Why do Spyderco blade edges go right to the tang?

peacefuljeffrey

peacefuljeffrey

Joined
Feb 24, 2001
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When I got my Para Military, I loved everything about it except for the fact that the blade edge is sharpened right up to the tang. I have noticed this is characteristic of numerous Spydercos and I don't care for it. I just checked, and my plain edge Delicas are like that, and my Salt, but not my Navigator or my Vesuvius (I have others, but being combo-edged, it's not an issue with them).

My preference is that there be a small crescent ground out for about 2 or 3 millimeters, putting a space between the tang and the edge, so that it acts as a buffer when sharpening -- like on most Benchmades that I know of, and on some Spydercos (the aforementioned Navigator and Vesuvius, for example). The gap functions as a buffer so that the stone does not scratch up the tang. On some blades, the edge either butts up perpendicular to the tang, or creates a small concave curve against the tang, which gets marred by the corner of a stone. I would like to see the recent Spyderco offerings made with this cutout crescent. I used a Dremel drill to grind one myself on the Paramilitary before I put a personal edge on it. I'm disappointed that the Manix also doesn't have the crescent.

Does anyone else care about this thing I'm talking about? To me, it makes a significant difference.

-Jeffrey
 
I recently got a Kiwi, its little cutout (come on, one of you brainiacs needs to remind us of the proper name of the cutout) is triangular. I like the way it looks, and it does help with sharpening. But yesterday I was cutting paper off a large roll and it did keep getting hung up on the cutout and ripping the paper. If you sharpen from the tang out can't you keep from marring the blade with the stone?
 
It's called a choil, or at least that's what I call it. I prefer a small one too, but with the corners of the cutout rounded so it isn't as prone to snagging. I just happen to like a nice clean "beginning and end" to my sharpened edges. Without the choil I always end up with this ugly spot around 1/8 around where the choil would have been that never quite sharpens up right.
 
The "little cutout" according to Spyderco is the choil - not to be confused with the finger choil of the Kiwi, Native and others. This info comes from Spyderco's Edge-U-Cation Card which gives pictures, definitions and steel composition details.

Many Spyderco knives have the choil, including the Lil' Temperance, Lum Chinese and Tanto folders, Horn II and Horn Lightweight, Laguiole, etc. It's another manufacturing step which adds to cost. That's probably why you don't find it on all designs. Plus, it's a design feature which the various custom collaborators may or may not prefer.

David
 
If you want the cut out notch in your blade it is easy to do. Just take a 5/32" chainsaw file and cut your notch in. I have done it several times. It looks really cool on the Spyderco Lum fixed blade. The Lum custom fixed blade tanto has the notch but the Spyderco version does not.
 
I thought it was called a spanish notch, ... anyhow, as long as we know what we are talking about, who cares.

Yes I miss it, too, on my Manix, the Chinook II has it. Makes sharpening on a benchstone much easier.
 
I hate them. It makes it much too hard to cut cloth, paper, vinyl and other thin materials freehand.

It's extremely frustrating to have a razor sharp knife that keeps snagging everything. :mad:

N2
 
Well, I like the little thingy half circle, but I don't think the word choil applies to it.
IMHO, the word choil refers to the larger half circle or the area between the edge and the grips.
However, I confess my ignorance, because I don't really understand the difference between the word ricasso and choil and what each of those words represents.
Perhaps I'll learn something. :)
 
Hmm… I don’t really have a preference one way or the other. To prevent snagging though, you can just use a stone to slightly round off the corner where the edge starts.

A.G. Russell’s Knife Encyclopedia gives this definition -
Choil

The cut away area between the edge and the tang of a pocket knife blade and between the edge and the guard of a straight knife. The choil may or may not have enough space for a finger, it's true purpose is to allow the edge to be sharpened all the way to the tang in a pocket knife and to the end of the edge in others. Any reference of choil and finger space or choil and handle is improper.
Click to expand...
However, I think Spyderco has referred to the area where you put your index finger when choking up on the knife as a “50/50 choil”. The 50/50 part means that half of the area is comprised of the blade and the other half of the handle.
 
Hi Jeffrey,

I guess you can see that there are different opinions which is why we do both.

Also, some makers prefer to add the choil and other don't.

The choil does seem to snag certain things, but does leave a cleaner division between edge and tang.

sal
 
Usually, the little round cutout thingy at the heel of the blade (the part of the sharpened edge adjacent to the tang) is called a "sharpening choil," to differentiate it from a larger, more significant choil that can appear elsewhere on the blade. As noted, it prevents the cutting edge from having a dull spot where it widens to meet the base of the tang. It allows the entire cutting edge to be equally sharp.

For the record, a Spanish notch is significantly larger and deeper and has a different function. Of course, that's a whole different debate...

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,
 
Thanks, everyone, for your replies and answers. Especially you, Sal, and Michael. Michael, the definition you posted explains exactly why I like to have a sharpening choil knives I own, for the most part. I guess there could be exceptions, but my preference generally is to have a knife designed to be sharpened as easily as it cuts.

So Sal, if you'd be so kind, make some more ball-bearing lock knives with non-recurve blades that have sharpening choils! LOL! I'll take a dozen! :)

Blue skies,
-Jeffrey
 
Take a look at a Sebenza, the blade is cut at and angle providing the same service as a Choil but still offering a smooth transition that doesn't snag. it would be nice to see this type of choil in more designs. It gives you the best of both worlds. And I haven't had mine snag on anything yet. You can see what I'm talking about in this picture
http://www.newgraham.com/images/CRK/crk_large/CR_EBGOLD_LARGE.jpg
 
will22 said:
Take a look at a Sebenza, the blade is cut at and angle providing the same service as a Choil but still offering a smooth transition that doesn't snag. it would be nice to see this type of choil in more designs. It gives you the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...


Yes, it would. I have taken to grinding a choil of my own using my Dremel high speed hand drill and a diamond grit bit. I just put one on my new Swick (hence the bump in this old thread) and am proceeding to put my own razor edge on the knife. :)

-Jeffrey
 
I'm another one who hates the cutout between the tang and the cutting-edge.
It's frustrating when stuff snags there.
IMHO, the cutting-edge should extend all the way to the tang or handle.

Allen.
 
allenC said:
I'm another one who hates the cutout between the tang and the cutting-edge.
It's frustrating when stuff snags there.
IMHO, the cutting-edge should extend all the way to the tang or handle.

Allen.
Click to expand...


Allen, how do you deal with sharpening the last few millimeters near the tang, then? It's my impression that this bit can end up looking quite ugly because there's no good way to really get in there... How do you address this issue?


-Jeffrey
 
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