Half stops, what are their purpose?

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okbow68

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Mar 17, 2011
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What is the purpose in half stops? I received a Pal Cutlery Company Easy Open Jack yesterday that I purchased. I don't know the year of manufacture I was told it is WWII era. Anyway it has half stops and I was wondering if there was an actual purpose for them. None of my late model knives have them. Thanks for the info.
 
I think it's a safety feature. Stops before it gets you..... Unless, you don't stop what you are doing. Keeps it from "snapping" on your hand.
 
Most of my slipjoints have half-stops. They keep me from cutting myself since it gives me a reminder to ensure that my fingers are out of the way.
 
I agree with the other answers -- it's a safety feature. The first knife I had that had them was a little Imperial jack, and I was surprised at how quickly the other knives that didn't have half stops came to feel 'weird' or even 'broken' in comparison.

What I don't get is why most (mass-production) modern slipjoint makers don't use them. It seems like it would be an easier thing, grinding the back of the cam to a flat surface to form a half stop, rather than the smooth, eccentric curve they actually do. Or maybe the curve is part of the stamping process -- but then a half stop could be stamped too, couldn't it? I don't get why they went away.
 
I have a Victorinox Pioneer with a half stop on the screwdriver. But that is so I can use the handle to get more leverage on the screw.
 
I have some knives with half stops and some that don't. I can see where there is maybe some safety benefit on the closing side, but on knives with a hard pull, the half stop can cause me to break my meager thumbnail when opening. Overall, I think it is a good thing to have, but I don't think it's really a deal breaker for me. I have some knives without half stops that I am actually glad do not have them. It depends on the particular knife to me.

Ed J
 
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ive had a half stop prevent a knife from closing while i was using it and cutting me. it is definitely a safety feature.
 
There have been other threads about this topic before. I think the last one (and pretty recent) was this one:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...half-stops-(bit-of-gore)?highlight=half+stops

I'm sure that the reason behind putting half stops on a slipjoint is to add safety.
If the half stop feature actually adds safety or not, that's another matter, and a very difficult argument to demonstrate.
Personally, I don't like them. I got used to them, but I do prefer a knife not to have half stops. And I do believe that the safety of a slipjoint lies primarily in paying the due respect to a sharp object, and paying attention when opening and closing it, rather than half stops, locking mechanisms, or such. I know I'm considered odd in this, but I think the safest knives are those who have no momentum and fold (or unfold) only to the extent where an external force makes them fold. In two words, friction folders.
As for half stops, until someone can objectively demonstrate me that the feature adds safety (and unfortunately it's almost impossible to perform such a test), I will go on believing that their effect of safety is zero. I do, however, understand that on some slipjoints and patterns it's a traditional feature, and I do respect it as such :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
I find half stops useful for opening a knife with a hard pull. It allows me to stop and adjust my grip on the blade.

That being said, I prefer knives with no half stop and springs which are not quite so robust.
 
On top of safety I read on one of these posts that the half stop also acts as a type of cleaner for the pivot area. Since the sharp edge of the tang scraps along the tang it can act to push gunk out. Makes some sense but can't say I've noticed a real difference.
 
The self-cleaning aspect, the more even distribution of pressure on the backspring over time, and the satisfying clunk and tight tolerances of a well-executed half-stop have actually led me to prefer patterns with this feature, when possible. This is especially true if I can get a flush, squared tang like on some trappers.
 
It makes it easier, for me, to fold the knife closed, one handed, with my leg. Once it gets to the half stop then I move my fingers out of the way and press it closed. I can still do it with a knife that doesn't have half stops, it's just my personal preference. The downside is that half stops can increase the tension of the spring making it hard to open. I'm about 50/50 on half stops. I can live with or without them, doesn't matter much to me.
 
They are supposed to interfere with smooth rapid opening and give you the illusion of safety....:D

On very tough springs with small secondary blades, they can indeed be bad news: they stop/stick half-way then it's hard to open a small blade using pressure without slicing into your finger as there's not much to grip. Slamming them shut from half-stop can, at times, wreak havoc with the edge too... :eek: As you can gather, I've come round to looking on them with scepticism...

Thanks all, Will
 
I thought they where made for two purposes;
1. To chop off fingers.
2. To allow the blade to slam shut against the spring thereby causing a flat spot on cutting edge.

Can you tell I don't like them?
 
I'm pretty sure they were invented by photographers as another way to compose the picture. The only other use to to give you time to think "oh, shi..." as you shave the tip off a finger.
 
I like the way they make a knife sound, two snaps per blade opening / closing vs one. Double your pleasure.
 
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