gtwister09 Report post Posted April 29, 2008 Several requests have been made for this topic offline so I am going to break it out and include the text here. Here's the link to the topic after the crash. Link to Post after the crash Duke/Bruce, I don't have the old post.... It had a lot more examples and such. I gave several examples like wrongfully purchasing the longest Chuck Smith that I could find since I thought large hands needed large swivel knives. I have since cut down the Chuck Smith knife on the lathe. Anyhow...... In a nutshell here are the quick and dirty guidelines to consider for ergonomic fitting of swivel knives. One of the first things that you must determine is the diameter of knife that is comfortable for you. I know from experience that I need a much smaller diameter knife. I have done lots of drafting work and was quite used to rolling a smaller sized diameter pencil which also translates into a smaller pen and swivel knife. One quick way is to look at what size pen you use on a regular basis that feels comfortable for you. Some like them big and some like them rather small. As to the length take your hand and put you thumb and second finger (one after the index finger) together. This will be the end that you would put near the bottom of the swivel knife. Take your index finger and see where your index finger is relaxed. Now slowly move your index finger up and away from the thumb and second finger that are together. When you start to feel a little pain or stretch in your index finger move it back towards the thumb and second finger about 1/4 - 3/8 of an inch. This is the length from the bottom of the barrel to the bottom of the yoke. This is a good ergonomic position to start from that will allow you to carve with your swivel knife longer. With your thumb and second finger roll them like you would a drafting pencil...thereby giving you greater control. You are trying to select one that will allow you to operate longer and with less cramping. Hope this helps. Regards, Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
