I've realized I don't like choils.

[vivi]

I never use them on my knives that have them. If I want tip control, I put my index finger on the spine of the knife and choke up on the handle with the rest of my hand. Don't need a choil for that. I find when I use the choil it tends to limit how much of the cutting edge I can use, because if I cut materials close to the ricasso while using the choil my hand gets in the way.

I prefer designs like the Lil Temp, Street Beat, Resilience, Pacific Salt etc., that get your hand pretty close to the cutting edge with a regular grip.

I won't avoid a knife because it has a choil (Millie and Para 2's are among my favorites). But it doesn't add anything to the knife for me.

Anyone else?

[harronek]

I agree with you .
I even went as far as removing the finger - Choil lump on the scales of my Caly 3.5
Exaggerated choils limit the way you can comfortably hold the knife , and don't give you many other hold options .
I'm not not saying Choils are bad , they just arent for me I'm afraid .

Ken

[remnar]

I love me some choil! :eek:

Different strokes... :D :spyder:

[Holzfaeller]

My PM2 gets more use than any other knife, but I never put my finger on the choil. I don't mind it being there, but I would use more cutting edge, if it had it in lieu of the choil. The knives with smaller handles that don't allow me to get a full grip behind the choil don't settle well with me. But then, I have been looking at the Kiwi 4 lately...

[SG89]

I love me some choil! :eek:

Different strokes... :D :spyder:

This^

[can't freehand]

I never use them on my knives that have them. If I want tip control, I put my index finger on the spine of the knife and choke up on the handle with the rest of my hand. Don't need a choil for that. I find when I use the choil it tends to limit how much of the cutting edge I can use, because if I cut materials close to the ricasso while using the choil my hand gets in the way.

I prefer designs like the Lil Temp, Street Beat, Resilience, Pacific Salt etc., that get your hand pretty close to the cutting edge with a regular grip.

I won't avoid a knife because it has a choil (Millie and Para 2's are among my favorites). But it doesn't add anything to the knife for me.

Anyone else?

On folders, yes, that's one reason why I love the Endura.

All choirs aren't made equal though. I hate the Stretch's choil but find the Manix's to be useful.

[Doc Dan]

I prefer not to have choils on most knives and would rather have more real estate on the blade. I like a guard to protect my precious fingers, as found on the Delica, Manbug, and etc.

[demoncase]

It's good Sal and Eric produce a range that encompasses both choil'd and un-choil'd folders, so we get to choose.

Me- I find those knives with a choil I couldn't imagine not having it....and those without a choil I wouldn't want with one. :)

[Nasgul]

It's good Sal and Eric produce a range that encompasses both choil'd and un-choil'd folders, so we get to choose.

Me- I find those knives with a choil I couldn't imagine not having it....and those without a choil I wouldn't want with one. :)

:) Nicely said !

[Surfingringo]

I like them. I also like many knives that do not have choils. If I were designing a knife from scratch I would probably include a finger choil but it's not really a defining factor for me of whether I like an existing design or not.

[chuck_roxas45]

Depends. On the millie and para I really like the choil for fine cutting with a little pressure. On the endura, I don't like the choil....wait, endura doesn't have a choil, does it?

I do find the humungous choil on the manix 2 extraneous and merely reduces useable edge length.

[Joris Mo]

Like them very much, an important reason for me to use very little but Spydies.
I was also very disappointed to see that the new Gayle Bradley folder lost the choil, I love the original but it's just too heavy for me and now the new one will be choilless.. At least there's well choiled PM2's on the way in M4 now. :)

Btw, on fixed blades I like a choil/guard sort of combination mainly on small blades like a lot of the Perrin designs but my favorite big blade (7,5") is perfect without a choil.

[bearfacedkiller]

They are better executed on some knives than on others. On some knives I love them and on others I do not. I find them useful on very large knives like the Military and also love how the Military's choil more subtly blended into the design. Perfect!

[twinboysdad]

Choil work on some knives, PM2 and Mill and Tuff, and really ruin the knife on others, cough...Superleaf...cough. I think it all comes down to where the balance is. Superleaf choil is not only unnecessary it is right in the sweet spot cutting wise. I like the choil on the C3.5

[The Deacon]

I'm the opposite. Pretty much every Spyderco I carry has two features, a midlock and a 50/50 choil.

[elena86]

Depends. On the millie and para I really like the choil for fine cutting with a little pressure. On the endura, I don't like the choil....wait, endura doesn't have a choil, does it?

I do find the humungous choil on the manix 2 extraneous and merely reduces useable edge length.

^^^That

[gaj999]

I don't like choils either. Or guards.

Gordon

[Evil D]

I like them because they give you a second grip option, but I also prefer a handle design that doesn't need a choil to locate the index finger (safely) close to the edge.

[SpyderNut]

Depends on the design. Some designs benefit from having a choil--others not so much. For this reason, I have my favorites in both the "choiled" and "non-choiled" crowds.

[Cliff Stamp]

Ed Fowler is probably one of the biggest choil advocates, he puts them on even small knives. If you really don't like choils at all you might consider reading/looking at what he as written as he has a pretty different perspective.