How do you open your knife?

nphelps4130

nphelps4130

Joined
Aug 23, 2006
Messages
481
Yes, that really is my question...:o
:D
I am a natural lefty, but have become ambidextrous in my knife use. I usually carry my knife in my left front pocket. I hold the knife in my left hand and use my right thumbnail in the nail-nick to open the blade.

I have tried it the other way - holding the knife in my right hand and using my left thumb to open the blade - but that does not seem as natural to me. It depends on the knife and location of the nail-nick, spring tension, etc though. This is how I prefer to open the secondary blade on a Peanut or the sheepsfoot on a Stockman (nail-nicks on the non-shield side of the knife).

I am wondering what is most common?
My apologies if this is a stupid question, but I am curious. I believe there may have been a thread similar to this in the past, but I could not find it...

Please chime in with how you open your knife!
 
Buck 110 in my right hand, with right thumb been doing it this way long before holes or studs.
Buck 301, Case trapper hold knife in right hand and use left thumb nail.
Uncle Henry 885 right hand thumb nail to push start the main blade open, pivot on thumb to finish.
 
I hold my knife in my right hand and use my left thumb nail to open the knife.
 
I'm a lefty too. I carry my slipjoints in my left front pocket. For opening, I usually hold the handle in my left hand and use my right hand forefinger nail in the nail nick (which is actually facing away from me) to open the blade.
Lefties always have to come up with their own way of doing stuff in a right hand dominated world.
Thats why I really took to EZ-Open jacks. Just pinch the blade and open it. No fussing with nail nicks on the wrong :D side.
 
I'm right handed. I hold the knife in my right hand, and place my left thumbnail in the nick, then do an inward pivot with my right hand, holding the knife in place with thumbnail and index finger. If I would have been asked without a knife to do this with, I would not have answered it correctly. If there is a secondary blade with a nick on the back, I use the index finger nail, and hold it in place with the thumb. It is an involuntary reflex.
 
That is the thread I was thinking of FLymon - thank you.

Occasionally, I also use that method that you described comoha, with either my index or middle finger on my right hand to open the blade. It is a little tougher for me on knives with strong springs though. EZ-open is nice. I currently only have 1 EZ-open - a GEC.
 
I have a heavy Rough Rider knife (very similar to the buck 110 but heavier). If I hold the blade between my thumb and my forefinger I can just swing it open using the weight of the handle. I rarely carry traditional slipjoints like most of you do, but a simple bowie style lockback is as traditional as it gets for me :P
 
The one's I carry,well,they are wicked freakin' sharp,so,I open them with care.
Two hands,and pay attention
-Vince
 
Another ambidextrous natural lefty here. I carry right front pocket and open same as you with the knife in my left hand and my right thumbnail in the nail nick. I'll then use whichever hand seems best at the time to hold the knife whilst cutting.
 
I am predominately left handed, I.e; to write I will naturally pick up the pen with my left... But I am mainly ambidextrous, I can write and do most things with both hands. (strange actually, I found that out when I suddenly realized I was writing with my right hand one time... no practice required to do it well right handed was needed either)

I always use a thumbnail to open with, they are the only nails I have strong enough to do it. I consciously leave the right thumb nail longer for knives.

I want to say most times I hold the knife left handed and open with the right thumb nail, but it really is situation and knife dependent now that I think about it... Or mainly the situation now that i think of it more.

The knife is always in a left pocket, but sometimes I hold in my right hand to open it, but still use it 90% of the time with my left. I'd say 70% of the time I hold with left, open with right.

Some guys complain about nicks on the 'back' side, but I never notice, it just means the blade might be pointed the other way when it starts open; I start opening, the blade stops halfway, turn knife around and open. some times it opens all the way then turn knife around...

I generally open half way with a thumb nick, then pinch open all the way, or pinch until the spring kicks it all the way open.


Interesting. I'd never thought about it before.
G.
 
I pinch open many of my knives, others I thumb open, last resort is right thumbnail unless the nick is on the pile side. Then I reach over with my index finger.
 
I hold the knife handle in my left hand and manipulate the blade with my right hand when opening a slipjoint without a thumbstud or blade hole. If the knife I'm opening is does have one-hand features, I open it my right hand.

I have never gotten used to opening the knife with my left thumb in the nail nick, so I have to swap hands when I get the knife open. Again, unless, it is designed for right hand, one-hand opening.

EJ
 
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