Yojimbo versus Dodo

Dodo Gooood.

EDIT: Okay, so you like the dodo except that it's ugly eh? I think it's purdy in it's own speshial way... Besides if you get one, you can also join the Dodo Lovers Cult(DLC).

One thing I don't like about it is that it takes up a lot of room in my pocket. Twice as much as a 705 from the top of the handle to the spine. The other is that it isn't the easiest knife to get in an out of your pocket. The Ziptie/wave works well with it though.
 
of the 2 i would take the yojimbo myself, strictly on aesthetics, both are nice little knives though, i usually prefer something a little larger (3" minimum).
 
Hell, you know it doesn't matter. You know you are gonna end up buying both of them anyway. Buy whatever is on clearence and go from there.
We're all addicted. We ain't ever gonna stop.
BTW, I'm drunk. Don't pay any attention to me.
-KC
 
The Dodo is a little less comfortable used as an impact tool but is still quite useable. Takes up a lot of space vertically.... Dodo feels really nice in saber grip or with index/thumb reinforcing the blade. With the generation I had it was difficult to work the ball-lock.

Yojimbo just overall feels better in hammer grip and reverse grip. Some people say you can use it RGEI but I've never found that comfortable. Also, the end sticks out even when open and can be used as well. The compression lock is pretty strong.

With both there was absolutely no blade-play and they're both solid folders. The Dodo IMO is preferable for detail work but is not much fun to sharpen.
 
the Yojimbo, especially with blue scales, looks like a utility/box cutter type knife, so it is quite sheeple friendly I think.
 
yeah, that's kind of what I'm looking for....preferably with a knife not as hideous as these two, but whatever it takes....something I can get my whole hand around but doesn't scare n00bs. Every time I get a new knife my father tells me how it was designed for KILLIN! If I had a yojimbo I'd just call it a box cutter and if it were a dodo, well, it's too silly to look dangerous. As you know, knives with strange colored handles or silly looking designs aren't dangerous.
 
Ironically enough, the larger knife, geared for MBC purposes, is the more sheeple friendly of the two, due to it's box cutter appearance. While the Dodo, which is the box cutter on steroids, tends to freak people out.

I've carried both at different times, and it still astounds me that no one so much as blinks at the Yojimbo, despite the fact that it could do some massive damage.

I still prefer the Dodo though, just for size reasons. It's easier to carry, being the smaller of the two.
 
The Yojimbo is a good all-around EDC. I had one for six months or so and regret selling it. It has great blade geometry, a comfortable and versatile handle, and is easy to carry. Even though I personally think the Yojimbo has a utilitarian appearance, I used the knife once in front of my dad and he commented that it looks “hawkish”, which I guess means threatening. :confused:

I only owned a Dodo for a couple of days before I sold it in unused condition. It has a really ergonomic handle and I think the design is pretty neat. The blade shape is so extreme though that I just couldn’t see myself using it regularly. The prospect of sharpening the tight curves of its edge was also daunting.

IIRC, I sold both of the knives to the same guy. Since they each had blue G-10 scales, but very different overall designs, I thought that they might compliment each other. A Dodo and a Yojimbo could make a very cool carry combo. :cool:
 
I have both of these little beauties. The Yojimbo is much better for self-defense purposes. (It was developed explicitly for this.) It has a very secure, ergonomic grip and has a very tough lock and construction. IIRC, a "meat test" showed the Yojimbo to have the deepest slashes of any Spyderco. That said, the Dodo is a great little utility knife that can be used for SD. I was surprised at how small it was in person. The hooked blade cannot be used for stabs like the Yojimbo's blade. It is better for cutting boxes and things though because of this curve.

As for sheeple-friendliness, my Yojimbo has been confiscated by the police twice, and returned with no problems. I have not had this misfortune with the Dodo. People nearly always equate the Yojimbo to a large box cutter, whereas the Dodo usually gets odd looks. Whether this is threatening to people is hard to tell, but its unique appearance is definitely noticeable. There is one common trait among these that is beneficial in my experience. People always take the blue handles as less threatening. They do look benign, but I am biased because I like blue. :)

If you can only afford one, definitely get the Yojimbo. It is more genearally useful. You can stake your life on one. I do.

The Dodo has recently become cheaper though, and would still be a fine introduction into this "family" of knives.
 
Artfully Martial said:
Can you be more specific about your love?
Click to expand...

Why hey, sailor, as long as you're asking... :D

Since I picked it up the Yo has jumped into the top 3 of my EDC rotation. It has one weakness: it has no belly. Which as far as I can tell means that if you aren't going to try to skin anything, it has no weaknesses at all.

I don't own a Dodo, but I'll try to keep it in mind as a comparison as I list the filthy, filthey tenets of my perverted love.

Easiest high Rockwell hardness blade to sharpen I ever owned. I do my hand sharpening on benchstones, and the dead flat edge makes touching it up so fast and easy it's unreal.

I bought the Yo to try it out. It has completely sold me on the Janich/Snody pointy modern wharncliff as a utility blade - I've since bought a Ronin, Juju, and Instigator, and if the Gravitator wasn't tip down and a linerlock, I'd have one of those too. Penetration is incredible, and it does all the "hey, it doesn't slip off the point" pull cutting of rope, etc, damn near the same as a hawkblade. It has great ergos, and I really like the grip options. It's set up so the standard grip, using the finger groove, gives you a LOT of reach to work with for a 3" blade, and the choke up grip gets you very close and solid, without sacrificing any blade length to a ricasso for choil.

As a guy whose other EDCs, with the exception of a 770 and 960 for dress pants, tend to be man sized hard users - Chinook, BM 750, 710 and 730, Worden Tactical - I like the fact that the Yo gives me a full sized grip and cuts like a big boy, while staying 3" legal and innocuous. As low profile as a Dodo, no. But compared to a Chinook or a 710?

I love the full flat grind and the compression lock. I'm getting quite enamored of the ball lock on my new D'Allara Drop, but the lock on the Dodo and first gen D'Allara were just to damn hard to close for me and my short nailed wide-ass fingers, which may not be an issue for you.

It's a comfortable handle, and it pops right out of my pocket and into the correct grip, no fumbling - that huge finger groove just sucks you in. It's flat enough that it's very comfortable even in chino pockets - and remember this is a longer handle than the Chinook, equal to the 710 - but has no flat grip palm bite. It's light enough not to make shorts sag.

It's tip up, which is a biggie for me. The blue G-10 helps it look much friendlier than it might, I think.

Sarah likes it - she usually sees a new folder and says "Yep, that would scare the people at the office." She saw the Yo and said "It looks like a big razor knife. That would be good in the frame shop."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top