To Half Stop or not?

[Luke_Chambers]

This thread has me going through my French, Spanish and Italian collections. I do have quite a few and have to say that it's a pretty mixed bag of half stops and cam tangs.

Obviously, knives like the Opinel won't have half stops because they don't even have a spring.



The French are famous for the type of blade action you speak of. I'm not sure what they call it exactly, but some of these knives have a variable tension on them. Stout at the closest angles of the closed and open positions, but extremely light and fluid through the rest of the pull and close.

These all have that type of action, especially the Teyman Fuji. The pop it elicits at the final moment of opening is truly inspiring.

SAK electrician for size reference.

Thanks draggat for showing the Le Sanflorain. I wasn't aware of that maker. It's a beauty.
Too bad. Until today I'd managed to net-reduce my collection over the last 12 months. Now it's looking like I'm going to break even, at best.

 

[Oldy]

I love them both,wouldn't want all of one or the other, some patterns like the 78 is a half stop must for me,were i like a stockman with a smooth calm,but if I'm using a traditional pocket knife inside a carcass I want a stiff pull and a really solid half stop to make me feel comfortable.

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

I love them both,wouldn't want all of one or the other, some patterns like the 78 is a half stop must for me,were i like a stockman with a smooth calm,but if I'm using a traditional pocket knife inside a carcass I want a stiff pull and a really solid half stop to make me feel comfortable.

I have to disagree there, half stop or cam tang makes no difference to me when it comes to breaking down or butchering an animal - both are equally dangerous. Lockback or fixed blade only for those tasks.

 

[Rover-Friskey]

I asked a maker at a show why one would choose to make a cam vs halfstop knife. He said a halfstop was easier and used the analogy of how drawing a rectangle is easier than a circle.

The only place I like half stops is on the screw driver blades of my SAKs and similar knives. Because that allows those blades to be used at 90° to the handle. On cutting blades, the stop half way just doesn't feel right. It feels like it has the potential, while opening the knife, for me to slip, loose my grip and cut myself.

O.B.

good point about the SAK

 

[Rover-Friskey]

Interesting read.

https://blademag.com/knife-collecting/knife-knowledge-101-wha-is-a-half-stop/amp

very interesting AusLoX!
RF

 

[Rover-Friskey]

PeteyTwoPointOne....I will have to study my knives to see if half stops help prevent blade rub.​

RF

 

[Primble]

- yes............in fact, the more I think about it, the most 'favourite' of my slippies to pocket and use are those that are pinch-pull to open............and of course, that is the very same action I use to close them

Yours truly,
Old Fart with weaker thumb nails xx

I am all the way in with you on the way to close them, especially a three bladed knife like a stockman or whittler.

I never gave it much thought, but yeah, that about sums it up for me. Half stops on my knives don't really bother me, but my knives without half stops bother me even less.

and that Buck you carry every day is a cam tang then ? ............... maybe I'll finally get one and find out.

 

[jc57]

I can take them or leave them. In general I prefer cam tangs rather than square tangs, but I won't turn down a nice knife just because it has square tangs. The only ones that give me some pause are those that also have rather strong springs. Bear trap pull plus half stops can mean the knife moves suddenly into that half stop position maybe when you weren't expecting it during opening or closing. OK once you get used to that particular knife, though. I've got one of those. I'm careful with it.

 

[Oldy]

I have to disagree there, half stop or cam tang makes no difference to me when it comes to breaking down or butchering an animal - both are equally dangerous. Lockback or fixed blade only for those tasks.

I have to disagree there, half stop or cam tang makes no difference to me when it comes to breaking down or butchering an animal - both are equally dangerous. Lockback or fixed blade only for those tasks.

I think I have used a traditional knife a handful of times on carcasses out of a 100's, never my first or second choice but sometimes in the bush it has happened for various reasons.

 

[kc custom]

After making a ton of both types--- there is a bit more of a wear factor with a half stop. The reason being the spring goes from flush
to "raised" twice instead of only once as it does with a cam end. A lot of people that close their knives against their leg or jeans want a
cam-end.
Ken.

 

[AusLoX]

After making a ton of both types--- there is a bit more of a wear factor with a half stop. The reason being the spring goes from flush
to "raised" twice instead of only once as it does with a cam end. A lot of people that close their knives against their leg or jeans want a
cam-end.
Ken.

So more stress on the spring with half stops, but is there more wear on the inside of the spring (contact point) with half stops or cam tangs? (I realize this would take a lot of years of opening and closing to really make a difference, just curious)

Also, in a single spring knife with a blade at each end, would the cam tang cause more stress on the spring if each blade is opened half way? I would imaging it’s better to open them fully one at a time. I typically open each blade to avoid blade rub, and I usually only open it to halfway to get the other blade out. In this scenario, do you think a half stop might help the life of the spring?

 

[kc custom]

Its a tough call with a lot of variables,- heat treat, galling, on and on I know I've never had one back with a cam
end. Thats not to say it could'nt happen.
Ken

 

[knarfeng]

After making a ton of both types--- there is a bit more of a wear factor with a half stop. The reason being the spring goes from flush
to "raised" twice instead of only once as it does with a cam end. A lot of people that close their knives against their leg or jeans want a
cam-end.
Ken.

I'm one of those people who frequently close a knife by brushing it against my leg. I like a cam end on my working knives. For fancies, either is acceptable.

 

[Will Power]

OUCH!! That cut looks pretty angry! Been using this stuff on small cuts and skin cracks for years. It really helps with the healing on fingers. I'd say you coulda used some here.

I need that! But not available here or similar...I hate sticking plasters, fortunately I heal up fast whether bitten by half-stop or cam-tang

 

[black mamba]

I agree completely with John's post #68. Cams preferred, squares OK as long as they are not too strong. If you lose contact with a cam tang when opening or closing (slips happen) it stays where it was. If you lose grip on a square tang it can jump and get ya! I've never had a half-stop prevent me being cut.

 

[knarfeng]

Just as a "did ya know", there is at least one knife out there with "quarter stops". (Kind of a cheatsie because it also has one those thingies which shall not be named that hold a knife to a pocket. But it has no lock.)

Thread 'Manly folder from Bulgaria'

Mar 19, 2016

Now, this reminds me most of a sodbuster of sorts with a slightly lower point, while on the 'back side' there be that awful clip thingy, I'll not show that side as it is something you can remove to make it more traditional, BUT this is such a great folder I just had to share it with you guys and gals here in Traditional.

It is moderate to large size folder, but as I've said before with a company by the name of Manly, you'd expect no less
Closed it measures at 4 1/2" and it's blade of German steel is at 3 1/2" the steel is called...and engraved on the blade as 1.2379 which I've heard...

• Gary W. Graley
• Replies: 66
• Forum: Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades

 

[5K Qs]

I want to add that I have found that opening a half stops is safer if you open the handle away from the blade rather than opening the blade away from the handle. Just hold the blade firm and stationary and rotate the handle away from the blade. I know this is not a natural way of doing it after decades of habit but it just takes a bit of awareness and practice.

Interesting; this is the way I always open my folding knives (I'm right-handed and whenever possible, with blade in left hand, handle in right and pivot at top, I rotate the handle counterclockwise).

- GT

 

[Hickory n steel]

It's not something I think about before buying a knife and I don't really have a general preference one way or the other, but it really depends on the knife.
pull weight, knife size, and other factors can make me wish a knife did or didn't have half stops.

 

[JM2]

I prefer a cam end, but I won't avoid a good knife just because it has a half stop. Given the option, I'll always go cam end.

 

[euroken]

Almost 99% of traditional folding knives I buy are online...very few exceptions where I purchased them after handling the knife.

I have no idea whether they have half stops before purchasing (unless specific models are discussed for this very reason here). Have never returned a knife because of either...Basically, don't matter to me.