LeafJumper (Discontinued!)

LeafJumper (Discontinued!)Story If you are familiar with knives featuring a Back Lock, they typically have an unsharpened part of the blade called the "ricasso". Typically, these function as a place for you to safely close the knife with one hand, since you can use your index finger to catch the ricasso. Sometimes you can also use the ricasso to choke up and get closer to the edge but it can also sometimes snag on things while cutting. Many users also prefer having no ricasso

Story

If you are familiar with knives featuring a Back Lock, they typically have an unsharpened part of the blade called the "ricasso". Typically, these function as a place for you to safely close the knife with one hand, since you can use your index finger to catch the ricasso. Sometimes you can also use the ricasso to choke up and get closer to the edge but it can also sometimes snag on things while cutting. Many users also prefer having no ricasso or choil at all to avoid snags and for ergonomic benefits. Thus, there were little to no conventional backlocks on the market that had no ricasso AND were safe to close one-handed. 

For example, the Centofante 3 (originally intended to be a compression lock as the Vesuvius model) has no ricasso, so if you use your backlock muscle memory like I do, then you will need to get a band aid. However, with the "Handle Forward" design on the Rockjumper and Leafjumper models, there's a "hidden ricasso" that gives you the best of both worlds. It's not often you see innovation on backlocks, which have been around for at least 60 years!

The only tradeoff is that when the knife is closed, the handle is a bit longer than it otherwise would have to be, but this is not a big deal in my experience. 

Spyderco's Description:

Spyderco co-founder Sal Glesser designed the lightweight, mid-sized RockJumper™ to fit the needs of outdoor enthusiasts and climbers. Based on the success of that popular model and feedback from its devoted users, Sal went back to the drawing board and created the LeafJumper. The LeafJumper features the same ergonomic handle design as its cousin, including its skeletonized stainless steel liners, fiberglass-reinforced-nylon (FRN) scales, non-slip Bi-Directional Texturing, four-position pocket clip, stout back lock mechanism, and positive self-close function. Its VG-10 stainless steel blade also has a minimal ricasso (the unbeveled, full-thickness area nearest the handle) to offer the maximum edge length. What sets the LeafJumper apart, however, is its leaf-shaped blade. Full-flat ground, satin finished, and available in PlainEdge and SpyderEdge formats, it features a slightly upswept edge profile that raises and reinforces its point, increasing its versatility for many applications.

Technical Specifications