Not to say thumb studs also get loose over years. There’s a slight maintenance to those where the hole in the blade maintenance free for the whole life of that knife! I am a Spyderco fan to the max, but it is still the fastest, safest, way to open a knife that’s not a self-assist.

One word: Speed
Those holes are all about speed baby. Can’t handle the huge increase in speed made possible by them holes? Then I say get outta the way grandpa make way for the speed demons. Honk honk!! It’s the pedal on the right grandpa!!

The Spyderco hole serves two purposes:
(1) no flipper tab and no thumb stud in the cutting or sharpening path, and nothing protruding from the side of the blade;
(2) the blade can be held easily and more securely with the hole in a pinch grip between either thumb and index finger or thumb and middle finger with the index finger held close to the tip when skinning.

Spyderco has made knives with the hole in the blade for almost 40 years, so it is nothing new. I doubt thumb studs add much if anything to the strength of the blade, since it is basically filling a hole in the blade with what is effectively a screw secured with a small nut on each end.

Just built 1 on there website, an EXACT 110 WITH S30V is $91 and change. You can customize everything on it. I got mine with s30v steel and finger grips cut in the handle…..$101

Yeah they do, I’ve seen it in there CUSTOM area on there website.
Believe the last I looked it was over $100. Going to go check it out now, I’m interested in getting 1 myself.

I TOTALLY AGREE! USELESS (AND UGLY) HOLES WEAKENING THE BLADES!

WELL SPOKEN!

A hole doesn’t get in the way of the cutting path like a thumb stud sometimes does.