Ideal "one-handed" traditional knife...

A

Aglifter

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Jan 13, 2007
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I don't actually care for my modern knives that much, but they do make good tools.

Does anyone make a one-handed opening traditional knife - ideally w. a pocket clip/lanyard hold, a wharncliffe blade, and modern steel?
 
Hi, and welcome :)
Honestly, my idea of a traditional knife is pretty far from the thought of a one handed opener (meaning thumbhole or thumbstud), and even more distant from a knife with a pocket clip.
Some traditional knives can actually be opened with one hand, but in ways that differ alot from modern knives. As for pocket clips, you probably won't find any love for them here (not on slipjoints - many forumites carry both modern and traditional folders).
If those features are a must for you, you probably won't find anything satisfying in the world of traditional cutlery, cause those features belong to another cathegory (modern folders, or gentleman knives).
Instead, if you're willing to give traditionals a try, and forget about thumbstuds and pocket clips for a day, then you will get very nice suggestions here, and maybe you will reconsider on how much you really need those things :)
And if you do...you will be doomed :D

Fausto
:cool:
 
Yes, I'm afraid your requirements put it outside the traditional camp. Thumb studs and pocket clips are deal breakers for traditionals.
 
The best you're going to do in the traditional world for one-handers is the "one-arm" barlow, which allows you to hook the notch at the end of the main blade on the edge of a table or your shoe and flip the blade open.
Neat history behind that design too.
 
You did not mention a price point.......
Mike Vagnino makes a one hand opening slipjoint with a clip called the zip slip. However it is a custom knife so will be pricy. He does really nice work though, it is worth checking it out.
In the production world look at the spydero ukpk, for around $50 you get slipjoint t mechanism with a clip and opening hole
 
The Opinel in Inox.


EDC with lanyards by Pinnah, on Flickr

The Opinel is a friction folder at its core. This means that the blade isn't activated in anyway by a spring. This means that you can do things one-handed with an Opinel that would be dangerous with most other folding knives.

With just a tiny bit of practice, the Opinel is easy to both one hand open and one hand close. To open, hold it with the lock ring in the palm of your hand and pinch the blade open. If the joint is tight, rapping the butt on something solid first will lift up the blade just a tick. One the blade is partially open, you can hook the butt of the handle on your hip to finish the opening and with practice, your hand will be on the handle ready to activate the lock.

Note, this is one hand open in a doing work sense, not in a tactical sense.

I practiced while on my commute (and I drive a stick) and after a bit, it became second nature to me.

Regarding the steel, the Opinel Inox uses sandvik 12c27. Very pure, takes a fine edge, sharpens easily and is hardened in the 58Rc range. Not a super steel perhaps, but definitely good enough for EDC use.

Want to try an Opinel? Sign up for my pass around here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Around-amp-Walk-About?p=12519208#post12519208
 
I don´t think you can get a real traditional knife with these specimen. But a one-handed traditional knife with good carbon steel and a wood handle is the Svörd Peasant Knife.

My 2 Cent.
 
Aglifter said:
I don't actually care for my modern knives that much, but they do make good tools.

Does anyone make a one-handed opening traditional knife - ideally w. a pocket clip/lanyard hold, a wharncliffe blade, and modern steel?
Click to expand...

It's official, no thumb studs or pocket clips here please.
 
My one hand opening traditional.
IMG_20130728_115319_zps3a76c7cd.jpg
 
The "Razor" is a one-handed opening traditional knife. Case makes them, maybe others do/have, too.

The "Russlock" is another one-handed opening traditional knife. Case makes them, not sure if any other have or not.

The "Trapperlock" is another one-handed opening traditional knife. It is built on the Case 4-1/8" Trapper frame. Has a single blade with a thumbstud, and locks in place. You can even get this one in CV.
 
My "one-handed" traditional was a nice Buck 501 (circa 1980?) that, over many, many years of use became loose enough that I could pinch the blade and flick the handle down. I recently sent it back to Buck for a Spa treatment and it is now nice and tight and 2-handed again. ;)
 
A knife with a light pull might be pinched open by a few fingers on the same hand, I've done it with a few knives, but not often. The traditional patterns really aren't made for one handed opening. Carry a slipjoint and a one hand opener.
 
SaintlyBrees said:
My "one-handed" traditional was a nice Buck 501 (circa 1980?) that, over many, many years of use became loose enough that I could pinch the blade and flick the handle down. I recently sent it back to Buck for a Spa treatment and it is now nice and tight and 2-handed again. ;)
Click to expand...

Actually, pretty much any lock back or liner lock can be open one handed in a non-destructive fashion. Same as with the Opinel, pinch the blade while the pivot is in the palm of your hand. Push down on the frame with your second (middle) finger to get the blade part way out. Hook the butt end of handle on a leg and open the knife. The only tricky bit is the next move of pressing the butt of the handle against your leg while you slide your hand down from the spine of the blade to the handle.

Have to expect the snap down technique to wear things out and, of course, I think lock backs should never be one-hand closed.

The issue here, is how fast do you *need* to deploy the blade. If one can accept that slow is fine, plenty of traditionals can be opened with one hand using a variant of the pinch and swipe method.
 
RobbW said:
The "Razor" is a one-handed opening traditional knife. Case makes them, maybe others do/have, too.

The "Russlock" is another one-handed opening traditional knife. Case makes them, not sure if any other have or not.

The "Trapperlock" is another one-handed opening traditional knife. It is built on the Case 4-1/8" Trapper frame. Has a single blade with a thumbstud, and locks in place. You can even get this one in CV.
Click to expand...


Case's Russlock is considered a traditional knife isn't it?

CA69941.jpg


IMG_2931.jpg


What about the Trapperlock? Is it too far removed to be called traditional?

2743.jpg
 
Your best bet is to find a modern knife with traditional styling, like bone or wood handles. Poke around AG Russell's website; it has a lot of such knives.
 
Russlocks are allowed, since the flipper handle is essentially a refinement of the traditional lever on a friction folder or razor, with the addition of a liner lock. Otherwise they are regular single-bladed slipjoints.

I have several Russlocks and one of them is among my favorite carry knives. Very easy to operate one handed if you get a smooth one and you learn and practice the technique.

Trapperlocks are not, the very image of the hated thumbstud burns my eyes. That Kershaw is an abomination! It has TWO thumbstuds! Moderator! Moderator!
 
The Opinel with much use, can loosen up to the point where you can sling it open with a bit of force. It takes time, but my well worn 06, is a very convenient knife to open.
 
The Case Mid-Folding Hunter has bone handles, a CV clip point blade, a thumb stud, a liner lock and slipjoint backspring, and a pocket clip. It is hard to open one handed though due to the spring tension and the size of the thumb stud and the pocket clip is small and pretty tight. I think that's as close as you're going to get to a one handed pocket clipped traditional.
 
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