Thumbstuds as bladestops...

N

Nakano 2

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Jan 1, 1999
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Always wanted to know. Who first "discovered" the use of thumb studs to double as the bladestop against their respective scale ends? Is there any current patents on file?

Nakano
 
...and who prefers wide arcing thumbstuds, and who likes tight short arcing thumbstuds?

I like short arcing thumbstuds for linerlocks, and wide arcing for lockbacks.
 
I have a Gerber Applegate which users both thumbstuds as bladestops on the liners, it's a model that's been around a fair while. I expect there are others?
 
Hey Nakano...

Personally I don't like them at all....

Thumbstuds that are used in this manner, make the knife cumbersome to manipulate, I find myself fumbling around with the knife instead of snapping it open with authority...The travel arc is far too small...

An indentation for these stops to rest inside the frame would make this problem go away...

Another problem I've found is that these thumbstuds that are used for stops are Far too small....

So a Big Thumbs down for thumb stops,,unless the travel arc is longer and the studs are bigger


ttyle

Eric....
 
Originally posted by Normark

So a Big Thumbs down for thumb stops,,unless the travel arc is longer and the studs are bigger
Click to expand...

Agreed!


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
Hey Eric. It' s been a while.

Folks, I really don' t like or dislike the use of this thumb stud method as a blade stop. But that is not the topic of this thread. My real question is WHO or what company if it is the case, is responsible for first discovering/ using this method???

Nakano
 
The Gerber Applegate is first time that I saw this configuration. It is also one of the first liner locks I ever saw.
 
The first one I know was Benchmade Sentinel designed by Allen Elishewitz. With that knife the system works very well, at least for me. The thumb studs are good sized and opening is easy.
 
I had a MT M-Socom w/ these... The arc was very small, but it did not bother me. It *seems* like it would indeed be more difficult to open, but it was fine. It seemes as if, perhaps, it was even easier/faster to open. There is *something* about it that rubs me wrong. I'm definately not a "traditional" fellow. Perhaps the arc on this type is more of a circle than a reg. stop pin and spinning your thumb in more of a complete circle is awkward. I dunno.
 
I'm not a big fan of them for a couple of reasons.

Like many others have said, because the arc is too small, I have a harder time manipulating the knife.

Primarily because I feel they are more difficult to make properly, leaving more room for error. I have only handled one or two of many samples that had nice tight lock-up.

I really only see them being necessary on flipper knives where the normal blade stop would get in the way.
 
I know that Gerber has had it and that the arc on the opening on it is not bad. And I am also very happy that Darrel Ralph uses it on some of his knives. Some of them have small arcs, but not his 4" EDC.

DR01658.jpg
 
I think that Butch Vallotton was the first to use the thumbstuds as blade stops. The MT Chameleon would be the first "production" knife to have used this approach.
 
I do not know who started it, but the first one I ever saw was on one of carsons folders.
 
Butch Vallotton was the developer of using the thumbstuds as blade stops in the Chameleon. At least that is what he told me 4 years ago when I was at his shop, and he was building me a one of a kind custom Chameleon with numerous upgrade changes to his standard Chameleon.
Hope this helps.

Larry
 
I'm fine with most of them.
I'm even fine with the CRKT M16.
Frankly I prefer that the thumbstuds are out of the way, more so than easy opening. I could always try to inertia open it.
 
Booshank, do you have a source for this info? An actual knife, magazine article, catalog, pics from a convention- website, etc?

Anyone else with any other pertinent info on WHO? Please limit the discussion to this aspect. And NOT on the likes or dislikes. Thanks.

Nakano
 
OK given a cursory glance through old Ken Warner edited KNIVES '81, '88,'89 and '90 (the rest of the '80s are in the garage?), in KNIVES '89 on page 70 theres a pic of 5 knives by Gary Barnes, the bottom knife uses the studs as the stop (wide arc "toggle style"). Also in KNIVES '90 page 49 theres another pic of a Gary Barnes knife along w/a knockoff. Both of those use the studs the same way. Keep in mind that the KNIVES books always seemed like a year or so behind what was really going on and that use of the studs in that manner already seemed to be in wide use by a lot of makers (including Mel). Older Blade Mags from the same era are probably more revealing. If I get the time I'll leaf through a few someday.
 
Hey thanks Booshank. I have been recently informed and provided with pics of several Carson made toggle lock folders from the 80's.

Nakano
 
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