Why do we use "single blade folders" instead of old style slipjoints?

F

Fisher of Men

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Something occured to me today. The fact that I don't know why I carry a single blade folder instead of something like an old Schrade, Case, or Queen pocket knife. I mean really why?

Why do you do it?

It makes more sense to me that in an emergency situation I may be better off with something like a Swiss Army Knife. I'm not talking Self Defence either. I don't use knives for SD.

In the last couple days I ran into a few tasks where I could have better used a smaller blade, or a pair of scissors. I had a Spyderco Delica on me. I'm starting to see why my grandpa carries a SAK Climber on him everywhere he goes. Plus, not to mention the fact that nobody ever says a darn thing when you pull out an old school slipjoint for daily tasks.

I mean, if I were ever caught out in the woods would I really be better off with a large blade folder? I really doubt it. I may be way better off with a fixed blade but oh well, because I don't carry fixed blades every day.

Heck......why don't we all just carry multi-tools like Leatherman's?

What do you think?

I'm somewhat puzzled. :)

Thanks for reading,
David
 
In some respects I agree with you. I tend to carry around a couple of different tools for exactly that reason.

In some cases I will have both my Swisstool and my Sebbie or SnG and in others I'll have a leatherman Micra and a Calypso Jnr.

I'm a big fan of the "right tool for the job" school of thought.

I personally would probably not carry a slipjoint for EDC because I've had some unpleasant experiences with the blade closing when it shouldn't.
 
I own lots of knives with single locking blades, but I virtually never carry them. I do like locking blades and sophisticated alloys, but they are not as useful as the extra tools on my SAK. What I carry is a Victorinox Adventurer. It is an extra long SAK with a locking main blade. It is only two spring channels thick, but that gives me one each of: 3.25" locking knife blade, large flat screwdriver blade with cap lifter and wire stripper notch, can opener blade with small screwdriver tip, awl, philips head screwdriver, toothpick, and tweezers. I wouldn't mind a bit of a more tactical knife, but I wouldn't sacrifice the other blades in my EDC.

My next most common EDC is the Victorinox Locksmith model. It is a bit longer than the Adventurer and thicker. It adds an incredibly effective saw blade and a metal file.
 
Well, short of the negative reaction people get to seeing a 4" folding knife, there's not many tasks I do that my Endura can't handle. Your daily tasks may vary, but the only time I ever pull out the mini SAK on my keys is when I don't want to attract attention.

As far as hiking/camping goes, I have a dedicated pack that includes firestarting tools, whistle, signal mirror, rations, water purifying tablets, a wire saw, and other things useful in such a situation. I don't expect -any- knife to do the job of all these things.
 
I carry a single-blade folder because multi-blade slip-joints with pocket-clips and one-hand-opening-ability are few and far between.

I grew up carrying a stockman or a Swiss Army Knife. And I also carried locking pouch knives sometimes.
But nothing beats a one-hand-pocket-clip folder for ease of use and carry.

I can draw my "tactical" and cut whatever needs cutting and return my "tactical" to its pocket easier and quicker than I can even get a slip-joint folder out of my pocket.

And the clip makes them a breeze to carry no matter what you're wearing.
You can clip the knife to a belt or pocket or waistband.
Even if you were on a nude beach you could clip your knife to a cord around your waist.

I also believe that a locking knife is more safe than a slip-joint.
Yes, if you use a slip-joint the correct way, then you should have no problems.
But humans make mistakes all the time, and a locking blade knife is more forgiving of these mistakes.

Cheers,
Allen.
 
I collect, carry and use both, but my slipjoints actually see more use for the type of cutting I do day to day. The great thing is that we have more choices in this era than any other so far.;)
 
I never got the whole "only one knife" concept. Even when I was a Cub Scout I'd carry an SAK in addition to my Cub Scout knife, once I had another knife, that is.

Currently I carry an Emerson CQC-7BW in my right fron pocket, a Spyderco Endura in my left, and my keychain has a Victorinox Huntsman (IMO a saw is important on an SAK) along with a Boy Scout Hotspark and a microlight. My car key detaches from the keychain so there is no problem with all this stuff on my keychain.

This is only EDC, when going camping or whatever I'll bring fixed blades. I also have more stuff in my car including a Gerber multitool, a TOPS Scalpel, an extra Endura, a Fiskars hatchet, and a CS SRK.

AS to what I use most, it is the Endura.
 
I asked myself the same thing about a month ago, and now carry a Case Texas Jack with CV steel as my EDC. That is a clip blade and a pen blade. My other knives ride the shelf now. Including my SNG and my fixed blades.
 
As others have said, I like a knife that opens with one hand, locks open, and won't have a chance to slip out of my pocket when I sit down. My first real knife was a SAK that actually had a lock... but see the last reason on my list as to why I no longer use this knife.
 
I carry both. I like the single blade folders because of size, 4.0" to 4.25" blades, locking abilities, and just plain fantastic workmanship on the ones I carry. The single blades are pride of ownership for me because of the craftmanship that has gone into the making of these. The slipjoint I carry, a Case congress pattern, does 95% of the work I need done with a knife!!
 
All totally true.
Leatherman EDC would be ideal, but I rarely wear a belt, and anything in my pocket loose WILL get lost. My keys have pliers and a small knife, but the ease of a clipped knife in my pocket ready to go one-handed in 2 seconds is nice, and it gets used for almost everything.

I'm in the market for an older slipjoint too, though, as they are quite handy, and may fit in around the office a little better.

_z
 
Both. I like the versatility of several blades, and the general look & feel of a slipjoint. But sometimes I really need to open a knife quickly with one hand becasue the other hand is busy doing something else, like holding what needs to be cut.
 
I usually have a SAK in one pocket, and a single blade folder in the other. I mainly use my single blade folders because I can deploy them faster and with less effort, and close them faster with less effort. They also have a larger handle and feel more secure in my hand.
 
I used to carry an old staghorn handle case trapper in my pocket until a friend turned me on to a knife with a clip. I didn't take me too long to find the benefit of not beating my testicles to death with the old pocket style knife. Two big thumbs up for single blade folders for that reason alone.

710BMFAN
 
I'll have all sorts of nice tactical and dress knives on me, folders and fixed blades, but what gets used 9 times out of 10 are my multi-blade slipjoints. I mean, my normal day to day cutting chores simply do not require a four inch blade. And I can do it in front of everyone and get nary a glance.
 
I asked myself that question about a year ago and now I EDC slipjoints almost exclusively.

Tacticals & fixed blades are reserved for days when heavy rough cutting will be done, occasionally just because I feel like it, and when I'm out hunting/hiking or camping. Even at these times there's a slipjoint for the majority of cutting tasks.
 
I carry both sometimes, but find the single locking blade far more useful. Most of the time, I have what I want to cut in one hand, and don't really want to put it down, or else I'm wearing gloves. I like slippies, and carry them often, but find a knife with a clip far more useful. Also, I have so much junk on my keychain, that keeping it up high and out of the way is much more comfortable.

Delica or Calypso Jr. are just about the perfect size for me for carrying comfort and utility. I care nothing about "tactical", and care everything about usefulness and comfort. I find myself carrying slippies pretty much out of nostalgia.
 
I carry and use both for different things. I usually have a one hand opener clipped to my right pocket (or a Buck 110 in a sheath on my right side) and an SAK in the left pocket with my wallet. Since I found my long lost Soldier a few days ago I've been carrying it.

I've always said that someday I'd get around to putting a pocket clip on one of my SAKs. If I ever do that, it would probably end up being my only EDC.

Ben
 
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