How important is one hand open and close?

I carry both. The knives I like more are traditional two handed openers, but there are times I need the ability to use one hand. The recent influx of modern traditionals has been pretty cool to see, but they're either way too pricey for me or not made in America. So, I'll work with what I got and carry both...
 
My AD10, Code 4, and Endura are all one hand open and close but that’s probably due to blade weight.

While I’m pretty indifferent to modern v slip joint I generally carry a modern because of the pocket clip
 
Nice but not essential. Buck 112/110 generally need two hands to open, but that's no problem. Spydies are convenient though with the hole.
 
I don’t mind having to open knives with two hands, but I can certainly appreciate one hand openers. Hands covered in oil, grease, mud, whatever you happened to be in the middle of, being able to snap open a folder to make the required with less effort and less of a mess is always preferred.
 
I live in the country and I take care of my mules year round. I have a number of knifes that can be opened and closed with one hand. I have found my Spyderco Sage one works real good year around. It is rock solid and extremely tough. When it is colder than a well diggers ass is when it gets interesting. When I am in the barn working with hay it is great to have to remove only one glove. I grab the lanyard hanging out of my pocket and pull the clip off my pocket. It is very easy to open the knife with the Spyderco hole. I can cut the twine on the hay and push the liner lock and easily close the knife with the same hand. I do have a Sage 5 compression lock but the liner lock on the Sage 1 is easier for me to use one handed. Stick the knife back in my pocket using the wire clip. The conditions doing chores can be very dusty and the Sage one is easy to clean. I have some super nice automatic knifes but the dirty working conditions is just not condusive to their use.
I prefer to open all my knifes with two hands as it is a safety issue with me. I am older and my hands do not function like they used to.
 
For me? Very important. More often than not my other hand is holding into whatever I need use my knife on or a ladder or something or another. Just as important is the pocket clip so my knife is immediately available.

Times like these aren't when I want to have to dig into my pocket or fiddle with two handed operation.

6VQStPl.jpg
 
afishhunter said, "Knives are tools, not toys."

Then you should have met my father. He was born in 1918, so by the late 1920s he was off playing Mumblety-peg. And he did admit that lots of boys got a knife tossed into the tops of their feet.

My position is more global. Yes, the late 1960's had it's bad-boys, and not many of that era carried firearms. From 1964 on I had some form of edged tool. Good Sicilian stilettos of that era cost the princely amount of 4 bucks!

Personally I'm glad that era ended. I can talk to the younger generation of knife collectors, and I might even have a folder they have never seen. Oh, and my dad would have loved this forum!
 
afishhunter said:
Knives are tools, not toys.
Click to expand...

TheTourist said:
afishhunter said, "Knives are tools, not toys."

Then you should have met my father. He was born in 1918, so by the late 1920s he was off playing Mumblety-peg. And he did admit that lots of boys got a knife tossed into the tops of their feet.

My position is more global. Yes, the late 1960's had it's bad-boys, and not many of that era carried firearms. From 1964 on I had some form of edged tool. Good Sicilian stilettos of that era cost the princely amount of 4 bucks!

Personally I'm glad that era ended. I can talk to the younger generation of knife collectors, and I might even have a folder they have never seen. Oh, and my dad would have loved this forum!
Click to expand...
Are the two of you reading a different forum?
 
One-hand opening is necessary. I generally have something in my hand that I need to cut. Or after I cut something, I’m holding onto the rest of it and I need to close (and pocket) the knife one handed. I prefer my axis locks.
I carry a BM auto triage at work, so I can open it just as fast with my left hand in an emergency.
 
In a pinch I can open most of my two-hand-opening knives one-handed, its just a bit more dangerous to my fingers. I'd prefer to carry one-hand-openers exclusively, but alas, knife laws and knife phobia abound...
 
Quiet said:
...At work, I sit at a desk behind a door with my name on it, so immediacy in opening a knife isn't something that's a priority, freeing me to carry other things...
Click to expand...

I just pictured a nicely finished wood door sporting a placard that reads “Quiet” in bold letters.

One hand opening is not absolute with me but, pretty close. I do look for modern folders because of it though.

Nail nicks are not my friend most of the time. After using them just a few times my nails are done for. Then I reach for a modern folder.

OHO folders are nice but a perfect folder to me will still allow me to open the blade with two hands.

Let me explain... my dream folder
also has enough blade exposed so that I can open the knife two handed by grabbing the blade itself.

Many of my favorite knives offer this feature. Benchmade’s 550 Griptilian is easy to open because of it and Spyderco’s D’Allara 3 is even better with much of its blade showing when closed.

My little US made Kershaw Zing can be opened effortlessly because of it and my lowest junk knife, Cutco’s 1891 folder can even be deployed the same way.

This option is sometimes helpful when wearing work gloves and I have even been known to us it in mixed company or when I am in public and have concerns about people overreacting if I open a knife one handed.

Not a big deal really.
 
Last edited:
Well, I'm still putzing with that little red Cold Steel folder. It has a nice big oval opening in the blade, but my problem is positioning the little folder in my dominant hand so the blade can be rotated.

Yes, I'm practicing, but I'm impatient.
 
OHOaC (One Hand Opening and Closing) is important to me.

I always have a modern, one-handed opening clip-on knife on my person. Always. That is the knife I will use when I have to open a bag or whatever, where I am holding the work piece in one hand while deploying my blade with the other.

If I lived in Willowby, or Mayberry, I would only carry a traditional and I would slowly pull my beautiful slip-joint from my pocket and carefully cut whatever needed cut, and then slowly close the blade, admire it for a moment, and the put it back in my pocket.

I always have at least three knives, and one is a slip joint, and it is a true EDC - as that knife is with me Every Day. That knife is my Victorinox Waiter.

But, as said, I also always have my Kershaw Cinder and at least one other clip knife for which I don't have to dig into my pocket to deploy.

It feels good to enjoy all facets of the hobby, both working and admiring.

best

mqqn
 
I would add that one handers that don’t require a wrist flick to assist in opening are very much better.

Assisted openers that can’t easily be closed with one hand are a deal breaker for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top