How do you open your slipjoints?

I'm right handed, open my blades with whichever hand is more conveniently situated. OH
 
I'm right handed. I hold the knife with my left hand and use my right thumb to open the blade.
 
RMOQ7udTGPVShxZUDv9JeiLSnJJobNoMivUS-Ry7TZY=w275-h205-p-no
yqYthZ3AsNGWA79zPhfJLloWeuU5YhiQOF_kSb2F6oY=w275-h205-p-no
Pski02Yf5lBOnk_IhFnMbKXI3PNgmBfB5c9z18GxVvg=w267-h200-p-no
sztYhnOyfXSD1MVAmW-sPEhpbKySRWwpkMBCn-SAxOU=w267-h200-p-no


opening GEC 73

6E4MFB2c1xeQDN7SDyZmpv_46WZYiqP0291rmBOjmS8=w355-h221-p-no
BPs0NXz2gcVXsGKIW9SBuRHlF2-qfXfUSeurapin8mc=w208-h207-p-no
hIdpV5wx_1DK5WQCnAwUyIbkZP7vIJcqV8JrZdRcbi8=w156-h207-p-no


and closing


rizJNKy5w9HF9cvMxqSqiZepymkMPeGD24vb8301OgQ=w230-h200-p-no
CakD1cja-waG84BEDEzPCWhm8N2SgPUJfcJ1ASO6DNY=w188-h200-p-no
XhI_kiDh9cefqYbGu7p1fcx8IHAXm1WBXme2c5Dz7IA=w206-h200-p-no
jsRFHAQfVNxQg7cKkkcVSFW8ChDAtG0NtT_YKgaLiPE=w187-h200-p-no
ptDaDXXYKgcte_dgPPSTShdV0Dch-BKya05gDVKwWhw=w171-h221-p-no


GEC 72 one hand

mRR9Xzj4wnub7KgWCGU_W5b4AODkqw_9gM5P9A1b7qE=w208-h221-p-no
2qAv45jNN970Jjh6o-VLk6YMz_KALd0x-pWPvv2XIl4=w187-h221-p-no
pv06ZlHidKG5AnwqyGFVubjV_FjbXuoS7n7tWxhhmV0=w202-h221-p-no
RQ2xFc4YgD1CUj9qwSmf0MZC-OZPnZgNDkhf4JvKTb8=w222-h221-p-no


one hand closing
 
Thanks for all the feedback! Seems like there's quite a variety of methods and no majority, very interesting.

Rinos: love the photos, thanks!
 
.
Opening em not's what I'm worried about. Closing em is done slowly with thumb and index finger pinching the blade with my finger tips with the other hand out of harms way grasping the frame. I just got two Bret Dowell customs.....my very first custom slipjoints. Loving the hell out of these two flawlessly made slipjoints. Pull is firm and dead consistent between the two.

DowellX3.jpg


DowellBarbwire1.jpg


DowellCarbonDP.jpg


The next Dowell coming soon will be a Lanny's Clip just like this one but with a fluted (rat tailed) bolster and 1/8th inch CPM-154 blade stock.

DowellAmberLannysClip.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm right-handed and always hold the knife in my right hand, with the pivot of the blade to be opened pointing upwards. If the nail nick is facing me I use the left thumb, otherwise the left index finger to pull it open.
I'm amazed how many methods there are, some of them never even crossed my mind :).
 
right handed. Hold knife with left hand. Right thumbnail to open. To close, flip over and place back of blade against left palm. Rotate closed.
 
Old & In The Way said:
Never really given this any thought, but I'm right handed and have always held the knife in my left hand and used my right to open the knife.
Click to expand...

I'm right handed...

Always same here - no matter if I'm pinching it open or using the nail nick.....:)

It's always held in left hand and opened with the right.

Closing it goes the same in hand - but if I close and old beater against my leg? Either hand works?:rolleyes::D
 
justsomedude said:
[...]Tell me, what's your strong hand and how do you open your knives?[...]
Click to expand...

Cool question/thread :cool:

thawk said:
Right handed. Hold knife in my right hand and use my left thumb to engage, pull it open with right thumb on the front cover, and first three fingers wedged up against the back. The left hand remains stationary. If a nail nick is on the back side (like a stockman with a sheepsfoot and spey), I turn the knife over.

I tried reversing hands, and could barely make it happen.
Click to expand...

I'm right-handed and do it like this ^^^
 
Great question and never actually really looked at my technique till today. I'm right handed and hold the knife in my left. I use my right to pull open the blade or use the nail nick. Once the blade is open I slide my right hand down the spine and grip the knife securely with my right. Closing the knife I use the exact opposite technique or also use a varied strategy where my left thumb pinches and lowers the blade. I don't even have to think when I do it and it feels super natural. Quote a complex movement :)
 
You ask an interesting question and I never thought about it. I carry a stockman in both front pockets and when I open the Uncle Henry from my left pocket I hold with left hand and open with right hand thumb. When I use my Buck 301 from the right hand pocket I hold it in the right hand and open it with the left hand.
Bob
 
I have my butler open mine for me...well, I would, if I had a butler ;)

But yep pretty much as most above has stated, some days the opinel's can be a little stiff but otherwise held right, open with left.
G2
 
Hmm, I switch hands when closing. I hold the handle with my right hand and walk the blade closed with my left. Although, depending on the knife, I do sometimes bring it to half closed with my left then use my right thumb to close it all the way. Or just close it one handed with my right hand - push closed with my right thumb in line with the spine of the blade gripping the knife handle completely, then rotate the knife so the liners are facing me, gripping the knife handle with the pads of my 4 fingers holding it where the fingers start and pull the blade closed with my thumb now perpendicular to the blade spine.

I close lockbacks one handed like Rinos shows though. I've opened them the same way if there's enough blade/grip to do so. Otherwise I use 2 hands but with no real preference on which does what.
 
Right handed...

open - hold in left hand, open (pulling "up") with right hand

close - hold in right hand, close (pushing "down") with left hand
 
Right handed. I usually Hold the knife in my right hand and open with my left, pinching the blade if it opens easily that way, nail nick otherwise. But sometimes I hold in my left hand and open with my right, usually I do this if my left thumb nail is ragged or torn and doesn't grip well. This actually became a habit I held for quite a while after badly tearing my left thumbnail. Closing a slipjoint I almost always hold in the right hand and fold my left hand over the blade, pressing down on the spine of the blade with my palm. This way keeps my thumb and fingers clearly out of the way and is an easy quick safe way to close it, although with small blades like pen blades the tip can jab my palm if I'm not careful. Sometimes I just pinch the spine as I close it. Sometimes I just hold the knife in right hand fingers and thumbs safely out of the way and press the spine of the blade along my thigh or hip to close. My Opinel I open one handed pretty easy and without the tapping method when I don't bother using the lock and use it as a friction folder. Even then I still tend to open it two handed.

Interesting seeing everyone's different habits. Small things but interesting how everyone does it. Good thread!
 
right handed
to open, handle in left hand, right thumbnail in nail nick,
blade pointing straight up if nail nick is on mark side,
or blade straight down if like on my peanut pen blade the nail nick on the pile side,
rotate handle until knife is open. I do not rotate the blade, I keep it stable in one position and rotate the handle, not the blade.

to close I do the more typical "A" break, handle in right hand, blade in left, edge parallel with the ground, bring blade down so tip points at the ground, and bring handle down until handle liners meet my fingers that are pinching the blade, then release the blade into the handle.

No free fall dropping the blade shut from the half open position. No rotating a blade open while keeping the handle static. My goal is to hold and control the blade keeping it static, and letting the handle do the swinging around to or from the blade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top