Which one for large hands?

[thurin]

I'm wanting to pick up my first Fiddleback and am looking at the Bushfinger, Aretes and Kephart. Knife will be used for camping/bushcraft type duties. All 3 of these look to excel in that role and look gorgeous doing so. I have XL hands and prefer thicker handles. Would a particular model fit better than the others? Thanks for the input.

 

[avoidspam]

Hi

I'm sure people will chime in with more detail. maw has a great comparison thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...rge-Comparison-Photos-Round-Three-(PIC-Heavy)

I have a Bushfinger which fills my medium paws nicely. Both the tarrassaur and Hunter models look larger to me. I'd also opt for a 5/32 thick blade, giving you extra thickness. Andy will offer you advice too I'm sure.

Happy hunting

 

[Mistwalker]

Well...of the ones you've listed the only one I am intimately familiar with is the Kephart in 5/32 with full tang. Of the hanldes I am very familiar with approaching that size: the Ladyfinger, the KE Bushie, The Kephart, the Hiking Buddy, and the Bushboot, the Kephart has had the largest and fullest handlle. My hands are of the medium to large variety and even if the Kephart handle were a bit smaller in diameter it wouldn't be too small for me, but it's also not too large for me as is. The Hunter I have in 5/32 with full tang is similar is size with a slightly larger blade and excellent for bushcraft type work also...but I prefer the Kephart for long term carving and whittling, it just really comfortable to me. My hand is 7-3/4 inches from base of palm to tip of index finger, and 4-1/4 from outside of palm to crook of thumbmb. My fingers average 1-1/8 inches thick at the base, side of palm 1-5/8 thick, and the muscle at the base of my thumb is about 2 inches thick. I hope that helps.

 

[maw]

Hi thurin,

Well it appears you have good taste in both the knife maker and model selection! Those three models are awesome for bushcraft duties.

Both avoidspam and mistwalker have given some good information that I hope you find useful.

Thank you avoidspam for providing the link to my thread. Thurin, in that link there is a Bushfinger with a black canvas handle that has natural canvas liners and pins and is a convex saber grind on 3/16" thick O1 tool steel blade. That might be right up your alley. I would also encourage you to look at the Hunter models as well in that thread. My hand measurements are listed in that thread to give you some idea as well. Thumbs up to mistwalker for providing you his measurements in trying to help too!

I hope the feedback from us has helped you in some way. Please feel free to ask any further questions you may have or PM me if you like.

Take care.

Mark

 

[thurin]

Thanks guys for the detailed info. Seeing the numbers and the comparison thread really helps. Nice pics maw! My hand from base of palm to tip of finger is 8 1/2 inches and width is 4 1/2.

I like the size of the Hunter handle, but thought the blade might be a little wide for my tastes. Then I read the woodsmonkey review of it and I think I'll throw it into the mix too. Now I guess I just wait and see what pops up tomorrow from my list that might be in a 5/32 or 3/16 and try to go for my first. Current thinking is Bushfinger > Kephart > Arete with the Hunter in there somewhere.

One more question, does the tapered tang reduce the width of the handle, or is it compensated for with thicker wood or canvas?

thanks,
Nathan

 

[maw]

Thanks guys for the detailed info. Seeing the numbers and the comparison thread really helps. Nice pics maw! My hand from base of palm to tip of finger is 8 1/2 inches and width is 4 1/2.

I like the size of the Hunter handle, but thought the blade might be a little wide for my tastes. Then I read the woodsmonkey review of it and I think I'll throw it into the mix too. Now I guess I just wait and see what pops up tomorrow from my list that might be in a 5/32 or 3/16 and try to go for my first. Current thinking is Bushfinger > Kephart > Arete with the Hunter in there somewhere.

One more question, does the tapered tang reduce the width of the handle, or is it compensated for with thicker wood or canvas?

thanks,
Nathan

Hi Nathan,

Your hand is almost an inch longer than mine though we are about the same width. I also understand your concerns about the Hunter being perhaps too wide for your taste. I too prefer a narrow blade (for me around an inch in width). Staying on this tack from narrowest to widest, the order would be Arete, Kephart, Bushfinger, and then the Hunter.

I only own one tapered tang knife from Andy and it is the Arete. The handle tapers along with the blade thickness. So the handle is wider near the ricasso area and is thinner near the butt area. Though the difference is not huge, it is noticeable. Judging from other photos of Andy's tapered tang knives, this pattern seems consistent.

Mark

 

[KP]

Thanks guys for the detailed info. Seeing the numbers and the comparison thread really helps. Nice pics maw! My hand from base of palm to tip of finger is 8 1/2 inches and width is 4 1/2.
...
One more question, does the tapered tang reduce the width of the handle, or is it compensated for with thicker wood or canvas?

My hand measurements fall in between yours and mistwalker's and in my limited experience, having handled a tapered tang Bushfinger and regular tang Kephart, the handle is thinner at the butt end due to the taper as maw pointed out, and while the regular tang Kephart did fill my hand more, the taperered tang Bushfinger felt noticeably lighter, much more lively and still fills my hand large hands adequately. I also have come to believe that the taper actually works well to follow the natural contour of my grip and allows me to exert less effort to hold on to the knife due the shape and less weight. I had never handled a tapered tang knife of any sort before so it took some getting used to since I thought I would need a larger handle for it to be right but the more I handle it, the better it feels.

I will add though that I am curious to get a hold of a Hunter to see how it compares.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks guys for the detailed info. Seeing the numbers and the comparison thread really helps. Nice pics maw! My hand from base of palm to tip of finger is 8 1/2 inches and width is 4 1/2.

I like the size of the Hunter handle, but thought the blade might be a little wide for my tastes. Then I read the woodsmonkey review of it and I think I'll throw it into the mix too. Now I guess I just wait and see what pops up tomorrow from my list that might be in a 5/32 or 3/16 and try to go for my first. Current thinking is Bushfinger > Kephart > Arete with the Hunter in there somewhere.

One more question, does the tapered tang reduce the width of the handle, or is it compensated for with thicker wood or canvas?

thanks,
Nathan

Andy knows his customers run the gambit on hand sizes and he tends to make various thicknesses to support that. Usually he will announce in the post if some are more suited for his larger handed customers.

If it'll help any, here is some more info. A pic of most of the family...though the hunter is going away...for now at least, in a swap with Icybluesmile who has been kind enough to let me check out his stainless guardless Ladyfinger.

Hunter

More pics here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/909855-Hunter-by-Andy-Roy-of-Fiddleback-Forge

and here

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Autumn-Wander-With-a-Fiddleback-amp-a-Gossman

Kepharrt

More pics here

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Traditional-Interpretation-(photo-heavy-post)

Bushfinger/Ladyfinger (My Bushfinger is a proto and has the Ladyfinger handle)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/765724-Bushfinger-by-Andy-Roy

Video

[youtube]2cDMeJL8RqQ[/youtube]

Hi Nathan,

I only own one tapered tang knife from Andy and it is the Arete. The handle tapers along with the blade thickness. So the handle is wider near the ricasso area and is thinner near the butt area. Though the difference is not huge, it is noticeable. Judging from other photos of Andy's tapered tang knives, this pattern seems consistent.

Mark

I only own one too, and have no duplicate models to make comparisons with yet. On my Bushboot the handle is roughly the same thickness at the ricasso end as the pommel end and concave in between.

 

[awestib]

The Spyderco Bushcraft knife handle is the perfect fit for my hands, the mid handle swell is approx. 25 mm and I always thought I have medium size hands. I had the Bushfinger, the Bushcrafter and the Arete. The Bushfinger was closest to the Spyderco.

 

[Case_XX]

One more question, does the tapered tang reduce the width of the handle, or is it compensated for with thicker wood or canvas?

I have a couple of the same models in tapered and not, seems to me from looking at Andy's posts that the amount of taper varies a fair amount from one knife to the next so you might look for one with less taper if you want to stay closer to a full size handle. My tapered bushfinger looks to be heavily tapered, more so than most he posts at least to my eye. These pics aren't very good but you hsould be able to get an idea of the differences.

1st pics are of 2 BF's one tapered and one not both in 5/32 steel the one that is not tapered was at one time Andy's personal knife so I don't know if he may have made the handle size larger due to his personal preferences or if it is comparable in size to most BF's he makes.

You can just make out through the sun glare in this first pic that the tang on this BF is down to not much more than a sliver.

These pics are of a Hiking Buddy and an F2 both in 1/8" and you can see there is not as much difference in handle size due to the tapered tang as there is on the BF's.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for posting that picture, it tells me more about how thin a Hiking Budy in 1/8 with a tapered would be

 

[maw]

Yes, a very fine post Case_XX! Well done. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

Mark

 

[Raining]

Case_xx,
How does your F2 compare to the HB in comfort? Which do you prefer?

 

[Case_XX]

Thanks for posting that picture, it tells me more about how thin a Hiking Budy in 1/8 with a tapered would be

Yes, a very fine post Case_XX! Well done. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

Mark

Thanks, it doesn't even start to compare to the great pics and info you have both posted though.

How does your F2 compare to the HB in comfort? Which do you prefer?

I don't notice any real difference in comfort in the hand, they are so close in size. The F2 feels lighter since it is basically just a HB with less metal in the blade and the tapered tang. I carry the HB more but I use the F2 more, I have been using the F2 in the kitchen a fair bit. If I were only going to have one of them I think it would be the HB over the F2.

Mark

 

[thurin]

Thanks Case_XX for the comparo pics! Shows the difference I was looking for perfectly.

Nathan

 

[thurin]

Received my first Fiddleback - one that fits very well in my large paws. I picked up a 3/16" Bushfinger with wide handles from maw (thanks maw!). I had it out in the back yard earlier today cutting on some aspen but didn't grab any pics. So in the meantime until I get some user pics, these will have to do. Sorry about the lint on the blade in the second pic - I oiled it down after cleaning aspen gunk and snow off and it acted like a magnet.

 

[maw]

Hi Thurin,

Thank you for the nice report and photos.

Wow That knife looks small in your hands. That is one tough knife that will take it and dish it back! Of course, I am not suggesting that you nor anyone abuse their knives...but that knife is in its prime!

Mark

 

[Mistwalker]

Received my first Fiddleback - one that fits very well in my large paws. I picked up a 3/16" Bushfinger with wide handles from maw (thanks maw!). I had it out in the back yard earlier today cutting on some aspen but didn't grab any pics. So in the meantime until I get some user pics, these will have to do. Sorry about the lint on the blade in the second pic - I oiled it down after cleaning aspen gunk and snow off and it acted like a magnet.

Cool! That's pretty awesome! As far as I know only a hand full have been made in 3/16. My dream Bushfinger is 3/16 with a full grind and a tapered tang

MAW is a great guy, that was really nice of him.



.

 

[in the flesh]

Wow, those are some big paws. You make that bushfinger look like a hiking buddy.

Great choice in knife. Nice if MAW to hook you up from his great collection. The bushfinger has the biggest handle between the arete, ladyfinger, and bushcrafter that I own. The bushcrafter might have my favorite though with its extra curves.

 

[maw]

Cool! That's pretty awesome! As far as I know only a hand full have been made in 3/16. My dream Bushfinger is 3/16 with a full grind and a tapered tang

MAW is a great guy, that was really nice of him.

Thank you for the kind words Mistwalker. Back at you!

Wow, those are some big paws. You make that bushfinger look like a hiking buddy.

Great choice in knife. Nice if MAW to hook you up from his great collection. The bushfinger has the biggest handle between the arete, ladyfinger, and bushcrafter that I own. The bushcrafter might have my favorite though with its extra curves.

Thank you In The Flesh. I agree. Andy's handles are super comfortable for sure. His knife designs fully incorporate outstanding ergonomics and quality coupled with pure usability. I do not know how to say that any plainer.

Mark