Delica5 aethetics improvement

[clodus]

Hello Guys,

I just wanted to share some suggestions for the further improvement of spyderco knives.

I know that the Delica is a very good knife in terms of functionality, ergonomics, handling, and quality. However there is one thing that refrain me from buying one. It is the aesthetics. I understand that aesthetics should be the last concern when selecting a knife. But it is a huge plus for non-knife people as they select knives the other way around. And it is also a plus of for knife people.

Anyway, the only aesthetic design flaw that really bugs me in getting a delica is on the blade pivot area, the gap of the blade and the handle. I understand that this is a limitation of a lockback design.
Image00001.jpg

But using the dragonfly as reference, it does not have this flaw and looks sleek even at the closed position. the dragonfly's blade and handle are like one piece, sleek and smooth in the open and closed position.
Image00002.jpg

In my opinion, furture spyderco lockback design should be sleeck and smooth in design like the dragonfly to further improve the delica in the aesthetic department. Same goes for other knives with this gap.

I don't know if it is just me. But this is refraining me from liking the delica compared to other spydie models. Just posting this as improvement suggestion for spyderco.

(i tried posting the photos to come out in this message. But i can't get it to work. It appears as links, can somebody teach me how?)

[The Deacon]

I'm big on esthetics too. The way the blade mates with the handle in both the open and closed positions is one reason, though not the only reason, I prefer models which have a 50/50 choil. That said, the Delica and Endura have been best sellers for Spyderco for over 20 years. The Police has been in the lineup, virtually unchanged, even longer. While none of them may appeal to us, they obviously appeal to a lot of folks whose priorities or tastes differ from ours. I think it would be unreasonable to expect Spyderco to risk the impact such a change might have on the sale of what is probably their most popular model to satisfy us, especially given the number of excellent 50/50 choiled midlocks in their current lineup.

[BAL]

I tend to agree on the look of the knives at that location, Clodus. It does stick out when looking at
the knife. I buy products for function as the most important quality, but it might as well look good
at the same time. There are so many other factors though to consider to make a change, such as
the lockback strength and the feel of the knife in the hand.

I have three Delica'a and three or four Endura's, so I guess that it doesn't bother me that much,
but it is one thing that I have always noticed that looks out of place.

[sal]

Hi Clodus,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum. Hope you enjoy your time here.

We had considered adding a 50/50 finger choil to the Endura and Delica 4 at the last revision. Even designed a few. But in the end, we decided not to do that for the reasons Deacon mentioned. While it may not seem like much, the ergos and function would have to be changed to make it look like the D'fly without designing in the finger choil, which many non-knife people don't care for.

sal

[captnvegtble]

Adding a choil to the delica/endura would fundamentally change the erganomics of the knife and perhaps be a turn-off for those (like me) who do not like choils on most knives. As The Deacon said, the delica has been selling well for 20 years so I doubt Spyderco would make any fundamental changes to the delica (or they would re-name the knife if they did). I like the variety that Spyderco offers.

[Donut]

I like the lack of choil on the Delica and Endura for a change. You can always go to a Stretch.

Our next options will probably come when we find out what steels the China plant can get from Carpenter and work with, then we may or may not see better steel in the Byrd line. There is a model similar to the Delica with a choil in the Byrd line.

[bh49]

I like the lack of choil on the Delica and Endura for a change. You can always go to a Stretch.

+1
Or even better caly family

[Spook410]

In all honesty, I never even noticed. I have a ZDP Delica I often use as an EDC. Green FRN handle. Great knife. I like the current ergonomics pretty well including how my thumb rests when it's open. Don't look at it much when it's in my pocket. This doesn't mean aesthetics are not a consideration when it comes to knives and like many here I have several where craftsmanship and artistry come together to make something special. However, I tend not to be too critical in this area for working knives where function clearly trumps form.

[Evil D]

It would be possible to design the handle to cover that portion of the tang, but it would mean moving the index finger further away from the edge which wouldn't be a great idea. It's not about being a lock back, since as you said the Dragonfly doesn't have it, but that's because of the 50/50 choil. For me, the knife would be 100% better if the finger scallops or whatever you wanna call them in the handle were completely smoothed out and eliminated (ala Centofante 3/4). They just don't meet up with any of my fingers so the points tend to be on my fingers instead of between them.

[clodus]

Hi guys,

Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting the delicas to have a 50/50 choil. I'm not a fan of 50/50 choil myself as the cutting edge length will shorten. My suggestion was to make the delica's thumb choil mate with the handle in the closed position. Using the dragonfly only as an example as it is the only lockback that I have seen to have this aesthetic quality. Which looks pleasing to me.

But, i'm not a knife person YET. Going there, but I believe having a good knife and aesthetically beautiful knife is a huge bonus.
From how I understand the design, assuming Delica5's FRN handles will be remolded, with the hand held at hand, extending the lower portion or the FRN handle a little bit more to the knife edge may do the job IF handling and other quality concerns will not be affected. .

Again, this is only an opinion and suggestion (not a demand) for the further improvement of Spyderco.

[Evil D]

What you're missing is that it's BECAUSE the Dfly has the 50/50 choil, that it doesn't have that gap like the Delica has. It's a product of the half of the choil of the handle matching up with the curve of the thumb ramp. Since the handle of the Delica at the tang isn't shaped to flow into a 50/50, it stops abruptly and leaves that gap. The only way you can counter this without the choil is to fatten up the bottom of the handle so much that it covers the gap, but then the grip is gonna be really funky because it'll be real thick at the tang and your index finger will be pushed further away from the cutting edge.

A Kershaw ZT is a good example of this. They put the choil all the way back into the handle, which makes it protrude down far enough to cover the gap, but look how far back your index finger is as a result. Personally, i'll stick with the gap before i push my grip that far back away from the blade.

The only other way i can think of to get rid of that gap would be to extend that portion of the tang way back (forward when closed) and then in turn shorten the lock bar so that the lock up action is further down towards the butt of the handle. The problem with that though is that you have to move the pivot somehow to correspond, so i'm not sure if that's even possible. In the end it's really just a result of the handle design more than anything, and really the only good way i can think of to get rid of it is with a 50/50 unless you radically change the grip design, which then just wouldn't be a Delica.

[Gunslinger]

I think you should check out a Caly 3, it is roughly the same size as a Delica, has a finger choil, and the blade mates with the handle nicely.

[rnbtexas]

Thanks for this post. I actually learned a lot going through it. You'll get a kick out of this. I loaded it in two different browsers so I could look at the knife side by side to compare.

I have to agree I like a visually appealing knife, but I like one that "feels" good in my hand even better. I looked at the ZT models think that they would be kind of clumsy to try and use in a fine motion. I think this is why I like Spyderco so much. They do several styles of folders very well. I think they have a model that would fit most anyone looking for a folder.

Best,

[Anonymous]

Only thing I wish they would do is make the back spacer area smoother. I don't know if the Delica's are like this but most Enduras I've seen have a little lip on both sides. It looks like marks left over from a molding process maybe? I'm sure it has something to do with producing them at the rate they do but still....it is the only thing I completely dislike about them.

[Blerv]

Love the Delica on paper but less in hand. Great knife just a little too...normal .

The Cento3 is an excellent alternative. It does have the lockback gap when closed but still amazing lines.

[Evil D]

Love the Delica on paper but less in hand. Great knife just a little too...normal .

The Cento3 is an excellent alternative. It does have the lockback gap when closed but still amazing lines.

The Centofante 3 is a better knife in every way if you ask me. The only thing it doesn't offer is left hand clip options, but who would cover that awesome palladium spider with a clip anyway?

[Zenith]

NO DAMN CHOIL ON THE DELICA OR ENDURA!

We should start a support group called the D&E anti-choil.

Leave it alone. There are enough choils on other models. Buy the Native.

[RIOT]

a choil would end my love for the delica.

[Evil D]

I used to want a choiled Delica but i've gotten over it. There are plenty of other choiled knives. If anything i'd rather see a G10/FRN Caly 3 come back.

[Blerv]

I like choils but hate losing cutting edge for them. Likewise, I like leg room in cars but not at the expense of a smaller engine .