Thumb Ramp -- Why?

[fujita yuji]

I find a thumb ramp's purpose is similar to choils and finger grooves and complex contoured handles. They are wrong shape, wrong size and in wrong places. All these features tend to advertise fixed set of "safe" holds in which every user is supposed to use the tool. I don't really care much for any of that stuff... well with some very few and random exceptions.

Can't say any better than your post, Dan.
I do agree with you.

 

[Razorsharp1986]

I love a Ramp on my Spyderco folders (i.e. Military, Pac-Salt), though generally I do prefer a straight Spine, with proper Jimping (which IMO is more important by far, when scuring your grip for detailed work).

 

[trailside22]

The design of the Bark River Bravo I and Gunny is the thumb goes in front of the ramp. It is actually not a thumb ramp at all, but a firesteel striker. There are some pictures floating around of the proper placement of the thumb on the Bravo I and Gunny. That was a design request from the Marines. Bark River will happily grind it off for you.

I am not a fan of the thumb ramp. I tend to choke way up on the blade when doing some types of cutting and ramp will dig into the meat of my hand.

 

[Mannlicher]

Unless I find a great bargain on a knife that was made that way, I won't buy a knife with a thumb ramp. Just gets in the way of good blade handling.

 

[XMP]

I'm not a fan of thumb ramps; they limit the versatility of gripping the knife. I had a Bravo-1 and got rid of it because of the ramp. Then I got a Bark River Gunny and had the ramp removed, which works better, but it did cost $32, which isn't insignificant.

I like to be able to slide my thumb and ocassionally my index finger back and forth on the spine for different grips. You can't do this easily with a ramp. You have to lift and replace your finger, which is slower and usually requires actually looking at where you're placing your finger. Its much less intuitive.

 

[facablade]

useless for me :-(

 

[wildmike]

I am not a fan of thumbramps. Nor do I like top guards on a single edge knife. They reduce utility far more than they improve it.

I like a dead straight spine, unclutered.

 

[Big Mike]

Now, guess who owns which of the other knives

Tony’s pair. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Seen here in my hands.




Big Mike