Vote. Thumb stud or hole?

I say neither. Thumbstuds get in the way, and so my 710HS has gone for months with the thumbstud removed. Holes would be fine, except that I think the removal of that metal may take away from spine strength.

In conclusion, I like the Axis lock for the ease of flicking it open without wear on the mechanism. But I favor far more a good balisong. Forget it just being a knife, they're useful in many everyday tasks without even opening it.
 
when i used to collect i could go either way. humm let me re state that...when i used to collect i had no real opinion either way. But since i stop collecting and started a love affair with a sebenza, id have to opt for a stud. also with a stud it can add a splash of color.
 
Planterz said:
I usually prefer thumbstuds, since holes, at least on the couple Spydercos I own, add more area to the knife than seems necessary, whereas with a stud you'd have a narrower knife and more pocket space.
Click to expand...

excellent points, they were the ones i was going to make!
esp the point about pocket space.
 
I used to be anti-thumbstud until I got one and realized that the flick is faster than the push; however, I still like holes better -- definitely hole on a tip-up folder, since you can stick a zip tie on it for the open-on-draw.
 
Depends on the execution - a thumbhole is "idiot-proof" when it comes to lousy designs, it's hard to get a sore thumb with one of those. Thumbstud is IMHO better, but only if done properly - too narrow, too pointy, too long, too slippery, etc., and it only makes opening considerably harder. There is very little othat could go wrong with design of a round hole while there is plenty to mess up with design of a thumbstud.
 
On a thin blade I like studs, like a Sebenza
On a wide blade I like holes, like a Skirmish

I can flick a stud or a hole except on Sebenza unless it is loose.
 
Definitely a hole. Round or oval is fine with me. Much easier for me to operate than a thumb stub or thumb disc (although I'd choose the disc over the stud if those were my only 2 choices).

AJ
 
Nail nick :D (actually I like them all, but usually prefer a hole over a stud.) ;)
 
In theory, the hole probably makes more sense for most situations. In the real world, for ME, I doubt there is much difference.

I prefer a thumbstud.
 
I don't think anyone has mentioned a disk opener which to me is about as good as a hole and way better than a stud :)
 
Definitely the hole.

This survey was done some time ago, maybe a year or so, don't remember exactly, but the result was much the same as we're seeing here, most prefer the hole.
 
Of the two methods, I definitely prefer a round hole. It seems harder to mess up with under stress or slick conditions.

However, I much prefer a well-designed flipper to either method.

--Bob Q
 
I generally would prefer neither. The thumb stud tends to get in the way and the hole makes for ugly blade designs. I like a bit of a handle cut out and maybe a little checkering on the blade. Then you do a handle drop for opening. I won't call it a "Spydie drop" since I learned the technique from Matt Helm novels many years before Spyderco was founded. This also avoids any question of some state deciding that the knife is a "switchblade".
 
Although I own knives with holes and some with studs I prefer the hole. It's a lot easier to find and open and doesn't interfere with cutting chores. I just have a problem with anything protruding from the side of my knife blade. All the thumbstud blades I own have the stud lying up against the handle in the open postion. Nearly all of my folders have been used as impromptu hunting knives when needed and I've had the thumbstud get caught when trying to withdraw the blade from a stabbing cut.
 
Since we are talking about the full size Grip, I'll take the hole. For the smaller model however, I would prefer the stud.
If we shift the focus to all folders in general, I would have to add that I need a round hole. There are a couple Cold Steel designs where the tip of my thumb will fit right through. That's bad.
But then I suppose there are models like the CRKT M-16, that place the thumbstud so close to the handle that it is useless.
So I suppose I'll take either one so long as it is designed well.
-KC
 
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