Soft vs. hard detent

Otto Carpenter

Otto Carpenter

Joined
Jun 24, 2016
Messages
416
I have two knives with a noticeably softer detent than is common in my limited experience. They both deploy very easily (one's a flipper and one's a thumb stud). I know many people prefer a hard detent but I'd like to hear why if you have an opinion on the matter. Thanks in advance.
 
I like a medium one myself, but it seems most companies have gone with a stiffer one these days.
You can flip one better with a stiffer detent, and I assume that's why many like them that way, and is why many companies have now went with a stiffer detent. Or at least it seems that way to me.
 
It's not always about preference when it comes to detents. especially when using different opening methods.

Most flippers will have the harder detent. Due to the fact that you need to build up the force when depressing the flipper tab to make the blade fire out harder and open without failing.
On a thumbstud style opener the detent needs to be softer so the user can open the blade more deliberately.

hope that helps.
 
I'll take whatever a "medium" detent would be....

Soft: blade almost falls open on it's own.

Hard: you gotta break you thumb to open the knife.

Medium, right in the middle!
 
JR88FAN said:
I'll take whatever a "medium" detent would be....

Soft: blade almost falls open on it's own.

Hard: you gotta break you thumb to open the knife.

Medium, right in the middle!
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I forgot to mention your point about the blade falling open with a soft detent. I can, with a hard wrist flick, open those two knives to a locked position - which is kinda cool in a way.
 
I recently had a wrestling match with my ZT 200, fiddling with the lock bar because it didn't shoot open like my other ZTs. I first greased the washers and, because I was feeling friction with it in the half open position, bent the lock bar back a hair to ease the detent. Well, it was MUCH worse and didn't flip worth a flip using either the flipper OR thumbstud. So I bent it back, maybe a touch more so the lock up is more centered about 50% rather than where it was at about 25%, and it's much better now, maybe a bit better than when I started.
So my experiment is over and have concluded more detent is better. Medium is best, but if it has to lean one way or the other, make it tighter.
 
I prefer on the stiffer side. Flicking or flipping the knife is more guaranteed. Also the blade will stay in the handle better when jostled.
 
Otto Carpenter said:
I forgot to mention your point about the blade falling open with a soft detent. I can, with a hard wrist flick, open those two knives to a locked position - which is kinda cool in a way.
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Which is exactly what Customs authority in most countries use to determine whether a knife falls under the banned category of gravity / flick knives.

So, no contest; stiff detents all the way.
 
Etna said:
Which is exactly what Customs authority in most countries use to determine whether a knife falls under the banned category of gravity / flick knives.

So, no contest; stiff detents all the way.
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Not just countries. Here in the states NYC is in a battle with knife rights over this very issue. Disgrace such a great city would be involved in such a mess. Thing is, I can wrist flick all my folders open if I give it enough force. Slip joints excluded. Dumb laws.
 
I like a good reliable deployment, so I lean more towards the hard side vs soft side. Though action, deployment type, and other factors make an impact in how a soft vs. hard detent affects action.


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I like a detent that's strong enough to prevent the blade from opening by gravity, inertia, flicking, etc. So, personally, weak detents are out. I definitely do not like blades from opening so easily due to safety concerns.

Medium detents are acceptable for dual opening mechanisms like flipper plus thumb stud/hole/disc as long as the blade doesn't open by gravity, inertia, flicking, etc.

Strong detents have their own issues with being at times tougher to open. At least, in many cases initially due to pressure on the lock bar compressing on the detent ball. In time, these break in by creating a channel for the detent path. However, many don't like the break in time. With these, if you do not apply pressure on the lock bar they open fine from day one but that's easier said than done and requires practice. With these strong detents and dual opening I've found pinching the hole/stud with thumb and index or middle finger a good alternative. In other cases, I place my fingers on the clip and away from the lock bar.

So, overall, strong detents for me.
 
The harder a detent is, the less likely it is to open up in your pocket...which I've had before.
Overall, I like a harder detent for that reason. Flippers, a hard detent is a must or else you'll get a wimpy flip. Thumb studs don't need to be as hard unless you want to tear up your thumb.
 
I deassisted my kershaw blur and it has a really soft detent but I have no issues opening it. My Spyderco paramilitary 2 has a harder detent so when I use the thumb hole it flies open, again no complaints. And my Ontario rat 1 has a medium detent and it's great. My Spyderco southard is the only flipper I own, and it has a medium-hard detent and I sometimes have issues getting fully opened. But that's about it
 
RamZar said:
. With these, if you do not apply pressure on the lock bar they open fine from day one but that's easier said than done and requires practice. With these strong detents and dual opening I've found pinching the hole/stud with thumb and index or middle finger a good alternative. In other cases, I place my fingers on the clip and away from the lock bar.
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I didn't realize until now, sitting here absentmindedly flicking open my Kershaw/Emerson cqc 4k that this is how I hold the knife to be able to flick it open. I tried holding it in a different way with my fingers resting on the lockbar, and it was sluggish to say the least. I can't quite recall if I've modified my grip over time to ease flicking the knife open, or if this is just how I've always held it. I've flicked this darn thing open so many times in the 8 months or so that I've had it, I can't say for sure.
 
I ordered a custom flipper which arrived as a truly perfect piece of knife making craft - and beautiful too - except that I could flip it open with a wrist flick. No need to use the flipper, the blade would fall out with a little wrist action. The maker called it a "bonus". Regrettably I sent it back. It was an unassisted "gravity" opener.

In answer to your question then - medium to hard. Hard for flippers, medium for thumb studs or the like.
 
I prefer a hard detent. I have fairly strong hands I'd say, I work with them, so as long as I can get the knife open its fine.

The hard detent prevents the knife from falling closed on your fingers if you're distracted and it avoids the possibility of running into a "gravity knife" issue with law enforcement.
 
If a XM-18 blade opens up all by itself...in your front right-hand pants pocket, you won't like it.
It did; I didn't. It's gone...gone...gone.
 
Sonnydaze said:
If a XM-18 blade opens up all by itself...in your front right-hand pants pocket, you won't like it.
It did; I didn't. It's gone...gone...gone.
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This is true of my XM-18 3" from 3 years ago but not so of my XM-18 3.5" from a year ago. I'd take the strong detent of the latter any day. However, I wonder if it's a crapshoot are whether Hinderer has permanently tilted towards a strong detent.
 
I prefer a strong detent, but more importantly a strong detent in combination with a well designed flipper tab. For example: I just purchased a ZT 0909, came with a really nice strong detent, but it will make the tip of your finger sore after a few flips, BUT the way the flipper tab was designed makes it easy to deploy the blade with more of a "grip" like action using the inside middle of your index finger like so:
 

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I prefer a soft detent. But I also prefer tip down carry. Since most knives have tip up I want a hard detent because I have cut myself pretty bad with a few tip up knives because of the detent being to soft.

For me the only reason to have a hard detent is because of tip up carry.
 
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