Lefties and liner locks

D

dogstar

Joined
Jan 23, 2011
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I read time and again that liner locks are difficult to use for left handed people, or some lefties refuse to buy liner locks.

This is very different from my experience. I find liner locks easy to work with both hands. So, what am I missing here?
 
I don't think you are missing anything. I am left handed and have used right handed linerlocks and frame locks for many years. I recently picked up a left handed linerlock and I find it awkward to use . If all my knives where left handed I'm sure it would feel natural but not all knives are offered in a left handed model.I don't think I would buy a lefty knife again,it will just make it hard to sell later.
 
flatblackcapo said:
I don't think you are missing anything. I am left handed and have used right handed linerlocks and frame locks for many years. I recently picked up a left handed linerlock and I find it awkward to use . If all my knives where left handed I'm sure it would feel natural but not all knives are offered in a left handed model.I don't think I would buy a lefty knife again,it will just make it hard to sell later.
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I'm left handed as well. Didn't even realize there were lefty liner locks out there, thanks.
 
I'm also a Southpaw and i dont have a problem with right handed liners. I do have several Lefty liner (all form CRKT) and i like them as well, you aren't the only one I don't get it either. Just be happy that you are part of an elite 10% group of people who do things backwards :D....... i was born ambidextrous but my left hand is the one i go to when writing and what not

its alot of fun to fill out forms and switch hands while righting, confuses the bejesus out of people
 
Another lefty... no problem with right-handed frame or liner locks except that I sometimes forget which way I'm supposed to push/pull if I've been switching around what's in my pocket and I'm not looking at it as I close it. So I don't really care.

Not having a left handed pocket clip option is a deal-breaker, though.
 
I know righties that don't like liner locks. I am a lefty and I don't like them, but I don't think it would matter to much if I was right handed.
 
I've used right handed liner/frame locks since I started messing with knives; I'm sure most other people are the same way. Because of that, I don't know how easy it would be to start pushing the lock rather than the pulling that I've done the entire time.

I do, however, think that it should technically be easier to use them on left handed versions considering the fact that it is more intuitive in general to push them considering the grip of your hand on the knife.
 
I'm a righty, but have to use my left hand because of arthritis. The only one I've had problems with is an Emerson CQC7. The thumb disc is too close to the scale, and the liner prevents grinding the scale down. My favorite is the Spyderco Southard (even though it's a framelock). Large cutout to reach the lockbar.
 
I have several custom lefty liner locks, makes it a lot easier to close. Same with frame locks.
 
dogstar said:
I read time and again that liner locks are difficult to use for left handed people, or some lefties refuse to buy liner locks.

This is very different from my experience. I find liner locks easy to work with both hands. So, what am I missing here?
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Nothing. Most are easy to lock and unlock LH. Some, like the Military, I think almost work better LH.
 
Skywalker31 said:
Another lefty... no problem with right-handed frame or liner locks except that I sometimes forget which way I'm supposed to push/pull if I've been switching around what's in my pocket and I'm not looking at it as I close it. So I don't really care.

Not having a left handed pocket clip option is a deal-breaker, though.
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^ You are exactly right. No left clip option is a deal breaker. For the life of me I can't understand why manufacturers don't offer a left clip option. It must be extremely expensive to add a couple extra holes. Those cheap, lefty hating bastards. :D

I had a custom knife made with a righty liner lock because I have zero problem with them. My next custom will be a lefty liner just to see what it's like.
 
Another southpaw here, but I prefer to carry my knife right sided, so that my left hand (strong hand) is available to draw another, um, defensive weapon that I may be carrying. Operating a liner-lock right handed is second nature for me.
 
I am a righty but practice left hand regularly also. Just because you may need to swap hands in situations . You hit it right on with the Military being one of the easier to manipulate lefty though I personally dont think its easier but of all the liner locks I have used/owned it seems the safest to switch to my non dominant hand with. for two reasons
1) the big lock bar cutout
2)the finger choil which affords more safety when operating the knife both left and right handed.

The Military is really the only liner lock I like or will carry . I think its the best overall linerlock ever mass produced.
 
The only times I have had a problem with liner locks as a lefty, is on a few models where the liner lock sticks up either to close to the thumbstud for a southpaws thumb to use it effectively, or blocks the thumbhole causing a similar problem. As far as working the lock itself, never had a problem.
 
To open a liner lock with a thumbhole, pinch with your index finger and thumb:
[video=youtube;mJFPbY7D2Zc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJFPbY7D2Zc[/video]

That is my left hand; image is reversed from using laptop webcam.
 
No problems with liner/frame locks here either, But non ambidextrous pocket clip is a deal breaker for me. I've gotten so used to right hand frame locks the lefty models seem backward to me.

I hope knife companies read threads like this. Southpaws buy knives too, But we are ignored by many knife companies. It isn't hard to add the option of left hand carry!
 
Are right handed liner locks possible to operate left handed? Yes. Is it as comfortable as a left handed liner lock? Not in my opinion.

There are a few options for left handed liner/frame locks. The discontinued left handed Military can still be found, CRK makes left handed versions of their knives, and Lionsteel makes a left handed version of one of their frame locks.

Unfortunately, there really aren't any left handed super steel knives out there unless you are willing to go custom.
 
Cynic2701 said:
Are right handed liner locks possible to operate left handed? Yes. Is it as comfortable as a left handed liner lock? Not in my opinion.

There are a few options for left handed liner/frame locks. The discontinued left handed Military can still be found, CRK makes left handed versions of their knives, and Lionsteel makes a left handed version of one of their frame locks.

Unfortunately, there really aren't any left handed super steel knives out there unless you are willing to go custom.
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What do you mean by super steel? Not liner locks or frame locks but one of the things I like about Benchmades is that their Axis Lock is an ambidexterous design and their carry clips are mountable for right or left side carry. The Axis design appears to be totally ambidexterous so far as I can see. Depending on model they offer some pretty exotic steels too compared to most knives other than full customs.
 
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