Folder: changeable clip to blade up or blade down

Some feel like it's awkward because they have to turn the knife around in their hand after withdrawing it from the pocket. I, personally, find that it's perfectly easy to draw and open a knife without flipping it around regardless of how the knife is oriented in the pocket. I do have a preference for tip-up, however, because that means that the blade is resting against the inside seam of my pocket - preventing it from opening in my pocket. I have carried tip-down knives and had them open in my pocket before, never stabbing my leg but more than once putting a hole in my pants or a slice in a digit...
 
I'm a creature of habit... if I have to fiddle with a knife because of its orientation in my pocket I'm not going to enjoy using it as much.

When I need my knife I want to take it out of my pocket open it, use it, close it, and put it back without having to look at it.

If all my knives are oriented the same way in my pocket this is easy.

But a tip down knife will throw a stick in the spokes of my muscle memory and mess everything up.

Tip up only for me.
 
Tip-up; right-hand front pocket, clip pushed to extreme right of pocket...keeps blade secure and away from my body.
 
Some people have been sliced by carrying a knife in the wrong pocket when they partially deploy. That's why clip orientation is so important to them.
 
Sonnydaze said:
Tip-up; right-hand front pocket, clip pushed to extreme right of pocket...keeps blade secure and away from my body.
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Yup, Safety is the paramount concern. The added bonus is that it indexes to my hand as it's pulled, all that's necessary is to open it for use.
 
i prefer tip up for two very basic reasons:
1) i often use a lanyard and the hole as is at the back of the handle (or i attach the lanyard at the rear spacer)
2) assisted flippers cant accidently deploy when pulling out of your pocket in tip up carry from friction against the side of the pocket... taking out a knife is a faster motion and it's easier to take care when putting it in
 
Mostly I think its because of muscle memory, or bad experiences (accidents) in other configurations.

I carry only tip down knives, but I carry then in my right rear pocket. This puts the knife blade in the pocket against the seam (just like tip up carry in right front pocket), plus has gravity and the detent helping keep the blade where it should be. In my opinion this is the safest way to carry a folder, but I guess not everyone likes it.

To each their own, no biggie to me.

It does mean I wont buy a knife if it cannot be switched to tip down though. Luckily that's not usually "that" limiting.
 
I've been bitten several times by tip down knives opening in pocket. Never has happened with tip up, because I make sure it's clipped correctly, spine pressed against the seam.
 
K.O.D. said:
I've been bitten several times by tip down knives opening in pocket. Never has happened with tip up, because I make sure it's clipped correctly, spine pressed against the seam.
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Hhhmmm I guess the Tip down guys should get cut fairly regularly...
 
singularity35 said:
Hhhmmm I guess the Tip down guys should get cut fairly regularly...
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It's been a long time, but I had a Kershaw leek do this about five years ago. Before that it happened with a CRKT m16. Granted, I have reduced peripheral vision, and tend to bump into things. I've been a tip up guy since.
 
I'm a tip down guy. Just use to it that way. On thing that does really bug me are double thumb studs. Seems the one on the pocket clip side is always hanging up on the pocket. Wish makers would do reversible thumb studs so you could put them on which ever side you're use to or use it right or left handed. I commonly remove my doubles and replace the pocket side one with a small screw or nut which ever I have that works.
LLAP
Rich
 
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I guess because people just lke differant things.

For me it doesn't matter. I have knives that are tip down only, tip up only, and tip up or down. It isn't a deal breaker for me if I like the knife.
 
singularity35 said:
Hhhmmm I guess the Tip down guys should get cut fairly regularly...
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- It depends on how and where you carry a knife. I always make sure the blade is against the seam of my pocket. So for me, that almost always means tip up in my right front pocket. If I was going to carry a tip down knife, it would be in my rear back pocket.
 
Comeuppance said:
Some feel like it's awkward because they have to turn the knife around in their hand after withdrawing it from the pocket. I, personally, find that it's perfectly easy to draw and open a knife without flipping it around regardless of how the knife is oriented in the pocket.
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I think most people like tip up for added security. Also it seems that more knives are manufactured now for tip up rather than tip down.

I have larger than normal hands. I prefer a tip down knife because I can draw and open it faster. With a smaller tip up knife, 3" or less, there isn't a difference in speed. Anything larger and my thumb is too far from the thumb stud/hole. I can go either way though and my EDC rotation is about split evenly between tip up and tip down. I tried to buy only tip down knives but there were too many tip up knives that I couldn't resist.

People carry different ways, people wear different types of clothes, people carry different size knives, some people value security over speed, so even people that like tip down have to have an open mind and accept that other people have different preferences. If it is only the people carrying large folders in the right front pocket of their tight jeans, and who are interested in speed, then there will be a minority of people that prefer tip down.
 
bdmicarta said:
If it is only the people carrying large folders in the right front pocket of their tight jeans, and who are interested in speed, then there will be a minority of people that prefer tip down.
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- If someone is interested solely in speed of deployment, there isn't knife faster than tip up... with an Emerson Wave. ;)
 
I'm balls deep in bear country. Surrounded by hostile grizzlies. If one or three charge me I need my knife to be tip up in pocket for quicker deployment...

but mainly tip up because it's more comfortable to just be able to slide the knife out and open it without having to rotate it.
 
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