Tip Up vs. Tip Down

[22-rimfire]

I use them the way they come. I have no strong preference. Quite honestly, I'm never sure what tip up or tip down actually means with a closed knife in your pocket.

 

[tchapman414]

I dislike tip-down so much that I sent a knife all the way to Thailand to have the problem fixed:

That's a beautifully done custom clip on your Eros! I had a large titanium Eros a while ago, but carrying in my back right pocket bent the thin titanium clip out too easily. If I pick one up again, I'll keep your idea in mind.

 

[G. Scott H.]

I use them the way they come. I have no strong preference. Quite honestly, I'm never sure what tip up or tip down actually means with a closed knife in your pocket.

I'm the same way. In fact, I don't think I've ever moved a pocket clip on a folder, even when the knife has multiple mounting options. However it comes out of the box is how I leave it. The worst thing that ever happens is that I may pull a tip up knife out and try to open it the same way I opened the tip down knife I carried the day before. After a moment of thinking WTF?, I simply make the adjustment and I'm ready to go. I do agree with the person who said tip down was preferable on large folders. If Cold Steel had a tip down option on their jumbo folders, I would take advantage of that, so I wouldn't have to pull the knife and then scooch my hand up the handle in order to open the blade. :thumbup:

 

[Bill1170]

I've standardized on tip up for several reasons:

1) So I don't have to think about it.
2) Blade against rear seam of front pocket feels safer.
3) Having the clip at the rear of the handle provides a counter to opening force and also feels better while using the knife than a clip at the front of the handle.

 

[Cursum Perficio]

I'm a tip up guy, though I have a couple of tip down folders and have no problem adjusting to it when I carry them.

2 reasons - I like the blade spine against the seam of my right front pocket, just seems safer to me, as others have stated above.

Also, it's not about the carry, it's that I don't really like the clip at the pivot end, getting in the way of my grip on the knife. It's particularly uncomfortable to me with a deep carry clip mounted for tip down. Tried a deep carry clip once on my tip down 790 Subrosa, and it was awful to handle and use. Went straight back to the flat lying standard clip.

 

[jkwithawave]

I'd be curious if your Mini Skirmish, jkwithawave, would be comfortable that way.

Cheers!

Comfortable, yes. Unfamiliar and slightly in the way though. I have my work keys hanging from my belt tucked right in that spot next to my wallet. They'd be in the way to draw the knife. I don't mind carrying tip down in the front pocket, just not my preference.

 

[Hackenslash]

So, as an FYI, there is a reason that some people do that. My grandparents, and now parents do this, and I found out why a few years ago.

Because grandkids comes over to the house, and can easily hit the roll over and over to make it keep spinning. Then you end up with all the TP all over the floor, etc. If you do it the other way, the way a 2 year old will hit the roll, it will "roll up/wind up", and won't get everywhere or make a mess. They can spin that thing as long as they want, and it stays on the roll.

Apparently after a few kids/grandkids do this to your bathroom, and leave you stranded without TP at a critical moment, you may end up reversing your old habits .

I feel wiser after reading this post.

I'm a weirdo. I'm a tip-up only, right-back-pocket-only carry guy. I don't worry about the blade opening in my back pocket because I won't carry a knife that has too weak of a detent. I've only been bitten once and that was before I understood what it took to keep a blade closed in my pocket.

Incidentally, the "biter" was a ZT 0561 that I sent back for servicing after the event and it actually turned out to be a defective knife.

I'd love to go front pocket with an EDC knife, but that real estate is already too crowded with other things.

 

[bdmicarta]

My first clip knives were the original Spyderco models with the clip molded into the FRN grips. The design was right side, tip up only. I carried one of those knives for over 10 years and tip up became second nature to me. Tip down feels wrong, like trying to use the knife backwards with my weak hand. I will no longer buy a knife that's only tip down for that reason.

Before those were made, G10 knives with clips were almost always made tip down. You see it is very difficult to make a tip down knife with molded clip. It is also difficult to make a tip down knife with axis lock or ball bearing lock.

In modern times you can buy knives manufactured either way, and knives that can be switched. I have my preference of they 10 or so knives in my EDC rotation they are split about equally one way vs. the other. Despite my preferences there are too many knives I like that come the other way so I have to be flexible.

This discussion and ensuing arguments comes up frequently. Each method has a lot of fans and a lot of detractors. Nobody wins the argument and it is hard to change anyone's mind. Clipped to a right front pocket there are valid reasons for either type of carry, not to mention the people that carry different ways and in different pockets.

I started buying one-hand knives many years ago, when they were only tip down. I found that it worked well for me. At some point I got a mini-grip which is tip up because of its axis lock. I found that I have long fingers and a knife of that size can work well enough for me tip up. But in recent years I've added a lot of knives to my carry rotation, mostly larger knives like the Manix 2, Military, Manix 2 XL. Despite how much I like the Manix 2 and Manix 2 XL, being tip up makes them much slower for me to pull out and open. The Military is one that is real easy for me to pull out and open. People complain about it being tip down only but if you had one of those that was tip up it would take 5 seconds to pull it out and open it. But again not everybody cares how long it takes to pull out a knife and operate it, some people are more concerned about safety and security and there are ways to carry tip up that are more secure.

I'm the same way. In fact, I don't think I've ever moved a pocket clip on a folder

I haven't either and partly this is because I don't want to mess with the clip screws. I only have 2 knives that can be switched that I would switch and don't. What I do find interesting is that the Spyderco PM2 and the original Bradley Folder each come tapped for clips either way- one of them comes from the factory set up for tip up carry while the other one comes from the factory set up for tip down carry.

Incidentally, the "biter" was a ZT 0561

I think this has been a problem with the 0561. Mine is VERY hard to open. I pull very hard on the flipper to open it, once my pull overcomes the detent the blade opens pretty quickly.

 

[subdude]

For quite some time I didn't even realize that there is tip up/down difference on knives. Some knives felt different when opening but I never paid attention as to why.

 

[SCWillson]

So, as an FYI, there is a reason that some people do that. My grandparents, and now parents do this, and I found out why a few years ago.

Because grandkids comes over to the house, and can easily hit the roll over and over to make it keep spinning. Then you end up with all the TP all over the floor, etc. If you do it the other way, the way a 2 year old will hit the roll, it will "roll up/wind up", and won't get everywhere or make a mess. They can spin that thing as long as they want, and it stays on the roll.

I am obligated to point out that this also applies to cats.

One of my current feline owners was so fanatic about the toilet roll being his toy that I now keep the TP roll on a hook five feet above the floor. Just setting to under roll wasn't enough to stop the destruction of numerous TP rolls. Apparently they make great scratching posts too.

 

[tchapman414]

Comfortable, yes. Unfamiliar and slightly in the way though. I have my work keys hanging from my belt tucked right in that spot next to my wallet. They'd be in the way to draw the knife. I don't mind carrying tip down in the front pocket, just not my preference.

I can see how that would be inconvenient. I only carry a few personal keys, so I can suspend them in a pocket next to my knife.

 

[PaPrepper]

My first clip knives were the original Spyderco models with the clip molded into the FRN grips. The design was right side, tip up only. I carried one of those knives for over 10 years and tip up became second nature to me. Tip down feels wrong, like trying to use the knife backwards with my weak hand. I will no longer buy a knife that's only tip down for that reason.

My thought exactly. My first real knife was a Spyderco with the molded clip. Every since then I carry right side tip up.

 

[Wowbagger]

I was wondering about tip down for larger knives or for SD. I don't have any.
It seemed to me down would make for quicker easier deployment except for those with an Emerson hook which are obviously tip up.

Also take this for the super noob comment that is going on in my post
but

isn't a knife that can open part way in a pocket . . .
. . . well . . .
dare I say it . . .
. . . well . . .
OK here goes . . .
? Isn't that a design flaw ?
I mean we ARE talking about a POCKET knife. A knife designed to be carried in
wait for it . . .
A POCKET.

The only time I got cut by a pocket knife opening in my pocket was more than thirty years ago when I would fool around partly opening my Buck 505 by pinching it as shown. When I wanted to open it to use I could remove it from my pocket, pinch it and then hook it on my pocket. Well I got in such an unconscious habit of pinching it in my pocket that I had to make my self stop; putting it in the belt pouch finally took care of that problem and it kept the bolsters from getting any more scratched up. The edge looks pretty good considering I arced a good sized divot out of it cleaning a car battery post and had to regrind it. I polished the blade from the factory sanded finish but the photo doesn't do that justice.

 

[riversidedep]

I've never had a preference for either tip up or tip down. I've never noticed any difference in ease or speed (not that speed really matters) of deploying the blade, and I usually just carry the knife the way it came from the factory.

I give a lot more consideration to what pocket I carry the knife in based on minimizing damage to my clothing, car seats, and furniture. The direction the tip points is almost irrelevant to me.

 

[Wowbagger]

I am obligated to point out that this also applies to cats.

One of my current feline owners was so fanatic about the toilet roll being his toy that I now keep the TP roll on a hook five feet above the floor. Just setting to under roll wasn't enough to stop the destruction of numerous TP rolls. Apparently they make great scratching posts too.

And that's why GOD invented the catapult. Kitty attitude adjustment. As with a catatonic one must first open up the channel of communication. With cats sometimes it takes a little emphasis at the start.

Just kidding. I don't have cats . . .
. . . ran out of teriyaki sauce.

I miss some the old chatrooms that allowed them selves to get a bit off topic. Makes it seem more like a community or, if you will, a Pub. setting.

 

[Sharp Steel]

It depends on where you carry the knife. For my front pocket, it is always tip up, so that it can be placed against the edge of the pocket near my hip. The blade can't open, because the spine is against the pocket edge. I would not carry a tip down knife that way, because the blade could come open, and stick me in the leg. If I was carrying the blade in my back pocket, then the tip down would be preferable to be located in the pocket edge nearest the hip. Again, so the blade spine would be pressed into the handle by the pocket edge. As an example, Benchmade Griptillian is tip up, and right next to my hip in the front pocket.

 

[average gimp]

I used to be able to take them as they came despite preferring tip-up, but an early CRKT KFF (back when they were using "high-end" steels like AUS-6) killed tip-down for me with liner and frame locks. I reached into my pocket to get my keys out and I couldn't get my hand out. I finally got my hand out to find that my KFF had partially opened and the tip was imbedded in my middle finger. Thankfully the heat treat was as bad as the ball detent and the knife wouldn't hold an edge worth a damn. Now I won't carry tip-down unless it's a lockback, an Axis lock, or a liner/framelock with a proven strong ball detent. If you plan to hit with your closed folder, though, tip-down is mandatory.

 

[mqqn]

I literally could not care less - I use knives the way they come from the maker, and I don't ever remember changing the clip on one to an alternate carry position.

I guess in this case ignorance is indeed bliss.

best

mqqn

 

[Sosa]

For knives I want to ghetto wave tip up helps not a deal breaker though love a Millie.

 

[Neomentat]

tip up? tip down? blonde? redhead? brunettes? leggy? curvy? tall? skinny? short? women? men? both?

it's an individual preference, and whatever floats your boat is obviously your preference, who cares about what other people think is the right preference?