Spring tension on a slipjoint

A decent pull is important to me. I dont want to be a practically drop flip open the knife by holding on to the nail nick and flicking the handle. The recent run of 92s for example was a mite too light
 
I personally like my springs on the weaker side, but as long as it isn't a nail breaker spring tension isn't a deal breaker. For many others a weak spring might be a necessity for example my significant other struggles with most slip joints due to a combination of weak hands and poor coordination and probably couldn't open anything that is at or above Case level tension without some sort of mechanical aid.
 
I have less than zero desire to be in a situation where my hands are cold and/or wet and I have to fight with my knife to open any of the blades.
I prefer a fairly light smooth pull like that of a Buck 301/303 or the "average" 91mm SAK.
The blades don't try to open when the knife is in my pocket, and the blades are help open, not sagging or flopping partly closed when I'm using it. That's all the back springs are supposed to accomplish, so I'm satisfied with those knives. I carry and use those more than the ones I have with a heavier pull, of say at or above a "7" on any one (or more) blade.
I accept a slightly heavier (but still smooth) pull on a Buck 110/112, and Old Timer 7OT/6OT because I pinch those blades open.

I don't "need" (or want, to be honest) the "talk" on any of my folding knives to rattle the windows. A "hushed" "talk" is fine by me. :)
 
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I prefer a stronger spring as long as it’s not a nail breaker. But a weaker pull is not a deal breaker for me. I like my GEC #23 micarta and carry it on my belt but I also carry a case sow belly in my pocket the case is much lighter but being a smaller frame the pull is perfect for me. I find a larger frame is more manageable with a stiff pull IMHO
 
good snap is paramount to me - those with lazy snap do not stay with the firm. Proper snap is music to my ears. Case slimline trappers and muskrats have consistently the best snap I've ever seen.
 
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Will Power said:
French knives, Laguioles in particular, have it how I like it. Not generally difficult to open, no half-stop jerking action to a halt, yet they are strongly sprung in that they're difficult to close.

The way it should be:cool:
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My Laguiole is my favorite when it comes to spring tension. I don't think I'd want that kind of action on a multi blade or a small knife though. I cut myself when I first got my peanut because I wasn't used to having half stops. The pen blade stopped and my thumb nail came out of the nick.

I recently got a Colonial electrician knife and the pull of the screwdriver/stripping blade is almost too much to be usable. I'm hoping that flushing and re-oiling will help.
 
Trvr said:
My Laguiole is my favorite when it comes to spring tension. I don't think I'd want that kind of action on a multi blade or a small knife though. I cut myself when I first got my peanut because I wasn't used to having half stops. The pen blade stopped and my thumb nail came out of the nick.

I recently got a Colonial electrician knife and the pull of the screwdriver/stripping blade is almost too much to be usable. I'm hoping that flushing and re-oiling will help.
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Seems like the pull on all TL-29 screwdriver blades I've owned is very strong. Maybe because of their intended use. Didn't want them closing on fingers. Most have locks though so I guess that doesn't make sense.--KV
 
JohnDF said:
I said it earlier today... Those #44's had the best Walk n Talk of all. :cool::thumbsup:
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100% agreement, the #44s are near perfect. GEC #48 trappers average about a 4½ and are the lightest I care for. Vic SAKs are a 5 and pretty consistent. GEC #15s are about a 5½, but very positive in their action. I rate the #44s at a 6, and after handling about 8 different ones, very consistent. Most of my GEC #53s come in at a 6½ to 7, but because of their cam tangs, they are very smooth and not at all objectionable. I'm not a fan of stiff springs with half stops, to me they are dangerous.
 
black mamba said:
I'm not a fan of stiff springs with half stops, to me they are dangerous.
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I've heard this from enough members not to dismiss it as just sensitivity.
I wonder if this opinion could be related back to the "How you open a Traditional" thread?
I was a Math and Social Science major... I'm always looking for patterns in human behavior. :D
 
JohnDF said:
I've heard this from enough members not to dismiss it as just sensitivity.
I wonder if this opinion could be related back to the "How you open a Traditional" thread?
I was a Math and Social Science major... I'm always looking for patterns in human behavior. :D
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I don't know about patterns of behavior, but my dislike of heavy springs in a pocket knife comes directly from the advise of my childhood mentors being proven right too many times by life's experience.

Although a city boy at heart, I've been exposed to enough of the outdoors to appreciate a good sharp knife. I had the great fortune to have had some great mentors to emulate growing up, from my dad, granddad, Uncles, and a hard corps ex marine scout master at age 12 that was a most unforgettable character. They taught me a great many life's lessons, and one of them was, spend much time in the out doors, and sooner or later you're gonna have to open your knife with hands that are not clean and dry. Going canoeing, fishing, doing home projects, yard work, working in a machine shop where more often or not even after a quick wipe with a shop rag, your hands are a little slippery from cutting oil.

My paternal grandfather was a working waterman on the Chesapeake Bay, and working on his boat, your hands were always a bit damp from the watery environment. Handling crab pots, grabbing wet line to put over a pulley as the boat moves toward the next marker bouy, moisture is just a facet of the working conditions.

Or another thing you have no control over, age. After a certain point, age becomes a factor. Springy blades and half stops made my own dad stop carrying his beloved Case peanut that has been a gift from his mother. He ended up carrying a Christy knife for the last several years of his life just because it was easy to open with arthritis. Age and time has taken a toll on his ability to deal with stiff springs and half stops.

But even as a kid, I did take notice of what the gown men around me used. Almost all of them shunned hard to open knives. I think the whole explosion of the Buck knife phenomena of the 60's was based on having a knife that was right there on the hip and easy to get out without a hassle like the traditional pocket knives that you needed a strong thumbnail for. You could even get the Buck knife with work gloves on. People in general love 'easy'.

For me, Victorinox SAK's have always been a yardstick of measure for pocket knives. Not too hard to open with cold/wet fingers, but stiff enough to hold it open when used for typical pocket knife jobs. If I'm worried that I may need more spring, then its time for a fixed blade. Its a behavior I've learned from hard experience.
 
jackknife said:
For me, Victorinox SAK's have always been a yardstick of measure for pocket knives. Not too hard to open with cold/wet fingers, but stiff enough to hold it open when used for typical pocket knife jobs.
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I agree 100% that a SAK has the perfect pull and snap combination.
Most would rate the SAK as a perfect #5 on the pull scale, and I find that a #5 or a #6 to be absolutely perfect.
Other examples of that perfect pull come in the form of GEC #15's and #44's, the latter being about a #6 by most measures.
However, I am very tolerable of knives that creep above that mark but tend to shun knives that creep below that mark.
To sum up... I find strong pulls to be tolerable and sometimes enjoyable, but not preferable.
 
A pocket knife should stay closed when not in use, and not bust thumbnails when opening. If you need something impractical that simply sounds cool buy a '69 Mustang.
 
Spring tensions of a pocket knife, or lack of, is why I have developed such a love of old timey friction folders in my 'older' years. A nicely adjusted Opinel/Higonokami/Rezolza is a wonderful thing for senior citizen fingers. No snappy spring to snap closed, no half stops. Just wonderful steady pull open/push close operation.
 
Overall I think most Case knives have a pretty good pull, but I also like the heavier pull on my 23, maybe because it just seems to fit the big, robust knife.
A few months ago I bought a Benchmade Northfork and a Crooked River which will be used when I have wet, cold and bloody fingers.
One thing I don't understand is how the half stops are dangerous, could someone explain that to me (seriously just looking for knowledge).
At any rate I do for some reason prefer half stops.
 
Scott J. said:
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One thing I don't understand is how the half stops are dangerous, could someone explain that to me (seriously just looking for knowledge).
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A half stop interferes with the smooth opening and closing of the blade. Some people even claim that they've had the blade jerked out of their fingers as the blade cammed into the half stop position.

I think the biggest problem with a half stop is that some people take that half cocked position as an opportunity to rearrange their hand, then snap the blade closed on the back of their fingers.

I think it's just a way to justify a preference. Calling something 'dangerous' is a sure way to illicit a reaction. Just watch the news any night.

I don't care one way or the other, a half stop just doesn't rate highly as to whether or not I'm going to buy a knife.
 
dsutton24 said:
I think it's just a way to justify a preference. Calling something 'dangerous' is a sure way to illicit a reaction.
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I think so too. I mean if they can't operate a simple tool like a pocket knife with a half stop, I'd hate to see them around something more complex... like a can opener. :D
 
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