Skeletonized Knives: Your opinions/thoughts?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I forget if we ever discussed this as a topic before, but, what are your views, everyone, on skeletonized knives. Such as fixed blade and folder knives with holes cut out in the blades (I am not speaking of the patented Spyderhole on Spyderco knives, that is for opening) for weight-reduction and for grip?

The original Tekna diving knife made of all stainless steel made this famous, and there have been many copies churned out based on that, you can see them all over the internet and other stores.

I have also seen very high quality custom-made/hand-made skeletonized knives, both for diving use and other uses.

What are the ups and downs on a knife made this way? I can see how it would make it lighter weight, but would it give you a good grip, if the holes in the handle were large enough?

I remember an advertisement in one of the outdoor magazines back in the 1990s selling one of the Taiwan made skeleton handle dive knives with the quick release plastic sheath, and they listed it as an "ultimate survival knife" and showed that you could tie the handle to a stick for an emergency fish spear, using the skeletonized stainless steel handle.

Some of them began to coat the handle with a plastic or rubber compound, to give it a better grip, while also leaving the holes in the handle as is.

And then, I have seen folders with skeletonized BLADES, with multiple holes or sections (not necessarily rounded), cut out of the blade itself, to make it lighter. Tekna also did that with one of their folders.

[The Deacon]

Lighter weight is a plus and, underwater at least, the smaller surface area may give them less of the aquatic equivalent of air resistance. They can also be more "sheeple friendly", depending on the cutouts. I've never had anyone cringe at the sight of a Q.

On the down side, knives with skeletonized blades tend to snag in some materials and tear some others. They are also harder to clean if used for food prep or to cut something sticky/nasty. If not cleaned and dried properly the "nooks and crannies" become a breeding ground for rust. They're also a really bad choice for spreading peanut butter.

[Dr. Snubnose]

The other down side is that skeletonized handles are not good for self defense as they are the hardest to hold onto when the palm get sweaty. In the case of that Tekna...they made poor defensive weapons but were easy to carry due to weight and flatness....Kershaw made a similar knife called the Amphibian back in the late 70's I believe, those also touted as dive knives handle a rubberized coating over the metal, though still a skelton handle, with a tacky feel that you could hold onto.....Doc:)

[Evil D]

Some of them are cool to look at but I have a hard time seeing them as anything more than a novelty.

[Doc Dan]

The only skeletonized knives I have are an Izula and Izula II. Both have handle scales on them, now. The skeletonized handles are great for light weight, fixing the knife to a pole, and being flat and concealable. But for hard use, putting a set of scales on is the right way to go.
I often EDC an Izula in my pocket because they are so flat and the sheath sans clip, really flies off fast with a press of the thumb. It is also a great BBQ knife as there is nothing for a novice to ruin.

[Blerv]

The best use of skeletonizing that I've seen is with cheese blades.

I know there is a push for lighter weight knives but I would rather have solid liners as there is less room for dust and grime to hide. If you really want a light knife, IMHO, go linerless or with titanium liners. The Salt line is still tough as nails and the biggest downfall I feel is the lack of four-way clip positioning.

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear Friends,

I don't mind skeletonized blades, as I feel they reduce the weight of the knife.

As for the handles, I despise skeletonization. I have a Gerber Paraframe PS (it was a gift - long story) in my vehicle as a last-resort knife that I can't stand to carry largely because of the skeletonized handles. It's a PITA to even change grips (forward to reverse, etc.) on the thing without getting your fingertips stuck in the holes in the scales - it's incredibly frustrating. Also, if you really bear down when gripping the knife it gets really uncomfortable really quickly.

The Spyderco Q was far better done than most - the last Q I had I gifted to my godfather for his collection several years ago.

Early Beretta Airlight knives did a passable job on the blade design and skeletonization, but IMO the rest of the knife quality was just mediocre for the price.

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Hannibal

[Evil D]

I just remembered I have an old Beretta Airlight that was given to me years ago. I never really carried or used it but it's an interesting knife. It really is extremely light for its size.

Not my knife but it's just like this.

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear Friend,

I just remembered I have an old Beretta Airlight that was given to me years ago. I never really carried or used it but it's an interesting knife. It really is extremely light for its size.

Not my knife but it's just like this.

That's the one - loved the blade. The price needed to be lower for what it was, but they were striking knives.

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Hannibal

[Evil D]

Yeah, I've seen them for sale used at $75+ which seems kinda high to me for 440 steel but I guess at the time this knife was current 440 was a high end option.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Regarding Skeleton knives, check these new offerings from KABAR. I would like your opinions on them:

http://www.kabar.com/knives/new-products

I like the look of that Becker Skeleton handle one. Notice the blade itself is nice and solid but it is the steel handle that has the cut-out material. And it does not look too expensive, either, even at the MSRP price.

If you had that would you leave the handle as is, or, would you want to wrap it with paracord or durable tape or some plastic material to make it more comfortable?

What is kindof funny is if you keep looking at the new products list, they have a Kabar TACTICAL SPORK! LOL!