Some Do’s and Dont’s

[W. Anderson]

No, no, no. Everyone knows the Kraken is "Released"! After release, the Kraken deploys tip-up.

Your butt?

 

[Lapedog]

Your butt?

Lol stop it you're gunna get us all in trouble. ><

Ontopic: I like to carry tip diagonal, with the blade half way open. It lets me deploy my kraken faster.

(Real example of this)

Buck 110 quickdraw sheath.

 

[bhyde]

Keep the Whine and Cheese answers and commentary to the Whine and Cheese.
Cauterizing the bleed from W&C is next..Chiclets make great bandages

 

[Lapedog]

Sorry about that,

Bringing things back on topic, does anybody carry in some exotic way?

Like under the armpit with with a MercHarness? There are alot of smal fixed blades that i think carry great with a static cord.

I really want to try one of those sheaths that is hung from your belt by a stud.

 

[W. Anderson]

Edited: Off topic and spoilers. Someone said mercharness...

 

[sabre cat]

I just depends upon the knife. I have one that is only tip down and would not like it tip up.

 

[V84mystang]

Blade orientation means absolutely nothing to me, I've never noticed an extra deployment step on tip down knives I've had but maybe that's because they were in a left pocket.
All I care about on a knife with a pocket clip is that it's at the end for ergonomic reasons, this means tip up but that's not what matters to me.

Just grabbed the nearest half dozen knives to me and had to check what orientation the clips happen to have...

Because I don't know... and that's because I don't care. "Deployment" gets accomplished no matter where and how it hangs from the pocket.

I don't decide on the setup. If the knife happens to be reversible, it won't matter. It's staying in the configuration in which I received it.

For the record, three are tip down, two are tip up and one is a balisong with no clip.

I voted tip up as that would be my choice if a had to choose but I have knives that are both and and it’s never really mattered. My hand touches the handle and my brain knows what to do.
I would have voted for both. Maybe I should have voted neither?

My current EDC is always tip down...It’s a fixed blade.

 

[Aquaholicc]

Sorry about that,

Bringing things back on topic, does anybody carry in some exotic way?

Like under the armpit with with a MercHarness? There are alot of smal fixed blades that i think carry great with a static cord.

I really want to try one of those sheaths that is hung from your belt by a stud.

I’ve always thought these seemed quite comfortable and stylish if you will as well, but alas I feel like you’ve gotta be some pig wrangler or a horse charmer in order to pull off this type of carry.

I just depends upon the knife. I have one that is only tip down and would not like it tip up.

Now is this solely because that knife only came with tip down configuration and you’ve just adapted to learning a motion? Or was it a case of; It was one of your first couple of knives and you didn’t even pay attention so “tip down” seemed “normal”?

 

[Connor_MacLeod]

When I was in 3rd grade, the teacher made us read the book "Cheaper by the Dozen", where the dad in the book is a motion study expert who would visit factories and find ways to help speed up production by minimizing the number of moves the workers had to make. That made an impression on me, and three and a half decades later, I'm still trying to find ways to do things more efficiently.

As such, the extra move of positioning a tip-down knife prior to opening really gets on my nerves, and I only buy tip up folders.

 

[ExtremAddiction]

depends on the knife

 

[DaNuke95]

I prefer tip up, but I have some old school folders from the 90’s and early 2000’s when tip down was basically your only option.

Honestly, it’s not so much the blade orientation that matters to me but rather which orientation allows me to carry the knife comfortably. I’ve had some knives in the past (i.e. Kershaw Skyline) that offered both configurations, but it was much more secure and comfortable to carry tip down (now that I think about it, a lot of Kershaws are like that).

Conversely, I carry my Spydercos tip up only because the “hump” of the blade from the thumb hole (plus the aggressive jimping) is a real annoyance in a tip down configuration when your reaching into your pocket and your hand constantly comes in contact with that protuberance.

 

[raistlin65]

Not sure how I fit in here. I have a Dragonfly 2 Salt in my pocket, but it's neither clipped tip up nor tip down to my pocket. Laying sideways in the bottom of my pocket along with my Pioneer X.

 

[V84mystang]

As such, the extra move of positioning a tip-down knife prior to opening really gets on my nerves, and I only buy tip up folders.

depends on the knife

Absolutely depends on the knife. I have some Kershaw folders that when carried tip down pulling them out of the pocket with the middle and ring finger on the clip side and the thumb opposite allows the index finger to be immediately poised to press the tab on the back of the knife and open instantly. No extra movement.

 

[Aquaholicc]

Not sure how I fit in here. I have a Dragonfly 2 Salt in my pocket, but it's neither clipped tip up nor tip down to my pocket. Laying sideways in the bottom of my pocket along with my Pioneer X.

No points against you or anything but I’m going to say you may be in a more “relaxed” environment? I’ve often wondered about doing the same type of carry. I’m only about 2 years into the hobby and I’ve yet to try this style. Hopefully something speaks to me soon as I haven’t bought a knife in about 5 weeks!

 

[Lapedog]

When I was in 3rd grade, the teacher made us read the book "Cheaper by the Dozen", where the dad in the book is a motion study expert who would visit factories and find ways to help speed up production by minimizing the number of moves the workers had to make. That made an impression on me, and three and a half decades later, I'm still trying to find ways to do things more efficiently.

As such, the extra move of positioning a tip-down knife prior to opening really gets on my nerves, and I only buy tip up folders.

Ok I am clearing this up right now. To all you people perpetrating the myth that either tip up or tip down is superior because the it "puts the knife in position to open more naturally" that is not true. It all just depends how you initially reach for the knife, overhand or underhand.

Overhand draw for tip up (Note I am using right handed carry here since most people are righties)

Underhand grip to draw for tip down.

So there, one way is not really better than the other. I just prefer tip up cause that's what I'm used to.

Edit: lol it always best to try and make a point with your zipper down....woops.

 

[DocJD]

Ok I am clearing this up right now. To all you people perpetrating the myth that either tip up or tip down is superior because the it "puts the knife in position to open more naturally" that is not true. It all just depends how you initially reach for the knife, overhand or underhand.

Overhand draw for tip up (Note I am using right handed carry here since most people are righties)

Underhand grip to draw for tip down.

So there, one way is not really better than the other. I just prefer tip up cause that's what I'm used to.

Edit: lol it always best to try and make a point with your zipper down....woops.

And look what doing that overhand reach did to your poor knuckle .

 

[Lapedog]

And look what doing that overhand reach did to your poor knuckle .

That's a healing spider bite actually, sorry I'm not fit for hand modelling I know

Not to mention that overhand reach is how most people wave their knives. I don't see how it's putting my knuckles in danger.

 

[BitingSarcasm]

That's a healing spider bite actually, sorry I'm not fit for hand modelling I know

Not to mention that overhand reach is how most people wave their knives. I don't see how it's putting my knuckles in danger.

Holy crud! That must have been one hell of a spider! Unless that was a misspelling and you meant to say, "Spyder" bite, because I have gotten plenty of those. Seriously though, I agree that the tip up/tip down debate is a little silly. It's what you practice and are comfortable with that make the difference. If you can crack an egg one-handed, you have enough dexterity to open your knife any way you want. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to put on a pair of gloves and commit arachnicide before my boys get home from school--one got a spider bite this morning, and I hope it doesn't turn out like yours, Lapedog.

 

[Lapedog]

Holy crud! That must have been one hell of a spider! Unless that was a misspelling and you meant to say, "Spyder" bite, because I have gotten plenty of those. Seriously though, I agree that the tip up/tip down debate is a little silly. It's what you practice and are comfortable with that make the difference. If you can crack an egg one-handed, you have enough dexterity to open your knife any way you want. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to put on a pair of gloves and commit arachnicide before my boys get home from school--one got a spider bite this morning, and I hope it doesn't turn out like yours, Lapedog.

Oh that one on my finger is almost healed after nearly 2 and a half weeks. You should have seen it the morning I woke up and realized I had been bitten. (Stupidly sleeping with my hand between the mattress and wall)

My knuckle was so swollen that it was choking off the blood supply and you could see the blood being redirected through all my capillaries.

The only time I think serious thought has to be put into how you are going to draw and carry your knife is when taking self defensive considerations into account. In that case it does matter. Not only so you get used to it and it becomes second nature, but also consider how someone pinning you will complicate drawing the knife.

Some carry methods like scout carry (horizontal at the back on the belt) I am wary of. I have heard stories of people carrying this way and slipping on ice, landing on their back and the knife hurts their spine.

 

[Cutlover]

Ok I am clearing this up right now. To all you people perpetrating the myth that either tip up or tip down is superior because the it "puts the knife in position to open more naturally" that is not true. It all just depends how you initially reach for the knife, overhand or underhand.

Overhand draw for tip up (Note I am using right handed carry here since most people are righties)

Underhand grip to draw for tip down.

So there, one way is not really better than the other. I just prefer tip up cause that's what I'm used to.

Edit: lol it always best to try and make a point with your zipper down....woops.

I think your post actually shows tip up as the superior method.

In your tip up picture, your hand is in the natural position, parallel to the wrist. The tip-down requires flexing the wrist as an extra step.

Basically, carrying tip-down either requires you to draw and rotate the knife in your hand, or walk around with your wrist bent upwards.

Tip up: Move hand to position -> remove knife -> open

Tip down: Move hand to position -> flex wrist -> remove knife -> open

Or

Tip down: Move hand to position -> remove knife -> rotate knife to rest in palm -> open

The extra step is usually done in parallel, which means for most people it will not make an actual difference in opening speed, but your body might use a few extra Joules to send that command to bend the wrist.