Drop Shut?

I am a man who uses his knives for work. I often have my non-knife hand engaged, so the more efficiently and safely I can get my knife closed and back in its place, the better. I typically use liner locking folders, so "drop shutty" is not an issue. I press the lockbar out of the way, partially close the blade with my finger, remove my finger out of the way, close and pocket the knife.

On rare occasions when I use my lockback Salts, I use the equivalent technique, but lockback version, i.e. press the lockbar with my thumb, then drop the kick onto my finger before moving my finger and closing the rest of the way. Both my Salts drop shut without any coaxing other than depressing the lockbar. I like my knives to close easily, efficiently, and safely one handed, and that's why I have tuned my knives that way.

If I ever own a compression or caged ball bearing lock again, I will also want them to fall shut, and for the same reasons.

And if I want to fidget with them, I will, and will feel zero shame for so doing.
 
My Gerber EAB utility knife can be drop shut and flicked... propably can be spine whacked too but I don’t really care. I keep it at work but carry friction folders and slip joints. I bet lotta people get mad about that.
 
I prefer drop shut action with a compression lock. It doesn't matter nearly as much to me if it's any other type of lock.

As long as it's smooth and opens with ease.
 
Depends on the fit and finish, and by extension the price, of the knife.
I won't expect a drop shut action from a spyderco or benchmade. And I won't enjoy that on these, as they are work knives.
I do expect it from higher end fidgets like grimsmo, hoback, holt etc.
Just engineering bragging, but it soothe down the buyer's remorse :)
 
It's an added luxury that doesn't aid the cutting performance of a knife, there's probably quite a lot of luxury touches you all like to see on knives that don't aid in the cutting performance of the knife that you don't even consider. Like the way some makers contrast different scratch patterns on different portions of the knife.
For example how Benchmade usually surface grind the flats horizontal and contrast it to the vertical of the primary bevel, this adds nothing to the cutting performance of the tool. Or how makers add anodized collars around pivots, or any number of non functional touches added to any knife. Why get a pattern welded "Damascus" blade in the year 2021, because it's cool, it ain't going to perform better than a modern mono steel.
I better not catch any of you hardcore no nonesense men with fancy lanyard beads, anodized titanium fluff or fancy embossed tool worked sheaths, my grand pappy carried a pitted carbon sheffield knife, and cut his apples with an ugly WW2 Taylors Eye Witness army jack knife. If you carry anything fancier than that you're just a poser.
 
Londinium Armoury said:
It's an added luxury that doesn't aid the cutting performance of a knife, there's probably quite a lot of luxury touches you all like to see on knives that don't aid in the cutting performance of the knife that you don't even consider. Like the way some makers contrast different scratch patterns on different portions of the knife.
For example how Benchmade usually surface grind the flats horizontal and contrast it to the vertical of the primary bevel, this adds nothing to the cutting performance of the tool. Or how makers add anodized collars around pivots, or any number of non functional touches added to any knife. Why get a pattern welded "Damascus" blade in the year 2021, because it's cool, it ain't going to perform better than a modern mono steel.
I better not catch any of you hardcore no nonesense men with fancy lanyard beads, anodized titanium fluff or fancy embossed tool worked sheaths, my grand pappy carried a pitted carbon sheffield knife, and cut his apples with an ugly WW2 Taylors Eye Witness army jack knife. If you carry anything fancier than that you're just a poser.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should be on boxcutterforums.com
 
I’m not too crazy with immaculate, practically zero friction smooth action. As long as I can open my folders consistently and with minimal resistance, that’s good enough for me.

As for “dropping shut,” not sure if I understood this right, but is this when folders snap closed when folded past a certain point? This is fairly common among my Cold Steel Tri-Ad lockbacks. They drop shut like a mini guillotine. That’s why I always close with two hands slooowly. One-handed opening, two-handed closing.
 
DangerZone98 said:
I’m not too crazy with immaculate, practically zero friction smooth action. As long as I can open my folders consistently and with minimal resistance, that’s good enough for me.

As for “dropping shut,” not sure if I understood this right, but is this when folders snap closed when folded past a certain point? This is fairly common among my Cold Steel Tri-Ad lockbacks. They drop shut like a mini guillotine. That’s why I always close with two hands slooowly. One-handed opening, two-handed closing.
Click to expand...
They mean knives that fall shut without shaking or wiggling it, not quite snap shut like the Cold Steels, but ones that smoothly free fall shut. I have a video demonstrating the type of action they are talking about let me grab it to show you. It has one great function, annoying the crap out of everybody around you while you watch a movie. That's why it was designed.

 
rhino said:
Thanks to all for the responses.

I had not considered that the idea arose from using knives as fidget toys, but it makes sense if people are opening and closing their knife over and over. The knife world is always changing, but the pace has increased!
Click to expand...
Wait isn't that whole forum about fidgeting?!
 
Londinium Armoury said:
They mean knives that fall shut without shaking or wiggling it, not quite snap shut like the Cold Steels, but ones that smoothly free fall shut. I have a video demonstrating the type of action they are talking about let me grab it to show you. It has one great function, annoying the crap out of everybody around you while you watch a movie. That's why it was designed.

Click to expand...
I see. Thanks for clarifying. Yup, dropping shut isn’t a criterion I’m really looking for hehe.
 
I avoid ball bearings, but polish PB washers if the action is not smooth enough. I don't fidget, I just want my knife to open and close as fast and easy as possible. What I want is comfort.
 
kobold said:
I avoid ball bearings, but polish PB washers if the action is not smooth enough. I don't fidget, I just want my knife to open and close as fast and easy as possible. What I want is comfort.
Click to expand...

Polish the blade tang where the detent glides against the blade (I.e. the flats). Washers come pretty smooth, so polishing them and thinking you actually achieved anything is just placebo effect. I know because I’ve done these things.
 
I like the way my bearing ZTs drop shut, especially my 0562s. JMO, but it makes the knife feel well built and classy. I don’t like the fact that they put a detent ball on each side of the handle on the 0707.It reminds me of when I first started collecting knives, most were Kershaws under $50. Don’t get me wrong, I love the 0707 and it’s no deal breaker for me, but it makes the knife feel cheaper than a $250 bearing knife should.
I remember when I bought my first expensive knife (0452) and I was very hesitant spending so much money on one knife. Until I held it and flipped it a few times. Thousands and thousands of dollars later, I’m still hooked lol
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top