Lockbacks & One hand close

K

Krefcenz

Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
763
I'm wondering how many lockback designs permit one hand closing. I currently own an AG Russell one hand knife that is a lockback and has a small plastic attachment to the back of the knife that allows one hand close (one hand open also via the thumbhole). But I know that many lockbacks are one hand open, two hand close. Not that there is any particular problem with two hand close. I just like the convenience of one hand close, esp if holding a box or piece of fruit while putting the knife away. I was considering a Spyderco Native III which I think is a lockback and was wondering if anyone who owns one can tell me if it's one hand close or two hand close? Thanks.

Kref
 
But if being able to close your knife with one hand is a priority, why not just get one of the Benchmade's with an Axis lock? How about a Griptillian or Mini-grip? Just a thought?

Tom
 
You can close any lockback by unlocking the blade with pressure between the locking bar and frame and pushing the blade closed on your leg. Keep your fingrs clear of the blade's path.
 
I close my Delica by pressing on the lock and flicking my wrist so the blade closes on my finger(my finger is close enough so that the kick hits it, not the live blade). Then I just close it by placing my thumb in the hole and pulling the blade closed. The Native is a lockback and will be able to close the same as the Delica.:)
 
I've seen a few different methods, some quite fancy, but there's no easier way to close a lockback one-handed. I personally change my grip and depress the lock with my index finger, press the blade against my leg and snap shut. Alternatively, I hold the blade straight up, depress lock and let gravity drop the blade down +/- close it all the way with my leg, hand also. Its easier to close the ones which have the lock positioned half-way up the handle.
 
I have not handled the Native III, but the early version is one of my favorite designs. It can be easily closed one-handed, using any of several different methods. From the pictures I've seen of the Native III the same methods should all work just fine with it too.

--Bob Q
 
Blades like the Native, Chinook are easy to close one handed. There's a good amount of unsharpened tang that you could just depress the lockbar, and flick it so that the tang hits your finger, then you just close it the rest of the way in anyway you wish.
 
I have several Spyderco lockbacks and they all close easily one handed.
I generally use the method described by Calyth and have never been "bitten". Ok, there was the once with the Spyderco Civilian, but that one is designed to bite :D
 
If you want a lockback knife that fits the hand nicely, opens like greased lightning, locks up solid, and closes easily one handed, IMHO you can't do any better than the Spyderco Native I in S30V. Thing opens like a switchblade with your thumb as the spring and safe one hand closing is simply a matter of holding the knife with the blade angled down at about 45 degrees, then pressing the lock. The blade releases, drops to straight down position, and can be closed the rest of the way with your thumb. Works equally well for right or left hand use. Clip can also be set up for either right or left handed users. Only caveat is that the knife carries tip up if you use the clip and the same low tension spring that makes one hand opening so fast **may** increase the possibility of accidental "inertia" opening if your work or leisure ever involves things like jumping off a loading dock or out of the back of a pickup truck. I'm not sure how real that problem is, I've held mine closed in one hand, by the handle, with the tip pointing straight up, then slammed my arm down on a padded chair as hard as I could without causing the blade to budge.
 
The regular Native is a one-hand closer, so I'd imagine that the Native III is as well. I one-hand close my Delica by using my index finger in its opening hole, but that's probably not the safest idea. Get yourself the Native if a one-hand closing lockback is in your cards.
 
Most of my lockbacks are spyderco, what I do is I stick my index finger into the hole and squeeze the locking bar between my thumb and longest finger.

Now my last three fingers are in the path of the blade, but my index finger controls the blade. I just move the blade a bit out of the locking zone, then take my fingers out of the path of the closing blade, then take my index out of the hole and use my index to push on the hump of the blade(where the hole is) to close the blade.

One caution is that your fingers are going to be in the path of the unlocked(but controlled)blade momentarily, so don'y fall down or get hit while you do this.

This way, you can use your thumb to press the lockbar, but not have the blade(blunt part) drop down onto your fingers like it recs in the catalogues. I never liked that. In any case if you use your thumb to press the lockbar, you are always going to have your fingers in the way momentarily, whether you do it with both hands or one.

Regards
 
My Spyderco lockbacks (Chinook II, Manix, Delica and Dragonfly) are all easy to close one-handed. Never handled a Native III, but I imagine it would work the same way.

My Delica was kind of stiff to open and close at first -- you could still do it one-handed -- but it broke within a fairly short time.
 
I recently purchased a Native III and, yes, you can close it with one hand very easily.
Like the others have said, just depress the lock release with your thumb and give your wrist a slight downward flick. Make sure that your index finger is high on the handle (close to the tang).
The index finger will not be cut but will instead come in contact with the tang.

All of the Spyderco FRN lockbacks I have ever used work the same way.

With my Bucks and Schrade, I just released the lock and pressed the spine of the blade against my leg to finish the closing.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
All lockbacks that have a finger choil you can just press the release with your thumb and have the blade fall on your finger. Then you change your grip and flip it shut. Found this the easiest method. DON'T do this on a knife without finger choil.
 
I did a photo sequence for the leg closure:

onehandclose.jpg
 
Diamond Cut II said:
I close my Delica by pressing on the lock and flicking my wrist so the blade closes on my finger(my finger is close enough so that the kick hits it, not the live blade). Then I just close it by placing my thumb in the hole and pulling the blade closed. The Native is a lockback and will be able to close the same as the Delica.:)
Click to expand...

I do the same and only cut myself once in a while. ;) Seriously, this works fine, get the Native.
 
I think if a knife was designed to be 2 hand open and 2 hand close then that is the way it should be used. If you really need 1 hand open/close and you bought a lockback with a nail nick then you bought the wrong knife.
 
Life is often unpredictable. There may come a day when what you have is all you have and you must make it work, despite its design features and despite what you'd prefer.
 
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