What are the plus's to tip up carry?

Tip up, right hand pocket. Blade fully to the right of the pocket, no accidental opening.

Tip down, left hand pocket, cross draw/inverted ice pick via left hand 3rd finger opening.

I also have a couple tip up lefty folders that get carried in the left pocket as well.
 
I've always liked how tip-down feels. Just feels so much nicer when pulling it out. However, this topic really is personal preference. I guess one plus to tip-up is that, if the blade has a hole for one-hand opening, you can attach some zip-ties to it for that wave open.
 
YayILikePie said:
I've always liked how tip-down feels. Just feels so much nicer when pulling it out. However, this topic really is personal preference. I guess one plus to tip-up is that, if the blade has a hole for one-hand opening, you can attach some zip-ties to it for that wave open.
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I did that to my benchmade ascent (tip down) and just held it in my pocket like it would be tip up and that made me want to get a waved knife so bad. I love the scariness of it.
 
I am still curious how a tip up griptilian's blade opened in your pocket. If the knife is in your right pocket the spine should be along the furthest right part of your pocket up along the seam and be held closed.

Tip up just feels more natural. You slide your thumb in your pocket and pinch the knife and it comes out basically in your hand ready to be opened.
 
i've carried a emerson cqc-8 non waved for a few years now, its tip up. i find that tip up i draw quicker and i prefer a forward grip at first anyways
 
I think really it depends on the knife and the user.

For example, as Powernoodle mentioned, with tip-up carry of a spydie (delica or endura in my case) my thumb naturally ends up on the spydie hole during and after the draw. You don't have to reposition your grip at all to open and properly grasp the knife. But a larger/bulkier folder like my ZT0200 requires tip-down carry; it's the only way I can carry that folder that requires minimal repositioning of my grip after the draw. I switched it to tip-up carry once, and quickly discovered the shape and size of the ZT0200 caused me to have to reposition my grip on the knife every time I drew it.

Furthermore, even though I can carry my delica tip-down, drawing with my thumb pointing towards the front of my body isn't as natural/quick/secure for me as drawing with my thumb pointing towards the back of the pocket, if that makes any sense (the way I draw with a tip-up delica).

As others have said, unless it's a emerson opener, it comes down to preference.
 
I prefer tip-down for everything, mainly because I don't trust detents at all. I've had a couple of tip-up blades "creep" open a little bit on me, but I haven't been cut yet. I do have an Emerson CQC-10, and that one has to carry tip-up to use the Wave.

powernoodle said:
Whatever works for you. As long as its the way I do it. :)[/FONT]
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So, you realize we're all going to start following you around and pestering you to show us how to do everything, like in Monty Python's The Life Of Brian?

Some of us could use some help.

Got any tips on bathing?

:D Sorry - couldn't resist.

thx - cpr
 
For me it really depends on the knife. Some seem to work best with tip up and some seem to work best with tip down.
 
Either way. Makes no never mind with me. If you're in a situation where you need to draw your knife quick, I imagine you could learn. Many times I don't even use the clip. I keep it in my back pocket.
 
Tip up clips also make 99% of the knives I have handled , more comfortable..
Thats about it for me.. Plus the use of a lanyard is then allowed..
Matt
 
One of the plusses to tip-up carry, is the thumbstud can catch on a thread and open the blade slightly. Then, when you carelessly jam your hand into your pocket, the needle sharp tip of your Sebenza can drive itself into the bone in the tip of your thumb.

You can then violently jerk your hand out of your pocket and announce loudly "F0oken SHIiii..." tapering off as people stare at the bleeding madman. Who is now sucking his thumb.
 
I could change from tip up to tip down on some of my knives if I wanted and some I couldn't. It doesn't really bother me either way. I grab a different knife each day from my drawer and when it gets taken out from my pocket for use I look at it briefly, admire it, then open it up. I can't say I prefer one method over another or could really see the difference it would make to me either way.
 
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colubrid said:
I have an ATR and I love it..except for the tip up.

Another reason I prefer "tip DOWN" is it keeps the moving parts out of my pocket lint.
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lol, i have heard of a lotta reasons for tip down thru the yrs but thats the 1st time for the lint, +2 pts for originality lol.

and +3 for everyone for not saying that tip ups "open in your pocket....." which they dont if the detent is working correctly anyway, i mostly carry tip ups like i said and in the last 8 yrs i have had exactly 2 open in my pocket and both were tip down and i carry a knife daily.
 
corwise said:
My problem with tip up is that I'm right handed so have right handed knives, but carry in my left pocket so the blade is not against the seam of my pants. I've cut myself a few times when my knife was opened slightly and I stuck my hand in my pocket. I EDC an XM-18 now, which you can swap to tip up or tip down as you desire.
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Just out of curiosity, why carry on the left side? You do what you're comfortable with, but switching hands just seems like one extra motion that you don't need to make. It's a strange choice, so I'm curious :).

My EDC is tip up, but that's just because that's how it is. Tip up or tip down doesn't factor into my purchases. When a knife has multiple clip placement options, I usually leave it where it comes from the factory. In fact, the only knife I've ever switched the placement was a Spyderco Centofante 4 because when carried tip down, even after I ground it down, the point at the top of the thumb ramp would scratch my hand everytime I reached in that pocket for something other than my knife.

All other things equal though, I slightly prefer tip down because more times than not tip down knives don't ride as low in the pocket and are easier to get out than a tip up lower riding knife.
 
I wont carry a knife that isnt tip up unless its a true "in pocket" knife. I can get the knife out faster, in normal grip, and most of my knives have flippers or waves, so opening is faster as well.
 
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