How do you open your slipjoint knives?

mnblade

mnblade

Joined
Feb 7, 2000
Messages
6,677
With respectful apologies to Mike at Collector Knives, does anyone else here open their slipjoint knives by pressing directly on the cutting edge with your thumb?

[video=youtube;t_Zu3CT1vdw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Zu3CT1vdw[/video]

See :34. I cringe every time I watch him do this. :eek:

My old scout master would have yanked my Totin' Chip so fast my head would spin. Just wondering if anyone else does this. :confused:

-- Mark

P.S.: I love Mike's videos and have had great service with Collector Knives.
 
Haha, most of the knives come butter knife sharp now days. I'd say he's safe opening it that way. But, when sharp I bet he doesn't do it lol.
 
:) I've noticed this too. After opening as many knives as dealers do to take photos I suppose one could develop some serious callus's.

I think I remember someone asking Mike about this here on the forum awhile back but I don't remember his exact response.

I can say with the utmost certainty that I do not open my knives in this fashion. :eek:
 
Maybe we should rename this thread to "Cult of the (Soon To Be) One-Thumbed Knife Man" :eek:
 
I've seen him do it many times, but I can't bring myself to try it. Wife would not be happy when I explain why I need to go to the E.R.

Eric
 
If Mr. Van had seen any of us scouts do that, we'd have gotten a full court matial from the scout troop!:eek:
 
There are thin skinned wimps like us, and then there's Mike. He sleeps on sandpaper. He brushes his teeth with a grill brush. He chews on granite for the fun-of-it. The rest of us cower before his YouTubes.
 
Buzzbait said:
There are thin skinned wimps like us, and then there's Mike. He sleeps on sandpaper. He brushes his teeth with a grill brush. He chews on granite for the fun-of-it. The rest of us cower before his YouTubes.
Click to expand...

LOL! :D :thumbup:

That's a very nice knife BTW :thumbup:
 
I keep my knives pretty sharp. If I were to open them like Mike does I would cut my thumb.

I hold the knife in my right hand, nail nick up, more or less perpendicular to my body with the hinge away from me. Left thumbnail in the nick, left index finger behind the blade. I pinch the blade as much as possible (saves wear and tear on the thumbnail) and use the handle to mostly rotate the knife open while holding the blade mostly stationary.
 
Lol...I've heard of hands of stone, but thumbs of stone?

He did say it was a new knife. It's not like he's dealing with a new Spyderco or Kershaw here.

Now do it with someone's personal companion, a knife we know is sharp where the newest thing on it is the gleaming edge and I'll be impressed.



Straight push cut down, no slicing motion whatsoever. Try that opening technique with this knife and you'll be headed to the ER for stitches.
 
Do you ever get fines at the library Christian? ;) :D :thumbup:
 
jc57 said:
I hold the knife in my right hand, nail nick up, more or less perpendicular to my body with the hinge away from me. Left thumbnail in the nick, left index finger behind the blade. I pinch the blade as much as possible (saves wear and tear on the thumbnail) and use the handle to mostly rotate the knife open while holding the blade mostly stationary.
Click to expand...

This is my method too. With the highlighted part usually done swiftly to make sure the I get the blade all the way open.
 
kamagong said:
He did say it was a new knife. It's not like he's dealing with a new Spyderco or Kershaw here.
Click to expand...

How about a GEC? See :26 here:

[video=youtube;aAAxcmKpfWM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAAxcmKpfWM[/video]

-- Mark
 
Jack Black said:
Do you ever get fines at the library Christian? ;) :D :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Not for this Jack...lol. I don't often do this, but this book was already water damaged with a torn back cover, so I thought why not? The sharpness test is one I first saw used by G2 a few years back.

mnblade said:
How about a GEC? See :26 here:
Click to expand...

Not even GEC. In my experience no slipjoint manufacturer delivers a truly sharp knife, at least not regularly.
 
kamagong said:
Not for this Jack...lol. I don't often do this, but this book was already water damaged with a torn back cover, so I thought why not? The sharpness test is one I first saw used by G2 a few years back.
Click to expand...

Good stuff Christian, I can remember using Sheffield phone directories years ago, not sure they even print phone directories anymore! :confused: :D :thumbup:
 
I've seen this and tried to put it out of my mind--don't know if I'm jealous or horrified. Probably both. Mike is great, btw; I've bought from him and exchanged emails. Great merchant and a nice guy.
 
snippy said:
I've seen him do it many times, but I can't bring myself to try it. Wife would not be happy when I explain why I need to go to the E.R.

Eric
Click to expand...

same...I was watching some of his videos a few months ago the first time I saw him do that I was like :eek:
 
I do open knives this way. A straight push won't cut you and the knife springs off your thumb before you know it. And, I have done this with knives that I have sharpened. My thumbs are very callused from years of working with them. It would take a lot to cut through them.
 
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