What is the upper limit for handle size?

[Marion David Poff]

Hey guys...

Those of you with big hands.... Or at least those that like a big handle.... Uh, right...

What is the upper limit of size?

What knives have you found to fit your hands, and how big are they thickness wise, you know, if a knife handle as a sandwich from the outside of the bread to the outside of the bread.

Marion

 

[BarberFobic1992]

I have long fingers, and I find around 15/16'' to be ideal, and about 1'' to be my limit.

 

[BlackHills]

I don't know....I've never had a knife with handles which were too big. The largest I have measures around 1.25" across.

 

[pitdog]

5" long and about 1" across seems perfect for me....just read that back and man does it sound wrong !!!!

 

[Marion David Poff]

Thank you guys, this is exactly the type of information I am looking for.

5" long and about 1" across seems perfect for me....just read that back and man does it sound wrong !!!!

Yeah, I know. But, you said it....

And I was going to look for a certain motivational poster to go with this post.... But, I decided against it. : )

Marion

 

[DWK2]

The Ed Fowler sheephorn handles are about the largest I have. The way he selects and shapes them, they feel quite good. I've put a great deal of use on a Burke Pronghorn with the same type of handle and like it a lot.

DancesWithKnives

 

[hollowdweller]

7/8 at the widest point is my fave. I also like to have the handle be rounded but have a wide flat area on either side of the spine to widely distribute the backward pressure like this:

but I like the handle to taper more sharply where your fingers curl around on the bottom of the handle like this:

I think making it more narrow at the finger part makes it a bit less clumsy for fine tasks.

 

[Skimo]

I dunno the specs but the RAT 7 handle is a great fit.

 

[PatriotDan]

I find most 1/4 inch knives with 1/4 inch slabs are too slim for good grip.

 

[WalterDavis]

I've got wide mitts but not really long fingers, and for me I'm happy with 3/4" to 7/8", if it's contoured right. I'm more picky about the length-I hate having my hand cramped, but I also dislike having half the knife hanging out the bottom of my hand

 

[Rick Marchand]

I like a slimmer handle... about the diameter of most kitchen knives. I'm a drummer, so perhaps gripping small dia sticks (among other things) has had an effect on my preference.

 

[Ed Fowler]

Just for the fun of it, take one of your kitchen table knives and cover the handle with clay. Then start working it in your hand to make it fit, right - left - reverse. Then use it like you would a camp or hunter and keep modifying it and you will soon see that the symmetrical handle is far from the most accommodating to the human hand.

 

[dawsonbob]

I have medium hands, I think (never did a comparative study, so I really don't know). Anyway, there are a number of handles that I've liked for various reasons, but the best handle I've ever used is the one on the Becker BK-2. Fits my hand perfectly.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Just for the fun of it, take one of your kitchen table knives and cover the handle with clay. Then start working it in your hand to make it fit, right - left - reverse. Then use it like you would a camp or hunter and keep modifying it and you will soon see that the symmetrical handle is far from the most accommodating to the human hand.

Perhaps if I were only to use a few limited styles of grip, Ed..... which I don't. Are your hammers asymmetrical? Formed handles are comfortable for the grip they were made to accomodate... that's just my opinion, though. I'm glad you chimed in.

 

[Ed Fowler]

Mangnusses: I do not feel we disagree - just have not communicated completely and thanks for the welcome.
I once decided to do a study of which grip men used most while working with a knife. I developed a simple cumulative frequency histogram identifying 5 basic grips and went to the kill floor and watched 5 men butchering beef.
I soon had more hash marks between my identified grip positions than in the basic 5.

When using a knife the hand is all over that handle in increments, around and around she goes until the job us done.

 

[tholiver]

I find most 1/4 inch knives with 1/4 inch slabs are too slim for good grip.

Yeah i tend to agree.
Just got a Spyderco Dayhiker (at a discounted price) and the slabs on it are super-thin. Barely 3/16ths at the thickest points.
Luckily the micarta slabs have torq screws so they should be easily removable.
I have some thicker bocote here which should look nice on it.
The jimping on the spine/thumbrest area is also super sharp, you could easily notch wood with it, might have to dull that down a bit.
I just measured it and the Dayhiker's slabs are 5 and 3/4 inches long!
My hands are medium to small but strangely the knife grip doesn't feel too ridiculously long.
I'm hoping with new slabs the overall ergonomic/level will improve.

 

[hollowdweller]

If I can I really like to get knives I can shape the handle myself. For reasons Ed there mentions.

Originally I would hold the blade, then shape it then hold it again. This worked out to too thin scales for me.

Anymore after I get it in the general vicinity I like to take it out and whittle stuff with it to see how it feels.

For me anyway a knife with a deep handle top to bottom has to be thinner across where a knife not as deep can be rounder and wider.

Also a knife primarily for cooking or butchering can have a thinner handle than one for whittling.

It's always sort of a cross for me because while a super wide one(to a point) will almost always be more comfortable for cutting wood where there is backward pressure on your hand than a thin one it will also be more clumsy say peeling a potato or something.

 

[Marion David Poff]

Good stuff guys, keep it up....

Marion

 

[Rick Marchand]

Mangnusses: I do not feel we disagree - just have not communicated completely and thanks for the welcome.
I once decided to do a study of which grip men used most while working with a knife. I developed a simple cumulative frequency histogram identifying 5 basic grips and went to the kill floor and watched 5 men butchering beef.
I soon had more hash marks between my identified grip positions than in the basic 5.

When using a knife the hand is all over that handle in increments, around and around she goes until the job us done.

That definately makes sense and I applaud your dedication to making great working tools. Perhaps we are hopping around the same conclusion. I like contour and a downward "bent" handle (for lack of a better word) I suppose "symetrical" is the wrong word. I look for a handle shape that lends itself to many holding positions but still allows you to index the blade quickly, whether you can see it or not.

My kitchen knife comment was to give a size reference more than a shape.

Rick

 

[Ed Fowler]

When you play with the clay, you will find that when you turn the edge up, the hand can fit a different geometry than edge down.

One of the greatest challenges to the maker is to develop truly ergonometric handles, Google Van Gogh and look at some his completed drawings of the human hand. Best to do it just before you go to bed and let it soak in before you take your ideas to work on a handle.