Half Stops - Love Em or Lose Em

I've read about (but can't now find the article) and heard others on here say how bad/harsh half stops are on the back spring.
More points of possible stress than a knife with no half stop.
Maybe one reason why some Queen's with half stops experience broken back springs over time for example.
That said, six of one and half dozen of another for me in general, but may give a very slight preference edge to no half stop. Somewhat depends on the knife.
Love that my #15 Boys knife has a half stop. Maybe more for sentimental reasons as anything else ...
And also love that my Laguiole knives don't have a half stop. Kinda fits with the slender and stylish nature of the knife.
 
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JohnDF said:
That's the correct answer as far as I'm concerned.
If your knife is biting you, it's operator error or not paying close enough attention when closing it.
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The simple, true answer!!
I love half stops!! And I watch where my fingers go!!
Developing safe habits will save you when you are distracted BTW!!
 
The Screwdriver on an SAK and the Phillips on some I use the half stop. Other wise I like the smooth closing on my knives.
 
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Arathol said:
I've never had any problems with a half stop. If you get cut opening or closing any knife, half stop or not, its not because of the design, its because you put you finger in the path of the blade. Learn how to hold the knife with your fingers off to the side in a pinch grip and that won't happen.
Also, many people in other threads wonder about square and clean joints. Those are great, but you can't have them without half stops....
pt3ZQEd.jpg
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JohnDF said:
That's the correct answer as far as I'm concerned.
If your knife is biting you, it's operator error or not paying close enough attention when closing it.
Click to expand...

waynorth said:
The simple, true answer!!
I love half stops!! And I watch where my fingers go!!
Developing safe habits will save you when you are distracted BTW!!
Click to expand...

I disagree with all of this. I almost always close my knives with a pinch grip with my fingers to the side, but I have a couple of knives (I'm looking at you GEC, and your 71s) where the pull is so ridiculously hard and the snapback from the half stop is so severe, that the knife has literally flown out of my hands more than once when trying to open or close it past the half stop. And I'm well aware of the issue with these knives, so I am paying extremely close attention any time I open or close them. Very dangerous. Way, way, WAY too much energy required to get past the halfstop, and it would be much better if they didn't have one.

Other than those few knives, I like half stops. But no way do I consider that to be a "safety" feature.
 
I like both half stop and cam tangs. In well made knives, both satisfy different tactile desires I have in opening and closing a Slipjoint.
 
Here is a different take on the half stop.....
The Amazing Virginian said:
almost always close my knives with a pinch grip with my fingers to the side, but I have a couple of knives (I'm looking at you GEC, and your 71s) where the pull is so ridiculously hard and the snapback from the half stop is so severe, that the knife has literally flown out of my hands more than once when trying to open or close it past the half stop.
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Again, operator error. Hold on to the knife and you won't drop it.......I have a couple 71s, I don't see that they are any more difficult than any other knife to open.
You want to see what stiff is, go find an old Case 65 pattern that hasn't seen a lot of use, they are about a 12 on your GEC scale.....No halfstops, but they pretty much define gator snapping stiff both opening and closing. Carry one of those for a while and you will never again feel the need to complain about the super stiff GECs.....🏋️‍♀️
8IeRYSM.jpg


Safety feature, not a bit. It just helps keep crap out of the joint, especially on the square and clean designs.


Here is a different take on the half stop joint, as used in this sod buster design from TwoSun -
TQDfY0w.jpg


Initial pull to halfway is pretty light. The tang is somewhat concave in the center, giving it a very positive stop at the half way point. The tang has a small cam on the far corner, so the pull increases significantly from that point. Once open, the spring action keeping the blade from closing is pretty strong. Closing takes a bit of effort, but once you get to the half stop the concave keeps it from going any further. Closing from half stop is easy, it doesn't really snap nearly as much as you'd expect from a knife that has this much tension on the blade when fully opened.
xiCFaep.jpg
 
Arathol said:
It just helps keep crap out of the joint,
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This is why I love this forum, I learn something nearly every day. This makes a lot of sense to me, I work in the oil field and regularly carry a CASE with no half stop/flush edge and am constantly flushing the joints at the end of the day. Dirt and/or sand in my pockets is just unavoidable... Guess I need to find a stainless, square end traditional to add to the work knife rotation!
 
Don't care.

I've never bought the "half stops are a safety feature" vs. "half stops are dangerous" argument. Careless use of any knife can result in injury, whether it has a half stop, no half stop, or water wings.
 
I've handled more traditionals with half-stops than without so I think I like them just because I'm more used to the action. But, like others have mentioned, I've never really consided it a safety feature.
 
I like both cam tang and half stops.

One think I find about half stops is the hard corner on the tang can push grit out of the action better.

I've found cam tangs not as good at this.

Cam tangs are much easier to open one handed.

I can open some of my half stop knives one handed as well but the cam tang makes this easier.
 
When you get older and have arthritis in your hands I bet some of the critics saying operator failure would change their tune. Not only that but I’ve never had any explain or give adequate reason why half stops are necessary or advantageous.
 
The knives I like to carry have half stops. Do I like them because they have stops? Hmm... 🤔

I do prefer them. A well done half stop is a sign of quality.

That said I have cam tang knives I like too.
 
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