Learning to carry slip-joints (again)…

I had a seamstress friend sew a little 1.5"x3" pocket inside the right hand pocket of about 6 pair of my Wrangler jeans to carry a slippy upright and handy.Works really well! I got the idea from a pair of Duluth Trading Co. Firehose Cloth work pants.--KV
 
Confederate said:
I don't have any problems with what you guys are saying, but as far as I'm concerned, it's hard to beat a small Cold Steel Voyager. Small, light, and they lock.

Back when all the decent bikes were 10-speeds, I just didn't ride bikes. But when mountain bikes appeared, I found I could ride in comfort, without my head staring at the road below me and my ass cranked high into the air. Oh, and let's not forget the skinny tires that required asphalt to ride! I could no more go back to slip joints than I could go back to 10-speeds. I'm sure there are guys and gals out there who love 'em, but I'm not one of them.

Same with slip joints. I don't like the way they snap open and snap shut. When I was a Boy Scout, I remember when my blade got embedded in a piece of wood I was whittling. I pulled it out of the wood and it immediately snapped shut on my fingers! I still remember my parents taking me to the doctor to get my hand fixed. The doctor told me it happened quite often and the knife was taken from me and my dad replaced it with some knife called "Case" or something. Pretty little thing. It had a snappy blade too. It's still in my jewelry box with my cuff links if you want to see it. Only when locking knives appeared did I begin to get interested again. My favorite knife is a 5-inch plain edge CS Voyager. Nice polished blade, serious uses, light weight, decent lock and nice springs as well. Nothing like a Buck 110 which can snap back and cut your arm off at the shoulder!
Click to expand...

ive never had a slippy close on me, cut myself numerous times but never had one snap shut, slipjoint are fine with proper training, and lets face it even a fancy modern locking knife has the potential to fail since it also folds... in regards to the mountain bike How about a slipjoint fanatic that rides a monocog 29'er? Single speed no suspension Awesome!!!:D it's like a giant adult sized BMX!
regards
gene
 
My time working as an EMT converted me to carrying one hand opening, locking folders. I like slipjoints, but using one in the dark in an emergency situation just seems like a recipe for trouble. As for locks, I remember someone telling me a lock was like a seatbelt, it could help protect you in case of an accident, but you wanted to avoid needing it to protect you in the first place.
 
Confederate said:
Back when all the decent bikes were 10-speeds, I just didn't ride bikes. But when mountain bikes appeared, I found I could ride in comfort, without my head staring at the road below me and my ass cranked high into the air. Oh, and let's not forget the skinny tires that required asphalt to ride! I could no more go back to slip joints than I could go back to 10-speeds. I'm sure there are guys and gals out there who love 'em, but I'm not one of them.
Click to expand...

Confederate, your analogy made me chuckle... brilliant! :thumbup::D
 
I love slip joints! They just have so much character to them. Like others, I carry a combination of knives for different purposes (and for fondling). I like to carry a small ~3 inch slip joint, a larger ~ 4 inch slip joint, and modern one handed knife. This gives me all sorts of cutting options, especially when the slip joints have 2 to 4 different blades each! Then there's the leatherman in my back pack, the fixed blade, machete and tomahawk in the truck tool box.... O.K., maybe I have a little problem? :D

img0482tw.jpg
 
knarfeng said:
Like you, I
  • grew up carrying slipjoints because that's pretty much what was available at the time.
  • also today carry both a slipjoint and a one-hander. And for the same reasons. The slipjoint has a handier blade size and shape for most cutting chores, and I like having a larger blade for those few occasions when I have a more robust cutting chore, not for self-defense.

Your carry choices seem pretty reasonable to me.
Click to expand...

Same here. I usually carry a clipped knife in right pocket, and a smaller slipjoint in the left. Sometimes I'll carry a fixed blade instead of the locking knife.

I can't ever remember cutting myself with a slipjoint, but have cut myself several times playing with a locking knife. For years I would see how fast i could open and close them,(I have no reason why???, other than it was fun I guess). Thats how I would always get cut with locking knives. Thumb surgery has put and end to the playing with locking knives.
I'm also more carefull with a slipjoint. At times a locking knife gives me that false sense of security, but I realize it is still a folding knife, and often go with a smaller fixed blade.
 
Ken44 said:
I usually carry a clipped knife in right pocket, and a smaller slipjoint in the left.
Click to expand...

This seems to be a good set-up for me as well. I don't really carry much in my left pocket that can scratch-up a slippie.

I don't think I'm looking to completely replace my one-handers. Based on all the feedback on this thread, I guess it's ok to not be a 'purist' after all... :D

The locking issue is moot to me, but for those who prefer a more traditional-looking locking knife, there are options out there. Heres a pic of a Lockback Canoe beside a Delica 4.

delicacanoe02.jpg

delicacanoe01.jpg
 
I like the new old combo as well. Been carrying a one handed Lum Spydie for a long time for those awkward moments with something in one hand already or as a quick loaner/beater for someone to cut with--- and recently a NICE slippie for me to admire and use for my pleasure. Its kinda my little secret.
 
Well, one-handers are cool. But slippies are cooler. ;)

Just joking. I think carrying slippies in sparetime is great. Sometimes on work I, personally, miss a locking mechanism. So I went out in a kind of two-way-carrying. Going on patrol, controlling people in my job, I like carrying a one-hander. Later on, going home, there´s nothing more than a slippie in my pocket. Stockman, Trapper, peanut etc.

I love all of my knives... Carrying in them and using them.

Kind regards
 
I almost always carry two knives at a time.
The primary cutter is a slipjoint. I love the materials, craftsmanship, style, tradition, all that stuff.
Secondary is either a one-hand-opener or a fixed blade, one or the other. These are for heavy duty stuff, really messy jobs, or abuse that might damage the smaller slipjoint pocket knife.

I'm also a "both" guy. :cool:
 
I recently replaced my slip joint
with one of the new SAKs called Signature Lite
and it goes on my keychain.
I've already used the LED light and the retractable ballpoint pen.
Great additions.
Also, I usually still carry something bigger with a clip like
a SOG or Spyderco for bigger jobs.
 
I grew up in a place where the only knife that people carried was a slipjoint...so that's pretty much my "ancestral" idea of a knife.
When I started carrying a knife, it was a SAK. And it was the only knife I carried for a very long time.
I had a short "modern folder time", but I guess it's already over.
I always carried my knives deep in my pocket (I removed any clip from my folders). I find the one hand opening a useful thing, but not necessary. Same goes for locking systems.
So, lately I got back to traditionals and slipjoints. One knife (and usually single bladed) is enough for me to carry and use (I only carry more than one blade when I'm in the outdoors). And I like that knife to be a traditional.
:cool:
 
jackknife said:
If you cut yourself with a slip joint, don't blame the knife, take a hard look at what you were doing. Any knife can fold on you if your careless. The nice thing about slip joints is, I know it's going to bite me if I screw up and do something dumb. But a lock on a blade can fail from wear, dirt or lint in it, or just over powering the spring.

If you don't want the blade to fold on you, don't use a knife that folds.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Elegantly put, as usual. I end up trusting my slipjoints more than my one handed opening, locking folders. I know how a slipjoint behaves, and I know how a fixed blade behaves, and I just cannot get comfortable in that middle ground where the locking, one-handers reside. Want to, but just can't.

And besides....slipjoints and the people who carry them are cool. :D
 
Living in UK, we have to have slipjoint for EDC, I carried a SAK for years, but recently got a BUCK 301 and LURVE it! To get over not having a clip or lanyard ring I carry it in a Buckaroo sheath which works great.

atb, John
 
Last edited:
jackknife said:
If you don't want the blade to fold on you, don't use a knife that folds.

Carl.
Click to expand...
That's really the solution in a nutshell. I carry both, love both, but treat ALL folding blades as if they don't lock. ALL of them. I've cut myself more than once being stupid, but never by having a folder close on me.
 
I have carried modern folders for as long as I have been a knife knut, and have to many nice and rather expensive ones to even consider making a permanent switch...so I don't even try.

With that said...I love slip joints! As someone said earlier, they have so much character and tradition that I make it a point to make sure I have one in my left pocket at all times. So, I'm another one that carries one of each and i'm quite happy with this arrangement.

Here is quick pic of what goes to work with me everyday... a Strider PT and a Buck 303.

IMG_0321.jpg
 
I have two on me all the time, a SAK and a Mnandi. The SAK gets the most use, but I like the other one better!
 
I have always preferred locking folders. However my brother gave me a nice Laguoile (sp?) slipjoint and I do really like it. Although being used to locking folders I did cut myself the first time. Doh! I like to carry both, although if I'm only going out with 1, it's going to be a locking knife.

At work my slippy has been great. It has a long blade so it has cut many birthday cakes. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top