Tip Down, Tip UP?

Goosey said:
I prefer tip-down, I don't get tip-up :confused:
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I think most tip up people carry in the right front pocket with the blade resting against the seam of the pocket. That makes it virtually impossible for the blade to open accidentally.
 
I trained myself long ago to check and carefully approach my carry pocket when inserting hand or fingers whether using the clip or not. I never just jam a hand into my knife pocket.

Often I even feel the pocket, checking that the knife is securely folded before I put my hand in. It's a subconscious action...so ingrained I think if I were to stop carrying knives I'd still slowly approach and check my right pocket forever.

If I like the knife I'll carry either way, up or down. Clip position isn't a deal breaker.
 
Tip up. Tip down sucks.

I carry every folder with the spine against the seam of my pocket. (In case it opens in my pocket)

Would you rather have the tip facing open space to the right of your leg, or directly toward your junk?

I guarantee you it only takes one time of that happening to firmly cement your opinion.
 
I prefer tip up carry .. not that I have anything against tip down I think my hand and muscle memory just got used to tip up .. and I know the one knife I have that is only tip down .. has found a permanamt place in a drawer because it just feels akward now
 
I carry both ways and the knives in my EDC rotation are about evenly split. I had tried to buy knives only one way but there were too many interesting knives that I liked so I ended up buying the knives that were set up the wrong way and I like carrying them despite that. When I started buying knives with clips many years ago, the screw-on clips were almost always made for tip down while the molded in clips were manufactured for tip up.

Since I carry both ways it is pretty easy for me to switch. Usually when I'm going to pull a knife out I already have thought about what knife it is and how to draw and deploy it. If I had to pull a knife out very quickly in an emergency I might not have thought about what it is ahead of time and I could fumble, but I would probably fumble anyway. There is not a lot of difference in speed even if I pull it out the wrong way, but there is the possibility with tip up that I would lose control of the knife.

I carry clipped in my right front pocket. Even though I have long fingers, tip down is still faster and much more secure for me. All of my knives have detents on the blades so I don't worry about a knife opening in my pocket. I've been carrying knives with pocket clips for over 20 years and never had one open on me, including my much older knives that did not have detents on the blades. I don't worry about cutting my hands if a blade opens because when I have a knife clipped in my pocket it is almost impossible to get my hand into that pocket, but worst case I could cut my leg.

I do find it interesting that some of the Spyderco models that can have the clip mounted either way come tip up from the factory while others come tip down from the factory.

I read a lot about people that damage screws and liners by switching their clips end to end. I usually just leave mine where they came from the factory, so my PM2's are tip down and my Gayle Bradley is tip up. I have a pet peeve that people will buy a knife, switch the clip, never carry the knife and then try to sell it. If they are going to sell it, why even mess with the clip and risk damaging the knife? And also they will try to sell the knife as "new". If you have messed with the clip, then it isn't new anymore.
 
Depends on the knife for me. I prefer tip up, but some of the larger ZT flippers don't carry so well in the tip up config...IMHO. I had my 0300, 0200, and 0561 tip up for about 1 week. Fnding the flipper so deep in the pocket on the draw was a bit cumbersome for me. Reverted to tip down carry for those larger flippers. Works for me, but I'm not really concerned with the tactical application of knife carry.
 
Most of my knives are tip-up (Emersons, Benchmade axis models). But i'm not opposed to tip down. My Benchmade 970 works quite well in that fashion. It really depends on the knife and how the clip effects the ergonomics.
 
Great responses! Thanks to all. I agree regarding leaving the knife the way it came;),even if I do look like a jerk when I pull out my knife the wrong way :rolleyes:
 
I only have a few tip up knives, but it messes with my head when I'm carryin a tip down and a tip up and IWB a small fixed blade. I pull everything out weird then. But I still love tip up carry, just feels so much nicer and faster to draw your knife from your pocket in tip up.
 
I've have carried a BM 740 which is only set up for tip down for over 10 years and never had a problem.
 
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