Tip Up Carry Cuts

[Dirk]

The only time I have ever been cut by a folder in my pocket was from a tip up Benchmade AFCK. The clip was very tight as I adjusted it that way and set it up for tip up. I have also come close to being cut by a Commander.

I tend to prefer tip down carry because of this. I haven't completely ruled out tip down carry though.

This is a debate that will never be won by either side. Neither carry is really superior to another. It all comes down to personal prefernce and understanding the different aspects of that sharp thing that is in your pocket.

 

[Colinz]

Gollnick wrote:

What if, in the course of the day, sitting down, standing up, walking, running, etc., the knife moves away from the seam? An inch of movement is all it would take.

Ah, ok, got it.

I´ve never had that experience. Maybe because of my choice of trousers, my way of moving, a tight clip or some other unknown factor. Thanks for the explanation.

/Colinz

 

[8Blades]

The word "Indexing" comes to mind.

For years I worked with a knife under conditions where:

#1. The knife had to lock.

#2. The knife had to open and close quickly with one handed operation.

#3. I couldn't look at the knife as I drew it and opened it.

I wasn't carrying them for their intended purpose as I do now, but I naturally gravitated towards tactical folders with liner locks for the most part. They were the only style of knife that seemed to fit the bill.

I soon came to the conclusion that if you have the luxury of being able to look at the knife for just a split second, tip down is fine maybe even better. But if you don't have that luxury, tip up beats the pants off of tip down because it provides superior indexing.

With tip up carry, you pull the knife out and you open it more easily and the knife is already "in position". With tip down carry you have to shift your grip slightly which is a great opportunity to drop it if you're not watching.

It does depend on the design of the knife however. I used a CRKT M16 in this role for a while (which is tip down carry) and indexing wasn't a problem thanks to that big old flipper and rougher than sandpaper thumbstud.

Now that I'm older and less stupid I realize I did some dumb stuff with knives, but I've never cut myself by having a folder open up in a pocket carried either way. Just lucky I guess.

I think we can probably chalk this whole thing up to "YMMV".

 

[Hawkbill]

I now carry a bottle-opener Talon set-up for Tip-Up

Glad you're enjoying that Talon, Morgan. I think you bought it from me (so, we're really talking about the same knife).

 

[cockroachfarm]

Originally posted by Gollnick
...repositioned to maximize space in the trunk. This puts the tank closer to the rear bumper. Some people believe that this makes these cars much more likely to explode or catch fire in a rear-end collision.....

As I recall, the Pinto was involved in a few rear-end collisions that seemed to support this theory?

 

[cockroachfarm]

Originally posted by cockroachfarm
As I recall, the Pinto was involved in a few rear-end collisions that seemed to support this theory?

This is my first brain-freeze in over 900 posts! How the h***ll did this response get into THIS thread???

 

[cockroachfarm]

Originally posted by Gollnick
...I'm not willing to risk seriously cutting my hand open (my dominate hand too) five times per day 365 days per year just to gain 50mS maybe once in my life.

As far as I'm concerned, this puts it all into perspective.

Folks can carry tip up, tip down, or tip sideways - whatever makes them happy. But, after reading some of the responses, it seems to me that most of the folks who rationalize 'tip up' are ready to get into a knife fight in some life or death confrontation. If that were to happen to me, I carry other "tools" that are much better suited for the job.

Personally, I carry ALL my "tools" tip down.

 

[slide13]

I agree that carrying a tip up knife is taking a risk, but that risk can be greatly minimized by how you carry and use it. I carry my small Sebenza in the very back of my right front pocket. That's were I carry all knives, they fit well there and are unobtrusive. For the most part the seam of the pocket would keep the blade closed even if there was enough force to get past the detent. When reaching into my pocket for other items, it's always in front of the knife so the only part I would be touching of the knife is the back spine of the handle slabs. When drawing the knife, I reach down the back side of the knife and grasp near the pivot point.

I don't see any possibility of me getting cut that way and while I'm sure murphy's law applies, I'll take the very, very slight risk. I'm so much more comfortable drawing a tip up carry knife. I started with a Spyderco Delica and every knife since then that has made a lasting appearance in my EDC has been tip up. If I really tried I'm sure I could get used to tip down carry as well, but with my carry methods, I don't see the need right now.

Now, if you carry the knife in the front or middle of your pants pocket, or on the side that it was not intended to be carried on, the risk will be substantially greater and I would be much more comfortable having the knife be tip down in those circumstances.

 

[Gollnick]

This is my first brain-freeze in over 900 posts! How the h***ll did this response get into THIS thread???

It's just another example of a design that works fine 99.99% of the time. I passed a Pinto on the road just the other day. If you asked the owner, he'd probably say, "I've had this thing for 30 years now and it hasn't once blown up on me. I think it's perfectly safe. I don't see any possibility of me getting burned in that car." But it's not a safe car regardless of what that one owner's experience or opinion might be. The design is obviously defective and dangerous. That defect only occures and the danger is only realized in rare cases. But, when it doesn happen, the dangers are serious.

Similarly, you can say, "I've carried this knife tip-up for 30 years now and it hasn't cut me once. I think it's perfectly safe. I don't see any possibility of me getting cut that way." But it's not safe regardless of that one owner's experience or opinions. The design is obviously defective and dangerous. That defect only occures and the danger is only realized in rare cases. But, when it doesn happen, the dangers are serious.

You know, I say that these cuts only happen in rare cases. But, it seems from the sample here at bf.c in this thread and others previous, that a lot more people have been cut by tip-up knives than burned by Ford Pintos. Yet we recognize the Pinto as the epitome of unsafe products. We shake our heads and wonder how they could have marketed such an obviously-defective, obviously-dangerous design. And yet some can't see the danger in another obviously-defective, obviously-dangerous design.

 

[allenC]

If you want to carry a liner-lock or frame-lock tip-up, then you are taking a risk, plain and simple.
Of course, people willingly take risks all the time...

As for myself, it's just not worth the risk. I value my hands too much.
If I just had to have a tip-up knife then it would not be a liner-lock or a frame-lock (or a Compression-lock and probably not an Axis-lock either).

Allen.

 

[peshkabz]

it was from a tip-down knife! And I got cut BAD. My knife and I had been doing alot of shopping. I kept my wallet in my front pocket; while taking my wallet out at a drive-in food joint, the blade got pulled out from friction with the wallet pockets some how. I had carried my wallet for years with my knives without any problems. Since then, I put the wallet in my left front. In my 17 years of carrying tip ups 95% of the time - I have never had a problem.
Common sense does a lot to compliment science to work to our benefit; such as gravity. The gravity of this situation was friction within the pocket and my palm and 12 stitches. Whenever you carry a tip down you are taking a risk - pure and simple. puulleeaase!!!!!!!

If someones knife is so loose to where the blade is not nested in the handle - then that user lacks the common sense to protect themselves. Gosh - I could see it now - some liberal geek passing a law outlawing tip ups because the users are not smart enough to protect themselves. This is akin to idiots wanting to sue fast food joints cause they have gotten fat! oops!! hope I did not give anyone an idea....:footinmou

Why do I like tip up? because it feels natural - it feels right - does that make me someone who wants to have a quick draw and knife fight? Give me a break fella - is your name really jane fonda?

I own knives in both directions - cause I like the knife. I just prefer the tip up for the natural feel. Could I get used to the other so that it feels natural? Sure, I have years ago. But even for someone who is ambidexterous - one side is always more comfortabe for any given task.

If the truth were told - I will bet that people very very very rarely get cut from both styles; and any other style.
My son likes tip down - so I give him those knives every now and then. Personal preference is just that.