What's with the thumb ramp hate?

H

hewhoisiam

Joined
Apr 21, 2011
Messages
221
I look at the BK&T forum a lot. And it seems that lots of people don't like thumb ramps. One of the mods I see on a lot of the 9s and 10s I see is taking it off! It makes me sad.

If I had to level a criticism against the BK-2, it would be after your done using it to cut through the tank... It has no thumb ramp for the finer work.

For swinging and chopping the 9, the ramp ain't gonna do much. If you never do any detail work with it, I can understand that. But I find that I use my ramp a lot when I'm processing wood, whittling, or when I'm trying to perform a precise and light chop. More control.

So, I wanna know about the thumb ramp. Do you use it? How? Do you cut it off? If you cut it off, why? Aesthetics? Position?

And finally, should I weld a thumb ramp on my BK2?
 
I cut it off the 10 because when using the choil and choked up it dug into my hand and i actually was applying less pressure to avoid pain, with my 9 well i put this in the rattler thread but ill say it again, its a chopper for me and i have smaller knives for fine work.


and i would LOVE to see your two with a thumb ramp :D
 
It'd be a whole nother animal though. I can weld it, no problem... But it's getting it to look good that's the problem (welds are ugly)... Plus vibrations are going to upset the welds possibly. Of course... if all else fails I can take it off and have a BK-2 again.

Now I have to get a hold of tooje and figure out what adding CV to 1095 does to it's ability to be welded... Why do I feel like I've caught myself in a trap?
 
I use that part of the knife quite a bit, but the way I use it, and ramp is completely useless. I don't position my strong thumb on the ramp, it opens up the grip, and allows the knife a chance to escape when I doing a roll or twist cut. Or if my hands are sweaty.

100_1868.jpg


I also use it to scrape dry wood, to make natural tinder for my firesteel. You can powder/shave just about any wood and get tinder like this.

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I don't use cuts that force me to open my hand up, so, I don't use ramps. :D

Moose
 
I don't use the ramp either, I do think they look cool. Having it there doesn't hinder me at all so it stays.
 
See, I'm lazy... And a thumb ramp for me adds utility. A 9 inch blade that I can use with -some- degree of precision? Awesome! Now now, what it actually ends up coming down to is technique. I like moosez off-hand push. And try as I might, I can't come up with anything where I really go, no, no, that won't work. Cept something big enough you can't get your hand in a place to get grip for your thumb to push... But anything there's not going to need detail work. I feel the thumb ramp more on a shorter blade, less on a larger. So I guess I'm MORE put off people removing them from the 10s. But, to each their own. Mine is gonna have a pimped thumb ramp... Along with one on my BK2... Maybe.
 
hewhoisiam said:
See, I'm lazy... And a thumb ramp for me adds utility. A 9 inch blade that I can use with -some- degree of precision? Awesome! Now now, what it actually ends up coming down to is technique. I like moosez off-hand push. And try as I might, I can't come up with anything where I really go, no, no, that won't work. Cept something big enough you can't get your hand in a place to get grip for your thumb to push... But anything there's not going to need detail work. I feel the thumb ramp more on a shorter blade, less on a larger. So I guess I'm MORE put off people removing them from the 10s. But, to each their own. Mine is gonna have a pimped thumb ramp... Along with one on my BK2... Maybe.
Click to expand...

Shine it up and put spinners on it, show it off. :D

Moose
 
I should leave the coating on the whole blade, then just strip and polish the thumb ramp up to 8000 grit...

>:-)
 
hewhoisiam said:
I should leave the coating on the whole blade, then just strip and polish the thumb ramp up to 8000 grit...

>:-)
Click to expand...

If I could photo chop stuff, I would do a "Yo', dawg" poster, and put a thumb ramp on your thumb ramp.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
I use that part of the knife quite a bit, but the way I use it, and ramp is completely useless. I don't position my strong thumb on the ramp, it opens up the grip, and allows the knife a chance to escape when I doing a roll or twist cut. Or if my hands are sweaty.
Click to expand...
I agree with the above. Need to grind the ramp off my 9...
 
Or perhaps in reverse?

001b.png


Or for people with REALLY big thumbs:

001bc.png
 
the thumb ramp doesnt bother me. however i just got mine and have not used it hardcore yet either. (bk9)
 
I like mine more or less like Ethan put them together. My BK9 still has it's ramp (no plans to change that) and my BK2 (and BK11 / BK14) remain rampless. Now you mention it though, one of the neck knives with a ramp would be just goofy enough to be worthy. :p

---

Beckerhead #42
 
Now I have to get a hold of tooje and figure out what adding CV to 1095 does to it's ability to be welded... Why do I feel like I've caught myself in a trap?
Click to expand...

I suspect the welding guidelines for O1 are applicable to kabar's 1095cv, but I'd be worried about all that heat transfer (tho the 2 is THICK).
 
Thumb ramps are an abomination and a sign of the end of days. Well, that might be a little strong. I just don't care for them.
 
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