Deployment: Faster from in-pocket carry than from clipped

:) Clipped with wave opener and fob .

Opens as fast as you can lift your hand . No need to pocket dive and search / fumble . No repositioning .

There's nothing faster . But practice makes perfect . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Depends on the size of the pocket opening. I noticed I can pull that off too with 5.11 pants but not with jeans, hehe. If it works for you, more power to ya man.

The Emerson wave or Demko thumb plate works really fast too.
 
Loose knife in the pocket? No thank you. I also can't remember the last time I needed a knife opened super fast, if it was that urgent I'd have a waved knife. As has been mentioned my hands usually don't go into my pockets all that well, so it's nice to have a knife sitting at the top of the pocket. But I also don't fidget a whole lot with my knives so maybe someone who does would experiment with this more.
 
No way I'd be ok with a modern folder loose in my pocket. With lite detents I'd expect it's only a matter of time before a thread on going to the hospital for some stitches.
 
I prefer clipped for several reasons, one I'd mention is the ability to retrieve it while sitting. Reaching to the bottom of my pocket would require standing or leaning back and extending my leg out straight.

... although possible there's an argument here that my pants are too tight.:)
 
+1 for the Emerson. Works incredibly well regardless of pants material.
I like fast opening knives when doing serious fishing. A 15 pound bluefish makes me happy I have an Emerson or a DA auto in the mix.
 
Smaug said:
I just realized the other day that I can get a knife out and deployed faster from the bottom of my pocket than from a typical pocket-clipped position.

When it's clipped on the pocket, I have to pull it off, then re-position it in my hand, then flip it open.

When it's IN the pocket, I can position my hand on it while it's still in the pocket, so that when I pull it out, I'm flipping it open as soon as it clears my pocket. (no need to re-position my grip)

After making this discovery, I'm thinking that it's better to carry a smaller (3 to 3-1/4" blade) 1-handed knife than a larger one.

There may be other factors, for example if you carry a lot of crap in your pocket with the knife, but other than an Emerson opener, this seems to be fastest. Even an auto is not really any faster to deploy.

Give it a fair comparison and let me know what you think.
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When clipped to your pocket, try placing your index finger under the bottom of the pocket clip and thumb alongside the knife and sort of "feed" the knife into the palm of your hand. You might not need to re-adjust your grip as much. What I have had happen on occasion when my knife is in the bottom of my pocket is pocket lint has prevented my knife from fully locking up. Easy enough to blow out, but not exactly efficient if you need it deployed quickly.
Mike
 
Danke42 said:
I just find my hands are too big for my pockets so if my knife isn't clipped right there outside it's a real struggle to jam my hand in there grab the knife.
#bighandstruggles
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I bet you have incredibly muscular legs and the desire of all those who you meet!
You Gladiaturion types have all the luck.

But, yeah. I don’t want to be a Popeil Pocket Fisherman if I need quick access to my knife.
 

reaching for stuff quickly,
resting deep at the bottom
of pockets can be a challenge.
eaae of access to pocket contents
is relative to styling or cut of the pants.
obviously waist pockets on a pair of
trousers matters for quick reach.
the baggier the cut, the quicker the reach.
16af94db1ba48eb6067617a7eed581ad.jpg

versus super tight fitting
61h9TbyB8PL._AC_UL1500_.jpg

having no pocket clips relegates such
folding knives to the time tasted way
of pocket carring a knife.
by design, traditional slip joints have handles which have smooth rounded ends to prevent
pocket wear and snagging.
how fast one opens out a blade the minute
it"s out of the pocket is subjective.
understandably using or having a clip
or not is a personal choice or preference.
but if you're going to carry a pocket knife
the traditional way, a pants with an ample
cutting and a "knife-only pocket" would
make life easier.
just my 2 cents.
 
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DocJD said:
Emergency rescue probably more common than SD or fighting as primary need for speed .
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While speed is undoubtedly important, I’d place more emphasis on one-handed opening for emergency use. If the seatbelt won’t unlock and your other arm is out of commission, you gotta have a way to deploy the knife one-handed reliably.

A small fixed blade is also good for this. You just need to yank it out of the sheath.
 
I have already worn thru the bottom of two pockets by carrying a loose pocket knife. Clips or sheaths for my folders now. No more playing loosy gooey in my pants fella.....wait that sounds wrong.
 
lieferung said:
Loose knife in the pocket? No thank you. I also can't remember the last time I needed a knife opened super fast,
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I carry a clipped TRM ATOM folder and a Bradford fixed (Vanadis 4E) cross-draw.
However, if I sense an emergency, my Glock 43 is quicker and "reaches out" much further.
 
Sonnydaze said:
I carry a clipped TRM ATOM folder and a Bradford fixed (Vanadis 4E) cross-draw.
However, if I sense an emergency, my Glock 43 is quicker and "reaches out" much further.
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No kidding I just shot an apple in half for kids last week and I could do it from across the street in half the time a knife would have taken.

And opening packages? No contest, no struggling with tape on the blade later.
 
The question was whether you can honestly get your knife out faster and ready to use more quickly from a clipped-on position than from within the pocket. It sounds like a lot of you can't and that I'm in the minority.

Can we please stop with the: "If I need it fast, I'll use my gun" fantasies already?!

I already addressed the Emerson opener in my OP. This thread is about the rest of the knives.
 
Because of my complete disregard for fashion, I moslty wear Fjallraven hiking pants with zippers on the pockets. I find clipping my knife in the pockets messes up the zippers, so I've started carrying in the pocket without clipping my folders. I've never timed myself, but I do feel I get my knives out more quickly, mostly because I like knives with rougher G10 handles and they don't slide out of the pockets very smoothly. A Ti framelock would come out more easily, but I rarely carry those. So yes, I am able to get my folders out faster when they aren't clipped.
 
Smaug said:
The question was whether you can honestly get your knife out faster and ready to use more quickly from a clipped-on position than from within the pocket. It sounds like a lot of you can't and that I'm in the minority.

Can we please stop with the: "If I need it fast, I'll use my gun" fantasies already?!

I already addressed the Emerson opener in my OP. This thread is about the rest of the knives.
Click to expand...
The "fantasy" is using your knife for SD.
 
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