what is this for?

jonesjp@surry.net

jonesjp@surry.net

Joined
Dec 31, 2007
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on many knives there is a very small indentation at the base of the blade. What is its purpose?

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It is easier to sharpen that way. If not you would have to file a nice transition every time.
 
nodh said:
It is easier to sharpen that way. If not you would have to file a nice transition every time.
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Like he said, If it wouldn't be there, after some time your knife would look like many old kitchen knives, and not have a flat cutting edge.
 
Sometimes (but not often) you hear it referred to by its real name, the choil. Since finger choils have become more popular, you sometimes see it called a sharpening choil as well. Personally, I call it a pain in the neck snag inducer. ;)
 
yablanowitz said:
Sometimes (but not often) you hear it referred to by its real name, the choil. Since finger choils have become more popular, you sometimes see it called a sharpening choil as well. Personally, I call it a pain in the neck snag inducer. ;)
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LOL That is what I find it to be:) I saw one custom maker who will sharpen this as a line cutter, which makes sense to me.

I see it on folders, fixed, cheap, expensive.

Thanks for the responses.
 
I think the Nepali word for it is "cho". Which is another way of saying that I think the constant head-scratching you see over on the Himalayan Imports forum about the origin and Hindu theological significance of the cho on a khukuri may have its solution here.
 
i was cutting the net off of a christmas tree one year and i whipped out my ti lite to cut it i had gotten down one side and when i went to get the other the net snagged on the little indention and i pulled and the knife went right into my right thumb i believe it was, made a nasty little cut.
 
I've never been a fan of tiny choils, they need to be med-large in order for them to be of any use to me. If I'm steeling a knive, a tiny choil doesn't give enough clearance between the edge of the blade and the handle area. Busse knives are a prime example of how to do it right.

"Finger choils" is another head-scatcher (for me). I just don't see the point. Maybe they make the knives more tactical? I have no idea. At least a properly sized choil between the blade and handle serves a purpose.

Just my two cents.
 
yablanowitz said:
Sometimes (but not often) you hear it referred to by its real name, the choil. Since finger choils have become more popular, you sometimes see it called a sharpening choil as well. Personally, I call it a pain in the neck snag inducer. ;)
Click to expand...

I think you may be confusing the finger groove before the base of the blade with the teeny, tiny notch at the base of the cutting surface. This tiny notch can't possibly be a true finger choil because a human finger of any size simply can't fit in THAT choil. :o
 
No, the little notch is called a choil. The finger groove that is often half on the handle and half on the blade is called a finger choil, but it is more commonly simply called a choil. That is why you will see the true choil referred to as a sharpening choil.

Is everyone confused yet? :D
 
So I gather that it is there because if it where not, there would be a small part of the edge that would be very difficult or impossible to sharpen. So you would have a dull spot at the base of the blade. I think I like that better than a gap that snags on stuff.
 
That is its purpose, to give you room to sharpen the entire edge...by shortening that edge a little. Personally, I can deal with a dull spot at the ricasso that simply doesn't cut much more easily than a choil that catches in thin material and tries to jerk the knife out of my hand.

Grimspoon: The finger choil gives you a safe place to rest your index finger (or middle finger depending on the grip used) when you choke up on the knife. This gets the hand closer to the tip of the blade, giving better control for precision cuts. So I guess that makes it more practical and less tactical. On small knives, it effectively lengthens the handle. There are some like the Spyderco Dragonfly that I simply wouldn't be able to use if it weren't for the finger choil. With it, the D'fly is my favorite little cutter.
 
I don't know if it is true for all choils but sometimes a notch like that is for 'stress relief' in the steel where it is thinner, like at the blade edge, especially on a longer blade.
 
For good or bad, when I make a blade, I make the coil very large (from end of cutting surface to guard - up to 3/8 in. deep and long -).

Jim L.
 
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