The knob needs to 'roll' in your palm, and needs to be big enough so that when you put pressure on it with your palm it is comfortable. It needs to be controllable when you use any part of your palm from the web of your thumb to the heel by your pinky. It needs to be 'deep' enough that your fingers don't hit the crank arm when you go past it, big enough around that it doesn't feel like your fingertips have to pass each other to get a secure grip on it or that you are 'balling' up your fist, and the neck should end up where your thumb is in the recess when you gently curve your thumb around the knob - your thumb is the 'hook' that keeps your hand from leaving the knob during periods of 'enthusiastic' cranking.
I have big hands, and the knob on my gurdy is about 1.6 inches, and is probably just about 1/8 too small to be optimal for my hand, but it is not at all uncomfortable and it is very functional. I am not in any way an expert, but these are my observations and they work as a set-up for me... Chris *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** On 3/5/2008 at 6:39 AM Barbara Currier wrote: >Hi, all, > >I need to order a new crank knob for my little ruin of a gurdy my >husband is working on. I have a source, but I need to specify a size. >The old knob is too small at about 1.25" or 3.3 cm in diameter. I >don't have any HGs around to compare and have limited playing >experience. I don't have dainty hands, but they are lady-hands. Is >another half-inch, or 1.2 cm, too much? It needs to have some "neck" >to it, how long should that be? What is the current ergonomic wisdom? > >Thank you for any help, >Barbara
