Preferences; sunken Joints or raised

sceva

sceva

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Sep 18, 2002
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Just wondering how others feel abour their pocket knives. Do you like your joints sunken or not? I actually prefer a sunken joint like my old Winchester or my Schatt & Morgan senator. There are less sharp edges to poke or cause pocxket wear,

While I really like my GAC's the raised end of the blade is always sharp and poky. I tend to knock the sharp edge and corners slightly so they feel better in my hand

Raised Joints






Sunken Joints


 
This is another one of the things about pocketknives that I never noticed until someone told me about it, kind of like blade centering. It hasn't mattered to me for the last 50 years, so I'm not going to give it much thought now.
 
I prefer sunken joints on a knife with two blades on the same pivot. When one blade is open, the other exposed joint sorta makes it uncomfortable for your finger.

I also think sunken joints are a tad more pleasing to the eye.

Despite this, I still buy and use knives with both.
 
If I'm going to carry it and use it, I prefer sunken joints. If it's going to sit in a drawer, it doesn't matter. I have noticed, however, that there are a lot of current production knives out there with raised joints with needlessly sharp edges on the joints. This isn't a mark of quality.
 
I prefer sunken joints like the case 6249 copperhead, I love the feel and look of it.
u3PwYvE.jpg
 
Same same to me however I do believe that if the handles are polished and smooth sunken is more of an eye-pleaser
 
No-brainer for me; I vastly prefer sunken joints on a folding knife.

I think that's one of the reasons that canoes and sowbelly stockmans have become my favorite patterns, and why something like a Laguiole has little appeal to me. Those sharp tang corners sticking up are aesthetically offensive!

Of course, I have plenty of knives with exposed tang corners, but it's not a feature I enjoy.

- GT
 
Either/or. :D
In over 60 years I've never had a knife wear a hole in my pocket, sunk joint or no. Most of my knives over the years/decades haven't had sunken joints. :)
 
I believe that, historically, there's been a third category:"half-sunken" i.e. almost fully-sunken but just slightly protruding (by design, not poor fit).
 
I have had a knife wear a hole in the pocket but it was from the bolsters on a large stockman.

I have had the raised corner on a non-sunken joint cut me. I love GEC's but all I've had were very sharp cornered. The first thing I do on one for an EDC GEC knife is stone the edge and corners just enough to dull it a little.

I wonder if it's easier to make them with raised joints or perhaps it makes the handles a little less bulky?
 
I greatly prefer sunken joints. Less pocket wear and just looks classier. That said, its not generally a deal breaker.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I also think sunken joints are a tad more pleasing to the eye.
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Nsewell said:
I love the feel and look of it.
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Jacques Mi said:
sunken is more of an eye-pleaser
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Agree 100%, visually it's so much neater.

5K Qs said:
Those sharp tang corners sticking up are aesthetically offensive!
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Exactly!

sceva said:
I wonder if it's easier to make them with raised joints or perhaps it makes the handles a little less bulky?
Click to expand...

Of the folders I've made all are "sunken" or probably better described as "hidden" joints. The reason is I think a folder should look good closed as well as open, it could be argued that rather than looking good open it's even more important closed as that's how the majority spend their lives...
Generalising as there are always exceptions, but the reason sunken isn't as common is the design problems it causes, it's not easy to make an elegant slim looking folder with a sunken joint unless the tang is dangerously small, meaning weak, there is no getting away from the fact that the tang & backstop (the bit that sticks out on non-sunken) has to be a certain size for a certain blade, to hide this generally pushes the handle towards being visually "heavy", big or fat for the blade.
I like my knives to be smooth when closed, something that feels nice in the pocket or just nice to hold like a worry stone.
Top one a slipjoint, lower two backlocks (sorry for poor image..).
QRnpxN2.jpg
 
I've just found this image of the lower lockback from the image above while under construction, it's easy to see the packaging problems involving covering the back of the tang when closed, without a hidden joint the handle could be slimmer.


dOJYjfV.jpg
 
SAKS have perfected the art of sunk-joints but then they use the same Equal End frame on most patterns. Makes for smooth pocket carry though and looks better.

I have a Sheffield knife from the late c19th early c20th with 4 blades (two unfortunately broken off decades ago) that is an Equal End Senator type but narrow handle, all four joints sunk. very impressive quality . Ideally, I'd prefer all knives sunk-joint but it might not be practical or possible with all patterns/blade types . Quality touch in my book anyway.
 
I'd say that I prefer sunken joints, but my GEC Toothpick has a very slightly raised joint, and it's my favorite knife. I do wish they'd tweaked the design just a wee bit to make it sunken, but clearly the joint doesn't put me off too much.

I acquired a Lionsteel Warhorse last year, and loved it at first, but a variety of things kept coming up to the point where I sold it not too long ago. I think the raised joints were probably the biggest deal-breaker, since one or the other of them was always (sharply) right on your first finger while you used it. I think that if I'd had one of the single-blade Lionsteel Ck01 knives, I would probably still have it. But on a two-blade knife, those raised joints just killed it for me.

-Tyson
 
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