Get a Grip on Your OTF Knives
When looking for what OTF Knife is right for you, the automatic response is to check blade material. For EDC you need a blade that can be strong, hold an edge, and be resistant to corrosion and wear. However, you shouldn’t bypass what grounds you to the knife. The Handle.
What makes a good EDC knife is the ability to have it be an extension of your own arm. We could say you want to be ‘one with the knife’. Your movements should dictate what the knife does, and the material of the knife should dictate its performance. How can you ensure that your movements are in control of the knife and not the knife in control of itself? The handle. What makes a good handle? Grip.
There are four major factors that we believe make a handle grip-worthy
• Texture
• Weight
• Size
• Material
TEXTURE
What makes texture important in an OTF knife handle? The same reason you sand the wood before you paint. You need your hand and handle to adhere to one another. If your hand is slipping and sliding all over your knife handle you are not in control of your knife. This will not only make your cuts more difficult, but it will also make it dangerous.
If you look at our TacKnives OTF LARGE Double Action Safety MT2DES With KYDEX And SHEATH, you will see a triangle pattern on the handle. This is specifically designed to help you control the blade. To help your hand stay firmly in place during use. The blade on MT2DES is a mean looking one, crafted for a multitude of different uses. No matter what the use; slicing, sawing, big cuts, detailed cuts, you will be in control safely and confidently.
WEIGHT
The weight of an OTF knife can be the difference between a knife you love or hate, and you probably don’t even know it. What’s your grip strength? If you have the grip strength of Tom Cruise hanging from a cliff on mission impossible, none of this pertains to you and you can move on to the size segment of this blog.
Generally, those who participate in daily physical labor may it be swinging a hammer or handling bricks will have more strength in their hands and fingers. These folks can handle a heavier OTF knife and will probably find it more comfortable.
The TacKnives Double Action Italian Stiletto 9″ OTF STMB1 weighs in at 7.1 ounces making it a heavier choice knife. The strength your hand and fingers have will easily be able to maneuver the blade to do exactly what you need it to do safely and efficiently.
Now, if your job is not as physically tasking on the hands or maybe you spent too many years in physically laborious work and your hands are not what they used to be a heavy knife is probably not the best option for you.
The TacKnives Firecracker Mini OTF Double Action Safety Knife MNU2SDE comes in at 1.3 ounces. This light weight of this knife makes it easy to grip because you don’t need much strength behind it. Making control and performance effortless.
SIZE
This one is easy. You know what they say about big hands? Bigger knife. Just kidding, it is more about your preference and what it is your doing with your knife and doesn’t have much to do with the size of your hands. Although the size of your hand does play a small part in the comfort of your grip, it is more important to evaluate what you are doing with your knife.
Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what preference you may have, but coming soon “are OTF knife useful?” blog post will be out. There we can help you navigate what knife size, and shape might be the best for your OTF EDC knife.
MATERIAL
Every knife handle has a its pros and cons. However, each material plays a part in how you may grip the knife. For example, a rubber coated handle like the TacKnives OTF Double Action Safety Knife Out-The-Front MT3DEH creates friction between your hand and the handle.
This will no doubt give you undeniable control no matter what elements you may facing. Water, mud, sand ext. Stainless Steel, durable yes, but without added texture or the assist with another material such as rubber or titanium, will make a knife heavy and is often not suggested for EDC.
Aluminum, almost always textured to add to grip, adds a hefty feel without weighing the knife down contributing to your control. However, if not mixed with another material will retain cold temperatures. A cold tool with cold hands will quickly freeze your level of performing controlled cuts. Titanium on the other hand has a warm feel to it, making it an acceptable material for winter months or cold climates.
All in all, you must get a grip if you are going to invest in a quality OTF EDC knife. Finding the right grip for you will aid you in efficiency, create comfort, confidence and most importantly safety.
