Does one really need one handed opening?

[palonej]

I use most of my knives at work.....HVAC.....and there are MANY times a day I need 1 hand openers. Up on an extension ladder it would be quite intense needing 2 hands to open my knife.
Hung a huge chandelier Saturday 16' in the air. Would've needed my teeth to slice the cased wiring if I didn't have a Millie on me.
Stuff like this goes on most days......plus I just love flicking my knives.
Joe

 

[Dadpool]

I like and carry both styles. I've never needed to be able to open a knife with one hand, but it's a nice option when I happen to be carrying one that does.

One thing I really like from the two hand opening knives are those two/three seconds of time I get before the cutting. Might seem silly but, sometimes, this “micro pause” is very useful for me, both in terms of deciding if really cutting or not and as far as cutting precision.

This is one of my favorite things about traditionals. About 50% of the time (when I'm carrying a multi-bladed slipjoint), there's also a moment in there where I think not only about how best to perform the task, but with which blade.

 

[Lycosa]

No, no, one does not.

 

[Quiet]

The short answer is yes. Pretty simple.

 

[blades&wrenches]

Lately, Ive been carrying a modern one-hander and a traditional slippie in conjunction. Most of the time, no, its not necessary to have a one-handed opener and I'll reach for the slippie, but on occasion its necessary...or at least far more convenient.

 

[Murindo]

I prefer one handed opening knives and find them very useful.

I've needed one hand opening several times when I found myself already holding something that needed to be cut. I've been carrying folding knives for 60 years, ever since I was 8 years old. The early years were always in quest of a one hand opener that locked open. Now I'm fortunate to be living in the golden age of tactical folders.

 

[Mannlicher]

if you have to ask, then no, you probably don't need one hand opening.

 

[Moondrop]

Of course, there are people who only have one hand.

In addition to them, and the scenarios already described by others here, I've had stiff-opening slipjoints just plain destroy nails to the point where I *can't* open them anymore. I have an old Case that I kinda despise because it's a tad painful to open--you know, the kind that seems to be trying to pull your nail clean off the nail bed.

Both my legs work, but I'd rather drive to the store than walk and haul a ton of stuff home on my back.

 

[Ronin_Jedi]

To me, EDC means two things:

a) everyday use such as opening boxes; and

b) everyday preparedness for emergency situations. Regarding one-handed use, I'm thinking an accident or injury that may limit/prevent you from using the other hand.

Most slipjoints I know of would be a "challenge" to open one hand or even assisted using my teeth.

Carry a slip if you want, but I'd do it in addition to a "one-handed" opener, not as my sole tool.

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[James Y]

I carried two handed opening knives for many a year, and got by fine. Then again I lived without calculators, computers, and cell phones, and got by fine also.

^^This^^

How many people would want to give up their cell phones, computer/tablet, etc.? How many people you see texting while driving really NEED to be doing that (much less should be)? How many people really NEED to drive the 5 blocks or so to the store to pick up that 6-pack of beer?

Personally, I like both. I always have a SAK or two on me, and it/they get used quite often every day. I can't say I've personally ever had an indispensable need for one-handed opening, but as has been posted by others, for some people it is mandatory. In general, I probably use my SAK more in a day than my one-hander, but there are times the latter is far more convenient.

A scene that stood out for me (and probably only me) in the 1997 movie Titanic is where some men are trying to free the lifeboats with their jackknives. They were opening their knives with their teeth. I would not be surprised if such scenarios actually happened with sailors/seamen and their pocketknives. Other hand is busy; maybe their fingers are too cold and stiff, or whatever. Or maybe their knives were nail-breakers to open on a good day. James Cameron was pretty OCD about historical accuracy. I'll bet in such a real-life situation at that time, they would have preferred a modern one-hand opener.

I personally don't feel a need to belong to either 'camp', i.e., one-hand opener-only or two-hand opener only. For some one-hand opening is a real need; for others it's a preference/convenience; and for others it's irrelevant or even a wasted feature. I'm glad that I like and get lots of use from both types of knives.

Jim

 

[Peter Hartwig]

^^^
Above post beat me to it

Your dentist will cringe, but in the dark days before 1 handed knives were available(at least readily available), there was always your teeth to help if you just couldn't find a 2nd hand. Not a recommended normal use method, but in a pinch it works.

Of course if you consistently had need for a one hand operated knife, during that period, you would opt for a fixed blade.

 

[22-rimfire]

I think it's interesting how many of the responders carry both a one hand opening knife (folder) of some kind and a slip joint. Many times it's a SAK. This is me although I do carry more traditional knives at times without the one handed knife.

 

[JR88FAN]

Absolutely not....unless you think it somehow helps in a "self defence" situation (you are usually asked to open your knife with two hands, but lets get away from the whole "self defence" thing)

I have never felt at any point where there was an advantage to needing a one hand opening knife (except if my other hand is busy (RARE as Unicorns)

I actually prefer to open many knifes with two hands, it's reasuring more than anything, and 99% of my tasks with a knife start with opening it first....

 

[FullMetalJackass]

Yes for me it is useful in lot of outdoors situation. I either carry a one hand opening or a fixed blade.

 

[scubisino]

It is better to have it and don´t need it than need it and don´t have it... the philosophy of insurances..

 

[T.K.C.]

I very much prefer a knife that I can open with either hand. Yes, I prefer one hand opening knives. I am usually holding the thing that needs to be cut, so I need a knife that can be opened with one hand.

 

[Getahl]

The Manly Companion? That name is horrible! Knife looks cool, though.

So, I was a hardcore traditional user for about five years. I partially blame jackknife and his tales for this. My go to was a Buck 303, a bunch of Saks, and a myriad of others. About three months ago, I started carrying my more modern, tactical patterns again. Allow me to preface this statement with, I still like my traditional patterns, and I usually base my carry choices with how easily a knife carries in pocket. I like my one handers more than I do my two handers. The one handed openers I choose to carry are generally lighter and carry easier in my pocket than my traditional knives. The fact that they are one handed opening has less to do with my choice of carry than weight.

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[LG&M]

Need is a strong word. Sometimes if I am carrying a SAK or other slip joint I will also carry a one hander just in case.

 

[pinnah]

So I actually had to pause for a couple of seconds (lifetime), wander over to some elevated surface, set whatever it was I intended to cut down on said surface, open the knife and then finally resume my task. It's a wonder you old farts ever accomplished anything in a day. What with all the setting down and picking back up again. Ridiculous!

I think you are confusing the design features of a modern knife often referred as a "one hand opening" such as thumbstuds and spydie holes and the ability of a knife to be one hand opened.

There are plenty of traditionally styled knives that are very easily one hand opened. By and large, they are all one blade designs and rely on the ability to pinch the spine of the blade firmly with your thumb and forefinger. Knives like this can be opened one handed by pushing the knife open with the middle finger and then hooking the butt end of knife on your thigh.

The Large Case Sodbuster achieves this by having a deep curve in the handle that exposes enough blade.

Clip point hunters like the Buck 110 or Queen Mountain Man achieve this by having a large hump on the spine as a part of the clip.

In both cases, the nail nick is less of a nail nick and more of a friction feature that aids in the pinch hold.

There are other methods and other traditionals that can be one hand opened. Heavy lockbacks like the Buck 110 can be easily drop opened (much to the amusement of NYC police). Friction folding Opinels are easily one hand opened and closed.

These traditional designs aren't as convenient or as fast to deploy, but we've been one hand opening them for as long as they've been around.

 

[Ronin_Jedi]

^^^
Above post beat me to it

Your dentist will cringe, but in the dark days before 1 handed knives were available(at least readily available), there was always your teeth to help if you just couldn't find a 2nd hand. Not a recommended normal use method, but in a pinch it works.

Of course if you consistently had need for a one hand operated knife, during that period, you would opt for a fixed blade.

A fixed blade is not always convenient or "appropriate" in the urban jungle for some of us, at least none that I've seen and would use.

YMMV

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