Tip down carry..Why?

samhain73

samhain73

Joined
Mar 5, 2005
Messages
5,069
O.k, I tried the search funtion and couldn't come up with anything, other than most people don't like tip down carry(including myself). So I was wondering what are the benifits of tip down carry? I have a BM Skirmish and a Swamp Rat Rat Trap, and both only have tip down. I would think that tip up is safer since the blade is pushed up against the wall of the pocket. Am I wrong? Thanks!-Mike
 
You also have to reposition it in your hand after removing it from your pocket to use it. I hate that. I've always wondered why most knives are made tip down as well.
 
IMO, knives move around in pockets, and blades occasionally open.

On a tip down knife neither of these things are very dangerous, but on a tip up knife there is suddenly a sharp point right where you want to put your hand.

I’ve read at least three posts about people putting their hand straight onto the blade tip of a tip up knife that has opened in a pocket.
 
J85909266 said:
You also have to reposition it in your hand after removing it from your pocket to use it. I hate that. I've always wondered why most knives are made tip down as well.
Click to expand...


I EDCd a Spyderco Police for 12 years (tip down), and never had to reposition the knife in my hand to open it. Grabbing the knife between my thumb and first finger always put it in the right place to make use of the opening hole and belt clip.
 
J85909266 said:
You also have to reposition it in your hand after removing it from your pocket to use it.
Click to expand...
I don't agree with that.

Pulling a tip-down knife out of my pocket, I have my thumb on the thumbstud when I grab the knife, and as it comes clear of the pocket, I open the blade, lowering the front of the knife as I do so.

Pulling a tip-up knife out of my pocket, I have my thumb on the thumbstud when I grab the knife, and as it comes clear of the pocket, I open the blade, raising the front of the knife as I do so.

Big difference. ;)
 
Good question! Though I agree that tip-up is a bit more risky, and very inconvenient when a tip-up auto opens :eek: ...my favorite knife is tip-up so I live with it in spite of the orientation...
 
djolney said:
IMO, knives move around in pockets, and blades occasionally open.

On a tip down knife neither of these things are very dangerous, but on a tip up knife there is suddenly a sharp point right where you want to put your hand.

I’ve read at least three posts about people putting their hand straight onto the blade tip of a tip up knife that has opened in a pocket.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but only if its not put flush against the pocket, which for me, is the only comfortable way to carry a knife, tip up or down. It seems it would be impossible to cut yourself carrying it this way. :confused:
 
samhain73 said:
It seems it would be impossible to cut yourself carrying it this way. :confused:
Click to expand...
I have never had a problem carrying a tip-up knife, since I do put it against the pocket seam. But I am old and slow. :) If you run or jump, it can move away, and those are exactly the circumstances under which the blade might open, also.
 
Not impossible, just unlikely. Try getting a tip up knife out when your hands are cold, and stress is limiting your dexterity.
 
I have carried folders both ways. In my opinion, both methods have their downside. Tip up, I have sliced the tip of my finger before. Tip down, I had the folder open a bit and if I had tried to sit down as I had intended, i would have had a bit of a cut in my leg. I VERY heavy detent for a liner or a good lock back reduces the risk for either carry option.

As far as repositioning your hand.....I have found that I have to repostion my hand to open a tip down knife more so than I do tip up. There are some knives that this is reversed and some carry postions as well. If I carry tip down in a pocket that has a seam about mid point on my side, then I have a repositioning issue. I then usually carry tip up or carry tip up in back pocket. Most of the time, I carry tip down.
 
Removing a tip down, opening it, and having it ready is more awkward than tip up. I know this from personal experience with both kinds of knives. I don't care what other people say because I know. Sure, you can pull a tip down out with it in position, but it requires a much less natural feeling position of the hand and wrist when removing it to do so, making the process more awkward.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I have never had a problem carrying a tip-up knife, since I do put it against the pocket seam. But I am old and slow. :) If you run or jump, it can move away, and those are exactly the circumstances under which the blade might open, also.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I understand. In retrospect, I haven't had to run or jump for any period of time either! And if I do, habit forces me to check my pocket to make sure my knife is still there!(I do this with my glasses and hat usually too :rolleyes: )
 
If you do use the search function correctly, you'll scare up several threads here in which people report serious injuries (as in emergency room serious) from tip-up-carried knives.

I have a good friend who is a mechanical engineer. One of the basic rules he taught me for good design is: Don't fight gravity; you can't win.

Tip-up carry fights gravity.

Yes, if you carry the knife just right pressed in your pocket just so, it works. But gravity never sleeps. It never misses. It never fails. Sooner or later, no matter how careful you are, that knife is gonna work itself into the wrong position... and gravity will be right there to pull it open.

The speed advantage that tip-up affords is a small fraction of a second. I submit to you that if you're in a situation where that small fraction of a second matters, then you've lost already.
 
Well I will throw out my .02 on this.. I just bought a kershaw leek and was wanting to know what the great advantage was on a tip up carry knife I have been reading about .. well it lasted about 1 day and then I switched back to tip down carry on the clip ..
I don't know if it is just this knife or if I am just so used to tip down carry deployment. but I found it very un-natural to carry it this way and draw it ..and very hard to relocate the knife back in the pocket due to the thumb studs catching on my pants pocket seam.. so today I put it back and ahhh... it was like normal again and have no problems at all getting it back in the pocket.. I can see a wave opener needing this tip up carry but I really didn't like it with the leek..
~Jeff
 
Well honesty, the Kershaws(Bump) are the reason I started carrying tip up. It just creeped me out with the asst.opener pointing at, well.. you know, if it were to accidently fire. :eek:
 
As Gollnick says, gravity always wins. If you want the fun of an auto or assisted opener, if you think tip-up gives you speed you need for a confrontation you probably want time to think, not blindly react to, then go for it, but count the cost.

The first rule of security & self-defense is to avoid trouble. A fully manual lockback with a strong backspring, tip-down or tip-up, at least won't be more of a danger to you than your opponent might be. :D
 
Very strongly agree with the above post. I'd much rather cut my hand than the things that can obviously be threatened by a knife pointed down. Besides, I've carried tip up for years, I couldnt imagine the blade accidently opening, ever, even with the the two quillions on my ti lite. I'm not even sure how one would ever accidently open a non-auto knife, unless perhaps you have a real cheapie with no resistance at all keeping the blade closed.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
As Gollnick says, gravity always wins. If you want the fun of an auto or assisted opener, if you think tip-up gives you speed you need for a confrontation you probably want time to think, not blindly react to, then go for it, but count the cost.

The first rule of security & self-defense is to avoid trouble. A fully manual lockback with a strong backspring, tip-down or tip-up, at least won't be more of a danger to you than your opponent might be. :D
Click to expand...
I didn't mean that it was easier to access, I just ment that with an assisted opener it seems like tip up carry allows the pocket to work as a "sheath", and add extra protection. I understand that maybe with a liner lock tip down is better, But with that style of knife it seemed risky( although, the point is moot since I no longer have any asst. openers save a Blur which is in my glove box!)
 
J85909266 said:
Removing a tip down, opening it, and having it ready is more awkward than tip up. I know this from personal experience with both kinds of knives. I don't care what other people say because I know. Sure, you can pull a tip down out with it in position, but it requires a much less natural feeling position of the hand and wrist when removing it to do so, making the process more awkward.
Click to expand...
I think that's funny. I have had both types ...a spyderco civilian(tip down) and a spyderco atr(tip up) Preferred the tip down as it was instant out and open but after carrying tip up for a while, the same applies for it as well i can get it out and open in a heartbeat. I guess it depends on your skill level or lack of but I haven't had an issue with either. Also, the tip down was the first edc I had, so it seemed absurd to me when I got the ATR that it was tip up, but i adapted within days and to me there is no difference in comfort or speed or safety in removing and opening either now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top