Impressions of the Masaad Ayoob folder (long!)

[Rory Quinn]

Hi all-



A few weeks ago I was contemplating buying a Masaad Ayoob folder, but put it off in favour of a more traditional design with conventional angle of blade, firm grip and larger blade mass. I thought I was doing the sensible thing, after considering what I felt were 'caveats' of the Ayoob design:-



(1) I was worried about the 'slippy' reputation of the grip which I felt was only confirmed when I handled the knife at first in the store.



(2) The unconventional forward cant of the blade is so unusual that I was worried it would play havok with my 'muscle-memory' and that I wouldn't know which way was up when I switched from Ayoob design to conventional etc.



----





Well, I purchased an Ayoob folder a few days ago and have carried it constantly since then. I've come around to regarding it as a design of real genius, and feel that most of the criticisms of the design that I've seen on the Net are largely misplaced.



In terms of the 'slippy' finish of the handle, I've found that yes, while its surface / texture alone does not encourage a good grip, the overall design of the knife means that as far as I can see no matter how slippy it gets, it's not going to move around if I hold the knife in a saber-grip. The pronounced hump of the folder and it's pistol-type shape with finger grooves mean that as long as your thumb is secure against the spine and index finger is in the top finger groove, the knife isn't going anwaywhere in your hand.... The thumb braces the knife against the hand and the lower fingers can't travel up onto the blade no matter how hard you jam it against a surface. The one concern I might have would be what happens if the thumb and spine get slick- however, the thumb rests on thick horizontal notches machined into the hump which seem to provide good purchase.



I was also concerned that the forward cant of the blade would take some getting used to. Actually, after only a little while in the hand it feels very natural. When I picked up my Chinook after playing around with the Ayoob however It felt like there as a certain amount of wasted motion in the wrist which the Ayoob design cut out.



The lighter mass of the Ayoob means that it is very light in the pocket for carry. Having carried carried a Chinook for weeks ( you *know* when a Chinook is in your pocket) I was impressed by the low-profile, lightness and smooth presentation of the Ayoob.



In terms of the applications of the design, I feel that practicioners of 'largo mano' styles of Fillipino martial arts will particularly appreciate the relatively long reach of the Ayoob and it's light mass for whipping strokes on the outside etc. The transition from saber to reverse grip is very natural. The forward cant of the blade also seems to me to make for a faster opening and presentation, seeing as the blade has to travel in a shorter arc.



One question for anyone who's waded through this post, however- can anyone fill me in on the thinking Sal and Massad had on the materials they selected for this design, ie. why VG-10, why an almite coating for the grip etc.?





Sorry for the long post, just some ideas. Any criticisms, discussion is welcome as always....



Edited by - Rory Quinn on 8/24/2001 11:44:11 PM



Edited by - Rory Quinn on 8/24/2001 11:44:51 PM

[Scorpius711]

Just thought I would throw in my 2cents, the Ayoob is overall a superior design for MBC purposes.

On minus side, still not found of the Almite coating, when trying to draw it quickly I have trouble keeeping it under control.
The handle could be slightly thicker, plus the while the deep carry of the knife offers
concealment, it slows my draw time down. Tip up carry would help this too, but not sure if that would be possible with the handle's banana shape and still be able to carry comfortably. I wish I could draw it as fast and with as much control as I can with my Wenger.

It's best attributes are the forward blade cant, the banana shape of the handle, the narrow width of the blade (better for penatration and withdrawal via a C-Cut), and the full serrations.

Troy


Edited by - Scorpius711 on 8/25/2001 8:22:07 PM

[spydaman]

Hope no one minds if I bring up an old thread. While researching the Spyderco Massad Ayoob knife I came across a review and have a question concerning the grip design. In the thread above Rory uses the saber-grip with his index finger in the top finger groove. I also came across another review which depicted a similar grip except the reviewers grip is lower on the handle. (See the attached photo.) My Question - Any idea what Mr. Ayoob had in mind when he designed the knife? I tried a knife and it feels much more natural with the low grip. The blade is in line with the thumb and the whole knife just feels like a natural extension of the hand. Just wanted to know if anyone had any insight to Mr. Ayoob's thoughts.

[spydaman]

The picture did not post. See the following for the full article and picture in question. http://www.donrearic.com/ayoob.html