How Many Ways Do You Open a Slipjoint?

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The thread about preference for pen blade in front of or behind the main blade on a jackknife got me thinking, quite self-consciously, about how I open a knife. And I discovered I only do it "naturally" one way, which surprised me! I'm right-handed, and automatically hold the knife, blades up, in my right hand with the pivot to my right, and use my left thumbnail to open the blade.

What really surprised me is that I can hardly open a blade using a fingernail, or by gripping the blade with my right hand! I tried to open the pen blade on a pen behind configuration using a left fingernail, and it felt SO awkward!

So now I'm curious. Are you a thumbnail only person, or fingernail, or both? Do you always open a knife the same way, or are you more versatile and flexible than me? Should I be doing some kind of exercises to allow me not to be such a one-dimensional opener?

- GT
 
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I rarely open a knife myself, I have a minion for that. But when I do, I use the same method as you.
 
I do the opposite of you, but I'm also right handed. I hold it in my left hand, with pivot to the right and open with my right thumbnail. I suppose it makes more sense to open with your left thumb so the handle is in your right hand. But it always felt weird to me that way, funny how things like that are done without much thought, but become so hard to change after you get used to it

Casey
 
I'm right handed, But I typically hold the knife in my left, open with my right thumb, then switch the knife to my right hand on any knife with a stiff pull. Knifes that pull easily I hold in the right and pinchwith my left finger/thumb.
 
I'm a lefty, so I hold the knife the knife in my left. Then things get a little weird. I hold the pivot towards my wrist and put my right thumbnail in the nick. Then I kind of hold the blade in place and pivot the knife away from it with my left hand. Once it's open it does a half barrel roll because it's upside down because it's in my left hand. I don't know why I do it this way, as I never thought about it before reading this thread.
 
Handle in my left hand and the right thumb pulls the blade open over the top. Using the left thumb in the nail nick feels a bit weird to me.
 
I use my right thumbnail for all blades. If the nick is in front, I hold the frame in my left hand and open over the top to the right. If the nick is in back, I turn the knife upside down and open under the knife from left to right, as shown below.

PileNickOpen_zpsb6e112af.jpg~original
 
I'm a lefty, so I hold the knife the knife in my left. Then things get a little weird. I hold the pivot towards my wrist and put my right thumbnail in the nick. Then I kind of hold the blade in place and pivot the knife away from it with my left hand. Once it's open it does a half barrel roll because it's upside down because it's in my left hand. I don't know why I do it this way, as I never thought about it before reading this thread.

I guess that best explains how I do it too. Never really gave it much thought, but it sure does feel weird, and a bit unsafe/awkward to try it any other way. I consider myself to be quasi-left handed (I write and throw left handed, kick left-footed, shoot a pistol left handed, take a natural lefty boxing stance and am left-eye dominant. But I swing a bat/golf-club/etc right handed, shoot a rifle/shotgun right handed.) Sort of like Jack-of-all-trades, Master of none. :eek:)
 
I'm right handed. So I hold the knife in my right hand with the blade tip down and open with thumb in knick while my right and left hands twist away from each other. This leaves the knife in my hand ready to use.

Gabe
 
I am right-handed. I hold the knife in my left hand, blade(s) up, pivot to the right. pinch/nick with the right hand, then place the handle into my right hand.

Of course I dropped the knife into my lap just now while verifying this procedure. That's not part of the usual operation.

MINIONS ASSEMBLE!
 
I open a few of my slip joints one handed frequently. If I can pinch the blade, or if the blade has a softer pull with cam tangs!

I use thumbs and fingers on both hands in nail nicks and long pulls.
 
I'm right handed. If the placement of the nail nick allows, I hold the knife in my left and use my right thumb nail o open. This is my preferred method of opening a knife.

If the nail nick placement does not allow that, I hold the knife in my right hand and open with my left thumb nail.
 
right handed: pinch the blade (or use the thumb nail if nailnick is present) holding it in the left, and rotate the handle with the right hand around the pivot, voilà!
Before using the knife please remember to remove the left hand from the blade ;)
 
Right handed
The knife facing with the blades down and spine up
I use my left thumb nail to grasp the nail nick
The blade is stationary with my left hand nail in the nail nick as I turn the knife on the pivot with my right hand to open the blade

This work very well for 'nail busters'
 
Only knife knuts care.

I just asked my wife to look at this thread to prove a point and she said it was the most absurd thing she'd ever read!

Btw, right handed - but I'm a fan of congress knives so I tend to use forefingers and thumbs of both hands depending on which blade I'm after.

Paul
 
Only knife knuts care.

I just asked my wife to look at this thread to prove a point and she said it was the most absurd thing she'd ever read!

Btw, right handed - but I'm a fan of congress knives so I tend to use forefingers and thumbs of both hands depending on which blade I'm after.

Paul

That's really funny Paul. I thought the same thing when i saw the thread, "if my girlfriend saw this one she'd be rolling her eyes." But I'm game. Where else would such a question be discussed?

I can go either way but I always use my thumbnail in the nick or longpull (if its not pinchable) if I'm holding the knife in my left hand I pivot the blade up and out. If i'm holding in my right hand the blade stays stationary on my left thumbnail and i pivot the handle. This is what makes pens behind the main blade a little tricky, but not so bad.

Now more importantly how do you all close your knives?
 
Lefty here.

There was a thread once about "right and left-handed" knives or somesuch and I (tongue in cheek) replied "I thought all slipjoints were left-handed". Reading this thread, it seems to be true. A lot of right handers seem to hold the knife in the left hand initially.

Knife in left, tip up.. open halfway and grasp knife with left hand.. finish opening. (Knife ends up in left hand.) :)
 
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