What knives have the most comfortable handles?

G

GOODBOY

Joined
Oct 16, 2003
Messages
21
I'm surprised by how many good, quality knives have handles that aren't very comfortable to hold, or feel a little awkward. I have good knives that just dont feel very good to grip. Case in point: the hallowed Spyderco Delica. Dont get me wrong, I love this knife, but it just doesnt feel right in the hand for some reason. I would think handle ergonomics would be a top priority for knife designers.

My favorites? I'll cite two: the Strider PT, and the Spyderco Paramilitary. These two knives fit my hand like a glove. I've never handled an SnG, but I suspect it feels just as good.

What do you think? What are the best and the worst?
 
For folders, the Calypso Jr. always appealed to me because of the handle. The DODO is also a good handle but I didn't care for the blade. My Emerson SARK had a great handle on it IMO.

One of the most comfortable fixed blade handles I have is a Brown Bear Skinner/Cleaver from Knives of Alaska. Great sure grip handle and quite comfortable even under heavy uses and stress. It is also quite good when wet or bloody at staying put.
 
best feeling knives for me are the spyderco Ti ATR and the emerson CQC8, also pat crawfords kasper designed folders the kasper folding ighter and the perfigo, only con is tip down carry, they all fit my hand exceptionally well though. really the perfigo is hard to beat, as far as "feel", to me anyway.

best fixed blade is my cord wrapped greco recon, was ok w/the micarta but much prefer the cord myself.
 
Lonewolf T2 with cocobolo wood handles.

lwt2_03.jpg
 
Spyderco Lil' Temperance,.... in terms of knives I personally have handled.
quite a handful, ergonomically sound in various grips, with grippy G-10 to add, not to mention a great blade, and strong lock. :)
 
my favourite handles are in Benchmade Ares to work and Chinook II for a fighter - first has great ergos (3 dimensional G10 design) second one allows for very strong grip.
 
I agree with Sifu on folders, plus the AFCK
Fixed blades, the SOG Bowie fits me like a glove
 
spiderco calipso jr. quite comfortable for me. unfortunately the handles of my BM140HS doesn't suite me well
 
For production fixed blades I like the Gerber Silver Trident and also the handle on the Buck Nighthawk. :thumbup:
 
1. BM Griptilian

2. BM Griptilian

3. BM Griptilian

;)

Well, to be serious - zytel: Griptilian; alu: 720, 520; G10: 710, AFCK / Mini AFCK, Military; titan: Pinnacle.

Thank You :)
 
The most perfectly comfortable knife I've ever seen is Ed Fowler's Pronghorn. The natural contour of the sheephorn handle is sculpted to maximize the shape of the hand in a variety of positions. I've never held a production knife that offered the same close attention to user comfort and safety.
David
 
I don't have that many knives, but out of the ones I do have, the Buck Alpha Hunter feels good, nice chunky handle, followed by my favorite, the Buck 112fg, that knife just feels right, maybe it's the finger grooves. :thumbup:

49369571.jpg


34539221.jpg
 
The best production fixed blade hadles are undoubtedly Swamp Rat's Resiprene-C. This stuff is really, really nice. Shock absorbing, warm, not to hard, not to soft, not abrasive, yet secure in the hand.
 
Agreed on the Buck Alpha/110/112. For me, Camillus Heat, BM550, Spyderco Paramilitary, Spyderco Centofante III, Gerber Gator (interestingly enough) in my larger type folders. Smaller ones, I would agree, now that I own a FRN Caly Jr - it does feel nicer than the Delica. Ka-Bar/Dozier folding hunter in the 40xx series is very nice. BUT the Delica is still pretty nice :) Tiny blades that I own - Spydie MeerKat and Dragonfly are surprisingly comfortable for the size.


- gord
 
The Benchmade 520 feels very nice in my hand, I will throw in a vote for that one.
 
The best has to be the Benchmade balisongs. Fantastic handle to blade ratio, and if you lock it open, you would be totally convinced you were using a fixed blade. The spyderfly is also really good, but because it can't be locked open, the play in the handles gives up some security.

The skeletonizing grips well. And I like steel handles in general (in this case, titanium, you get the picture).

The M16 line has awesome ergonics also.

The buck 560C has ALWAYS blown me away with that great handle shape. I tend to like larger knives' ergonomics, and tend not to buy them for sheeplefriendlocity.

Now, I love my minigrip and have held regular grips, but I have to be honest, the ergonomics were just normal to me. Good, not exceptional.
 
GOODBOY said:
I'm surprised by how many good, quality knives have handles that aren't very comfortable to hold, or feel a little awkward. I have good knives that just dont feel very good to grip.
What do you think? What are the best and the worst?
Click to expand...

In general, fixed blades seem to have relatively comfortable handles -
whereas folders have to compromise on their handle comfort
since the knife blade has to fold into the handle
and there is the question of portability -
eg: the "comfort" of the pocket clip is a very good case in point.

Please take a look at this (illustrated) discussion thread -

Handle Ergonomics (
multipage.gif
1 2 )

Hendrix #11 Semi-Skinner -
Hendrix11_C.jpg
Hendrix11_O.jpg


--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top