Big Choils on Folders?

Not everyone wants as much edge as possible. I prefer a full sized handle and whatever size blade I can get in the smallest package possible. Lots of control, lots of leverage, etc. I did love my SnG's choil for those reasons, but haven't had many other designs that pulled it off as well.
 
I like to choke up as close to the heel of the blade as I can. If I'm doing hard cutting right there I feel like I can exert more force into what I'm cutting rather than having ¼-½" distance and creating a sort of fulcrum. Not sure if I'm explaining that accurately, but I enjoy a well-done finger choil nonetheless.
 
EricV said:
I did love my SnG's choil for those reasons, but haven't had many other designs that pulled it off as well.
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I think people need to remember that not everyone will have any clue as to what your specific abbreviation might mean. I, for example, have no idea what you mean by "SnG".

IMHO, finger choils might have their place for some people, but some are just ridiculous wastes of blade steel. The worst offender I have handled is the Cold Steel American Lawman. Its useful cutting edge is only 2.75" long. The rest of its 3.375" exposed blade is used up by the finger choil and the really shallow plunge grind. All of this in a handle that is 4.75" long. The overall open length of the knife is around 8", just to give you 2.75" of cutting edge. I like the overall feel of the Lawman, but it stays in my knife box because the wasted steel on a huge finger choil just pisses me off each time I try to carry it.

The Paramilitary 2 also has too much finger choil IMHO too but it is not nearly as bad as the Lawman. It gets carried but the space wasted on the finger choil would have been better utilized for more cutting edge.

Many good knife designs have your index finger within 1/4" of the cutting edge without a finger choil. I really can't see how getting your finger to within 1/16" of the cutting edge (or even touching) gives you any more real control over how you are cutting.
 
I generally like choils on both folders and fixed blades. I find them almost necessary on very small modern folders such as the Cold Steel Tuff Lite. On fixed blades, knives under 4" (blade) don't generally need a choil unless the handle is very small. I like a guard on many of my larger fixed blades.
 
What's funny is I contacted REK last week to see if he could put a choil on the blade of the Sebenza.
 
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Blades like the PM2 or Striders that rob you of an extreme amount of cutting edge are pointless. Now something like that CRKT Batum, that's how a finger choil should be not an excuse to spend less time on the blade. Cough WE 605, Any Strider/Duane Dwyer, Spyderco Cough
 
HowAmI said:
Blades like the PM2 or Striders that rob you of an extreme amount of cutting edge are pointless. Now something like that CRKT Batum, that's how a finger choil should be not an excuse to spend less time on the blade. Cough WE 605, Any Strider/Duane Dwyer, Spyderco Cough
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How is it spending less time to add the choil to many spyderco knives like the PM2? Please explain.
 
craytab said:
Haven't you heard? That is considered "beyond Stupid". Fact.
:rolleyes:
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You have your opinion, I have mine. I've found finger choils on larger knives an annoyance, so I think they're beyond stupid, yes. Not sure why the fact that we'd have a difference of opinion amazes you so, but feel free to get all spun up about it if that's what floats your boat.

I do sort of want one of these ergonomic wonders, though:

ovBo3pL.jpg
 
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evilgreg said:
You have your opinion, I have mine. I've found finger choils on larger knives an annoyance, so I think they're beyond stupid, yes. Not sure why the fact that we'd have a difference of opinion amazes you so, but feel free to get all spun up about it if that's what floats your boat.
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I don't believe I said it amazes me and you did not state what you said as an opinion until now ;)

I do find it interesting that you feel so strongly against finger choils that you would say what tons and tons of people like is beyond stupid, but hey, if you want to be that concerned about it fine by me, just make sure you state that nugget of joy as your opinion :thumbsup:

Out of curiosity I just compared the specs on an Endura to a PM2 and the Endura has more space between the cutting edge and handle than the PM2. If the Endura had a choil the blade would be closer to the handles. I wonder how many other blades this would be the case for?
 
craytab said:
I don't believe I said it amazes me and you did not state what you said as an opinion until now ;)
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I'm lost--did you think I was suggesting that a peer-reviewed journal article had detailed the results of a twelve year study that proved finger choils on large knives were stupid?

If I comment on the forum that Spyderco knives are great, do I need to include some clues that it's my opinion I'm expressing, or will you similarly take that as a statement of fact?

It's an Internet forum, in a thread about finger choil preferences--do you really need a roadmap to show you where the opinions are?
 
So do you want to continue to argue about this, maybe put more words in my mouth, or perhaps discuss the subject?

What you did is included in those silly threads in your signature. Shall we go down that road or continue talking about choils?

I'm wondering how many knives with big finger choils would not change in blade length if the choil is simply removed.
 
craytab said:
I'm wondering how many knives with big finger choils would not change in blade length if the choil is simply removed.
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If you look at other spydercos without choils the PM2 would not change much in blade length.
 
I dunno, when I compare my Spydercos with finger choils to the ones without that are a similar size, there is often quite a bit of difference. The Mantra 2 and Sage 2 below are almost the exact same closed length (similar handle size, the Mantra is actually ever so slightly shorter, I think) but the Mantra blade starts a fair whack earlier, for example:

PHQkA1K.jpg
 
evilgreg said:
I'm the opposite--I think the PM2 is a great example of a pointless finger choil. The knife's handle is already massive, over-large even, to the point that it's a pocket hog, why waste blade space with a choil when you've already got that gigantic handle?

These two knives have about the same amount of sharpened steel, for example:

pKyfJto.jpg


. . . now maybe the 707 could use a finger choil, it has a bitty little handle. Not the PM2, though.
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I find the pm2 handle JUST big enough, cramped with a glove on, perfect gloved using the choil. My only issue with the pm2 is the wasted space, my all black one has nearly 1/2" of room the blade could extend into, my cruwear not as bad but there is still room to extend the tip.
 
evilgreg said:
I dunno, when I compare my Spydercos with finger choils to the ones without that are a similar size, there is often quite a bit of difference. The Mantra 2 and Sage 2 below are almost the exact same closed length (similar handle size, the Mantra is actually ever so slightly shorter, I think) but the Mantra blade starts a fair whack earlier, for example:

PHQkA1K.jpg
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Yup. You get more blade there. That said, on the mantra it looks to me like with the flipper your hand is further from the blade which is what a lot of people like about a large choil. With the PM2 vs Endura/Delica you actually lose less blade length with the PM2 Choil.
 
I like my choil on PM2 and let's stop arguing
Check this out. The edge probably getting pretty close to your compression lock when closed
maxresdefault.jpg
 
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