Charge Knife

Not the best name when trying to imply that this a comfortable saddle (?!!) but if the Knife is even half as comfortable as their "Spoon" saddle then I'll be first in line for one. I have enthused about my Spoon to several Road Bike riders and had a sniffy response (because Charge "...are a mountain bike company....")

 Well do yourself a favour and chuck out those prconceptions. 210g is Fizik Arione territory and - while saddles are the most subjective of all bike components - the Spoon is one of the most comfortable saddles I have tried at ANY money. £40 for the Knife sounds like The-Bargainest-Goldmine-Ever.

Posted: 18/07/2008 15:36

I agree with your comments Alex, that the 'Knife' isn't perhaps the best name ever chosen for a saddle, and also with your reference to the 'Spoon' being a lightweight, comfortable, and dead cheap but good looking saddle.  (£40 with titanium rails or £20 without) 

Having previously spent a considerable sum in the search for reasonable comfort.   I've found the 'Spoon'  (£20 version) to be easily the best so far, and if it takes a mountain bike company to produce a pain free posterior perch, then good luck to them.  

Perhaps their next offering will be called the 'Fork' 

Posted: 25/07/2008 18:40

Anybody else out there got experience with the Knife? I can't choose between this and the Spoon, which is now on discount at Wiggle.
Posted: 06/02/2009 11:40

I've ridden the Spoon and it was great. I've got no experience of the Knife but I know two Spoon riders who tried the Knife and didn't like it.
Posted: 06/02/2009 20:50

Seriously though, the Charge Knife, Spoon, Stool and Ladies Ladle?  Who are they employing to come up with the names?
Posted: 06/02/2009 23:52

Isn't half the point that they have chosen a name which you remember? Take a look at the Toupe, horrible name, but everyone remembers the saddle. Being a bit of a saddle sniffer I am going to try out a Knife.
Posted: 07/02/2009 08:57

Let us all know how you get on Rich! (And sorry not to have clocked you t'other day at the shop.)
Posted: 07/02/2009 14:02

No worries Martin, a beard, a shaved head and loosing 8 Lbs over christmas all makes for a good disguise. I know someone who has a spoon on his training bike and he hammered out some miles on it last year. It may be one of the most under looked at products of last year. I am as guilty as the next poser that I'll normally go for the expensive perch, but the Knife looks cool so I'll give it a try. As i said in the shop I love the Regal and on the right bike the Zoncolan has been another one I'd recommend. BTW not at 'the shop' anymore, moved onto pastures new.
Posted: 07/02/2009 16:36

I forebore to mention the shop's name out of discretion Rich! As it happens I placed an order for the leather-topped Spoon Ti this afternoon, for a very nice price at Wiggle, way cheaper than Evans. It should look well atop the Syntace P6 bought for £40 at my visit to the shop the other day, what a steal, €148 list price at the Syntace online store!
Posted: 07/02/2009 17:05

Oh, good luck with whatever you are up to now Rich.
Posted: 07/02/2009 17:05

Still in 'the industry', just no longer customer facing. Let me know how YOU get on with the saddle as it looks like you'll get it on a bike before me.
Posted: 07/02/2009 17:22

I'm looking for a new saddle - any thoughts on this one for the smaller gentleman?
Posted: 07/02/2009 20:48

As discussed many times on the forum there is no rules to what saddle will be comfortable for any given size. Look at Boonen and the pocket rocket Robbie, both have used (or still do) the Regal. So to answer your question, why not.
Posted: 07/02/2009 22:27

Random interjection in the wrong place - on the back of this I went out and bought a spoon to replace my stock saddle and WOW.  25 miles on it and didn't even feel it, next day is fine too.  Unlike the stock saddle (which to be honest looks almost identical) which was very literally a pain in the ass after 10 miles.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Posted: 02/03/2009 10:02

A friend has a sppon and dislikes it. I've given it a go, and I must say I dislike it too. Too soft. It's fine for short commuting duties on the fixie in jeans, but I wouldn't have one on my roadie.
Posted: 02/03/2009 10:24

Soft?  I take it you prefer a sheet of moulded carbon?  Can't imagine it being less soft unless it didn't have any padding whatsoever.  The padding, at most, is a thin thin (at most 2mm) layer of quite dense foam.

Though obviously I accept that everyone's different when it comes to saddles, I come with quite a lot of my own padding.  It's funny, the saddle that came with my Halfords carerra road-bike was the same comfort level as this one for me, pity I couldn't keep that when returning the rest of that junk!

Posted: 02/03/2009 11:04

It's squidgy. I sink into it. It's horrible for road riding. I like it on the commuter though, when wearing jeans.

Selle Italia SLR, SLR XP or Fi'zik Arione all the way....

Posted: 02/03/2009 15:45

To add to the knife front, I've been riding on one for the past few months and have came to the conclusion its not for me after a 25 mile time trial, I can still feel the pain in my arse now, over 12 hours since I finished. On the Sunday club runs it's been ok-ish, sore, but not unbearable. Today however I was having to get out the saddle to pedal just to get comfortable.  It seems to be on my seat bones that it is giving me grief. So maybe time for a wider saddle, or a bit more padding.  
Posted: 21/06/2009 21:39

I use a 70s moulded plastic saddle with no pain for over a year with no trouble, guess it depends how hard your bum is
Posted: 21/06/2009 21:46