Theories behind the Scorpius and the Yojimb designs

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FullerH

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Nov 25, 1998
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I must have missed a few discussions or something, for I do not understand the theories behind the designs of the Scorpius and the Yojimbo. I am well aware that Spyderco does not make designs just for the sake of being different, that there is always a very well-considered reason for what they make. I would like to understand the thinking behind these two knives. Can anyone help?
 
Thank you, Mongo-Man. That explains the hilts on the two knives well and the blade on the Scorpius is pretty normal and self-explanatory. I read the Martial Blade Concepts article as well as the items in the Spyderco catalogue but still do not understand the reason for the Yojimbo's blade shape.
 
Michael Janich, who designed the Yojimbo, said or wrote that the pointy wharncliffe blade sliced through "meat tests" better than more conventional blade shapes. From reading things here, people say it penetrates pretty well too. Maybe he'll respond to your question.
bob7
 
So the Yojimbo is intended as an almost pure MBC knife and not as an EDC utility choice? That is what appears to me to be the case. Has anyone attempted to use it as a utility EDC? If so, how does it work in that mode?
 
FullerH said:
So the Yojimbo is intended as an almost pure MBC knife and not as an EDC utility choice? That is what appears to me to be the case. Has anyone attempted to use it as a utility EDC? If so, how does it work in that mode?
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I have been carrying a blue Yojimbo for a couple months now as an EDC. It is very lefty friendly and very sheeple friendly. I work on a college campus and it almost looks like a USB drive clipped to my pocket. As far as utlility I have always found the Wharncliff type blade exceptional. Before the Yojimbo I carried a lefty Kershaw Random Task.
 
The Scorpius and Yojimbo are two of my favorite Spydercos lately. :) They both work great as utility knives for mundane, daily chores. They do have a “martial” feel, but it would be a shame if people thought these knives were solely designed as weapons and were therefor reluctant to try them as EDCs.
 
Thanks for your comments on the Yojimbo.

Mongo-man's explanation of the purpose of the handle shape is very good. I'd like to add that the tapered handle shape matches the decreasing lengths of the fingers (getting shorter toward the pinky) and therefore fits the hand better than a fat-handled knife. This anchors the handle to the meaty portion of the palm for good impact-shock management (the schock transferred to the hand when you cut something ballistically).

As for the wharncliffe blade profile, with a straight edge, the power of a cut remains the same regardless of what part of the blade strikes the target. Knives with lots of belly in the edge can sometimes produce shallow cuts when the radius of the belly and the radius of the swing of the arm run parallel. The edge becomes the outside of the radius and little energy is transferred to the target. The straight edge cuts with full power all the way to the tip.

The wharncliffe has long been a favored utility pattern as well -- hence its use in Stanley utility knives and similar tools.

The point profile of the Yojimbo pentrates extremely well and does not stick or bind in the target, providing easy retraction and devastating "comma cuts" (cutting out of a puncture wound with a turn of the hand).

For the record, the Yojimbo design actually preceded the Scorpius, even though it was commercially released well after it.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,
 
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