Tip down?

bdjansen

bdjansen

Joined
Jun 11, 2011
Messages
88
When people talk about tip up carry or tip down carry on a folder knife, does that mean the direction the tip is pointing when the knife is closed? Or the direction the knife tip would be pointing if it were open?

Why do people prefer to carry it one way or the other? Or in other words, what are the advantages of one way vs the other?
 
Tip = knife tip.

I like tip up--it's the same hand orientation as if I were drawing a handgun. It's much faster. It's the direction for waving. The complete knife is grasped instead of part of it.
 
Yes it means when the knife is closed. Most people prefer tip up because it is in the correct orientation to open as soon as you pull it out of the pocket. Personally, I don't mind tip down all that much.
 
i carry my EDC's in my pocket, but i prefer my knives to be tip up if i use the clip.

tip up means that the knife is oriented in the same direction that you will be using it.
 
I wish Kershaw would make all their knives with the quad carry setup that's used with the ZT's. Be much nicer for us lefties :D
 
It refers to the orientation of the knife when it is in your pocket. If the clip is mounted on the handle, towards the butt of the knife, that would be tip up. By drawing your blade out of pocket with tip-up carry, the user's hand is already in the correct position to open the knife.
This is tip-up carry.
Photoon2011-06-15at2134.jpg
 
Last edited:
bdjansen said:
Why do people prefer to carry it one way or the other? Or in other words, what are the advantages of one way vs the other?
Click to expand...

I like to carry my knife clipped in the tip-up position such that the spine of the blade snugs up against the seam of my pocket. It's a little added security, ensuring that the blade stays closed if I need to dig around for my keys, coins, etc. It's also a little easier on the hand if the knife I'm carrying has some hard-cut jimping or a sharp edge on the spine. It'll also help prevent other pocket items from scratching the blade.

Strangely, I prefer to clip flipper knives tip-down...
 
Tip up. All day, everyday. Most of the knives I've purchased that had a tip down clip have been modded for tip up carry. There are certain knives that I carry tip down only because I don't want to mod them.
 
Honestly to me it makes ZERO difference in actual real world use. Tip down works with gravity while tip up (unless the knife has stellar closed retention) likes to have a pocket seam aiding in holding the blade closed. Different knives are... well... made differently. In my experience there are handle shapes that make best use of either.
 
No matter what anyone will tell you, there is no universal advantage or disadvantage to carrying tip up or tip down. It's a matter of personal preference and the way each individual person orients their knife when drawing it from their pocket. However, I will tell you right now that most people here are going to say they prefer tip-up. This doesn't imply that it is "better" it just means that more people prefer it in the same way more people prefer the color red to the color brown.

The one instance where tip-up has a specific, universal advantage is with a waved opening method. You can't open a knife with a wave feature with tip-down carry.

Personally, I prefer tip-down unless it's a waved knife. My hand just orients better that way with the way I draw. With non-waved tip-up knife, I have to shift my grip to get the knife in a position where I am able to open it. I don't have to with tip down.
 
Tip up only on small 3" blade knives or less. If it's a longer blade than that tip up just means you have to move your hand around more to open it, and tip down is more natural. for me
 
I greatly prefer tip up, but I also like waved knives. Like most people here, I carry in the right front pocket and I personally don't like the feeling of my hand scraping against the blade, especially if it has aggressive jimping, with a tip down knife when reaching into that pocket (where my money clip resides). I'll sometimes carry tip down in my rear pocket though. One of the advantages of tip down is that the pocket clip positioning typically allows the knife to ride lower.
 
It depends on where I'm carrying the knife. If it's a pocket carry I don't use the clip. It just drops in my RFP tip up. Some knives I carry IWB and those I want tip down because they're quicker & easier for me to pull & open.
 
Tip up is good for carrying in front pocket against the seem on the strong side assuming your right handed or otherwise have a knife that matches you "Handedness". Tip down become more important when carrying in other modes because gravity keeps the thing closed presumably and you won't stab yourself reaching for it. I believe that, at least for a time, the military mandated tip down for that reason. My main beef with tip down in a strongside from pocket is you reach in along the spine of the blade and if there is jimping in can catch...or you can catch keys on the way out.

So tip up when the blade is at the outside front pocket seam and tip down in like a breast pocket or other modes. Everybody will have different opinions on this. Keep in mind about when gravity and catching work for and against YOU in making your choice.
 
I clip my knives to my waist, tip up. For the same reasons as most people - the knife comes out with my hand on the opening mechanism.
 
Tip down is the only way your fingers will always be near the opening mechanism on a large knife. Here's a pic I snapped of my Military when people were complaining about it being tip down only. Note: I have long fingers.
e44d102b.jpg


there is no way that carrying a Military sized knife tip up will have the opening hole/stud near enough to open without completely changing hand positions on the knife, unless you have serious ET fingers.

Meanwhile, when it's tip down, all you do is pinch it near the pivot, once it's out of your pocket/waistband you let gravity bring it into your palm, and open it. Ready to go. Compared to having to choke up and reposition your hands if it was tip up.
 
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