Microjimbo

[Brown_Recluse]

i have to be honest here, i've never really been bit by the Yojimbo bug (although that S90V/CF Sprint that was out a little bit ago almost sucked me in but i resisted). then along comes this guy. or the concept of this guy. for reasons mostly beyond my understanding, i gotta have it.

i see on the new releases list that it is listed with a preliminary release in may 2023 but it is still in the upcoming category. contrary to popular belief, I can, in fact, put 2 and 2 together and get 3. i looked through the recent posts and didn't see any on the Microjimbo, just some mentions of it. so, i'm invoking the power of deduction and going to assume that it is not yet in the wild. which leads me to my question. anyone have any updates on it?

I'm sure i can do my 2 and 2 trick and get the answer but i figured i'd ask. crazier things have happened

[THG]

I am also looking forward to this one

[Bolster]

I've not seen any recent updates. We're waiting for the release.

I liked the original Yo. Never purchased a Yo2. Haven't decided about Micro yet.

[Stas]

Good things take time. I'm waiting! I also don't know why I have to have it. Perhaps in a country without blade limitations, it's refreshing to carry something that small.

[mikey177]

It hasn't been released yet. I'm looking forward to getting one when they are available.

[ladybug93]

i was initially excited, but now i'm much less so. the handle doesn't look all that conducive to comfortable use for me, i can carry larger knives, and the delica wharncliffe (or a utility knife) fills this niche for me better.

take that with a grain of salt though, since i've never even held one, let alone used it. just speculation based on my experiences with other knives and my own personal preferences. maybe it'll all change when i get one in hand.

[Bemo]

I'm a sucker for anything with a Wharnie blade. I was looking forward to this one but may have changed my mind (easy to say when it hasn't been released yet). My prediction is it won't happen until the factory expansion is completed.

[A.S.]

I was fortunate to get to handle a Microjimbo at Blade Show with Michael Janich. He was so nice to tell me the history of the way he designed the original Yojimbo and showed me his personal carry! The Microjimbo is going to be a great knife for those who like smaller blades. I liken it to a short bladed Delica. The thing that sold me is the handle is not stunted, it fit so well in my hand and I didn’t feel as I was missing anything because this is a “micro” knife. Looking forward to picking one up sometime soon.

[Bolster]

I have a question about the Microjimbo. Somewhere on this forum I'd asked how the Microjimbo was designed to be held, and MJ himself answered it was designed for the index finger to go into the large concave in the handle. That would make a very safe grip, it seems to me, with the index well back of the blade and hooked in. Then I saw Wouter's photo of the 15V version, and noticed the index finger on the forward/choil/ricasso area, as shown below. Maybe the model has a large hand, but even so, I'm curious: Why was the Microjimbo not designed with a finger choil, as photoshopped below? There must be a good reason, because lots of Spyderco's smaller knives utilize a finger choil for the purpose of obtaining a four finger grip. I'm thinking MJ's design decision must have been for increased safety, to actually discourage a finger-forward grip as seen in the 15V photo...but I really don't know, thus I'm asking.

[Bolster]

Ah, searched and found the original finger placement question and MJ's answer, if you're interested, but that exchange doesn't address the no-choil question:

viewtopic.php?p=1764423#p1764318

Now I know some folks like a taller ricasso/forward handle area, as Wartstein does on his beloved Goddard. Maybe MJ likes that also, but he didn't mention the Microjimbo being designed for that grip. Perhaps a forward grip is fine for using it as a boxcutter, but would that be appropriate for its intended SD use? My question pertains to the likelihood of a forward slip of the index finger if held as shown on the 15V model, especially on a thrust where the knife could encounter a rapid deceleration. If a 4-finger grip AND increased safety were desired, I'm curious why the design decision of no finger choil. Although from MJ's response, it sounds like a 3 or 3.5-finger grip was the original idea. But I suspect a lot of customers will naturally grip it as in the 15V photo above.

[Michael Janich]

Hey, Bolster:

I designed the MicroJimbo with the potential of being able to use it as a defensive knife. As such, I wanted to maintain a subtle integral guard to keep the hand from sliding forward if used to thrust. When used for cutting, the lack of a choil also eliminates the possibility of snagging with the choil near the heel of the edge and allows a bit more edge length.

When I designed the MicroJimbo, I also was not aware that we were working on a Wharncliffe Lil' Native. When I discovered that, I actually reworked the MicroJimbo profile to make it more distinctly different from the Lil' Native. Not having a choil accentuated that difference.

Finally, adding a choil is easy in Photoshop, but not as simple in actual execution. The base of the ricasso contacts the stop pin in the closed position to stop the blade's rotation in that direction. Adding a choil complicates that considerably.

With all that said, if you choose to use the MicroJimbo as a utility knife, feel free to choke up closer to the blade, just do it carefully. If that's not your thing, consider a Lil' Native Wharncliffe instead.

If you want a more detailed explanation of this topic, check out the video I did on the Yojimbo family and jump to around 21:00 https://youtu.be/FkNNHOUdGjA. You can also read the February issue of the byte. It's not up on the Spyderco website yet, but here's an authorized "share" on German MesserForums: https://messerforum.net/threads/spyderc ... tm.148461/.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Bolster]

Many thanks Mike for the explanation and the links.

[phaust]

Hey, Bolster:

I designed the MicroJimbo with the potential of being able to use it as a defensive knife. As such, I wanted to maintain a subtle integral guard to keep the hand from sliding forward if used to thrust. When used for cutting, the lack of a choil also eliminates the possibility of snagging with the choil near the heel of the edge and allows a bit more edge length.

When I designed the MicroJimbo, I also was not aware that we were working on a Wharncliffe Lil' Native. When I discovered that, I actually reworked the MicroJimbo profile to make it more distinctly different from the Lil' Native. Not having a choil accentuated that difference.

Finally, adding a choil is easy in Photoshop, but not as simple in actual execution. The base of the ricasso contacts the stop pin in the closed position to stop the blade's rotation in that direction. Adding a choil complicates that considerably.

With all that said, if you choose to use the MicroJimbo as a utility knife, feel free to choke up closer to the blade, just do it carefully. If that's not your thing, consider a Lil' Native Wharncliffe instead.

If you want a more detailed explanation of this topic, check out the video I did on the Yojimbo family and jump to around 21:00 https://youtu.be/FkNNHOUdGjA. You can also read the February issue of the byte. It's not up on the Spyderco website yet, but here's an authorized "share" on German MesserForums: https://messerforum.net/threads/spyderc ... tm.148461/.

Stay safe,

Mike

On the ricasso with your designs, I bought my first Yo2 close to when they came out (blade is marked 6/2012) and recently got a new one. There have been a bunch of slight changes, but one of the first I noticed is the ricasso has shrunk. If you happen to know, was that one of your changes, i.e., a design change, or was it a production/engineering change? More curious than anything.




Guessing production since although the grind is moved back, the edge isn't sharpened to the grind line so that you don't really end up with more sharpened edge (as it comes from the factory anyway).

[Michael Janich]

Dear Phaust:

That was a production change. I didn't have any input or involvement in that.

Stay safe,

Mike

[max808]

Thanks Mr. Janich for your expertise. From my limited time with it, the contoured handle offers a firm grip despite larger hands having your pinkie dangle just a bit. Makes sense for there to be a ricasso instead of a choil, which you don't even need to choke up for precision work. I added some pictures for Bolster as proof! The fit and finish are impeccable on this from what I understand only second MicroJimbo in circulation in these Lowlands. Shout out to the Glesser family, Michael Janich and my man Otto in Amsterdam for getting this new fifth pocket special in my grateful hands, much obliged and much appreciated. Old Man Amsterdam has been acquiring vintage Spyderco collections for some time now. These don't get listed on the website, instead they get promoted on Instagram from what I understand. Have a great weekend y'all!

[max808]

[max808]

[ZrowsN1s]

I love tacticool more than most people, my inner mall ninja cries out for the microjimbo. But for Utility.... Lil Native Wharncliffe, with it's handle shape, choil, and negative blade angle is the way to go.

[max808]

Just for reference, my specimen came in at 81.62grams or 2.87ounces. Instead of buying disposable Stanley knives I'm glad I invested in this sustainable boxcutter in a premium, I repeat a premium steel so as to limit my carbon footprint as much as possible and put the Golden, Colorado, USA, Earth genius to good use. And it also severs arteries if that's what you're looking for. If you're stateside I would own at least one Glock for that instead of this.