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Tip up or down?

KLJTech

KLJTech

Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
1,180
For a while now I’ve been using a Spyderco Native as my EDC and it is made to be carried tip up. This is the first knife that I have ever carried tip up and it’s taken a while to get used to it. Recently I purchased a Spyderco Manix C95 and started to carry it on my right side (I’m right handed) and continued to carry the Native on my left side. The Manix is setup out of the box for tip down carry but it seems to me that if you’re going to carry two knives that they should both be setup the same way. Does this make sense to those of you that I’m sure have carried a knife longer than me? Is there a consensus as to what is more convenient as in tip up or tip down? Does it all come down to personal preference?

I apologize if this seemed like a stupid question but I truly appreciate your feedback.
Thank you.
 
I look at it this way. Which way does the tip move when you open it? For me it is usually downward, so I prefer a tip up carry regardless of the size of the folder. That being said, I also EDC many tip down folders. I just have to remember to carry all folding knives (I always EDC at least two) with the same tip configuration. IMHO if you EDC two or more folders it would be best to have them all in the same tip configuration.
 
I prefer tip-up carry on knives that hold the blade closed under spring tension (lockback, Axis), with the blade toward the seem of my pocket.

Anything else, I prefer tip-down for safety reasons.
 
I'm with Buzzbait! Lockbacks and such are great Tip-up, as they have to overcome some (even small) amount of pressure to open. Linerlocks and the like don't have that. The exception would be a waved Emerson, which needs to be carried tip-up even though its a liner.

Curiously, I just carry my Strider GB in my back right pocket with the blade away from the seam. Of course, it has opened on me once, which is why I'm getting a belt pouch for it. I suppose it also reinforces (at least for ME) my point about tip-up vs. tip-down.
 
I carried my Sebbie tip up for about a week in my hip pocket, while I was waiting on that very expensive little piece to cover the clip hole.

It partially opened, I reached for my wallet ..... Cashiers do NOT like getting bloody money!

Got the little piece, sent the knife to Tom Mayo for his magic and had MtMike make a belt pouch to carry it. Tip down of course. LOL

I would guess you're right about having everything matching, but since the Sebbie is my only folder ....

Rob
 
Thank you so much for the input, now I don’t like such a dope for asking the question in the first place. I would think (like Bilker) that it’s best if you’re going to carry two knives at a time for them both to be setup the same way. I was trying to figure out if one way or the other was quicker (required less repositioning of the knife) to open the blade one handed as well.
 
Many people prefer tip-down for safety issues. There are many accounts of people pricking their finger with tip-up. Never happened to me before though. So I prefer tip-up. How else am I going to open the knives with my favorite feature. The wave!
 
The main reason I like tip up is that I can open the knife a hair faster than tip down with less chance of dropping it if in a bad situation. It probably really doesn't matter as rotating the knife a little to open it during tip down use is only about 1/10 sec difference. Just personal preference I guess :) . I should also mention that I usually EDC AO's or flipper/wave type folders. If they are not of this type I have them tweaked to open with a wrist roll, but still stiff enough not to open tip up in my pocket. I am sure some LEO's would have the proper opening technique to call some of them "gravity knives".
 
i think tip up is the way to go most times.

but in certain cases i prefer tip down, such as in my byrd robin. its quite small and the hole placement makes for a rather wide opening arc. So i set it for tip down and draw the knife with a spyderdrop.
 
KLJTech said:
Does it all come down to personal preference?
Click to expand...

In a nutshell, yeah. :)

There certainly are arguments that each way has certain strengths and weaknesses, especially

a] any knife with a detent you don't trust should be carried tip down. (Or just shouldn't be carried, or maybe even owned. :D Life's too short to own bad knives!)

b] Hole-opening folders can be "Spydie-dropped" open from a tip down presentation. Sure, you can Spydie-drop from tip-up, but you lose that speed advantage that makes it useful knife opening trick, to may taste.

But it pretty much comes down to what you're comfortable with. I've come to the conclusion that I want all my folders to be tip-up, because so many of the ones I carry and practice with are tip-up that when I do draw a tip-down folder, I have to almost think myself through it, it just feels wrong.

I know people who are the same way about tip-down - they're so used to it that tip-up just bugs them to deal with.

So we're back to, there really isn't a "right" answer. It's by no means a bad question, but the only real answer is, what will work for you? What feels comfortable, what opens fast, which way do you cut yourself least often? :D
 
In the past I have been a tip down person. A while ago I read where somebody stated that as a self defence knife he prefered the clip to point the same direction as the tip of the knife. This made sense as if one is stabbing then the hand will slide off of the clip where a tip down clip will jab into your fingers. Recently I discovered another reason for tip down: the clip fits into your palm not against the fingers. While training with a folder I had my pinky get a percussion cut from the side of the clip- with piont down and the clip into my palm I do not feel that I would have been cut (it took me a while to figure out how I got cut until I grabbed the knife again).
 
I carry my Chinook II tip up solely because of where it puts the clip on the knife.

Tip down puts the clip at the pivot end, and pretty much ruins the grip for me.
If I really wanted a certain knife, and it came tip down only, I would remove the clip and make a belt sheath for it.

Anyway, tip up puts the clip at the butt end in the cup of the palm and, if anything, it improves the grip rather than detract from it.

Additionally, I carry my folders that have clips in inside of my waistband rather than in my pocket, with the clip between my trousers and my belt.
People notice a big folder sticking out of a pocket; whereas they never notice a knife in my waistband.
Further, with a knife in my waistband, I don't have to push my hand past a knife in order to get something out of the bottom of my pocket, and I don't have to worry about the clip snagging on something and getting pulled out of my pocket.

Tip up and lockback.
 
Thanks for the input, I did do a search on the subject before posting my question but an error page kept coming up.
Thanks again.

Kevin
 
After drawing blood and cutting clothing I will always be a TIP DOWN owner.

Tip: Don't ever carrry a tip up folder, with an opening button or other device that sticks out away from the blade, in you back pocket.
Bunns open tip up knives in back pockets. Count on it!

Ciao
muzzleup
:o
 
A reinforcement for my point of liking tip-DOWN for liners, my Strider GB fell open in my pocket (rear pocket) and stabbed me- as well as putting a HUGE hole in my car's seat.

Liners: Tip-DOWN thank you!
 
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