Your assumption on the thumb studs is correct. For everyday use, a thumb hole is perfectly adequate. In this case, the studs do make a difference with thick or knit gloves on. One of the "undocumented" features of the AXIS Lock is that you can just release the lock and open the blade with a flick of the wrist. However, for lots of reasons having nothing at all to do with practicality, we don't want to market it as such. But, I can tell you that many owners of AXIS Lock knives remove the thumb studs.