Nail nicks in Barlow knives

[ErikMB]

I am just wondering why so many Barlow knives have the nail nicks on the same side. I have four Barlows and, for all of them, I have had to put in a tiny wooden shim to prop up the larger blade so I can get to the nail nick over the smaller blade.

Wouldn't it make sense to put the nick on the outside of each blade?

Does anyone have a better solution to my little shim, by the way? It does lift the tip of the larger blade out a little so it is easy to poke myself with it.

 

[Just Tom.]

You might try lowering the pen blade instead, by filing a little bit off the kick (If you can lower it and still access the nail nick).

 

[JohnDF]

It can be a problem when they have the secondary blade in front of the main blade.
Easy soloution, look for Barlows with the secondary behind the main blade.
Or do like Tom said and file the kick on the secondary.

 

[Jack Black]

They have them on the same side because that's the traditional configuration, and I reckon those old cutlers could make them so that both nail nicks were accessible. Charlie waynorth did an early run of TC Barlow's with the nick and pull on opposing sides though, and very kindly gifted me one. I'll try to remember to edit in a pic tomorrow

 

[Will Power]

Another argument in favour of single-blade Barlows

 

[Rookie82]

A majority of people are right handed, which means they usually open the blade with their dominant (right) hand. So the knicks were designed so both are accessible to a person's right thumb. Doesn't mean it's the best design, but that was the main idea behind it I would think. Also, a lot of different patterns could use the same secondary blade, so a standardized design was used. In terms of a specific knife design, it may not be optimal, but in terms of running a factory it makes sense.

 

[mrknife]

Another argument in favour of single-blade Barlows

Amen!

 

[Frank.K]

A majority of people are right handed, which means they usually open the blade with their dominant (right) hand. So the knicks were designed so both are accessible to a person's right thumb. Doesn't mean it's the best design, but that was the main idea behind it I would think. Also, a lot of different patterns could use the same secondary blade, so a standardized design was used. In terms of a specific knife design, it may not be optimal, but in terms of running a factory it makes sense.

I’m a lefty so I hold a slipjoint in my left hand upside down and open the blade with my right thumb. Then I flip and roll it into an upright position. I’d love to find a lefty slipjoint though

 

[joeradza]

I’m a lefty so I hold a slipjoint in my left hand upside down and open the blade with my right thumb. Then I flip and roll it into an upright position. I’d love to find a lefty slipjoint though

Here ya go Frank.

 

[Frank.K]

HereView attachment 1651819 ya go Frank.

Wow cool! What model are those?

 

[joeradza]

Wow cool! What model are those?

Stainless 15s that I flipped in photoshop one year as an April fools joke. They’re normal. Sorry for messing with you.

 

[TheJon]

I’m a lefty so I hold a slipjoint in my left hand upside down and open the blade with my right thumb. Then I flip and roll it into an upright position. I’d love to find a lefty slipjoint though

While I'm not sure of any specifically left knives there are a few that have one on either side. For example, a GEC 54 Big jack. The spearpoint has the nail nick on the reverse.

I don't have a picture of the reverse but here's a 54, noticd the spear nick is on the other side.

 

[buckthorn]

HereView attachment 1651819 ya go Frank.

The Lionsteel Jack single blade model slipjoint has dual nail nicks, one on each side. It is, by the way, an excellent knife.

 

[euroken]

‘Case’ in point lol, Case 62009 from 1940-1965(?) had the secondary in front of the main, while I found most of post 1965 to have main blade in front of the secondary. Doesn’t resolve the lefty/righty issue though.

 

[huntnfishin]

I’m a lefty so I hold a slipjoint in my left hand upside down and open the blade with my right thumb. Then I flip and roll it into an upright position. I’d love to find a lefty slipjoint though

I bet you could have a custom built…?

 

[r8shell]

Maybe it's because I'm used to carrying stockmans, but I've never had trouble turning a knife to open it from either side (with my left thumbnail)
Anyway, the most recent run of Case Barlows had the pen behind the main:

 

[abcdef]

I’m a lefty so I hold a slipjoint in my left hand upside down and open the blade with my right thumb. Then I flip and roll it into an upright position. I’d love to find a lefty slipjoint though

Ditto. (knife content)

Discriminating against the left handed, it's traditional.

 

[JohnDF]

A majority of people are right handed, which means they usually open the blade with their dominant (right) hand.

That used to be the case, but kids these days use their non-dominant hand to open their knives... it's just wrong I tell ya.

 

[Markeologist]

I’m a righty but I hold knife in right hand and use left thumb nail to open. I have both “in front of” and “behind” main blade pens on TCs, think I prefer behind main for pen which has the nicks (well long pull on main) on opposite sides.

 

[ErikMB]

I used to be right handed but I broke my right elbow and later, when I went back to school, I was denied health insurance because of this preexisting condition. There were little bone fragments floating around in the joint.

It got really bad so I learned to use my left hand for most activities, including writing.

Nobody would insure me, not even for a ridiculous price I could not afford as a student, anyway.

I finally got a summer internship in Germany and was able to have surgery to get the use of my right arm back. Frigging ridiculous, especially as a grad student, working two jobs, and my parents, aunts, uncles, grandpa, all were doctors or nurses, so I was well connected, too. Still, could not get the surgery I needed.

To this day I am pretty ambidextrous. I box and mouse leftie but write with my right.

I haven't developed a preference for how to open a knife, though.