Why do you like slipjoints?

Well when I was growing up, I remember my Grandfather carrying this, and only this up until his passing;



I remember my father carrying this until about a year or so ago when he gave it to me. I don't remember him carrying anything other than than that until the SAK he now has which is easier on his fingers. This one has a very strong pull.



When he is older, I want my son to feel the way about my knife as I did about my grandfather's and father's.

The only problem now is deciding which one of the many I have will become a 'Dads knife'.

Paul
 
I carry a knife because I use it... often! But I like slipjoints because they have a certain "warmth", spirit if you will. I also like the fact that the older ones generally have (as has been said) thin blades, thin edges and frequently natural handle materials. That plus the fact my great grandfather would know what it is and how to use it.

At work I carry a one hander (a Stanley 10-812!) because frequently I do need to use it while holding something and like the fact that it's very easy to open and close and in that way safe. When I set it down, I slide the blade into the handle, even if I will use it again shortly. It's also really inexpensive and easy to change blades!

But for a piece of elegance with history, I'll take a classic slip joint any day. I only wish some of the current ones were ground like my old ones instead of like modern tacticals.
 
Aside from slipjoints being much more versatile knives (note: knives not prybars), and often better at doing what knives do (cut), they just warm me up. The tradition and history, the way people get warm memories of their grandfathers and other relatives when they see my slippies, and the wonderful people of the porch all combine to make slipjoints so much more endearing to me. I guess anpther thing would be price, as I started getting into knives more when I started going to the flea market and restoring old knives. It is easy to pick up a usable after refurbishing slipjoint for 10 or less.

I must say that I get quite irked and rather displeased seeing 3/16" or thicker blades on folders, and get a nails on a chalkboard feeling when owners say they slice better than other knives. Not to say moderns don't have a place, soon enough I fear I'll be buying one unless I buy a becker and grind it down, but knives designed in a way that takes from usage is foolish. Common sense stuff, that some folks just don't get. I find the porch to be the most sensible group of folks on here. I love this group to pieces. :D


Connor
 
Slipjoints are what I grew up seeing every man carry including my father. He carried a case stockman that was used everyday of his life. I now have his old stockman and proudly carry it knowing that if it was good enough for him, it's certainly good enough for me. That's why I carry slipjoints.
 
I prefer bone and wood over G-10 or titanium scales. There something about the warmth of those materials that hits home with me. It just so happens that most of the knives using those materials are slipjoints. I'm a huge fan of Case trappers and the texas jack. However, my favorite is a Buck 112, which as you all know is a lockback. Same principle regarding materials though. Bottom line for me...slipjoints get the job done, look good doing it, and feel like a piece of nature in my hand.
 
I have a curmudgeon's dislike of bells and whistles and marketing-driven fads. And I love Old School proven designs that just flat out do the job ..... traditional pocketknives, tube amplifiers, vintage Shure and Astatic mics, canvas sneakers, leather boots, analog watches, Remington 870s, and so on.

-- Mark
 
I'm kind of confused by all the people saying that they don't like the thick, prybar like blades on modern folders. The blade on a Spyderco Delica 4 is .093" thick. The blade on my Northfield Barlow is .093" thick. There are plenty of modern folders with thicker blades, but then again there are plenty of slipjoints with thicker blades. There are both modern and slipjoints with thinner blades as well.

You can say that you don't like big, overbuilt knives. Just don't forget that GEC just put out a knife that's nearly 5" long. There are plenty of modern knives that fall below this threshold.

Some modern knives have big, thick, overbuilt blades. Others don't. It's not a distinguishing factor between slipjoints and modern folders. Saying that you don't like modern folders because of their blade thickness is like somebody saying that they don't like slipjoints because they have corkscrews and that person doesn't drink wine.
 
I carry a modern, one-hander, a tradtional, and a SAK everyday. The modern gets beat on, the traditional is warm and beautiful, being used for finer work or lunch duties. The SAK cleans under my finger nails. My traditionals outweigh my moderns 5 to 1 as I see them as more intriguing, individual beauties rather than cold, reliable tools.
 
Reminder of a simpler and (arguably) better time. I really enjoy well-made American tools.
 
Well, I also am old. I think the Buck 110 was the first lock-back of which I was aware (early 70's). So slipjoints were it as far as I was concerned.

I was trying to remember when I decided that the stockman was the definitive complete pocket knife, considering my dad carried nothing but pens. It might have been Kephart. I read pretty early that the jackknife has three blades, one equal to whittling seasoned hickory, etc.
 
I enjoy these types of threads. They give everyone an opportunity to express their personal preference.
 
Call me crazy, the smell of a well oiled carbon steel blade, the warmth of jigged bone or wood of sorts just does it for me. 50% of the time I take my pocketknife out is to admire the beauty of it,feel the incredible sharpness of the carbon and to think that not only do traditionals have a place in our history, but in our futures as well. modern one hand flippies are just that, modern, yet always evolving to improve and keep up with the times. I like what I know and I know what I like.
Troy
 
kenspen said:
I lather up every morning with a badger hair brush and a puck of shaving soap. I shave with a double edged razor and write with vintage fountain pens. I prefer bow ties to neckties and I only carry traditional slippies. Perhaps I'm just an old soul :D

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Ditto here! :thumbup:
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I carry a SAK Explorer always. It's a slipjoint of course. I tried out a one hand folder and it was nice, but I missed all the other implements my SAK has. Slipjoints are for those of us who understand what a knife is for and use it as such. Lockbacks as I recall became popular for those who were afraid of the blade closing on their fingers. Seems a lot of people didn't have the patience to use their knife proper. The idea of carrying 2 knives still seems odd to me. What I don't get is why there aren't more utility type knives available. I mean come on, all of you who carry nothing but a slipjoint with only one blade or even multiple blades, you have never once tried to use you're knife as a screwdriver ever? I know I would, which is why I have a SAK. I am not one to say how things ought to be except on this one subject. Every pocket knife should have atleast a can opener/screwdriver along with the blade. A pocket knife with just a blade almost makes no sense, especially when you consider how a 2 layer setup is so close to being as thin as a single layer. If I were to get silly and just carry a single blade, then yeah I'm getting a lock back, I don't want it to fold on me when I try to use it for a screwdriver.
 
I like slipjoints because I own some slipjoints that I like, and because they're a knife that works.
There's nothing better or worse about them for edc, they're just slimmer, lighter, and have had a few hundred years of development into them.
I think I also love them because I hate busy knives ,I don't like the modern curvy bulky knives with random shapes to them ( I can't exactly describe what I mean, but if you look at the modern tactical folder that's exactly what I don't like )
I often judge the looks of a knife by its silhouette.

I love one handed openers with pocket clips ( if they're a lockback, which takes care of any pocket opening issues ) because I see no need for a blade that you don't open in a controlled non speedy manner.
I also love slipjoints because their blade are pure function, if you look at modern stuff like ZT, you'll see blades with unnecessary curves to the spine. And you don't have that with slipjoints.

Traditional slipjoints are like a favorite pair of Levi's, they're all work/function but happen to look nice.
Modern tactical folders are like skinny jeans, they're designed to " look cool " first, and while they do cover your legs they're horribly uncomfortable and you can't even use the pockets.
 
Cory Hess said:
I'm kind of confused by all the people saying that they don't like the thick, prybar like blades on modern folders. The blade on a Spyderco Delica 4 is .093" thick. The blade on my Northfield Barlow is .093" thick. There are plenty of modern folders with thicker blades, but then again there are plenty of slipjoints with thicker blades. There are both modern and slipjoints with thinner blades as well.

You can say that you don't like big, overbuilt knives. Just don't forget that GEC just put out a knife that's nearly 5" long. There are plenty of modern knives that fall below this threshold.

Some modern knives have big, thick, overbuilt blades. Others don't. It's not a distinguishing factor between slipjoints and modern folders. Saying that you don't like modern folders because of their blade thickness is like somebody saying that they don't like slipjoints because they have corkscrews and that person doesn't drink wine.
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A reasonable point. However, your average modern, one-hand-opening knife does have a thicker blade than, say, a Case peanut, an Old Timer 340t stockman or a Victorinox Tinker. I think it's a legit observation, even if it's not (as you correctly point out) true in every single A/B comparison.

-- Mark
 
jmarston said:
Blade geometry and memories of my grandfather are what brought me to traditionals. I bought a yellow delrin mini trapper for each of my groomsmen and myself and I was hooked. That was my first traditional knife aside from the SAKs I had as a young boy scout. Multiple blades keep me here as well. Right now I carry a Boker 494 barlow with a sheepsfoot main and pen secondary. The sheepsfoot is my general use blade while the pen is kept scalpel sharp for trimming fingernails and picking splinters.

I sometimes carry a one handed opener when I am at work. Up on a ladder or inside some very confined spaces, retrieving a slip joint from the depths of the pocket can be a real chore so out comes the modern. But at the end of the day, the modern goes back on my nght stand or stays in my work pants while my trusty barlow follows me into my good pants for whatever the evening or weekend has in store.
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Bravo. Thank you. That's the best post in the thread so far. So many in this thread saying that slips are prettier & that's such a major factor. Another decafe latte please, while I use your wifi. I won't say these/those/they are spoiled, but it's a sheltered approach to the issue. When one really depends on one's knife enough times, or if one dreams & crafts enough knives for others to use, the biggest successes will often begin with an ugly prototype that functions flawlessly in a new way. You'll hold them and feel "YES now let's make it beautiful too!"
Second breakthrough will be slightly better function, not exciting but worth changing, then form really evolves; quick exact cut, enduring strength, simple practical grace so consistent it feels frozen in time. A knife with no flaws, no weaknesses, like a beautiful face that inspires you 30 years later. And there it is. No one else will ever improve on this knife, only use a different look and method to avoid comparison. Use of knife comes first, and moderns have their uses. One hand/glass&seatbelt/pry wedge, they shine in their moments too, beautiful to the ones they do not fail.
 
Being obsessive compulsive, distracted, unorganized, and caring for the elderly (my father) as closely as a young severly handicapped child, I regularly carry combinations of slip joint and modern blades, so that I'm almost never caught without one. My work load spans maintenance/repair/small contracting/salvage/plumbing/elec/ hvac/landscaping on 3-6 properties; caregiving/medical/cooking/driving/hauling materials & equipment, enabling recreation, handling finances, personal & household shopping for 2 households, 4 people. . . apart from any aesthetic preferences, there are many, many times when a one handed draw-cut-holster action has made work faster, safer, & more efficient. Other than a one armed razor of some type, slipjoints don't 'usually' have that option. I *sometimes* carry a one arm trapper, cheap pakistan blades and cracked bone scales and all, just for that one arm ability.
Moderns also don't tear up people's fingernails nearly as often. My Razor-Trapper, Paki that it is, has a tapered fingernail groove on the clip blade, makes pull way less than practical, and it's not 'prettier' this way - it usually annoys me.
When moderns don't draw / engage a cut well, it may be user error or piss poor design. A quality modern, used well, will very likely perform better here, worse there, close enough about half the time. And it's probably not as attractive to feel and see. Like a firefighter in full gear, or a greasemonkey in a hurry.
My goto modern is a S&W SWAT magic, not the very first or the heavy, slow SWAT II, this is the blade lock via slide button on the handle, metal frame, lanyard hole, not over big or heavy or any bad thing. EXCEPT - It gets dull FAST. I don't know how much of this is the way I use it, and how much is the blade material, even how much is my imperfect honing & cutting technique. I don't pick it up unless I have time to hone.
Among other Moderns, it often depends on that SPECIFIC model. A one handed lockback can be slick but still safe. A pocket clip can be so nice, but not unless it matches exactly the clothing and pocket you're wearing now. Too loose, you lose it; too tight, you can't replace without stopping to give it more attention. Using, putting the wear & tear on it, will teach you so much more than just holding it. I have a couple ugly work/sport knives I'd never have picked for me.
Whew! Now that THAT'S off my chest; I LOVE slipjoints. Pocket my Little Bandit clasp, what I call my 'big easy', sheath my '85 XX scout as backup multitool, and I'm suddenly a little more relaxed and focused, more Ready. A nice jack/stockman/trapper/whittler/ insert-your-fave-here will sew up most ave. person's days. Hey, if you need more than cutting, there's probably a toolkit, or a maintenance person, or someone with a multitool /keychain tool within screaming distance.
Even when the work is most serious, a well designed, function before all, cost Efficient slipjoint will heave to, root hog, git'r'done, and make it look easy. Only the best designed, best steel modern will do as well, as many, as varied tasks day after day.
-1- My (newly acquired) Robeson Shuredge tl-29 civilian altered w/ custom bail, one bevel razor and one bevel axe, not afraid to pry, bolster lock tighter & smoother than any liner I've Ever Used. Me & Audie & Alvin, we've got this. I spent two months coaxing this trade from a young, autistic boy, after I showed his dad several equal or better quality/name/condition trade selections, and guaranteed the yungun would get a fair & happy trade of his choice or not at all. Worth the effort and the Case XX stainless it cost me. Snap so strong it's dangerous, wearing out my nails on the pull, but this mule is worth it, and walnut/brass/nickel too.
-2- An Aitor Electricista; razor spear, 'made exactly for this material' fine serrate cut, two cutouts for two types of cut. Lightweight, sturdy enough for the work, lighter than (or equal to) the S&W swat, but the handle is bigger so it gives better grasp. No fingernail pull, but the snap is gentler, doesn't slow down the draw. This knife does wiring and light to medium polymer cuts (rubber/plastic, styrofoam, etc.) almost any gum or petrol based substance, and harder material thinly sheeted or extruded. Takes on urban word the way a big swede handles farm and small game chores. Dollar for dollar, no sloppy work, workblade I've reccommended most frequently to others. Wonder if the Capitan and Skeletool models will satisfy as thoroughly.....
Oh, and as for looks, I love Case appaloosa bone, Taylor elk horn lockbacks, shiny mossberg brown on a trapper, a deeply jigged clasp or big 2bl hunter, worn stag on a Keen Kutter 1869-1969 Centennial Stockman, abalone on a doctor's knife, and old, very hard woods with patinaed silver and brass and carbon steel. Thanks for sticking with me; longest i've written in years
 
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Cory, i should apologize for being such a hard nose in my post. I do know that not all modern folders are beveled flat bars, in fact I quite liked my delica before I lost it. But I've seen more and more production knives that are just huge, and the knife nut in me is getting irked at the sight of them. I believe 0.125 and larger have been on three knives I've seen in general this year.
I should clarify that I don't like the overbuilt hype that some makers have. Spyderco is truly one of my favorite knife companies, if only for their down to earth, no nonsense approach to things. Traditional ideology with a twist.

Connor
 
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