Folders for use with (winter) gloves

SOG Seal XR, jimping everywhere, huge lock tabs. Made with glove use in mind. SOG claims the lock is rated @1500 lbs.
 
I'm going with a Spyderco military with G10 ( carbon fiber is a good choice for gloved work also). That stuff is easy to grip and hold with gloves on. The Spyderco hole is likewise large enough and the liner lock is doable with the gloves too. Normally I'm an Endura guy but the Millie just does better in the cold with gloves.
 
Super Emersons works best for me with the wave, or anything that can easily flick open - tuned benchmade are great, axis is more glove friendly than a liner/frame lock to disengage.
Anything that makes you doodle or removing your glove is no go, no holes or tabs will ever work diligently.

With heavy gloves you'd be better with a fixed blade. In these temperatures you need heavy pants, a Kabar will be unnoticed :)
 
I have no idear. never needed gloves down here in the southlands. never thought about it before this thread. so I'm reading and learning from those who wear gloves and know.
 
I'm always concerned about the thin tips on most Spydercos. Maybe I'm a little too proud of the drag marks on my knuckles. I do own a TOPS Lil' Roughneck, and even carry it occasionally, so maybe I just don't know how to use a knife properly, but what I worry about in this "gloves on" scenario, is that a layer of cloth and leather is not going to do anything for your ability to know when your grip is a little off-kilter, and I wonder how easily it is to give the tip of your PM2 an extra tweak that you didn't mean to?
 
Thanks for the replies. Definitely useful for me and probably some others. Some great suggestions and some models I’d never heard of and will research.

For sure a fixed blade is often a good solid option. But here are the reasons that drove me to research folders for winter use:

I’ve started to get mildly irritated with a sheath swinging on my belt and sometimes being in the way when I sit down. I’ve tried fixed blades in large pockets but it always ends up being uncomfortable when bending down or crawling around to fix something.

Changing winter trousers can mean having to thread another sheath on to the belt. A folder is quickly slipped in the pocket.

If wearing a long winter jacket, access to a belt-mounted fixed blade sheath means lifting up the “skirt” of the jacket, and drawing the knife means fumbling inside the jacket. A sharp blade can end up cutting clothes. Much easier to reach in an outer pocket for a folder.

Finally, and probably like many people, I’ve realised that most tasks don’t need a fixed blade and can be achieved with a folder.

And finally finally, who doesn’t want to find a good reason to research and choose a new blade 😁
 
Move to a more temperate climate and your choices blossom exponentially.

👍

We do get summer too. June/July has been mostly in the 80s Fahrenheit. Arguably the wide temperature variation during the year gives justification to buy a wider range of knives.

My personal observation is that cold climates seem to encourage people to be better at being people, but that's way off-topic.

That’s interesting, never heard that before. Extreme climates might possibly have forced people to be more cooperative with each other in the past? But for sure I’m convinced that the “verbal diarrhoea” gene carriers froze to death during previous millennia, leaving the quieter and more diligent genes to live on. 😀


.
The AK pulls out ahead a bit by having steel liners, and being not huge, with a blade of 3.5". That's 8.89 cm, because I'm guessing Vaytsee uses Science instead of "banana measures".

Yup, here in Northern Europe, we don’t use body parts or rocks as measurement units. But I’m comfortable with both. Just need to remember 2.54, 2.2, 28.3, 454, 30.48 and 91. The conversions are easy enough. And as this seems to be a US-based forum, I’m a guest in your house, so will fit in where I can.

Also, the miserable little flying, stinging, biting insects all freeze and die and go back to their special Hell like they're supposed to.

Oh yes 👍 + snakes and ticks. The first frosts are always welcome.
 
I live in northern New Hampshire. Famous for lots of snow and really cold winters. My Griptilian 551 works well. The thumb studs are easy to use with a gloved hand.
 
Throw another vote on the Spyderco Military pile.
That beast almost has enough handle to qualify as a "bastard" sword.
 
Last edited:
Spyderco with Spidiehole, backlock, and a normal pocket clip (deep carry can be more difficult with gloves). If your use cases includes cutting open bags of rock salt a stainless or Salt blade is worth it.
 
Last edited:
Spyderco Stretch was awesome with my refrigewear insolated mittens. Hands down a back lock and spyder hole was the best option. Lock bar comes in second and every other lock is garbage when it hits -70... Thumb studs are worthless when you have frozen hands and can't feel anything.

I might try a demko shark lock when they come back in stock.

My one of my coworkers in Iowa taught me about Spyderco and Cold. Nothing like salting walkways for 3-4 hours every morning.
 
I am usually outdoors all winter and have found a backlock knife to work best for me.
My favorites for gloves would probably be the large Voyager or the Recon 1.

I just recently got the Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter and that would most likely be even better with gloves as the action is very smooth and the lock disengages easier than any other CS that I have.
 
If you can carry an automatic knife where you live that's probably the best bet with bigger winter gloves. Button locks are pretty user friendly. Benchmade makes a handful that have a larger button (Rukus 2 is one of them).

Could look into Protech also. They have non-auto button lock knives (Malibu/Mordax).

Spyderco Smock might be worth checking out. It has a compression/button lock that is easy to use. Opening might be odd, but the flipper should be useable even w/ gloves on.
 
Back
Top