Which thumb nail do you use to open your slip-joint?

[huntnfishin]

At lunch at work the other day a coworker needed a knife so I handed him my Texas jack. Watching him trying to figure out how to open it was painful. It was like watching a child wrestle with a anti kid bottle of aspirin. I was worried he was gonna drop it or cut himself and took it away and showed him. The things we take for granted that people just know...

 

[traumkommode]

Where's the option for both? I use both thumbs, depending on what's more convenient.

 

[Mike Robuck]

I typically hold the knife in my right hand and open with my left by using my thumb, but my thumb needs a break so now I'm using my teeth, which has led to issues with my lips looking like tenderized round steak.

 

[mbkr]

I typically hold the knife in my right hand and open with my left by using my thumb, but my thumb needs a break so now I'm using my teeth, which has led to issues with my lips looking like tenderized round steak.

 

[JohnDF]

Blame John--he's a troublemaker.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

Watching him trying to figure out how to open it was painful.

I think that's why I like knives with stout pulls, it's entertaining to watch others try to open them.

 

[Jack Black]

That way he won't put finger prints on the freshly cleaned blades.

That's part of it John, someone actually copied the video of him cleaning the blades and snapping them shut, and animated it! I have the video, but can't seem to find it online

I am not one to argue with the experts. I reckon I should start snapping mine shut! It's definitely more fun this way.

It's fine when a knife is properly made, and has a decent kick That's not always the case though, and I'm sure we've all seen blades (some made by very respectable makers) with flat-spots from hitting the spring With me, it's just habit not to snap the blades shut, but I do sometimes, if I've got my hands full for example

Blame John--he's a troublemaker.

Guess I let most knives (Case, Buck, lambfoots, GEC, etc.) slam shut. I ease the French knives closed. And I HAVE to ease the Opinel shut. And my Spanish navaja.

LOL!

At lunch at work the other day a coworker needed a knife so I handed him my Texas jack....

I can't read any further!!!

 

[000Robert]

At lunch at work the other day a coworker needed a knife so I handed him my Texas jack. Watching him trying to figure out how to open it was painful. It was like watching a child wrestle with a anti kid bottle of aspirin. I was worried he was gonna drop it or cut himself and took it away and showed him. The things we take for granted that people just know...

That's why I keep a less expensive knife on me to loan out. But it is one of the better Rockwell tested Steel Warriors.

 

[Will Power]

I typically hold the knife in my right hand and open with my left by using my thumb, but my thumb needs a break so now I'm using my teeth, which has led to issues with my lips looking like tenderized round steak.

That looks like a TOE Now there food for dexterity thought, use your feet...

 

[Mike Robuck]

It’s a genetic thing Will. As a youth my father said it would come in handy when hitchhiking. Now I feel self conscious

 

[Will Power]

Yeah, genetics like karma can come back to haunt you.....

None of my relatives ever had any interest in knives though...missing link

 

[r8shell]

That looks like a TOE Now there food for dexterity thought, use your feet...

Sigh...While Onearmbladenut could sometimes be overenthusiastic to a fault, I find myself missing his potential contribution to this thread. I'm sure it would have been good-humored.
R.I.P.

 

[Will Power]

Yeah, he would've had something Ripe to say and delivered Machine-Gun style

 

[EngrSorenson]

I can’t believe there’s this many of you who use your right thumb! I might have to rescind all the negative JohnDF posts I’ve been making all over the other Internet forums. (I don’t know what you did to those folks over on the knitting forums, John, but for some reason they were ready to pile on.)

I'm also shocked no one drilled in the proper knife opening technique in all my years of scouting. I was even in there during the years where they would say to always have a quarter for a pay phone. So you know... the good ol’ days.

 

[Pomsbz]

I am right-handed. I have always held the knife in my LEFT hand, like this:

And I use my RIGHT thumbnail to open the blade. And I ain't changin'! ...........

That's exactly how I do it.

 

[bluecow]

If push comes to shove, right handed. Truth be told I wont carry a knife I can't pinch open. Preferably, if necessary, one that can be pinched open with cold, stiff hands, inside of wet knit wool mittens. Once again proving that the Utility/Hawkbill/Pruner is the best all around pocket knife

 

[JohnDF]

(I don’t know what you did to those folks over on the knitting forums, John, but for some reason they were ready to pile on.)

Those ladies love me.

 

[bayouace]

Dang it! Now I can't open my Barlow at all because I can't decide which thumb to use.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Left thumb for me, I am right handed
On knives that have a strong spring I do what a few others have done, nail in place and I pull the handle away from the blade, less stress on the nail
G2

 

[EngrSorenson]

Left thumb for me, I am right handed
On knives that have a strong spring I do what a few others have done, nail in place and I pull the handle away from the blade, less stress on the nail
G2

I didn’t think of this, but holding the blade in place is exactly what I do. I never thought about it- it just feels better to me than tweaking the nail if it twists unexpectedly. At the last moment to get the knife all the way open I twist both hands apart, so my right hand isn’t doing all the moving.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Exactly, you have a bit more control on opening the knife and you can grip the handle easier.
Once it starts to open I’ll change to pinch grip the blade and continue the opening process
G2