Do We Have Knives With Strong Pull? Honest To Gosh REAL Nail Breakers?

Old Engineer · Apr 4, 2021

I have 2 of the TEW Barlows and they are not very easy to open , but they can be opened by hand . I have a much older TEW Sheepfoot and it is a Beartrap . You can make the initial pull to open to the Half/Stop easier by taking a very narrow file to the corner of the Tang that is up when it is open . I always take my hard to open knives to my wooden vice and open and close them until the corner gets smoothed out a LITTLE . That being said , I really like your TEWs Barlow my friend . I personally think they made a pretty good knife . In this photo , the knife in the middle of the bottom row , I will not let anyone try to open because it is close to being like your's .

Carry and enjoy your TEW in good health my friend .

Harry

JohnDF · Apr 4, 2021

I have yet to experience anything close to a nail-breaker.
I've had some that others were calling a "10", but I thought they were more of a "7".
I had an old Scout Master show me how to properly open my slip-joint knives, and have yet to cut myself opening one.
Your mileage may vary.

euroken · Apr 4, 2021

Knife pick, blade lifter, blade key...

Highly recommend them

Jack Black · Apr 4, 2021

JohnDF said:
I have yet to experience anything close to a nail-breaker.
I've had some that others were calling a "10", but I thought they were more of a "7".
I had an old Scout Master show me how to properly open my slip-joint knives, and have yet to cut myself opening one.
Your mileage may vary.

That 1-10 scale is very subjective. I understand that a SAK is typically rated 5. I certainly wouldn't want anything weaker than the pull on a SAK, and in terms of the pull-ratings of the knives I own, I'd put a SAK at around 2 :thumbsup:

Jack Black · Apr 4, 2021

euroken said:
Knife pick, blade lifter, blade key...

Highly recommend them

I'm just reading a book in which the author explains how he had a small pair of special pliers made to delicately open the blades on multiblade Sheffield exhibition knives for display. Some of them have so many blades, it can apparently take several working days to open them all simultaneously.

waynorth · Apr 4, 2021

Older large-pattern Remingtons were (are) noted for firm, but smooth, pulls!
I believe they influenced GEC in the early years, because Bill used them as examples of great workmanship, in his studies of what to produce!! He owns a set of design drawings from Remington!!
This one had a 9+ pull - I miss that knife!!

Here's an 1123 pic with a GEC 42.

JohnDF · Apr 4, 2021

Jack Black said:
That 1-10 scale is very subjective. I understand that a SAK is typically rated 5. I certainly wouldn't want anything weaker than the pull on a SAK, and in terms of the pull-ratings of the knives I own, I'd put a SAK at around 2

Of course it comes down to what you're used to, and your opening technique.
I'm like you, I prefer a strong pull on my slip-joint knives. They feel more like quality.
I use my dominant (right) hand to open the blade, all sharp parts pointed away from fleshy parts.

Modoc ED · Apr 4, 2021

Most people, at least the ones I know, insert their thumb nail into the nail nick of the blade and pull the blade away from the knife. Instead, what I do is insert my thumb nail into the nail nick of the blade and pull the handle/frame/body of the knife away from the blade. It takes a little getting used to but is effective - at least for me anyway.

Railsplitter · Apr 4, 2021

JohnDF said:
Of course it comes down to what you're used to, and your opening technique.
I'm like you, I prefer a strong pull on my slip-joint knives. They feel more like quality.
I use my dominant (right) hand to open the blade, all sharp parts pointed away from fleshy parts.

I’ve been doing that lately due to a busted thumbnail on my left thumb. It works great but it takes some getting used to.

Sheepsfoot blades on Stockman knives are a little tricky with my right thumb but I can make it work.

Duper · Apr 4, 2021

My GEC 71 red linen is a real *itch to open. I played with and opening and closing hundreds of time just to try and get it to loosen up but to no avail. The only GEC that has disappointed me so far because of how it functions.

On the opposite end of the scale from GEC is my 56 in Mardi Gras acrylic. For that one I think it could have improved by just having a half stop.

,,,Mike in Canada

Wharn · Apr 4, 2021

The worst offender I had was a GEC 46 whaler (which I sold unfortunately). The secondary was one of the strongest I have ever experienced.

euroken · Apr 4, 2021

I gotta say, pinching the knife with your middle or index finger against the thumbnail definitely helps. Similar to how Tony Bose showed on his video on using a knife pick. Really need to squeeze (if you can, but not so easy in multi-blade knives) that blade to prevent your thumbnail from cracking lol.

Also, time of day and circumstances change how easy it is to open your knife. Don't ever try to open a strong pull knife after doing dishes...man, oh man...The nail won't crack but just fold over....ouch

Lastly, I've also been using my middle finger nail and thumb on the opposite side of the blade and it's been working well...I don't know if it's the geometry of the nail or the size, but I find it a lot less stress on the middle finger nail.

Don't go breaking your nails you hear?

sf fanatic · Apr 4, 2021

Wharn said:
The worst offender I had was a GEC 46 whaler (which I sold unfortunately). The secondary was one of the strongest I have ever experienced.

Ditto me on that, sold mine mainly because of that.

Londinium Armoury · Apr 4, 2021

Jack Black said:
I was just about to post the same!

B BrotherJim , check out the index linked to in post #1 of the Guardians thread. There's some good advice on 'smoothing in' a new knife

Haha, I've got some old Sheffield knives, even the antique ones have a stronger pull than most modern knives. They have had 80+ years to break in as well.

Ice Tigre · Apr 4, 2021

Sorry but if it can't be opened, its not quality made, Sheffield or otherwise, its junk.

Jack Black · Apr 4, 2021

Ice Tigre said:
Sorry but if it can't be opened, its not quality made, Sheffield or otherwise, its junk.

Can't be opened by whom? I'm just an old feller with average strength, but I haven't found a knife I couldn't open yet

black mamba · Apr 4, 2021

Jack Black said:
Can't be opened by whom?

That's the question. The subjectivity of the pull scale is entirely because of the difference in hand strength among knife users. Typically it's the older knives with the stouter pulls, because they were made for men who worked with their hands 10-12 hours a day, plus used a lot of dairy products and had no calcium deficiency. Hands and nails were very strong. What may have been a 6 or 7 to them is something not many today could open without a tool.

JTR357 · Apr 4, 2021

This Lione Steel Best Man 2 has the strongest pull I've experienced yet. I mostly own Case slips though & a few Bokers

BrotherJim · Apr 4, 2021

Scientific: Taylor's Eye Witness Sheffield Clip Point Barlow
Common: TEW
Sometimes called the Barlow of Patience. It only opens with sustained due diligent encouragement
... this thing is growing on me ...

sunknife · Apr 4, 2021

I like a lot of different patterns harness jacks included but this one mostly stays in storage because of the strong pulls. Main blade is stiff but manageable for me, I've worked it by opening and closing the blade several hundred times in repetition and it came around a bit. The punch blade on the other hand
is opened at you're own risk, I've broken nails a couple times wrestling ole punchy.

2008 GEC #54.