Recommendation? Choil vs. Larger blade

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Liosha

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Oct 29, 2022
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I noticed many people began like finger choils last time. I didn't use as many knives as I could understand how useful is the choil is. And I'd like to know your opinion, dear knife experts, about what could be better for a folding knife.
 
Liosha said:
I noticed many people began like finger choils last time. I didn't use as many knives as I could understand how useful is the choil is. And I'd like to know your opinion, dear knife experts, about what could be better for a folding knife.
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A choil big enough to get a finger in, without getting cut, gives you more options for use. Moving your grip up the knife gives you better point control. It's especially more important to me, because I have larger hands, so I can run out of handle faster on a smaller knife. The use of super choil is one of the reasons why I keep going back to Jesper Voxnaes designs. If I absolutely need a longer blade, I'd get a bigger blade and maybe one with a super choil too, but it does depend on the type of knife.
 
On folder a finger choil doesn't make much sense. A small sharpening choil is OK. On a fixed of 6" and over I don't mind at all. E.g. my Lionsteel M7.
 
The only choils I like are Spyderco. They don't take up as much real estate as other choils, and they are jimped so as to prevent slipping. Otherwise, meh. A lot of knives with choils have a sharp edge and/or are too small for my fingers.
 
When I first got into knives online I hated finger choils. I just thought they were a huge waste of space. Over the years I've learned to respect them, and found that on some knives a finger choil can really make the knife ergonomic and fit my hand like a glove, and can be nice for certain cutting techniques. However a non-choiled knife can be just as ergonomic and still have more edge length. At this point in my life I don't have a strong feeling either way and just enjoy that I'm able to have knives of different varieties. Sometimes I'll hold a finger choilless knife like I would a knife that had a finger choil. I find that although a nice,say, Para 2 finger choil feels amazing in hand, I personally don't need much room to fit my finger up there near the ricasso for fine work.
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The further foward the edge is from the handle the more you need a "finger choil to choke up on" for control. The closer the edge is to the handle the more leverage you can apply, while safely controlling from the handle.
I dont mind a big knife with a "finger choil". Small knives it's a waste of cutting edge. I like a small sharpening choil on most knives, but not nescessary IMO.
 
I dislike finger choils on knives. They really do not add anything in my opinion, unless the choil is very deep like you see on the Microtech Stitch or the Bark River JX6. Most choils I see on knives are just a spot next to the edge to put your finger. I just got a TRM atom, which basically has no finger choil but also does not block your finger from being placed behind the edge. I think choils like you see on the PM2, the standard XM-18, etc. are just a waste of potential edge length on the blade. The choils you see on knives also usually do not add much protection from the actual edge in a grip. I think it's much safer to just have a handle, and have a blade, like you see on the sebenza. The TRM atom has no choil finger area, so honestly you respect being up against the blade that close more than you would on say a Native 5. It also does not waste blade/edge length. I would basically always like the blade and handle to be separate, especially since legally the blade length is what counts, not the edge length.
 
I never found myself really relying on finger choils
To be safe when holding a knife, I feel they strongly suggest a form of grip that maybe something you don't necessarily want to use, and thus may limit the knifes full potential
 
I really dislike finger choils on folding knives, too much wasted blade. I have tried them and have had issues with the materials I was cutting getting caught in the choil instead of being cut. As an example, cutting fiberglass insulation for an attic, end up tearing the backing paper instead of cutting it. I wouldn't own and xm-18 if it hadn't been for DLT exclusives, and I am hoping they get an xm-24 sometime without a choil, would absolutely love a 24 bowie without choil, that would be sweet..
 
I've learned to like finger choils only because I own more Spydercos then anything else and most have finger choils. As K.O.D. K.O.D. mentioned, Spyderco do finger choils better than anyone else imo.

Finger choil or no finger choil isn't a deal breaker for me.
 
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gazz98 said:
I've learned to like finger choils only because I own my Spydercos then anything else and most have finger choils. As K.O.D. K.O.D. mentioned, Spyderco do finger choils better than anyone else imo.

Finger choil or no finger choil isn't a deal breaker for me.
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Even at the best, finger choils on Spydercos aren't great either. They also recurve near the choil after sharpening since there is no sharpening choil for spyderco knives that have finger choils on average. The finger choil also tends to snag on material, which is the stated reason for spydercos lack of sharpening choils which is pretty hypocritical.
 
The only knife I like having a finger choil is the Cold Steel Tuff Lite. I have an XL hand. The Tuff Lite has a smaller handle, so the choil let's me have more control over the blade. This is just my humble opinion though.
 
To the "choil is OK on a big blade" people, let's say you have a 10 inch blade. Let's say a finger choil lets you choke up 1 inch. So now you have a 9 inch blade. Does that give any noticeable advantage?
 
I don't care about putting my finger in a choil or "choking up". I do like ease of sharpening, space for sharpening long-term, and not getting factory edges that smile up or otherwise run into the plunge.
 
I am not a fan of finger choils. I've never felt the need to "choke up on it, for detail work", as I've seen so many people state as their reason for wanting them. A well designed knife has a comfy handle and puts a usable edge close enough to the handle, IMO. Choils hang up on stuff and take away usable edge length.
 
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