now you're on to it!! Everything for a reason= Spyderco.
 
I noticed the exact same thing about my mini-skirmish. Then I had the same epiphany you had. The Spyderhole is really a hell of an innovation. It does not get in the way while sharpening. It is much easier to find than a stud, and it allows for spyder-drop openings.
 
Sal found out the hard way that the hole works better if it isn't chamfered. Some of the early holes were rounded, and they make it a bit harder to use, so he stopped doing that. Now the goal is to have the edge of the hole broken just enough to keep it from cutting you. Sometimes they are a little too sharp, but that is easier to fix than being a little too rounded.
 
Spydie holes rock. My favorite Benchmade, (a 740 Dejavoo) has the Spydie type hole and I imagine Mr. Benchmade is paying Mr. Sal to use the hole. If he isn't he should be.
 
i leave mine the way they come but i remember reading somewhere that if you are going to sand the edge down a bit to wrap a marble in sandpaper. it makes the new edge/or lack there of uniform.
 
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