Is a knife with a flush spring at half stop a sign of quality?

If the spring being flush at half/stop is a Quality Issue to you then okay . Then reverting back to one of my prior job functions I would have to ask you what is the definition of Flush to you . Flush within + / - .01 inch or +/- .0001 inch . I admire any knife that I perceive to have a flush spring at half/stop but it is not a deal breaker to me and I DO NOT KNOW what my tolerance is . Particularly since I have not tried to cut anything while at half/stop . It does not matter much to me whether a folder has a half/stop or not , but then again I may not use a knife nearly as much as you younger guys . I can not even remember if the knife that I carried and used for 40 years does or does not have a half/stop .

Harry
 
JohnDF said:
I'm weird... I like a blade to be (slightly) canted downwards.
To me, it makes it easier to bring the belly or the tip into the cutting surface.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way about the Cant of the Blade John . I prefer a Sheepfoot or Lambfoot blade for a User and it seems to me that some Cant just works for me .

Harry
 
.....interesting points of view - everyone is correct, no-one is wrong. Tbh, it's one of the first things I seek when picking up a folder for the first time - if the half-stop is plumb - the rest of the knife is usually spot-on
 
Part of the allure of traditional knives is the sound they make opening or closing. A slipjoint with a halfstop makes twice as many of those ear pleasing sounds than without, double the fun each opening and closing. A well built slipjoint sings when it snaps, like a tuning fork. A flush spring in the halfstop position is an indication of quality and gives me confidence in portions I can't see. GEC purposely engineers some halfstops slightly proud, 14s for example, gives them a little more snap / pull. Personally I don't like it, but tolerate it as they are all that way. Why GEC can't get them flush at halfstop and with an appropriate amount of snap is a lack of attention to engineering detail IMO.
 
robertj298 said:
I probably have 10 knives that have half stops. Out of the 10 3 have
springs that are flush at half stop. One GEC #73 and 2 Queens made
Winchesters from the late 80s one slim trapper and one Moose pattern.
None of my case knives have flush springs.
Click to expand...

Depends upon how much you spent for the knife. It's irrelevant when it comes to function. It also depends on your personal definition of "quality".

I have a custom knife made by a very famous maker in 1990 at the beginning of their career that's not flush. I cherish it for its imperfections and $250 price.

A knife maker once told me half stops were easier to grind than rounded tangs...right angles vs. circles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top