you'll see the word economics used all
the time to describe the type of feel
you get when you use and hold a knife in
your hand great ergonomics are just what
they sound like
it means the knife has a comfortable
grip and you won't easily fatigue when
using the knife for long periods of time
it's very important that your knife has
good ergonomics think of it like sitting
in a chair if the chair is designed to
be comfortable and has features that aim
to improve your posture you're going to
be able to sit in it longer without
aches and pains a knife follows those
same principles the better the fit and
feel the longer you can use it without
getting blisters and sore joints or
having an accident because there's no
support to maintain a secure grip while
every knife should have a comfortable
hand feel economics are especially
important when it comes to hunting
knives outdoor knives survival knives
work knives and kitchen knives since
those knives tend to have a bit more
weight or are used for very repetitive
tasks like chopping vegetables the
ergonomics are essential so let's go
through what makes a knife the right fit
some knives have finger grooves that are
designed specifically to give your
fingers a comfortable indented place to
rest on the handle holding a knife with
finger grooves that fit your hand size
is a beautiful thing the grooves keep
your fingers from blistering or slipping
forward and there's something very
satisfying about perfectly spaced
grooves that cradle your fingers during
use however keep in mind that each knife
design is different a great fit for one
hand could be terribly uncomfortable for
another if the grooves don't fit your
fingers well they could give you a hot
spot or a place that will blister or rub
uncomfortably due to frequent impact
from the knife's movement if finger
grooves aren't right for you opt for a
handle with a nice swell that Nestle's
in your palm or maybe a finger guard
flare that will allow you to choke up a
bit on the blade another economic knife
feature is a thumb ramp which is located
on the spine of the blade where it meets
the handle a thumb ramp can go a long
way in improving the ergonomics of your
knife when you need to use more force
for cutting and want to choke up on a
handle the thumb ramp allows you to do
so safely and with precision the slight
protrusion of a thumb ramp keeps your
hand steady so it doesn't slide forward
some ramps may also have jimping which
means they'll have notches that provide
additional grip and keep your thumb from
slipping
of the ramp some knifes have a finger
choil which is the indented unsharpened
portion of the blade that joins with the
handle and is designed to comfortably
fit your index finger just like a thumb
ramp it gives extra protection for when
you choke up on the knife for more
powerful cuts you also need to take into
account the material of your handle grippyness
is an important factor when you're
doing heavy-duty tasks like skinning
animals or cutting rigging rope on a
boat where there could be potential wet
conditions a grippy handle will usually
have some form of texturing that will
help you keep a more secure hold a
textured g10 handle scale is going to
perform much differently than a smooth
wood handle in these circumstances with
its smooth surface wood handles can
increase your chances of slipping and
having an accident while performing
water related tasks at the same time you
may prefer a smoother bone or wood
handle for your EDC if you have a
trapper knife that you keep in your
pocket or use randomly throughout the
day and even polished surface may feel
better in your hand than an extremely
textured material the best handle
material really is part preference part
recognizing which types will be ideal
for whatever task you're using your
knife or tool for besides handles there
are a few other things that will help
make sure that your knife has premium
ergonomics and is the best choice for
you
the size of your knife and by extension
its overall length is important when
choosing the right fit for your hand
knife Center helps to ensure the perfect
fit by providing you with knife specs on
most product pages we try to make sure
you know the blade length the weight the
overall length and in the case of
folding knives the closed length
whenever possible these are all
important details that will influence
your decision many of our products have
quick flick videos you can reference so
you can see the knife in hand which will
help give you an idea of the actual size
of the knife if numbers just don't cut
it
compared to folding knives fixed blade
knives are almost always gonna give you
more weight most fixed blades are
designed for heavy-duty applications
that require robust blades which are
then encased and heavily built handles
that can endure some abuse folding
knives on the other hand are often
coveted for their slim profile and
compact frame since they're typically
carried in a pocket or bag knife Center
labels all knives and tools in either
ounces or pounds which will give you an
idea of what the knife will feel like in
your hand for example here's the very
popular benchmade grip tool Ian this
folding knife weighs in at 3.25 ounces
has a close length of four point six two
inches and an overall length of eight
point zero 7 inches this is by no means
a petit pocket knife let's look at it in
a small hand this weight and size may
not be a comfortable fit for them if you
look at the knife in a larger hand you
can see that it actually makes for a
pretty great fit don't worry that
doesn't mean there aren't options for
everyone some brands make smaller and
larger versions of their knives so here
we have the mini grip Tilian also made
by Benchmade this knife weighs in at
2.56 ounces has a closed a length of 3.8
seven inches and an overall length of
six point seven eight inches as you can
see it provides a much better fit for
the smaller hand and at a lighter weight
it may be less fatiguing for this
particular user during repetitive use
keeping your knife sharp also helps the
less pressure you have to apply to make
cuts the less energy you'll exert and
the less fatigue you'll feel over time
it's also much safer to use a sharp
knife for these exact same reasons nice
Center also understands the importance
of buying the right knife that gives you
not only great performance but a
comfortable feel that's why we have a 60
day return policy as well as a wonderful
staff ready to suggest a knife that will
complement your lifestyle we're always
happy to help you find the perfect knife
at knife Center the original and largest
online catalog of knives anywhere in the
world
we're constantly updating our website
and youtube channel with new videos and
tutorials so check back often thanks for
watching
you
