Question for Fausto regarding Italian friction folders(and others in the know)

S

spydutch

Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
978
I very much like friction folders and especially the Italian ones.:thumbup:
A bit out of my league in terms of costs and a bit too large for pocket carry, but I sure like the looks of them.

However I wondered how you keep the knife from opening in your pocket. Do you use some kind of a slip case like with the ancient Opinels before the locking ring?

I'm just curious.:confused::D
 
The one I just got will not open in your pocket...it is very stiff, maybe it will loosen up over time, but I don't see it opening on its own. Other friction folders I own are pretty much the same way, opening in your pocket doesn't seem to be an issue.
 
Good question. I stopped carrying folders that do not securely stay closed a good amount of years ago. I left a knife in my pocket after a late night at work. I only had a couple hours to sleep before going back to work. I put the same pants on and the knife was in pocket a quarter of the way open. Pulled my pants on and and cut an inch and a half long and half inch deep open wound into my leg.

I'm interested to hear the answer on this one also.

Kevin
 
Mine is pretty tight so I don't think it is going to open in the pocket. But it did come with a decent pocket sheath as well so I am covered either way.
 
I think an analogy can be made between a friction folder and a large slip joint. You'd use both of them the same way, paying attention to which way the cutting is going to keep the force the right way on the edge. I tend to keep my Opinel a little snug, and a lot of times I don't bother with the locking ring. Just cutting a piece of twine or rope, or slicing off a piece of food, you don't really need a lock. With a friction folder, you can actually make a case for it being safer than a slip joint. If a slip joint gets pushed past a certain point, it will snap closed, no matter if a finger is in the way or not.

With a friction folder, if the point glances off something, the blade will stop moving once the pressure stops, unlike a slip joint. It's possible for a friction folder to have the blade pushed past 90 degrees, and stop when the closing pressure stops. On the other hand, a mishap with a slip joint that pushes the blade to 90 degrees or even a tad over, can be very bad news. Especially with a bear trap spring snapping that blade shut.

There must be a good reason they have been around a few thousand years.

Carl.
 
Spydutch,
first of all, thank you for the title of the thread. It's nice to be considered a "resource" in anything, in this big old styled family of ours :)
Now, back to your question with my two cents.
The short answer is, I never experienced any accidental opening of a friction folder while inside a pocket, nor heard of any, nor seen it happen. But, this question deserves a more elaborate answer.
If you take an Opinel (I use it as a common and known reference for friction folders), when the knife is closed it is very unlikely that anything can catch the nail nick or grab the blade and open it. And I would bet that, even before the locking ring was introduced, 99% of French farmers never even though of carrying their friction folder in a slipcase.
The right amount of friction in these knives is (to me) quite a factor. Too loose can be on the "risky" side, and too stiff makes no sense. I would consider Opinel's a "medium-to-loose" friction.
At the same time, some modern folders (usually lockbacks), which have no friction at all, can b worse depending on the mechanics of the back lock in the closed position.
It's pretty funny how perspective changes things.
I still consider backsprings (at least strong ones) more a danger (of the blade closing on my finger) than a safety (for the backspring keping the blade open or closed). That's why I sold my GEC #25: while it should have been considered an average pull by many of you, to me it was too hard and made me feel unsafe sometimes.
As a sidenote, I will email you about Sardinian friction folders, if you're interested in knowing more.

Fausto
:cool:
 
Thanx much you all for the replies.
As the matter of fact I removed the locking ring of my modded Opinel 6, polished the collar to a brushed look, tightened up the action and have been carrying it as a true friction folder today.
To be honest I like the looks of the Opinel better without the locking ring. A REAL ancient look.

@ Fausto: Some extra info on Italian friction folders would be great as I know very little of them. Thanks very much in advance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top