One hand openers are overrated

[JAlexander]

Like Elliot said, it ain't black and white. Sometimes Benchmades and Spydercos are the right tool for the job, and sometimes we can afford to go a little slower. Fortunately for me, my situation is such that I can carry a fixed blade whenever I think I might need to get at a knife quickly.

I like it so much I ordered another in gray jigged bone. I also ordered a sway back jack and sway back gent, another design that caught my eye. I think it is the wharncliffe blades that resonate with me--the other blade shapes dont make as much sense to me. Especially the spey blade. I dont understand the spey blade.

I'm the other way - I just don't care for wharncliff blades. On the other hand, I dearly love the zulu spear blade on the backpocket pattern that Kerry made for me. Not many folks love the spey blade, but not many need to skin or castrate animals. I still use it, though, and I know there are some others here who do.

Congratulations on expanding your knife horizons, Chocula. I'm pretty sure you'll find even more traditionals to love.

James

 

[Ken44]

I've really come to love the whittler patterns, and yours looks great!

Thanks for the pics:thumbup:

Indeed, one hand openers are sometimes very handy. Some people may get injury or illness that affects their hands (muscle or nervous system) making opening traditional slipjoint very hard or near impossible. For them one hand openers are heavent sent.

Yep, thats me, and I now have about 100 knives I can't open
I do have two customs with a light pull made by Kerry, and Rick that I can open. Those are my favorite two knives by far!


I love slipjoints much more though, as I get very attached to them. I've never had a OHO knife that I wouldn't trade or sell, or had the least bit of sentiment towards.

Unless I want to wait a year for a custom slipjoint to be made, I have no other choice from now own but to buy more OHO's. I have to have at least one new knife every month or so

 

[Knife Crazied]

I've never liked the seahorse myself, but congrats to you. :thumbup:

 

[Havokk]

I dont understand the spey blade.

Just think of it as a Wharnie with a pointy end.

I guess that you, like most of us, are not going to be speying animals very often.

 

[Rick]

Nice choice! I think the Seahorse is an excellent introduction to traditional pocketknives. It's one of my two favorite Case EDCs; the other being the Swayback Jack in CV. I ended up buying a Devin Thomas damascus Seahorse for regular carry and use because, while TruSharp stainless is perfectly adequate for most tasks, I'm a bit spoiled by Case's excellent CV steel, and Thomas' carbon damascus seems pretty close, performance-wise.

 

[Rick]

Just think of it as a Wharnie with a pointy end.

I'm guessing that you meant without a pointy end.

I've always thought of the spey profile as full-bellied clip-point with the point chopped off. It's a great slicer (ouch!) and the truncated point makes it less likely to poke a struggling animal, if I understand its origin correctly. The same reasoning applies to a large serrated sheepsfoot blade when used as a seatbelt cutter in a rescue situation: no point makes it safer to use quickly under stress.

Aesthetically, the spey profile is one of my least favorite blades, but they certainly are useful.

 

[jackknife]

Indeed, one hand openers are sometimes very handy. Some people may get injury or illness that affects their hands (muscle or nervous system) making opening traditional slipjoint very hard or near impossible. For them one hand openers are heavent sent.

Boy, can I identify with that!

Last year at this time I couldn't open most of my traditional slippies. They had to sit in a drawer for months till I healed up from hand surgery. I did have to resort to lockblades that could be pulled open easy, or small sheath knives. I found out that a small sheath knife is the original one hand knife. For a few months I carried a Brusletto balder or my Mike Miller pocket fixed blade. Easy for a one hand cripple to deal with; pull out and use, then slide back into sheath.

Having a hand out of action makes one look at one's slip joints a little different from then on.

Carl.

 

[kamagong]

Having a hand out of action makes one look at one's slip joints a little different from then on.

I'm glad you can acknowledge the utility of knives other than slipjoints Carl. I like modern folders, and while I'm still young and healthy, I appreciate them for other reasons. For legal reasons, modern folders are a better alternative than fixed blades where I live. Therefore the Sebenza gets the nod in those cases when I need a knife more robust than a slipjoint.

- Christian