Nothing like half-stops and long pulls, what features do you like in a knife?

JB in SC said:
Properly positioned nail nicks, half stops on some knives, stainless integral liners-bolsters, and swedges...
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Thats one of my bigest complaints. Both Karen and I have reached an age were we have some problems with the hands. Karen with the carpel tunnel thing she just had a series of surguries on, and mine from a life time of turning wrenches and machine handles as a machinist. I've handled pocket knives in stores that I could not open because the nail nick was too far back. A couple were back past the halfway point. No way for me to open without a pair of pliers. One reaches a stage in life when child proof caps also mean a senior citizen can't get in them either.

Half stops are nice but I can get by without if I have to, and the knife has a nail nick positioned properly and is smooth. That means internal parts polished like they used to in the old days so it pulls open smooth as butter.
 
I've asked for medium tension for my custom slipjoints, some knives are way too strong for me to feel comfortable opening.
 
I particularly like a knife that has smooth and flush springs to liners when open and closed, and blade to spring flushness when open.

I don't care if it has half stops or not. Nickel silver liners are a big plus to me, as well as bone or stag scales with smooth scale to bolster fit.

Striker pulls are very pretty, but some of them tear up my thumbnail. I don't see the utility of it. I seldom carry matches, and if I do it's those cardboard ones.
 
I love long pulls. Maybe it's because the Schrade 80T I interited from grandpa has a long pull, or maybe it's because they are so darned user friendly, offering the user the option of deciding where to open the knife.

The next best thing is a well-placed pull towards the tip of the knife. I have two that are real nail breakers. Nice aesthetically, but awkward to use, and I often find myself looking for the nailclippers afterwards.
 
In addition to all the stuff mentioned already . . . Scales such as stag that aren't slippery when your hand is tired or wet. Handles that fill the hand instead of being too thin/flat, or brick-like. Holes for a lanyard; not a staple that gets in the way in your pocket, but a simple hole in the bolster, maybe lined with brass in the manner of some of the Remington Bullet knives.

Then have it still be in production, so I'm not afraid to carry it! :D
 
I like rat-tail bolsters also, along with nicely placed pulls, and sunk or semi-sunk joints. I like worked liners, but am sometimes suspicious that fileworked springs can affect their long term performance.
Bit pessimistic I guess.
 
I like nail nicks to be close to the tip for easier opening. I also prefer the nick to be on the left side of the blade (as you look at the spine, tip facing up). Spring tension should be moderate. I prefer to not have any sharp corners digging into my fingers when gripping the knife.
 
This sounds like a good place to ask this question, and it's been bothering me for a while: What exactly IS the purpose of the 'half-stop'? My grandfather's old TL29 has a half-stop on both blades, and I could see the purpose on a screwdriver blade - more leverage. But why on my Case Mini-Trapper?

My preferences are long nail nicks, well executed blade swedges, and good, strong back springs, flush open & closed. Out of all my knives, I've only got a couple that are fit together that well.

thx - cpr
 
thawk said:
To add something new, I like it when there is a well placed "easy open" groove fashioned into the handle. Some aren't readily visible until you look closely. Any added touch that shows the knifemaker is also a seasoned user.
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+1. I never really thought about this until I bought a little SchradeUSA 330T Middleman last year. The easy open cut-out in the handle is almost perfectly centered on the nail nick of the small blade. Overall, this little knife is one of the best put-together knives I own.

thx - cpr
 
I like the long pull also with a nail nick added to the clip. I really like older traditional grinds. Nickel silver bolsters and pinned shields too. Nothing like a nicely patterned bone jigging.
 
For the sake of clarification, "easy open" means there is a pretty large notch on both sides of the handle, not necessarily ajacent to the nail nick. That is so you can pinch the blade and open it...for the fingernail challenged folks.

A handle is said to be "eased" when a small notch is made in the handle ajacent to or in alignment with/to gain access to a buried nail nick.

There...I feel better. :)
 
I don't like half-stops. Its a good way to lose the skin off your thumb knuckle. One slip and that part of the thumb can easily go right across the blade. Long blade pulls are good though, especially on strong backsprings.
 
KnifeHead said:
For the sake of clarification, "easy open" means there is a pretty large notch on both sides of the handle, not necessarily ajacent to the nail nick. That is so you can pinch the blade and open it...for the fingernail challenged folks.

A handle is said to be "eased" when a small notch is made in the handle ajacent to or in alignment with/to gain access to a buried nail nick.

There...I feel better. :)
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Thanks, that's good info. Kind of like calling the "stocks" on a pistol "grips", or "magazine" a "clip". Always good to know the correct terminology, even if I occasionally slip up.
 
KnifeHead said:
For the sake of clarification, "easy open" means there is a pretty large notch on both sides of the handle, not necessarily ajacent to the nail nick. That is so you can pinch the blade and open it...for the fingernail challenged folks.

A handle is said to be "eased" when a small notch is made in the handle ajacent to or in alignment with/to gain access to a buried nail nick.

There...I feel better. :)
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navihawk said:
like the long pull also with a nail nick added to the clip. I really like older traditional grinds. Nickel silver bolsters and pinned shields too. Nothing like a nicely patterned bone jigging.
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I like the eased notches also.I have 2 on my Mooremaker stockman and it gives it a little bit.Not a fan of half stops.I like extra pins like on the gunstock S&M Stockman.
 
siguy said:
i love a well done swedge on a knife.

long pulls are nice too, and i like the look of matchstrike pulls.

i also like rounded bolsters, they just feel nicer in the hand when you are fondling the knife.
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To save myself from typing the exact same things I'll just say that I agree. :thumbup: :D
 
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