The Choil - Why or Why Not

Binalith

Binalith

Joined
Apr 22, 2012
Messages
391
i like a good choil. i want all my knives to have them. i use the hell out of the base of my blades, and love to be able to get my index right up under the cutting edge. from a woodworking perspective i can't see why someone would rather not have one. plus i think it looks way cooler and makes for a nice crisp terminus to the cutting edge that also, for me, aids in sharpening. so why not? is it purely an issue of cutting real estate? please enlighten me. tanks.
 
I find myself never using the choil so I prefer not to have it. That, and I rather have a nice big finger guard because with some knives the choil does not feel safe.

This is what I prefer; Decent sized finger guard...
img_1702a.jpg
 
I prefer the choil. It allows a better grip for more control while cutting, but the choil either has to be very pronounced or have jumping to not let your finger slip onto the blade. I can see now having it on a large fixed blade, but on a smaller folder it is very helpful, even if it takes up some cutting edge. A second function is that it allows the lock on a knife to fail and not immediately start chopping fingers off. Note that it is more for the lock slipping, not completely failing.
 
I like it. Strider SnG is my best user. It allows extra control when I need it and I never use a blade in the area where a choil is located. So I gladly give up a little non used blade real estate for a highly useful choil.
 
hm, ok. i understand the safety thing but i'm never really worried about cutting myself. without a choil i'm often just resting my index right on the blade when i sharpen pencils and cut shims, etc.
 
A choil will also provide some protection for your fingers when closing some knives with one hand.
 
I try to avoid them. I don't doubt their usefulness, I just don't like the way they look. I prefer Kershaw's approach where there is one, nearly seamless transition from handle to guard to cutting surface. Also, any guard that a flipper becomes would keep my hand away from the edge. Part of my opinion comes from the fact I primarily carry smaller knives and I don't need to worry about choking up on a blade for better control since it's small enough already.
 
I like them but sometimes they get in the way. One of the issues I have with them is when cutting cardboard or thick plastic, if you go all the way threw the material up to the choil it tears the heck out of it getting back onto the cutting edge.
 
Choil for me please. My all important pointing finger pad likes it's strategic spot to apply it's leverage.

I've dismissed and turned my nose up at many otherwise highly touted knives because they
lack that spot.
 
I really like the choil on my Spyderco Dragonfly that I use for detail work and the choil really comes in handy then. But I wouldn't want one on my Sebbie or my Blur. So - depends on the knife and the use.
 
On something like the Spyderco Military where the choil is half on the body of the handle and half on the tang of the blade, it's a strategic design move to make the most out of real estate on a knife where you would otherwise lose that real estate for any functional purpose.

On fixed blades however, a choil only justifies itself (you wouldn't need to use the choil to choke up if there wasnt a big choil between the handle and cutting edge), and I don't think there are very many instances where it is good design on a functional knife.

It's really about each independent knife, its intended uses, limits imposed by the design, and what works for that design.
 
Hate em' just bring the blade down to the handle. I don't get how much more "finesse" you get with your top finger on an uncomfortable bare metal than being on the handle.
 
I'm not offended when a client asks for one, but I think choils are often a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

A Justice said:
On fixed blades however, a choil only justifies itself (you wouldn't need to use the choil to choke up if there wasn't a big choil between the handle and cutting edge), and I don't think there are very many instances where it is good design on a functional knife.
Click to expand...
 
I've got to say, I'm not sure whether I like choils or not. Some of my favourite knives have them, some of my favourite knives don't. I think it's a feature that can be useful, but I don't use it enough to have it high on my priority list when choosing a knife.

Sometimes they take up too much room. For instance, on the Spyderco Superleaf. I was really looking forwards to that knife but when I handled it I found the cutting edge to be too short. I do like the 50/50 choils on other Spydies like the Natives, Paramilitary and so on.

On fixed blades, I like it on large ones but not so much on small ones. As much as I enjoy my ESEE-3, for instance, it would work much better for me if instead of the choil there was a bit more handle real estate.
 
Mostly no from me

--if jimped, when not using it, it can grab onto something (as a sharpening choil can)
--they take away from edge
--they take away from dexterity of the hand positions that don't use it
--you can design a knife handle to get your hand close enough anyways (at least in my experience, there is diminished returns--whether right next to edge or 1/2" from edge, for example, makes no difference in dexterity, so it's not worth the other tradeoffs)


There are a couple I don't mind, such as the Spyderco Gayle Bradley
 
Either.
I'm happy with a well designed choil and I'm happy with a longer cutting edge.
 
A Justice said:
On something like the Spyderco Military where the choil is half on the body of the handle and half on the tang of the blade, it's a strategic design move to make the most out of real estate on a knife where you would otherwise lose that real estate for any functional purpose.

On fixed blades however, a choil only justifies itself (you wouldn't need to use the choil to choke up if there wasnt a big choil between the handle and cutting edge), and I don't think there are very many instances where it is good design on a functional knife.

QUOTE]

THIS, great post.

I don't see the safety element some are talking about, a finger on the knife blade in a cutout doesn't seem safe. And where does this end, why not have a choil beyond the choil for REALLY close up work?
Click to expand...
 
On a tiny knife, like a Cold Steel Tuff Lite or a Spyderco Dragonfly, a good finger choil is like magic, turning a tiny handle into a usable handle.

On a bigger knife than that, it's a waste of space, and often makes a normal grip less comfortable.
 
For fixed blades, no choil for me - I'd rather have an appropriately sized choil-free blade for the task at hand.
For folders, it depends on the knife - some look cool and/or help with ergonomics, and others are just gimmicky.
 
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