One arm patterns with the cut out at the tip the blade. Useful or silly?

[Squashfan]

I have seen pictures of one arm traditionals (eg. razor pattern). Picture is this thread for those unfamiliar what it looks like but be warned that there are non traditional pics in that thread too. Specifically, I have seen a one arm trapper that had a "C" shape cut into the spey blade. Do cut outs like these actually work? Or do the cut outs slip when you try to open the knife? If they do work, could you catch the cut out on your pocket to open the knife?

Thanks,
Charles

 

[black mamba]

I believe they were designed to work on a belt loop, but anything that can catch the hook should work.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Useful, at least in some very special circumstances. I say this, because the origins of the 'one-arm' pattern came about in response to a genuine need. I believe the pattern originated after the Civil War, to give an option to soldiers who'd lost an arm/hand in battle. The cutout in the end of the blade allowed the tip to be snagged on a belt loop or pocket edge, to lever the blade open.


David

 

[mnblade]

... I believe the pattern originated after the Civil War, to give an option to soldiers who'd lost an arm/hand in battle. The cutout in the end of the blade allowed the tip to be snagged on a belt loop or pocket edge, to lever the blade open.


David

That's also my understanding. And given that, I wouldn't call them silly, but they're certainly an anachronism.

-- Mark

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Useful, at least in some very special circumstances. I say this, because the origins of the 'one-arm' pattern came about in response to a genuine need. I believe the pattern originated after the Civil War, to give an option to soldiers who'd lost an arm/hand in battle. The cutout in the end of the blade allowed the tip to be snagged on a belt loop or pocket edge, to lever the blade open.


David

This. Silly really doesn't enter my mind when thinking about them.

 

[Squashfan]

Useful, at least in some very special circumstances. I say this, because the origins of the 'one-arm' pattern came about in response to a genuine need. I believe the pattern originated after the Civil War, to give an option to soldiers who'd lost an arm/hand in battle. The cutout in the end of the blade allowed the tip to be snagged on a belt loop or pocket edge, to lever the blade open.


David

Well, thank the Lord, I have two hands to go with to arms. But, I don't always have two hands free to open a knife and I have thought about picking one of these patterns up. Sounds like I should try one out.

 

[Planterz]

How well do they actually work though? I understand how they supposedly work, but it seems to me that it'd be very easy to slip and slash your leg open, or have the blade snap closed on you.

 

[Whitedog]

It's been a while since I have held one but you could place the cut out against a door jam, desk edge or shoe/boot out sole to open them. Took a little practice but they would open up.

 

[jackknife]

I'm familiar with the pattern, and the story of their origin. But I have to vote silly on them. If I were a one armed man in the post Civil War era, and I needed a knife, I seriously question as to why I would not just put a small sheath knife on my belt? If I only have one hand, I'm not going to risk it doing juggling tricks with a slip joint knife. A few years back when I had some surgery done to my hand, I found a pocket fixed blade on a lanyard a very good thing. Easy, quick, and safe.

Carl.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I carried a Boker 1 arm razor for 10 years till someone stole it, I used the seams on my jeans to open it and it work as designed, very well.

Since the Boker was stolen about 20+ years ago I bought a Frost Blackhawk II, it's on the same size frame as the Case Swayback Jack except it has a hawkbill and razor for the blade choices.

 

[pertinux]

How well do they actually work though? I understand how they supposedly work, but it seems to me that it'd be very easy to slip and slash your leg open, or have the blade snap closed on you.

Many modern iterations present a nod to whatever tradition existed previously (I'd love to see a functional old one), but without the geometry in the blade-end cut-out that make them truly one-handers. The Case linked to above, for example, looks far too blunted to reliably "catch." GEC's newer 85 looks functional, but I haven't heard of how they perform.

-- Note the prominent "hook" at the spine there at the end.

I'm looking forward to the TC razor barlows because I think these blades are wicked cool, and I know "functionality" is currently on the list and not just looks.

If I were a one armed man in the post Civil War era, and I needed a knife, I seriously question as to why I would not just put a small sheath knife on my belt?

My own understanding of possibly apocryphal origins (<-- meaning, maybe someone made all of this up? heh) is that amputees and/or cattlemen alike broke the ends off of existing knife blades to render them one-handed openers, or "how to keep using my knife." Seeing that, knife companies said, "Here, we'll make one like that for you out of the box."

~ P.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

I'm familiar with the pattern, and the story of their origin. But I have to vote silly on them. If I were a one armed man in the post Civil War era, and I needed a knife, I seriously question as to why I would not just put a small sheath knife on my belt? If I only have one hand, I'm not going to risk it doing juggling tricks with a slip joint knife. A few years back when I had some surgery done to my hand, I found a pocket fixed blade on a lanyard a very good thing. Easy, quick, and safe.

Carl.

One nice thing about a folder is that you can have a longer blade in a smaller package when put away.

 

[fatcorgi]

@Carl, I agree I think a little fixed blade is a lot more convenient for a one-armed veteran, I wonder why there was ever a market for the razors.

But having said that, I have one of the GEC #85s that Pertinux shows above. I make a practice of opening one handed on my jeans watch pocket or belt loop, to see if it really works well enough to be practical. I can get it open reliably, but I have to be careful. Two things inhibit the function a little a) GECs strong pulls on the #85 b) the half-stop - its easy to get it out half-way, but harder for step two. I can imagine that a traditional knife with no half stop and a lighter pull would be pretty easy to open and practical, on the other hand, maybe the half-stop is a good extra safety to have in spite of the inconvenience.

I know that GEC's next Charlow will be a razor pattern, I wonder if they will forgoe the half-stop or make it a lighter pull.

I've said this a few times before, but its worth repeating here - in all this we have to think not just about a knife perfectly fitted for our needs, but how with practice own hands can adapt to fit the knife. As practiced knifeknuts, we have no trouble opening ordinary slipjoints, whereas other people often have trouble with a simple SAK. If we had the razor in our pocket every day, opening it all the time, soon it would be second nature and we wouldn't think about it.

 

[comoha]

I've read that John Wesley Powell, the first credited explorer the Grand Canyon and one-armed Civil War vet, carried this pattern of knife.

 

[bdev]

GEC's newer 85 looks functional, but I haven't heard of how they perform.

-- Note the prominent "hook" at the spine there at the end.~ P.

Curious about the 85 pattern. I would think it doesn't have a half stop and is fairly easy to open, considering it's a one hander.
If you own one, please post.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

How well do they actually work though? I understand how they supposedly work, but it seems to me that it'd be very easy to slip and slash your leg open, or have the blade snap closed on you.

I'm betting it's like a lot of knives, with a wide range of functionality (or lack of), depending on design/build quality. Just looking at pics of some of the 'less expensive' ones, it seems like there's not enough 'notch' at the end of the blade to reliably catch/grab a belt loop or whatever (Sarah's posted example of the GEC version's deep notch looks much better, in this regard). I'd think an excessively stiff/difficult backspring could be troublesome as well, as could poor placement of the blade end or notch, when in the closed position (blade too low in the handle, for example). I'm sure many of the modern iterations of these are just nostalgic throwbacks to the design, with little thought given to true functionality anyway. In that case, those would definitely be the 'silly' ones.


David

 

[fatcorgi]

Curious about the 85 pattern. I would think it doesn't have a half stop and is fairly easy to open, considering it's a one hander.
If you own one, please post.

see above, it does have a half-stop and a pretty strong backspring

 

[markpmc]

Mine is in my today for Wooden Wednesday. I've carried it over a few weekends and the design does indeed allow one to open with one hand. It's not my first choice to do so.

 

[Barman1]

I picked these up a long time ago new when I was intrigued with razor folders. Pulled them out last week for a Parker knife thread so it's an old photo. Pardon the irrelevance of the other two folders...
The center piece is a "One Arm Pillbuster". And yes it does work on a table edge or equivalent. Carried it a few times.

 

[herisson]

I would catch it on the edge of my shoe sole for opening. Bet that GEC would work just fine, strong spring and half stop notwithstanding. I imagine the half-stop is quite nice when closing one-handed.