How do you close your Native?

M

mikemck

Joined
Sep 22, 2000
Messages
1,221
I find closing the Native one handed can be a pretty awkward proposition.
The easiest way I have found is to let it partially close, then flip it around my index finger and finish closing it upside down, so the tip ends up pointing upwards.

Anyone have a better way of closing it?

BTW, just out of curiosity, how many times, in one minute, can you open close your Native one handed? I'm thinking this is an informal way to gauge efficiency..
Right now, I can open/close 25 times, but I'm still getting used to the Native.

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mikemck@austin.rr.com
 
I close it the same way you do. Starting with a closed knife I got 1/2 way through the 22 cycle when the clock stopped.


Mike
 
As with all lockbacks, I tend to hold the lock down with my finger, and then use my leg against the spine to close.
 
Half the time I close it, the same way I open it, with the hole. The other half I push the back, it closes half way with gravity. I then close it the rest of the way by pushing the spine part of the blade against my leg. This is the most user friendly knife I own. RKBA!
 
Hey! i did 32 openings/closings, do i win something?
smile.gif
(this was done by weak hand...)
I do it like this: (held in right hand)
1. index finger goes to spyder hole, edge down.
2. thumb goes to lock, disengages it.
3. index finger carefully! guides blade down, now all the other fingers gets outta 'da way (VERY important for obvious reasons!).
4. index finger closes knife completly.
5. DONE!

Just the Swedish way of doing the "Native closing"
smile.gif



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Be well!/Jonas aka 2Sharp

"May all your detonations be expected"

The coolest bar in the world: http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Camp/8373/index.html
My knives!

[This message has been edited by 2Sharp (edited 02-22-2001).]
 
I've always closed my lock-back Spydies the same way:
1) Rotate grip so that Index finger is on release and Thumb is at base of blade/under the pivot point. The rest of the fingers are wrapped just over the pocket clip for grip
2) Press down on release and allow blade to fall, with the unsharpened base of the blade coming to rest on your Thumb-tip
3) Move Index finger over to the side with the other fingers
4) Use Thumb to close blade the rest of the way, either using the Hole or spine of blade, whichever is more comfortable

I only cut myself once - on the first day I got a Spyderco (blue FRN Delica w/ SpyderEdge) and that was over 10 years ago.
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RVO3VOM
(It's my license plate, read it backwards - ~Drew)
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by mikemck:
I find closing the Native one handed can be a pretty awkward proposition.
</font>
Click to expand...

I don't find one handed closing the Native
awkward at all which is why I think this knife is so terrific. It can keep up with liner-locks in the ease of opening/closing, AND with the back spring tension of the lockback, it will not accidentally open in your pocket or belt like some liner-locks will.

I find it as easy as closing an Axis lock, if not more so. I can't say this for every lockback out there.

The Native is even designed with that choil by the base of the blade so that the blade can't chomp down on your thumb.

Here's how I close it.

1. I hold it so it is facing up nestled in my hand (we're talking about the knife. No jokes please!
wink.gif
). Actually, my hand is a half open fist and it is resting comfortably in the crook of my fingers.

2. I place my thumb by the choil at the base of the blade, forefinger on the ridges of the back of the blade, and my middle finger on the release.

3. I push down on the lock release with middle finger, and nudge the blade spine with forefinger until the blade is 3/4 open. Then I slide my thumb from the choil to Spydiehole and continue closing it.

It is pretty safe since my thumb is never under the blade edge; thanks to the inherent design to accomodate safe one-handed closing.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but it is similar to a liner-lock, except your middle finger is depressing a lock release rather than your thumb as on the liner-lock.

Spyderco Native = brilliant design.

[This message has been edited by Full Tang Clan (edited 02-22-2001).]
 
Shouldn't people be qualifying their times by mentioning what handle type Native they're using? (i.e., FRN, SS, G-10?) I would think that the cycle times would vary by handle type--e.g., more options with the heavier handled versions? Just bringing up the old "apples vs oranges" thing.

P.S. I don't want to even try--I suck at those dexterity manuevers.
smile.gif
 
Full Tang Clan, You mention the axis lock design. I can open and close my BM730 152 times in a minute. It's a little faster than any of my Natives.
 
When I'm closing my Native, I hold it in a regular grip except I drop my index finger just below the choil. Then my thumb unlocks blade and I use a slight forward motion to drop the blade down on my index finger. I don't get cut cause after the blade drops forward/down, the blade section of the choil gets stopped by my index finger. Then I have to change a grip slightly by moving all the fingers out of the way and my index finger is used again to close the blade all the way. I haven't timed myself but it's probably slower compared to the other methods listed. Or maybe I'm just slow. I dunno.

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ET
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by treb:
Full Tang Clan, You mention the axis lock design. I can open and close my BM730 152 times in a minute. It's a little faster than any of my Natives.</font>
Click to expand...

That's great, treb. But I did say "I" find it as easy...I didn't say it applied for everyone.

It's a subjective thing.

BTW toothed, my Native is the CPM440V lightweight.

[This message has been edited by Full Tang Clan (edited 02-23-2001).]
 
I close my Spyderco lockbacks precisely the way that 2Sharp describes, thumb tip (or sometimes inside of first thumb joint) pressed into the lock, first finger in the Spydie hole on the "reverse" side of the blade pulling the blade closed, and the rest of the fingers leaping out of the way before the blade fully closes. After several tries, I managed 37 open/close cycles in 60 seconds with a plain-edged BF blue Native (I'd, uh, probably take it a little slower with the serrated one
smile.gif
). I find the Native somewhat more difficult to do this on than (say) a Delica, because the lock is rather farther back on the handle -- requires contorting my hand a bit more.

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Carl /\/\/\ AKTI #A000921 /\/\/\ San Diego, California

Think this through with me ... Let me know your mind
Wo-oah, what I want to know ... is are you kind?
-- Hunter/Garcia, "Uncle John's Band"
 
Carl, You the man. I can only get up to 29 times with my right hand and 16 with my left on an FRN. I've sold my BF natives, so I can't try with them. My BM730 is still way faster.

[This message has been edited by treb (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
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