Lockbacks & One hand close

Sharp Phil said:
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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This how people end up using knives as prybars and screwdrivers. ;)
 
Let's see, with most Spydercos...first method is like most others here: from standard grip (hammer or saber), thumb releases lock bar, little flick so that the kicker hits my index finger, change grip and thumb close the rest of the way.

Second method is slightly different. From standard grip, turn knife in hand so that it's point up & mostly edge-in; press the lock bar with middle finger and push the back of the blade with thumb (so the kicker hits the index finger); keep turning knife in hand until you can thumb it closed.

The second method uses more motion but feels more fluid to me, since everything moves in the same direction.
 
I depress the lock with my thumb, and have my index finger pointing out, and pull the blade down a little, then change grip and bring it down the rest of the way with my thumb.
 
Sharp Phil said:
True. But what if all you had was that knife and you had no choice?
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Let's see, if I was working on my truck and needed a screwdriver and I only had a knife on me then I would take my fat lazy butt over to my toolbox and get a screwdriver.

If I came up to a car accident and a piece of the car needed to by pryed away to free a trapped individual and all I had was my knife then I would use my knife.

I believe the majority of the incidents involving improper use of a knife are not life or death situations but rather a case of laziness or ignorance. Setting down a box or apple in order to close a knife properly and safely is not a life or death situation where the user has no choice.
 
stevekt said:
Setting down a box or apple in order to close a knife properly and safely is not a life or death situation where the user has no choice.
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the term "properly" is purely subjective in this case. closing a knife is like tying your shoe: there's no "right" way, as long as the shoe gets tied.

there's no "right" way here, as long as the knife gets closed.

abe m.
 
Well, all these replies, and no one has described what I do, and I feel my methods are superior to those listed so far. Hmmmm... Maybe I should only share this method with trusted members, and give it a name. How about "the possum pop"? BWAHAAHAHAHA!!!!

Seriously, there's no need to close it on your leg, or shift hand positions halfway closed, etc. Here's what I do.

For a mid lock design, start out holding the knife edge up, and just press the lock bar with the inside base of your middle finger. Once the lock is disengaged, close the blade with your index finger on the spine. You can move your thumb out of the way in one motion as the blade is closing; there's no need to stop the blade halfway, shift grips, and finish the close. You should be able to easily flip the blade open and back closed again in less than a second.

For a rear locker, the idea is modified a bit. Instead of pressing the lock bar with your middle finger, you'll use your pinky. But since the pinky doesn't have the needed strength or dexterity, you have to curl your pinky up, and press the bar with the back of your finger, while your 2 middle fingers and thumb hold the handle. (well, actually, your pinky doesn't move; you use your other fingers to press the handle & lock bar against the back of your pinky.) It's easiest to position your index finger on the spine first, so once the lock bar is disengaged, you can easily flip the blade closed in one motion. If the handle scales are thick enough to hang onto, you can do all this without your fingers ever getting in the blade's path. Thus, once again, you can safely close the knife in one fluid motion without ever shifting your grip or stopping the blade halfway. It's even quicker than with a mid- locker; you should be able to flick the blade open and closed in half a second with practice.

Best.
-the possum
 
allyourblood said:
there's no "right" way here, as long as the knife gets closed.
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I disagree. If I closed my knife and cut a deep gash in my fingers in the process I wouldn't say I closed my knife the "right" way.
 
stevekt said:
I disagree. If I closed my knife and cut a deep gash in my fingers in the process I wouldn't say I closed my knife the "right" way.
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that's fine, and i'd agree with you. one might argue that firing your knife out of a cannon against a brick wall is also not the "right" way.

but we're not talking about cutting ourselves, we're talking about closing a lock-back one-handed. cutting yourself is not part of the equation, unless you make it a specific step in closing your knife. for most folks, cutting yourself is something that happens by accident.

abe m.
 
the possum said:
Well, all these replies, and no one has described what I do, and I feel my methods are superior to those listed so far.
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i've done both of the methods you've described, but for the 5 or 6 lockbacks i own, they're slower and leave more room for error than the "drop & stop".

abe m.
 
The easiest way I have found to close my Calypso Jr. one handed is kinda like SKY explained, except I close the blade in one sweeping motion with my index finger.

1) From my normal grip, I just slide my thumb straight back so it's on the lock, while at the same time bringing my index finger up and putting it into the hole.

2) From this position I then depress the lock with my thumb to disengage it.

3) Once the lock is disengaged I use my index finger that is in the hole to start closing the blade. When the blade reaches close to a 90 degree angle I shift my thumb to the left side near the pivot while at the same time moving my last three fingers out of the path of the blade... as I continue closing the blade with my index finger. This is all done in one continuous motion and I end up holding the knife between my index finger and my thumb. This is a lot faster and easier then it sounds, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible since I don't have pictures to show how its done.

It may feel awkward at first, but after practicing this technique several times it becomes very easy to close your lockback one handed. ;)

After trying different techniques I like this one the best, because my index finger controls the blade the entire time. I can close the blade in one continuous motion with out having to stop the blade half way, change grips and then finish the close.

Best,

Starchaser
 
Phil - that's how I close almost all my lockbacks, including my Buck 110 Auto. I do it without even thinking about it. When there's a will, there's a way.
 
I've never owned a lockback that couldn't be closed one-handed with a minimum of effort. I have owned three or four that were fairly hard to open one handed because they had zytel handles with almost no mass.

Gordon
 
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.:)
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Yes yes, I do it in a similiar way, man. Except after the lock is disengaged and the kick rested on my index finger, I put my index finget on the blade's spine and close it. Same thing for my Ladybug. Just love doing the flick everytime, it simply feels cool. :)
 
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