Half Stop?

Ice Tigre said:
am I the only one that closes a slippie by pushing the back of the blade against my leg, gripping the knife sides? Learned a while back that closing a blade with the other hand can be hazzardous to that hand when it snaps shut...
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Nope, I close slipjoints the same way quite often as well, however its typically due to having the other arm and hand occupied with other chores at the same time.

I have always preferred half stops myself and they have saved many a finger in the process. Although, admittedly I always seem to find some way to draw blood one way or the other sooner or later.
 
mnblade said:
fingers.jpg


Guys, if you're relying on half-stops as a safety net, might be time to step away from the sharp objects.
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Nope. A Douk Douk without a half stop would be a fool's toy. Closing one by pushing the spine against one's leg would be clearly dangerous without the half stop.

On every other slipjoint, a half stop is an added safety feature that doesn't actually add any moving parts.
 
My Laguiole de l'Artisan could sure use a half stop! It has as heavy a spring as any knife I own (including S&M Trappers and a GEC/Tidioute #73) and no half stop. Just breaking the "lock" of being open requires a good push. Not something to be tried with wet or greasy hands.

Ditto on previous comments with my Buck 110. Once that breaks loose it closes almost too easily. It lightly closed across the back on my fingers a few weeks ago while I was cleaning it and cut two of them.

It's interesting to see which Case models (for instance) come with stops vs. those that don't. They're usually reserved for higher priced knives, but some lower priced one have them, too.

-- Sam
 
Sam, I have to agree with you on the Laguiole de l'Artisan as mine is the same way. The spring is so heavy that it's almost a semi-lockback.
 
Ice Tigre said:
am I the only one that closes a slippie by pushing the back of the blade against my leg, gripping the knife sides? Learned a while back that closing a blade with the other hand can be hazzardous to that hand when it snaps shut...

For me half stops are nice for opening the slips with the "bear trap" effect... open to the stop with the nail nick, then I can pinch the blade to pull it open..
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I pretty much do the same thing with the back of the blade against my leg or the back or palm of my other hand (if it is handy). I also have been known to hold the knife on the sides near the pivot with my thumb and index finger and close it with my forefinger. ;).
 
Ice Tigre said:
There's a thought...I wish my lockbacks had them... in my experiance a lockback generally requires more pressure to start closed and inherent to the design; pinching the lock bar down puts one or more fingers in a flesh removal area... half stop would be nice at that time...

G.
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The half stop doesn't come into play if you still have the lock bar pressed down and the blade goes beyond "half stop". The Gerber EZ-OUT and JR both have the half stop. IDK if any other Gerbers have the half stop. I am very accustomed to hearing the double click when "dropping" the knife open and when closing it against a body part. The JR has been EDC for about 15 years. I just realized that slippers don't make an audible click when they fall into or pass the half stop as these Gerbers do. It has been a long time since I have commonly used non locking knives.
 
1/2 stops give that knife a really nice feel. The Erickson I have has the best pull and the nicest 1/2 stop I have felt. I prefer a slip to have them.

Ken also has the blade/spine flush in all 3 positions , a really clean fit too.
 
How about this, the half stop provides you with an opportunity to safely transition hand position while openin' or closin' the blade?
 
I prefer to close a folder with one hand - even a slipjoint. So the half-stop helps a lot ( to save my fingers) and I am closing them like BASTID described it befor - it simply feels good.
And -as Ken wrote - it is sign of a good workmanship of the knifemaker - specially when the springs are flush with the liners at half stop .. and open .. and closed !
 
oli said:
The half stop doesn't come into play if you still have the lock bar pressed down and the blade goes beyond "half stop". The Gerber EZ-OUT and JR both have the half stop.
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thought the EZ OUT's were a lockback and not a slip joint ? :confused:

with the slip there is no "lockbar" to press down.
 
Some time ago, this same question was asked here on the forum. It got me wondering, so I sent emails to several top slipjoint makers asking them why they put half stops in their knives and what the design was meant for.

The answers from all of them was the same--they did not know why they were made that way! They pretty much guessed that over the years that was the design that people asked for so they made them that way.

I don't think that anyone really knows why slipjpoints have half stops!

One more knife mystery?:eek:
 
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