Spyderco Forums

It's a shame rounded spines aren't more common on knives. Especially models without thumb-ramps. When bearing down on a push cut with a grip that has the thumb on the spine (Filipino grip?) it makes the process much comfier. Pinch grip is also way comfier with a rounded spine.

Why aren't rounded spines more common? I can only assume it is either intensive on an industrial scale, so not worth the extra cost, or people haven't used many knives with rounded spines so they don't know what they're missing out on.

Seeing how knowledgeable and spoiled-for-choice the average knife connoisseur is now, I assume it is the former.

It's relatively easy to DIY it in my experience. At least with normal steels that aren't super hard and wear-resistant.

Still, I'd love to see a couple Spydies get the round spine treatment straight from the factory. The Native family seems like a good candidate. Particularly the Shaman, since that model is already so focused on contoured ergonomics. The Efficient family would be great too, but I know that would just be adding cost to a budget segment.

Off the top of my head, the swayback, K2, and Slysz Bowie. I think there are some more, but I can’t remember. I think the K2 is only rounded for the first inch or so.

Correct on the K2.

I believe the spyopera is another crowned Spydie. Seems like something the Italians like to incorporate, in general.

I totally agree. I wish we saw more of it.

The Spyopera is crowned. It looks and feels very nice. I would bet it is a cost issue with time. Maybe doesn't make sense for most price points that Spyderco sells at. It would be nice for a select few to get it though. At the price point of the Shaman, that may be a good contender.

The Spyopera has crowned everything: Spine, liners, lock bar, backspacer, and scales!

The Swayback has a swedge but it is not crowned.

It’s definitely something that adds time and cost to the process.

I'd love it in every Spydie ever! But like the others said, it will only add cost that might not be practical for all intents and purposes other than for aesthetics.

Some forumites prefer a square spine for striking ferro rods to start fires. They’re also handy for scraping things.

I really enjoy a rounded spine and have modified several knives’ spines to polished roundness. It makes the knife easier to clean and I believe it improves pass-through ease when cutting corrugated.

I am the opposite. I dont want rounded spines.
The square spine is cheaper.
I like that I can throw sparks with a ferro rod even if I never need to.

The thumb ramp thing has never bothered me.
I have always gotten the impression that the shape of the thumb ramp and spine thickness mattered most for how comfortable a thumb ramp is. The military family has an excellent thumb ramp.

Also I cant stand a thumb ramp that doesnt lock my thumb in. Give me jimping and a square edge. I imagine my thumb will slip more on a thumb ramp with a rounded spine. Actually the techno 2 sort of has this going on. The jimping is slightly chamfered on the sides and it doesnt seem to work as well for me.

Stovepipe?

To quote Sal from memory regarding the "nub": it's easier to take material off than to add it. A square spine leaves it up to the user.
I haven't tried a knife with a crowned spine but I imagine I would like it. I'll have to try sanding down one of my knives.
In my mind this would better suit a knife without a thumb ramp.

I have crks and a Slysz Bowie as examples of folders with crowning. But the most practical example I use is my Miyabi gyuto. A crowned spine on a kitchen knife is a must for me, it's way too comfortable.

The micarta Wayne Goddard has some rounding, and the Kiwi4 has a hint of it.

Sal once wrote that the sharp crisp edge is proof of skill as taught to him by an old Japanese maker. I hope I'm remembering it that correctly. I''ll try to find the original post.

I found the original quote from Sal.

sal wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2012 7:31 pm

Hi Wolverine,

Some thoughts to share. It seems that the long time very good makers appreciate the ability to make "crisp" edges. Kind like, "anybody can round the edges, that occurs with lack of skill. making crisp edges is a true test of the skill of the maker". It's interesting to watch these 3rd and 4th generation knifemakers have their "developed" values. (Most will grow their pinky fingernail longer and manicured, like a Sitar player).

I guess it's much easier to take a ceramic stone to the edge if you don't care for it, than to try to make it crisp. We require thumb holes to be crisp, but that's our "developed" value for better traction.

I remember a custom maker in the Guild named Kuzan Oda. He was a Japanese maker that was very skilled. One time at a show, we were talking story and he was complaining that most custom makers weren't skilled enough to make crisp grind lines. He said a grind line should be crisp enough to scratch your fingernail :eek: . Then he picked up one of his custom knives from the table and scraped his fingernail....a tiny curl appeared. I learned something valuable that day.

sal

I believe Spyderco applies that philosophy to the spine as well on most of their blades.

JRinFL wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 16, 2022 9:28 am

I found the original quote from Sal.

sal wrote: ↑

Thu May 17, 2012 7:31 pm

Hi Wolverine,

Some thoughts to share. It seems that the long time very good makers appreciate the ability to make "crisp" edges. Kind like, "anybody can round the edges, that occurs with lack of skill. making crisp edges is a true test of the skill of the maker". It's interesting to watch these 3rd and 4th generation knifemakers have their "developed" values. (Most will grow their pinky fingernail longer and manicured, like a Sitar player).

I guess it's much easier to take a ceramic stone to the edge if you don't care for it, than to try to make it crisp. We require thumb holes to be crisp, but that's our "developed" value for better traction.

I remember a custom maker in the Guild named Kuzan Oda. He was a Japanese maker that was very skilled. One time at a show, we were talking story and he was complaining that most custom makers weren't skilled enough to make crisp grind lines. He said a grind line should be crisp enough to scratch your fingernail :eek: . Then he picked up one of his custom knives from the table and scraped his fingernail....a tiny curl appeared. I learned something valuable that day.

sal

I believe Spyderco applies that philosophy to the spine as well on most of their blades.

Thanks for sharing that! Really neat to read! I always liked the crisp and sharp edges on my Spydercos without really thinking about it. Nice to know the reasoning behind it.

I have two Damasteel Urbans that are have blades that are not crowned, as such, but are buttery smooth along the edges of the spine, inside & along the edges of the spydie hole. The plunge line is polished to a smooth transition. A lot of TLC was lavished on these expensive damascus blades.

By comparison, the blades on my HH Red G10 Urbans or on my AEB-L Coyote Sprint Run Urban (all also made in Maniago) were finished roughly (I'd even say sharp), in the above mentioned areas of their blades. These Urbans have a heavy spring action. Deploying blades that have sharp-edged opening holes is quite uncomfortable. I could not open one of the S90V blades, out of the box, using my thumb.

I'm still in the process of removing all the sharp edges that I've found on the S90V & AEB-L blades, except of course for their keen cutting edges applied at the factory. (Artist tape, 400X & 800X wet/dry papers, dowels)

There’s a difference between deburing or just breaking the corner and a full bead-blast melting. I despise the melted look as an aesthetic, it hides all the poor workmanship. There are some applications where the melted look has an advantage such as ease of draw or stowage. I prefer lines that are straight and clean, but I guess I don’t want the sharpness that Sal relates above in the quote.

Comfort wise I care less about how the spine is shaped and more about how wide/thick it is. When using your thumb on the blade on a thin knife like a Centofante or Chaparral, it creates a lot more pressure on your thumb, literally the same as having a sharpener/thinner edge will cut things better than a thicker blunt edge. This is one benefit of 4mm+ blade stock models, but I guess it depends on how you use your knives if this matters to you.

The only knives I have with rounded spines are my CRKs. Crisp or rounded, I've never been bothered either way.

As for the Spydieholes, I like the fact that they're crisp. I've never even come close to feeling like a crisp thumb hole was going to cut my thumb, and I own numerous (dozens of) Spyderco knives from Seki, Golden, and one from Taichung. If the Spydiehole were chamfered, it would become difficult to open. I have an older, original version of a knife whose name rhymes with 'reptilian' made by another company, that has an oval thumb hole that sometimes feels awkward to open, because the hole is chamfered.

Jim