Wanted to comment on left handed spydies without posting again for the contest

[colobbfan]

My main knife retailer has all his products out on display. When I go in for my weekly fix I always look for a Spydie to buy FIRST. I'm left handed and the majority of Spyderco knives work as well for me as for right handed people. I'm more concerned with deploying the knife quickly and safely, ie without dropping it on my foot (LOL) than I am closing it quickly. I can use both hands to close it if necessary! So, the minor inconvenience of the lock being made for righties (the Military, for example) is of only minor concern. I can't recall which model it was (possibly a Viele) that I really wanted to purchase, but didn't because only a small portion of the thumb hole was accessible with my left hand. My thought on left vs right handed models is to make all spydies ambidextrous by making the thumb hole accessible from both sides.
Style is a nice feature, but not at the cost of safety and usability.
When I first began collecting, I looked at the thumb studs and if they weren't ambidextrous or, in the case of knives with only a stud on the right hand opening side, can't at least be switched to left hand opening, I didn't buy em. That was what first attracted me to Spyderco products, the ability to use them with my dominant hand and in a pinch my right hand too.
This would save having to retool or set up for a few left handed products. And keep retailers from having money tied up in dust collectors.
BTW any dealers with left handed models who want to unload them at good prices... : )
John Row
colobbfan

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I've had more paper cuts than cuts from knives, but the knives are QUICKLY gaining!

 

[MNH]

Is there some liability issue with allowing a left hand clip with a standard right hand liner lock?

I have always found a right hand liner lock easier to close with my left hand than with my right.

I know that there is a fear that the lock may accidentally disengage in the left hand, but I cannot make it happen even when I am trying.

At any rate, putting the clip on the right hand side does keep a left handed person from using the knife, it just makes it less convenient to carry.


Mike

 

[colobbfan]

Hi Mike,
I've never had trouble with accidentally disengaging a liner lock either. I'm sure some one somewhere has though, As long as there are lawyers there will be placement of fault at corporate level instead of the personal level.

It is just my contention that several of the issues expressed (dust collecting leftie models at retail level, re-tooling and machine set-ups at the factory, etc) could be resolved if the Spyderco opening hole were designed to be accessible equally as well for left or right handers on ALL of the models.

I am an avid Spyderco fan. Out of 2 dozen knives I own, 10 are Spydies and 6 utilize a Spydie type opener hole design.The balance being neck knives like the LeGriffe and Combat-type fixed blades like KaBars and several of the Applegate/Fairbarn designs.

John Row
colobbfan


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I've had more paper cuts than cuts from knives, but the knives are QUICKLY gaining!

 

[MNH]

I understand the sales problem with dedicated left hand knives. I really would like Spyderco to produce Ambidexterous models. That is one of the greatest features of the Light Weight models that have the new clip.

I guess some of the new designs have clip shaped to the handle that could not be reversed without replacing the clip. Question? Pack both clips with the knife? Left hand clip on request? purchase LH clip seperately? Choice two or three is more feasable I shoud think, but let's forget about the shaped clips all together for the moment and look at all the knives that the original clip could be swapped to the other side if provision were made. After all, ya got ta start somewhere.


Mike

 

[Sal Glesser]

Colobbfan - You and your "kind" are asking some pretty "deep" questions. I will try to provide some sensible answers. Definitely "Teknojunky" stuff in design, if not materials.

Making a left handed knife involves; the opening hole (side & location), The clip (shape and liner for support) and the lock.

Regarding the opening hole:

Most of my designs shoot for ambi location. Though I can design humpless models (eg; Native), I personally prefer the larger holes and humps, such as the Military. More performance oriented with little thought to appearance. Having a large hump and an accessible hole is pretty ambi.

Most of the custom designers prefer to eliminate or reduce the hump because of it's appearance. It would really be quite difficult to produce a design as beautiful as the Viele with a large hump. The original design had an oval hole. Making it round is what created the small hump.

This presents problems for the custom deigns but Spyderco ends up with much more eye appealing designs than I am able to create. the enthusiast gets both.

However, making the smaller hole (or dropped into the handle) design makes it right handed. Now to make a left model means new or at least changed tooling (read expensive) to make a very small amount in relation the the right hand model. We are working on ways to solve this, but solutions will first appear on futuer new designs.

Unless a design is very popular with the general market, the numbers do not justify making a left hand version when new tooling is required. Not to mention sitting on a large amount of left handed inventory, often times long past the life of the design.

Clip & liner:

for most of the harder use models, we prefer to screw the clip into a liner. It makes the knife a little thicker to carry, but holds up better. Two liners starts to get thicker and heavier. Yes, we will be doing it (Keating & Gunting), but the "trade off" is weight.

Where the clip is countoured to match the handle, such as the Military, again more tooling. We'll be doing it on the models that we think will do the numbers (Keating) or where serious work requires it (Gunting), as opposed to collecting.

Regarding locks:

Locks complicate the problem. A lock like our mid lock back is strong & reliable (if properly engineered and manufacturerd to spec). It is also ambi. simplest solution.

Linerlocks (Walker designs) operate from the side and require special tooling to make lefty in addition to twice as many parts and storage of slow moving inventory.

Easiest is to make models like the Endura, Delica, Goddard ambi. Just make a left right clip with a design that doesn't lose the lanyard hole. As long the clip is straight and doesn't contour the handle, it works well.

Mike, tooling on a purpose build left hand clip could cost $15K. How many will be produced? If we make 500, tooling costs amortized by clip would be $5 per clip + the cost of making the clip itself + the packaging, dealers/distibutors profits, etc, etc. The numbers make it it vey difficult.

Hope that helps.

sal

 

[colobbfan]

Thank you for the response and the information, Mr Glesser.
From what I recall of the Viele, in addition to being a GREAT looking knife (which is why I was disappointed in not being able to use it left handed), is that the opening hole seemed smaller than even say a Calypso Jr.(a smaller knife but one which I own and use with much pleasure) and that there was very little of the hole above the handle for the left hand user. My thought at the time was - "well, why wasn't there the cut out in the left hand side handle in addition to the right hand side?"
I do understand and agree that designers wouldn't want to have a less attractive feature added - like a bump, say, to the graceful blade on the Viele. And 99% of Spyderco products work for me just great.
The clip placement on a knife doesn't bother me. Tip up, tip down, etc. Nor does the liner lock placement. The only Spyderco model that I've held and had trouble opening (regarding left thumb accessibilty) has been the Viele.
And incidentally, I STILL want one!

Thanks again for your response, Sal!!!
John Row
colobbfan

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I've had more paper cuts than cuts from knives, but the knives are QUICKLY gaining!

 

[MNH]

Sal,

Thanks for your response. I do I think understand the issues, and I don't expect that you will suddenly see a light in the sky that says "Make Left Handed Spydercos". In fact I would be a little worried if you did.

We, here, would all love the chance to fly someone ease's company into the side of a mountain fulfilling our own fantasies. The fact is that each of us has our own pet project or peeve that we love to argue, and that you are good enough to let us do it.

. . .

This doesn't mean that I am going to stop suggesting ambidextrous Spydercos any time you give me the chance.

Mike

 

[glockman99]

Sal Glesser,

If by any chance, you have a (stainless) Native II nearby (with the 40% serrated blade), take a good, close look at it.

Now, make it the same size as my Endura II (with the same style blade as the Native II), and I think Spyderco would have a GREAT "Lefty" knife.

.

PS...I have a birthday coming-up in alittle less than three weeks...

.

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Dann Fassnacht
Aberdeen, WA
glockman99@hotmail.com
ICQ# 53675663

 

[Sal Glesser]

Thanx for the understanding. OK, you keep on reminding me (along with Gail, Peter, etc.) and I'll keep thinking of how to make them ambi. But then, you gotta buy some!?

sal

 

[colobbfan]

Sal,
I thank you from my heart (which BTW is located more towards the LEFT side of my chest

Also BY THE WAY, I went out and bought a Moran Lightweight today!!!
John Row
colobbfan

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I've had more paper cuts than cuts from knives, but the knives are QUICKLY gaining!

 

[Ray Z]

Sal,

In addition to the ambi issue pertaining to lefties, it would be great if you would increase the flexibility of your knives by allowing them to be carried both tip up and down. Benchmade is doing that with some of their new axis lock knives and it seems like the new compression lock models would likewise be able to accommodate the different modes of carry. FWIW, I prefer to carry tip-up on both front pockets. Your lwt delica with the ambi clip has worked very well for the left-handed carry.

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Ray. Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

We'v e played around with that a number of times. there are several dynamics that we've bumped into that keep raising Questions.

Four sets of holes ( for drilled clips) increase the cost of manufacter far more than most would think of. eg: drilling and tapping 9 extra holes = 18 additional operations + picking it up and putting it down = 36 additional "touches" = 54 additional "things" that have to be done. How much more would you pay for that feature, $10 on the retail level?

Where liners are needed to support clip screws (eg: micarta, G-10 on larger pieces), an additional liner adds cost, thickness & weight. Add another $5 - $10 on the retail level?

Purpose build clips often times don't permit up, down & ambi positioning, and those that do, don't often work well or "look" like they go with the knife.

These are some of the problems. There are others.

Hope that helps.

sal

 

[MNH]

Wow. Hadn't intended to be gone that long. Got down to Long Island to finish my job and found out that the phones at my motel had been accidentally turned off by Bell Atlantic.

No email, No faxes, almost like being on vacation, Too bad I had my cell phone, and my job to finish.

Anyway Sal, anything you decide to make LH or Ambi you can count on US to buy. I just hope there is more of us than just US.


Mike