Thumb stud vs hole

I'm not a huge flipper fan; but I like them better if they have a functional thumbstud.
Say what you want about the man, the Strider SNG was one of the few knives I've owned that had BOTH an opening hole & a functional thumbstud.
 
Quiet said:
They both work for me, however, if you're buying a knife that you know you'll be using to do a lot of slicing through media (like say, breaking down boxes), you're going to want a knife with a hole of some kind (SpyderHole or other), or else a knife where the thumbstuds are below the grind of the knife, so the studs are out of the way of the media the knife is going through.
Click to expand...
This is where I am at as well.

The cutting path needs to be unobstructed.
 
I’m a fan of Benchmade and Spyderco. I’ve come to really appreciate a Spyderco with a really good detent and nice drop shut action, not all are created equal. However, I’m a HUGE fan of Benchmade’s axis lock. Hard to beat when you get proficient with it. A little cheesy that I filmed this but hey… it is a blade forum and I’m a knife nut.

https://imgur.com/a/gTQKbKf
 
the holier the better
spyderco-introvert.jpg
 
I have both a griptilian with a sheepsfoot blade (w/hole) and a drop point blade (thumb studs). Between the two, I much prefer the sheepsfoot as I can make use the full length of the cutting blade. For edc though I prefer the drop point version as it has a slimmer profile than the sheepsfoot. Another example would be the PM2, easy to deploy but wider in profile and you do feel it in the front pocket. There are pros and cons for each design and its comes down to the individual preference. As for me, my edc of choice would be the CRK sabenza Large 21 plain jane with drop point blade. Great blade, slim profile, easy to maintain/clean and only has a single stud which is conical in design.
 
Emerson Wave!

I prefer the thumb hole over a thumb stud or disc, but I have knives with all of them.
 
I've found, as many have mentioned that its not a stud vs. hole so much as what fits the blade. I have found that in general, a hole has a wider range of deployment positions, and since I have smaller hands, I find I generally can find a good index and open from a variety of positions. The cost is the height of the blade over the handles. The stud will allow an overall narrower profile, and on some blades I have found it works quite well. I guess for me its a matter of knowing that an opening hole will work, and a stud might work. For me, flippers are not really an EDC option, and in the situations where I'm buying a "lawful purpose" knife, I'd rather the overall firmer grip and control of either a hole or stud opener. Just a quirk of my current legal framework. It really is a "for you" thing. I think if you start using too broad a brush, you'll miss good stuff just due to an aesthetic. Though, if you are only concerned about the look, that's fine too, carry what you want.
 
I'm surprised that about everyone likes the hole so much better. But after receiving my first Spyderco para 3 Monday...... I kinda like the hole. Now to master the Spyder flick. The thumb is to easy. I have 2 zt flippers, they are ok but thumb and hole are 3x faster to deploy. I've always thought as my edc knife as a tool, but just in case, i want something easy to grab from the pocket and quick to deploy to get in front of you if needed to protect yourself. I'm new here as well. I've really enjoyed this post. Thanks op
 
I like both holes and thumb studs very much. I think I lean a bit toward thumbs studs. I also like automatics (push button). Not a fan of flippers.
 
It depends. The difference might be not all that big. An opening hole doesn't automatically means the knife is easy to open because some opening holes are simply not accessible enough (eg Swayback).
Also, sometimes, even though opening with an opening hole is no problem, closing is (eg GB2).

I would like to add that there are times a blade without an opening hole is preferable simply because an opening hole makes the blade more prone to snapping when exposed to lateral stress, especially with low toughness steels (most broken Spyderco blades snap at the opening hole).
So when a tough blade is needed, in a hard use folder, a thumb stud, or even better, a flipper might be desirable.
 
I prefer the hole, which might be part of the reason why the Griptilian is the Benchmade knife I find myself using the most.
 
I'm a fan of both, but I feel like the hole is much more intuitive and user friendly for a newbie. With a stud you have to rely on it being placed/executed correctly for it to be easy for a newbie.

Then there's the argument that thumb studs get in the way when cutting, so that's a +1 for the hole as well.
 
A thumb stud knife viewed point towards you looks like a big-snouted animal with small ears. A blade with a thumb hole looks mutilated. That said, I'm a Spyderco guy.
 
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