Life before One-Handed openers

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will62

Joined
Oct 18, 2002
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372
There was a comment made on the traditional forum, about how did we win WWII and other conflicts without wonder steels, various locking mechanisms, and the ability to open a knife one handed.

Have we forgotten the old line about using the right tool for the job? A knife is designed to cut not to be used as a pry bar.

As a kid I never had a knife close on me unless I did something stupid. At that time I either carried a stockman or a trapper. Later I carried a Buck 112 for heavier cutting or a fixed blade.

I was amazed when I went to Iraq at the number people who bought knives they had no idea how to use or take care of. First couple of weeks I saw quite a few people cut themselves after which the knife was relegated to the bottom of the pack.

Have we gotten soft or have we forgotten the basics?

I carry an assisted opener, but still prefer a slipjoint. For me it is about using the right tool for the job.
 
Ah, I've been opening Buck 110's and similar knives one-handed since, well, I think I got my first one in the 70's sometime. Sometimes you just can't let go of what you're holding on to.

I would think that people who are active outdoors, or in a hands-on occupation like farming or construction, would need good knives and develop a knack for handling them just from handling them a lot. But fewer people need a knife these days, as even the rugged jobs have gotten more mechanized.

My ex-wife worked in an office, and being a knife nut I got her a BuckLite for her keychain and kept it sharp. We did a lot of hiking and camping, and she handled that knife well, but many days she would come home and tell me that a male co-worker had borrowed it and cut himself. Once at a company party we took a poll of about 50 people: who is carrying a knife this evening? She and I, and one other girl whose husband was a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Nobody else.

To me, if your knife is at the bottom of your pack, you might as well not have one. I agree about using the right tool for the job, that's why I'm never very far from a whole truck full of tools!

Parker
 
Great point. This is my thought. Back when I was a kid your dad would spend time with you fishing and such. And took the time to teach us how to properly use a slipjoint, or any knife at that matter. Now people in their 20's, I would assume most of the guys you are talking about are around that age, their dads worked a lot more hours. Less went fishing and hunting. And did not carry a pocket knife because it was against the office rules, or school, or wherever. So since he did not use a knife, he never taught his kids the proper use of a knife. I could be worng and feel free to say so. But I don't think I am.
 
I carried SAKs when I was a kid. Until I bought my Spyderco Worker for $100 on a whim out of the case at the Army/Navy store. I'm sure you know, but at the time it was the only knife with the clip and one handed opening. Back then for a teenager $100 was a LOT!

Having to dig a knife out of your pocket and use both hands to open it pretty much means I might as well leave it at home because to me it is nearly useless.

Real life situations that have happened to me: pulling a knife while swimming in whitewater or controlling a canoe/raft to cut entangled line, to cut a panicked dog's collar off before it choked her, climbing in an elevator shaft by two fingers and a toe and having to grab my knife by one hand to reach back and cut whatever it is that has snagged me, having one hand or arm pinned to a surface by a rope that you desperately need to cut RIGHT NOW, being able to one-handedly deploy a knife quickly and just a quickly put it away because the situation has children,animals, or yourself at immediate risk of getting accidentally stabbed. Basically all the same reasons one might carry an auto, except my Spyderco won't make me a felon or earn me jailtime.

Super tac/ninja knives hold no appeal though. Why would I want to carry a blade for defense purposes when a gun or a stick works so much better?

Have you read the stats on HIV and hepatitis? The last thing I want to do is have some stranger bleed on me.:barf:
 
will62 said:
I was amazed when I went to Iraq at the number people who bought knives they had no idea how to use or take care of. First couple of weeks I saw quite a few people cut themselves after which the knife was relegated to the bottom of the pack.

Have we gotten soft or have we forgotten the basics?
Click to expand...

Have you ever wondered why bayonets were issued to troops blunt? Have you ever used a sterling silver "ladies fruit knife"? What makes you think our ancestors were any more skilled at handling knives than the current generation?

Willing to get cut is part of the fast-track to learning how to use and maintain knives and other cutting tools. Unless you have a mindset that believes you should carry a knife and learn how to use and care for it properly, which the majority of people don't, the bottom of the pack is the right place for it.

Locking knives have been around for many years and while I still carry and use slipjoints, they have their limitations and I much prefer the security of a solid locking knife for the more demanding tasks
 
One handed knives were well known and common before WWII - we generally call them "switchblades" these days.
 
i would think it would be the same as it is now. if you know you need a knife you bring a fixed/sheath knife. for general utility when you don't expect a special need you have a pocket knife.

as someone mentioned befor there were switchblades and the so called razor or one armed man slipjoints which had a wave like notch on the end so you could open it on the corner of your pocket or your belt or whatever.
 
chococrazy said:
The thing that saved a ton of lives is also illegal on most states now!
Click to expand...

That's because a "switchblade" will kill someone more dead than a legal knife ...right?

Thanks Hollywood for making the sheeple think autos and bali's are only used by punks and gang members. :grumpy:
 
Talk to me when you get up to change the channel on your TV.

Just because the old way worked fine doesn't mean that the new way isn't better. :rolleyes:
 
I use to use slip joint knives when younger. However, I like the new steels and I find one hand pening to be useful. I don't see the harm in having a lock. Just an extra safety mechanism with no disadvatage imo. I think it is just as important to respect our past as it is to accept the future. You have to grow and try new things I think.
 
slip joint folders are likely to cause accidental injury simply because a user cannot rightly gauge when it would slip shut.
first timers users always get nervous when opening or shutting a blade.
and just supposing the black spring tension might be harder to operate than some would prefer.
...nothing worst than to see a slice off the old finger!
btw, still pack a collapsible scissors; believe that keeps both accidents and onlooker "excitement" in check.
 
GIRLYmann said:
slip joint folders are likely to cause accidental injury simply because a user cannot rightly gauge when it would slip shut.
Click to expand...

Sure you can, if you're doing something stupid that the knife wasn't designed for, like trying to smack it through a log with another hard object, the knife will not work properly and you're going to have a bad day. If you're cutting in a normal manner and not playing psycho and stabbing it into something as hard as you can, then your knife will not fail and you will have a good day. You're not more likely to hurt yourself with a non-locking blade, you're more likely to hurt yourself if you're stupid, with any blade.
 
given a choice, it goes without saying that we'ld all rather not try anything that a product wasn't designed for.
afterall slammin' 'n bangin' is what a hatchet's furr.
however, it must have occured to somebody eons ago in finding the wisdom to create a locking folder to correct and overcome the dangers of possible accidental slip joint knife closures or worst yet - back spring lock failures.
an Opinel penny knife with cam lock is just the simplest thing equipped for cutting chores for both field and pantry.
what could anyone possibly ask more, from such a well tried and tested classic penny knife EDC like the Opinel.
so why was the backspring invented in the first place i wonder?
was it designed to take on more stresses or physical punishment that a penny knife couldn't?
 
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Actually, one hand opening knives have been around for thousands of years, but steel quality has definitely improved!
 
Most of the guys who needed fast access to a knife carried a fixed blade. You're right about the switchblades. There were a lot of good ones back in the day, Schrade, etc.

I remember one I lusted after as a kid was a Schrade two bladed pen knife with a button on either side. They sold 'em at the hardware store, but I never had enough money to buy one.
 
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