Tip up carry vs Tip down carry Your thoughts

thefifth

thefifth

Joined
Apr 6, 2007
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WoodenChicken's post Tip-up carry accident got me thinking.

I prefer tip down. But I was wondering about thoughts on tip up.

Or if someone could direct me to a previous thread on the subject.

Thanks
 
Tip up- right handed carry when at all possible. Blade is against pocket seam, chances of injury are minimal, and knife is ready for proper grip when deployed.

Lefties need to carry tip down unless the knife has a reversible clip.
 
I prefer tip-up left-handed whenever possible. I don't mind tip down either (it's usually better for lefties than righties).

Tip-up right-handed is both scary and awkward. Even if I didn't risk stabbing myself, I find it difficult to properly grab a knife when it faces the wrong way.

I'll never buy a knife that is only tip-up righty.

Phillip
 
Would not recommend for an auto. My Pro tech opened, when clipped, in my right pocket somehow and when I went into pocket for change I came out with more then change. Still carry the same way but am more aware when going into my pocket. Since this is where I carry all my knives, and am too old to change, tip down is now my preferance. Only the auto tip up has ever given me a problem.
 
Tip-up--right hand pocket--quickest, safest draw.
Tip down- left pocket, cross draw, safest in that pocket as well.
I try to make sure all knives are either against a seam, or they have really tight detents.
 
I'm a righty and I only carry yip up when that is all the knife offers as an option. I actually prefer tip down right hand because when I draw my knife from my pocket everything falls into place the way I like it.
 
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my first "high end" knife was a benchmade pardue auto, which is tip down. i carried this for several years and got accustomed to tip down.

when i started venturing further in to the knife market, most of the knives i liked were tip up, ie, sebenza, sng, etc. after carrying a sebbie for a while, i then got used to tip up. most of the folders i have purchased in the last few years are tip up, or at least have multi positional clips.

i now prefer tip up, mainly because that is how i have been carrying for some time. i still have a few tip down only folders, but rarely carry them. and i always carry in my back pocket, right side.


i don't find either faster or easier to draw, in and of itself. it is mainly a preference for me. though i do see the logic of dip down for front pocket carry since the blade will be held in place by the pocket seam.

regarding autos, how much does it really matter whether it is tip up or tip down if it opens in your pocket? seems to me both could result in some unfortunate wounds in unfortunate places.
 
I sleep with my BM 710 IWB and feel safe as ever.
Hopefully that doesn't change one day... or night.
 
Morimotm said:
{regarding autos, how much does it really matter whether it is tip up or tip down if it opens in your pocket? seems to me both could result in some unfortunate wounds in unfortunate places.}
With the tip up and the blade against the pocket seam it opened slightly (blade pushed the handle away about 1") When I went to put my hand in the pocket, my finger ran down the length of the blade tip. If it was tip down I think it would have run against the back of the blade. Any knife open in the pocket is trouble. I hope this explains my reason for the statement I made.
 
I tend to prefer tip down but it is not necessarily a deal breaker. Either way a knife needs a good detent or it is a hazard, I just feel like tip down can somewhat compensate for a weak detent.
 
I prefer tip up for both right and left handed carry. Tip up feels more natural to me, but that could be because my first knives were tip-up so that is what I'm used to.

I carry with the spine of the blade tight up against the back seam of my front pocket, so if the knife should come open somehow, the blade has nowhere to go. I always aim for knives with strong pocket clips and solid detents to lessen the chance that the knife will move around in the pocket and possibly open. Cheers.
 
I prefer tip up with thumbstud knives and tip down with spydie holes because it positions your hand perfectly for a spydie drop.
 
I greatly prefer tip-down carry now but it was quite hard to get used to it. My Emerson obviously rides tip up as does my Griptilian, but all my other blades are tip down.
 
jlfletcher83 said:
I tend to prefer tip down but it is not necessarily a deal breaker. Either way a knife needs a good detent or it is a hazard, I just feel like tip down can somewhat compensate for a weak detent.
Click to expand...

Good detent is key.
I had a tip-down knife open a bit going into the pocket---it stabbed through the damn pocket.:(
As was mentioned previously, either way will deploy just as fast. It's really all about preference.
I prefer tip-down for linerlocks myself, in general.
 
Thanks for all the posts

Had to look at my sebbie to realize it tip up but my AFCK is tip down

I guess it just comes down to preference because I can't see one way or the other being more advantageous to me (or rather for me).

Thanks again
 
I have no preference. Either works for me.
 
Like stabman said, I think it just comes down to personal preference. I've carried knives both tip-down and tip-up and I don't loose any time pulling it out of my pocket, nor do I feel that the knife is any less secure in one position over another.

My personal preference is tip-up carry, though a tip-down carry only knife isn't a deal breaker. Only thing that does matter is whether or not the knife is well made with quality materials to begin with and has solid lockup.
 
Tip-down, IWB - handle falls naturally into my hand, ready for use. :thumbup:




Tip-up has historically put holes in my hand. :thumbdn:
 
tip up exclusively (and i have never had one open up in my pocket either)

FWIW the only 2 which did do that were tip down lol, a spyderco joht singh kalsa and gunting FWIW.
 
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