Easy to open slipjoints?

R

Raylas

Joined
Jul 27, 2012
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Hey, I'm looking into buying a Case knife, but I have one problem. I have a bit of a deficit on fingernails, and I need something that I can pinch open. Which on their knives would you recommend? I've looked at their canoe models, but I'm not sure if I can open those, mostly because I've never seen one closed.
 
I recently bought a stag rancher cv wharncliffe (58136) about a month ago and have been edc-ing it almost everyday. I can definitely open it via pinching. For my first [legitimate] Case knife, I'm deeply impressed. YMMV
 
When I still had my Cheetah Cub, I was easily able to pinch it open....dang it, I regret trading that little guy....
 
My EDC lately has been a peanut, I have no problems pinching the blades to open them.
 
The Canoe in my experience is a very forgiving pattern when it come to opening the blades. The main blade given its large wide blade profile is quite easy to pinch open IMO. Also nearly Bucks in particular are quite easy to open.
 
*writes down each suggestion* I'm gonna check these out, and decide which one fits my needs best. Good to hear these have a light pull, I have an SAK that could pull double duty as a bear trap.
 
If you can get hold of a dab of graphite grease it works wonders on Slipjoints. My friend recently got a Ka-Bar Union Razor Elephant Toe and the smaller blade was impossible to open without a tool. We put a dab of Trigger slick (used to put on gun sears to smooth them threw self polishing) which is just graphite grease and after a few openings and closings it worked wonders and he can open the smaller blade now with no difficulty.

Not exactly an answer to your question but I hope it helps.
 
sodbuster? regular or jr is pretty easy to pinch open, even with gloves
should be easy enough without them
 
pbcg: Actually I'm going to save that info on an index card in my knife case, might be handy to know how to loosen up a knife at some point. Thanks for that!

I'm leaning toward either the carbon fiber sodbuster or one of the canoes.
 
for a big, easy pinching knife look at the S&M File and Wire grandad barlow. Mine is pinch-a-licous!

My GEC sunfish (all steel version) is also pinchable.

Anything with an Easy open cut out should be pinchable. The easy open harness jack comes to mind.
 
Case actually makes an easy open slimline trapper. They also do an easy open copperhead with a wharncliffe blade.
I am under-fingernailed also so easy opens really do it for me.
CA16055.jpg
 
^^ You beat me to it Corey. Have you picked one up? Anyone else? I haven't seen many floating around here.

Nathan
 
My entry into Case slipjoints was via a trio of Seahorse Whittlers, followed up by a trapper. They had the misfortune of following slipjoints from Solingen, Germany made by Boker (Tree Brand Classics) and Puma, as well as US-made Bucks, here. The worst example of those knives which I own came sharper and more easily deployed than the best of the Case knives I have. Of course, those Seahorse Whittlers do have two springs for the main blade to work against, so they are a bit stiff. I feel that Case knives are great 'collectibles'... but not so great pocket knives. The greatest aggravation? New, at least one Whittler and the trapper have secondary knife drag marks on the main blade. Even my ancient Buck 301 and Boker trapper still don't have that - after decades of use. The Bokers are generally cheaper, too - if you shop.

If the OP wants a great value in a US-made knife - get a Buck 301 Stockman. From in the $30-$40 range (MSRP $52) with black Delrin scales to several hundreds smackers in stag, choose your poison. Mine, in Delrin, was bought in Gatlinburg, TN after I found myself knife-less while in The Smokies. It's carved a lot of things, from flutes to walking sticks... and toothpicks!

Stainz
 
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The Mini Copperlock (or the full size) are certainly ready openers.

All the CASE Stockman knives I have are very easy on the thumb, not wimpish mind.
 
Here's my Case Canoe with my S&M Baby Sunfish. The baby sunfish I use the nail knick everytime, but on the Canoe I can't even remember the last time, I alway just pinch pull it!
001-23.jpg
 
Thank you to everybody that's posted so far, I'm gonna get myself a Case Canoe ASAP! Looks good for my needs at the moment.
 
Not Cases but here's a few suggestions.


Scagel Fruitport (made by GEC) can be pinched open very easy despite the nice solid pull.
DSC_0738.jpg


I have an older Queen Cut that has a nice light pull that can be pinched open:
Queencut.jpg
 
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wharncliffe mini trapper. single blade- a bit thinner profile than the canoe, and easy to pinch open.
I sure sympathize on the search for easy open traditionals. I have soft nails, and need a knife to open easily, but I hate wobbly blades. I always worry when I buy one online.
 
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