Thumb ramps and jimping... I don't get it.

It's useful as long as it's not made too crazy. The jimping on the SOG Trident were almost like serrations, that's one of the things I didn't like about it, maybe if I was wearing gloves, but it's a pocket knife. It is useful for chopping however (carrots not wood) it can help keep your finger from sliding, especially when the blade gets wet.

That said, something like this this is a bit much.
View attachment 260121
 
Shotgun said:
I'm with you. I have zero understing for jimping but then again I have no idea why people put choils on a small knife either. Some people desire these features and for others like you and me, these features actually detract from the knife. I've never encountered a cutting job where jimping or choils made any sense. Maybe I'm using my knives wrong.:rolleyes:


So you're saying a fighting knife needs to have jimping? I actually see less jimping on fighting knives and swords then I do on "tacticool" knives. Japanese tantos, kabar USMC, traditional kukri, fairbairn sykes, etc...none have jimping.:confused:
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Ah, no that's what you're saying, what I'm saying is a tactical folder for self defense needs jimping/choils, and is dangerous without it, because it's not always legal to carry a "fighting knife" or a full size USMC kabar with a hilt/guard on it; hanging off your belt for personal self defense.
 
OH AND let me just double down on that by saying that nearly all traditional Japanese swords meant for war HAD GUARDS, essentially an advanced form of jimping that just doesn't fit in the pocket well. The ones that didn't used a non-slip handle wrap usually of some form of leather/skin (usually ray skin, possibly shark) SO THAT the fingers would not slip???

DO you guys really not understand where the concept comes from to have jimping?

This forum is going backwards.
 
I think that jimping adds unnecessary hot spots and that they and thumb ramps are almost always too close to the handle to be effective. Seriously, if the whole damn handle of the knife isn't going to keep your hand from sliding forward, who thinks a little jimped patch is going to stop it? What they're really for is giving the user the illusion of security. The handle ergos and/or a guard will go a lot further towards increasing your grip security than jimping will, and has the possibility to actually eliminate (rather than add!) hot spots in the process. Thumb ramps are always so close to the handle that when I go to extend my thumb on the spine the ramp is under the arch of it and causes extreme discomfort. And I have really tiny hands.
 
I would add yet another question. What is all of this about handle designs suitable for use with "combat gloves"? What are combat gloves? Sounds like green golf gloves to me. A lot of those handles seem to be made of flat scales of laminate with lots of square edges and pointy corners and gouges for "grip". Does this really mean "you don't notice hot spots quite as much when you are wearing your 'combat gloves" so we can concentrate on making the handle look cool with jimping and gouges instead of making it comfortable to hold in your bare hand?" Also, would the texture really matter if you were wearing your "combat gloves?" I wouldn't think you would have to worry as much about things like the handle getting slippery because your palms are sweaty.
 
If a thumb ramp and/or jimping is done right, it can be comfortable and useful.
If it's done wrong, it doesn't help at all (for anything), and may just act as a thumb shredder.
Many manufacturers get it wrong; therefore, many people won't see the use for it.:)

I don't look for it, but it doesn't ward me off either. The whole knife must be taken into consideration, rather than individual features.
 
Tim616 said:
Ah, no that's what you're saying, what I'm saying is a tactical folder for self defense needs jimping/choils, and is dangerous without it, because it's not always legal to carry a "fighting knife" or a full size USMC kabar with a hilt/guard on it; hanging off your belt for personal self defense.
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I'll state off the top that I disagree the concept of a dedicated self defense pocket knife, or any designed specifically for it. But, just for kicks, I just tried. I cannot make this knife comfortable in my hand in any way that I would go about stickting someone where my thumb is on the jimping. Due to the shape of the handle, the knife has a tendency to sit sideways in my hand putting my thumb over the pivot screw.

jdm61 said:
I would add yet another question. What is all of this about handle designs suitable for use with "combat gloves"? What are combat gloves? Sounds like green golf gloves to me. A lot of those handles seem to be made of flat scales of laminate with lots of square edges and pointy corners and gouges for "grip". Does this really mean "you don't notice hot spots quite as much when you are wearing your 'combat gloves" so we can concentrate on making the handle look cool with jimping and gouges instead of making it comfortable to hold in your bare hand?" Also, would the texture really matter if you were wearing your "combat gloves?" I wouldn't think you would have to worry as much about things like the handle getting slippery because your palms are sweaty.
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When I said gloves, I meant work gloves, it is helpful to have some traction when using work gloves. I have no idea what combat gloves are, or how you can have tactical socks. :p
 
Tim616 said:
Ah, no that's what you're saying, what I'm saying is a tactical folder for self defense needs jimping/choils, and is dangerous without it, because it's not always legal to carry a "fighting knife" or a full size USMC kabar with a hilt/guard on it; hanging off your belt for personal self defense.
Click to expand...

Tim616 said:
OH AND let me just double down on that by saying that nearly all traditional Japanese swords meant for war HAD GUARDS, essentially an advanced form of jimping that just doesn't fit in the pocket well. The ones that didn't used a non-slip handle wrap usually of some form of leather/skin (usually ray skin, possibly shark) SO THAT the fingers would not slip???

DO you guys really not understand where the concept comes from to have jimping?

This forum is going backwards.
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Just because you say it needs it doesn't make it so. I understand what jimping is SUPPOSED to do, I just totally disagree that it does it. Maybe this forum is going backwards. You know, when being tacticool wasn't acutally cool. :rolleyes:
 
If you disagree that jimping does anything you've never used a knife; or you buy cheap knives with garbage for jimping. It adds traction, bottom line.
 
GWashington1732 said:
Traction for what exactly?
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For ummm, USING? The knife, I know, I know, it's probably hard to know what traction means when cutting if you only stare at your knives.

Ask someone in the military if they want to be able to get decent traction on a folding knife.
Ask a hunter if they want traction when making precise cuts on a kill.
Ask a wood worker if he wants a jimped thumb ramp when doing detail work.
 
Tim616 said:
For ummm, USING? The knife, I know, I know, it's probably hard to know what traction means when cutting if you only stare at your knives.
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You DO realize that many, many people use their knives without thumb ramps or jimping?
Using them for utility, woods work, skinning, carving, food prep, and "other"?
Just because you like something does not make it necessary, nor does it invalidate the thoughts of those who see things differently.
One of the best knives for hard use I ever had did not have a thumb ramp or jimping. It didn't even have a pronounced guard...but that thing was rock-solid in the hand due to a very well thought out handle design.
 
I've been into folders my whole life and always look at locking folders as back-up weapons, train with them and carry them all the time since a pre-teen. I don't care much if there is jimping or a thumb ramp, but prefer no thumb ramp and if jimping is there that it isn't too crazy. The handle shape, texture, and utilizing the butt of the handle against your palm or thumb-capped keeps a knife from moving in hand - guards and jimping are not really good for it.

Best thing is just test stuff out for your self and try to pick out actual user experimental observations from other people's opinions. I was doing all kinds of fun drills the other day with a large two ply extra thick water-heater box and loving my Large Voyager, probably the best handle of any folder I've owned or handled and no jimping or thumb ramp to speak of.
 
I ended up, by accident (long story) with a really nice S&W Stag handle hunting knife. I understand completely the use of these features as they pertain to a hunting knife. You have multiple grips, the standard and the skinning/field dressing and carving grip that uses the choil and thumb ramp. I don't hunt but I can completely understand the use of these features in a hunting style knife. In short, it's perfect for carving around bone or field dressing or even skinning. I really like this knife for it various grip styles and potential.
 
Personal preference of no jimping/choil/ramp is one thing. Whatever use what you want.

But actually what I'm getting at is (and this is the point of jimping in the first place) is a safer knife for actual usage.

It can't be argued that a guardless/choiless/jimpless knife is safe for a situation requiring traction, if all you do is EDC tasks whatever use a penknife for that matter.


At the end of the day if a knife ever needs to be employed in a thrust cut you're going to cut your fingers off using a mora #1 vs say a para military with choil and ramp. They do have a purpose, if you don't like them, chances are you've just never been in a situation where that kind of thing is useful enough to seem prominent.
 
Of course, some might argue than any back up weapon that breaks in half by design is a bad start, but that may be a joke for another time. :D
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
I've been into folders my whole life and always look at locking folders as back-up weapons, train with them and carry them all the time since a pre-teen. I don't care much if there is jimping or a thumb ramp, but prefer no thumb ramp and if jimping is there that it isn't too crazy. The handle shape, texture, and utilizing the butt of the handle against your palm or thumb-capped keeps a knife from moving in hand - guards and jimping are not really good for it.

Best thing is just test stuff out for your self and try to pick out actual user experimental observations from other people's opinions. I was doing all kinds of fun drills the other day with a large two ply extra thick water-heater box and loving my Large Voyager, probably the best handle of any folder I've owned or handled and no jimping or thumb ramp to speak of.
Click to expand...
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
I've been into folders my whole life and always look at locking folders as back-up weapons, train with them and carry them all the time since a pre-teen. I don't care much if there is jimping or a thumb ramp, but prefer no thumb ramp and if jimping is there that it isn't too crazy. The handle shape, texture, and utilizing the butt of the handle against your palm or thumb-capped keeps a knife from moving in hand - guards and jimping are not really good for it.

Best thing is just test stuff out for your self and try to pick out actual user experimental observations from other people's opinions. I was doing all kinds of fun drills the other day with a large two ply extra thick water-heater box and loving my Large Voyager, probably the best handle of any folder I've owned or handled and no jimping or thumb ramp to speak of.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to tell you but it has a choil. And it's essentially jimped because the entire handle is jimped.
 
Tim616 said:
At the end of the day if a knife ever needs to be employed in a thrust cut you're going to cut your fingers off using a mora #1 vs say a para military with choil and ramp.
Click to expand...

Really, I've had knives with no guard or choil since Cub Scouts. I've gutted fish, cut just about anything you can imagine, and have never had one instance where I've felt a choil or thumb guard was necessary.

They do have a purpose, if you don't like them, chances are you've just never been in a situation where that kind of thing is useful enough to seem prominent.
Click to expand...

Have you ever been in a situation where you've really needed them?
 
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