What about Walk & Talk!

Methuselah

Methuselah

Joined
Feb 7, 2015
Messages
931
So you hear about it all the time, people say it here, people say it there. Sometimes you can hear the walk and talk across the room or at least you think you can. or maybe you think they will hear the walk and talk of your knife when it snaps open or closed.

So how important is it?
Would I buy a knife or Not buy a knife, because of its abundance of or lack thereof walk and talk?

Do I require the walk and talk simply because it comes from strong Springs that help to keep my blade open when in use?

So let's hear all about walk and talk...
 
waynorth said:
"W & T" are important symptoms of a healthy knife!:eek:
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I'm a student of the subtle, and I must agree with this. The knives that I've held, with good walk and talk, all feel happier, more alive, more substantial. Even knives with easier pulls and good snap - it makes a big difference. Not in the cutting, but in the "this thing means more o me than just a sharp blade" kind of difference.

There are different kinds of walk and talk. My favorite is the kind with a slight springboard action a half stop. On cam tang knives, this translates to something akin to a cork popping upon open/close of the blade, since there is no half stop. A nice "clack" open, and a thunderous "thwack" closed. Just enough flexibility in the spring to not sound like a fossil that doesn't move. Musical.
 
If it's got good walk and talk it won't be too hard to open and will have a good backspring to keep it open.
in general I cut forward so even a knife with no lock or spring won't really want to close on me, however my case sodbuster jr definitely benefits from it's stout back spring.
It's got a lot of belly putting it's tip really high and above the center line, so when piercing things I need to cut it could have more of a tendency to try closing.
 
I can't imagine there would be many knife enthusiasts (particularly of traditional folders) who aren't smitten with the sound of a properly made slip joint.

I would liken it to a baseball fanatic who doesn't love the crack of a bat, or a grease monkey who dismisses the roar of a well tuned 455 v8.

Besides taste (for me anyway) all of my senses go into appreciating a knife. The look and feel of a knife is fairly obvious. The sound, while not necessarily a deal breaker is also very important. And the smell...especially GEC knives...make a cologne, and I'll buy it.

While I don't require a bear trap of a knife to enjoy it, I am definitely disappointed when it merely whispers and needs coaxed closed.
 
I would totally agree with everyone here ! I have a hard time keeping or carrying a knife that is lacking in the walk and talk dept. Most of my knives with good walk and talk seem to have slightly stiffer springs .
 
All my favorite knives have a strong closing snap sound. I only had 1 knife (my daily EDC) that had 1 lazy blade, and it just needed a little oil worked into it to fix the issue. Some of those old Reminging bullet knives from the 30's had such a strong close, it's like springing a bear trap!
 
For me, I find great W&T signify a well made knife. The movement and action is the area where the most precision comes into play and if it’s done right, the rest of the knife most likely will be great as well.

To me, a lazy acting knife is no better than a limp noodle.
 
Snap is important to me, but I don’t like nail breakers, so it’s a fine line to walk (or talk?).

The best walk and talk on any knife I had was from a smooth bone NF barlow, from 2015, I think. When closing, the walk was so snappy it would actually vibrate at the half stop a little, like a diving board.
 
A knife with good walk and talk isn't just about how satisfying it can be in the tactile or audible sense. To me it means that the person or persons who made the knife cared about what they were making, felt proud about what they made, and now I can carry it with pride.
 
I didn't fully understand the nuances of W&T until handing some custom knives. How the better makers are able to modulate pull, where it starts out light, increases to half stop and then gets firm to open is incredible.

The auditory feedback is something else also.
 
mrknife said:
careful it doesnt snap too hard, it can bite the spring :eek:
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I worry about that because sometimes after sharpening my knife thoroughly that hard snap often concerns me that it may snap hard enough 2 round over my Edge. But when they snap that hard I just close them lightly.
 
Methuselah said:
I worry about that because sometimes after sharpening my knife thoroughly that hard snap often concerns me that it may snap hard enough 2 round over my Edge. But when they snap that hard I just close them lightly.
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heres the thing about that for me, there are some knives out of the box that have had that trouble. in which case I hone or sharpen that nick away (rolled edge) and remember going forward not to let the blade snap shut like that. however there is a slight difference in letting it snap gently versus deliberately snapping the blade close. One can certainly hear blades snapping away at the rendezvous!
 
It depends on context. If the 1,822nd blade is lazy on the Joseph Rodgers "year knife", I'd still buy it. ;)

On a newly manufactured folding knife, good mechanics are an important part of the function. Got to walk the walk and talk the talk. ;)

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This is a quote from GEC's website.

"Walk and Talk
An old-time expression describing the action of a pocket knife blade. The tang end of the blade moving along the spring is the”walk”, and the snap of the knife at the end of the opening or closing cycle is the “talk.”

To me the W&T helps determine the quality of the build of a knife. There is much more to fit and finish than gaps how the bolsters line up. As Charlie said "W & T" are important symptoms of a healthy knife. If a knife is not smooth and strong with a good snap I feel like something is wrong somewhere. It can be anything from the nick to shavings or dirt around the pivot to poor design or execution of the build or even inferior materials used. This is only my opinion but I consider the pull to be a separate issue. It is important enough to be a deal breaker because if I'm going to lay out my hard to come by cash on a knife I want it to be right.
 
LastRodeo said:
I didn't fully understand the nuances of W&T until handing some custom knives. How the better makers are able to modulate pull, where it starts out light, increases to half stop and then gets firm to open is incredible.

The auditory feedback is something else also.
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THAT!!:rolleyes::thumbsup:
 
I don't have any proof of it but I've always assumed that a knife with exceptional walk & talk can afford to get a little worse as it ages with use. If the walk & talk is already poor when it's brand new and then gets worse with use, the knife might be retired sooner.

I've never carried a knife long enough to find out if walk & talk actually decreases but it seems like it might.
 
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