Question for those who carry a slip joint...

[glocker199]

For those who carry a slip joint as a primary blade: Any specific reason for doing so, other than aesthetics or nostalgia? Just curious.

 

[ISKski]

I find the thin blade stock and thin grind to out cut any of the other style knives I own, even when the other knives are ''sharper''. This is particularly true with a properly made custom knife.

 

[glocker199]

I find the thin blade stock and thin grind to out cut any of the other style knives I own, even when the other knives are ''sharper''.

That seems to be more due to the size of the blade. The thickness of the slip joint I own are comparable to the locking knives I own of the same overall size.

 

[James Y]

Although I carry a one-hander as my main EDC, I also EDC a slip joint (Vic Executive, and also sometimes a Vic Pioneer), and when I was younger, my EDCs were all slip joints (various SAKs, Schrade or Buck stockmans, various Case knives, etc.). I carried them because they work very well as cutting tools! Also because at the time, that's mostly what was readily available to me. I also went and lived overseas in Taiwan for nearly a decade, and in that time, my sole knife was a slippie, a Vic Spartan. It handled pretty much everything I need a knife for, and I discovered that the additional implements added more versatility for me in more uses than solely a stockman. Even today, I wouldn't feel under-knifed if I had to go back to carrying only a slip-joint as my sole EDC.

Jim

 

[ISKski]

I find the thin blade stock and thin grind to out cut any of the other style knives I own, even when the other knives are ''sharper''. This is particularly true with a properly made custom knife.

The real difference is made in the thickness behind the edge - a properly ground slip joint should be almost as thin as a chefs knife behind the edge. For example, my sebenza is made from 1/8'' thick steel or .125 inches , my slip joint is ground from 3/32'' stock .093 inches. Behind the edge my slip joint is ~ .005 inches, my sebenza is closer to .020+ behind the edge. So even though my sebenza will currently shave hair and my slip joint wont, I find the slip joint to move through material better.

that being said, the thickness on a SAK tinker is .07'' which is very thin and I can not think of one modern folder that uses such thin stock. My delica comes close at .09'' but again, the thickness behind the edge makes the SAK a better slicer.

 

[A.P.F.]

A slipjoint is NKP friendly and has the character of natural materials assembled by an artisan.

 

[jbmonkey]

Grew up with them......but teaches one and continues to enforce proper knife use. Locking blades allow one to push the limits. Slipbjoint forces one to use a folder properly and probably the reason ive never had a lock of any kind fail on me...even poorly done liner locks.

 

[Bob W]

Nothing cuts like an Opinel. :thumbup:

Aesthetics of natural materials is a primary factor for me. Sooo sick of black plastic. :barf:

Traditional pocketknives fit better and are more comfortable in the pocket. They're more appropriately sized for the types of cutting tasks I encounter. And because of the handle materials each one has a bit of individuality, unlike the cookie-cutter alternatives.

And just as important as any other reason, carrying one of these no one's going to mistake me for a wannabe military commando or Mall Ninja First Class.



Glad you asked. :thumbup:

 

[timberweasel]

In addition to the reasons already given, I also like how many slip-joint folders offer secondary tool blades. Whether it's a pen-blade, an awl, a cap-lifter or a combination of tools like a SAK, it gives you more options...

But hey, why not carry both?

-Brett

 

[Halfneck]

Non-knife person friendly + I grew up using them. Don't get me wrong, I love my various modern folders too. At my office though they are frowned upon. Instead I carry either a Case Peanut or a GEC Pemberton. No one pays much attention if use those to slice an apple or cut open some mail. I also love the looks of the classic style slipjoints and the memories I have growing up with them.

 

[marcinek]

1) I use my knives to cut things. Thinner cuts better than thicker.
2) I don't use my knives to stab things, or perform spine whack tests.
3) I don't need a giant penetrator/stabinator to whip out of my pocket.
4) I have fixed blades for when I need a lock or a larger blade.
5) They look great.

 

[BRL]

90% of the time I carry a GEC Conductor. As has been said by others (and you): the thin narrow blade with the long clip is ideal for my daily cutting needs, the second blade is good for beater tasks so I can keep the primary blade sharp, it's nonthreatening to most people that see it, the whole thing disappears in my pocket, I find it very pleasing to look at with it's design and ebony scales and beautiful patina, and it reminds me of the slipjoints my dad used to carry.

Sometimes I will carry a KA-BAR Phat Bob or Mule instead. Those are cool for a whole bunch of different reasons, but that goes in a different thread

 

[pvicenzi]

As well as the slicing advantages already mentioned, a rounded bolster slipjoint is comfortable in the pocket, and also makes a good worry bead when twiddeled in the hand..

 

[glocker199]

In addition to the reasons already given, I also like how many slip-joint folders offer secondary tool blades. Whether it's a pen-blade, an awl, a cap-lifter or a combination of tools like a SAK, it gives you more options...

But hey, why not carry both?

-Brett

Coincidently, the only time I carry a slip joint, it's for the cap lifter.

I'd love to have a one handed "tactical" folder with a built in cap lifter like the ond from my old BSA knife. Similar to the strap cutter on the Benchmade Triage.

 

[mjolnir74]

They aren't as aggressive looking as newer one handed folders. They cut very well, and last a long time. They don't have to be hair whittling sharp to be efficient cutters.

 

[17pes]

Up until a couple months ago I carried mostly decent locking knives, aside from the Vic alox pioneer or farmer that I used for the tools and scraping. I started checking out the traditional knives forum more often because I thought it would be cheaper than my modern folder habit (hahahahahaha!), and my employment running a high volume bar was coming to an end (owner sold the business to some sort of crab shack thing). So on top of funds soon to become scarce (quickly found that it would definitely not be a cheaper habit), I wasn't sure if I was going to be the one setting the policy on what is and isn't acceptable as far as pocket knives go in future employment.

As far as using Traditionals, I've found them truly rewarding recently. I never really paid too much attention to the pocket knives I had as a kid. There's something about watching that first haze of patina develope, along with the fact that 1095 folders take a laser edge with almost zero effort, and unless you're cutting excessive cardboard(which I did quite a bit prior to last Tuesday) or wire, hold that edge pretty darn decently. Even with cardboard, most of my Traditionals have multiple blades, which gives them a longer work longevity than many of my single blade modern folders. Really though, I've just been finding them more fun of late.

 

[KennyB]

The real difference is made in the thickness behind the edge - a properly ground slip joint should be almost as thin as a chefs knife behind the edge. For example, my sebenza is made from 1/8'' thick steel or .125 inches , my slip joint is ground from 3/32'' stock .093 inches. Behind the edge my slip joint is ~ .005 inches, my sebenza is closer to .020+ behind the edge. So even though my sebenza will currently shave hair and my slip joint wont, I find the slip joint to move through material better.

that being said, the thickness on a SAK tinker is .07'' which is very thin and I can not think of one modern folder that uses such thin stock. My delica comes close at .09'' but again, the thickness behind the edge makes the SAK a better slicer.

We might have different definitions of "behind the edge", but unless a knife is ground to a very acute angle and with very narrow edge bevels, I don't see how it's possible for it to measure .005" behind the edge--unless you have a really acute angle and narrow bevels. When I measure behind the edge, I measure the thickness at the bevel's shoulder, and then also about 1/8" to 1/4" way up the blade. Where do you get the .005" measurement from? Because that's just insane... And I mean that in a good way lol

So for example, my Kershaw Needs Work is 1/8" at the spine but hollow ground. It has ~.050 edge wide edge bevels, and measures .025" at the shoulder of these bevels. It's only under .010" at just a hair's width above the edge. At 1/4" above the edge, it's .040" thick.

Now I just point that out to support what you're saying basically. Even though my Needs Work is 1/8" at the spine, because of the hollow ground it's much thinner behind the edge. It's probably the sliciest knife I own, unless I count my little Old Timer Dogleg Jack or my Steel Warrior Congress, which both have blade stock thicknesses that are around .050". It's just kind of hard to beat those as slicers even with thicker stock that has good geometry.

Also, another reason why I'm so baffled by the .005" measurement, is because even my thin slippies with 30-40 degree inclusive bevels measure much thicker than .005" behind the edge. So I'm wondering if I'm just not understanding what you really meant by "behind the edge", or if knives can just get way more ridiculously thin and slicy than I've imagined lol

Anyway, I really like slipjoints, but have just found that I prefer to carry a fixed blade knife more. I don't pretend to need it for strength or anything, I just like the simplicity of a knife being one solid hunk of steel. Simple, nice, arguably practical depending on your location and what not. That's why sometimes I'll still carry a slip-knife if I don't feel my fixed blade is appropriate, but if I carry a folder at all I have no issue with it being a slippy. Plus as others have pointed out, they just look so much classier than most folding knives, and are nice to admire the craftsmanship on.

But yeah, long story short... My folders mostly stay at home. Even the thin little devil slicers; I just tend to find more use for them on little projects around the house. When I need a knife tailored for appearance's sake though, I carry my Dan Gwynn barlow.

 

[ISKski]

I find the thin blade stock and thin grind to out cut any of the other style knives I own, even when the other knives are ''sharper''. This is particularly true with a properly made custom knife.

^this being the knife in question

You'll have to note I said ~ (approximately) its definetly -.010 at the shoulders of the cutting bevel

 

[Fancier]

"Thickness behind the edge" is taken to mean at the bevel shoulder. The remaining thickness profile can make a difference in slicing ability, depending on what you are cutting. The more a knife is sharpened (if a lot of material is removed) the thicker behind the edge it becomes. Sometimes a knife will then be "reground" and that involves thinning the flats of the knife so that the thickness behind the edge is lowered, and that improves the slicing ability again.

 

[JustinR]

1) I use my knives to cut things. Thinner cuts better than thicker.
2) I don't use my knives to stab things, or perform spine whack tests.
3) I don't need a giant penetrator/stabinator to whip out of my pocket.
4) I have fixed blades for when I need a lock or a larger blade.
5) They look great.

Agreed. I can do 99% of my cutting tasks with a sub 3" slippie.

Don't get me wrong, I love my moderns as much as the traditionals but they are way overkill for what most people actually need.

I normally carry a Benchmade 943 or 960 but cut far more things with my ever present case peanut.