Have you had a folding knife open on accident?

[ladybug93]

one time, i was sitting in a class and had drifted off into my mind. i completely forgot where i was and opened my cold steel recon 1 xl. i was trying out carrying it for the first time. you should’ve seen everyone’s faces when that thing clacked open. i learned you don’t fidget with a 5.5” blade in public. does that count? hahaha

[Doc Dan]

Never. Perhaps because, in my 66 years of carrying a knife, I've only rarely carried anything other than slipjoints, lockbacks, and midlocks, three types of folding knives with a very strong bias to closing.

That is likely the reason. Just don’t fall down a mountain :D :D :D

Seriously, that is a good testament to knives with a bias to close.

A lot of folks seem to judge a knife by how quickly and reliably they can flick it open and are willing to accept weak blade retention as the price for that. Still, I've occasionally wondered why Spyderco has never offered an "old school" backspring liner lock for those who prefer something with strong blade retention.

The only company making a liner lock with a back spring that I know of is Case with the Mid Folding Hunter.

[The Deacon]

The only company making a liner lock with a back spring that I know of is Case with the Mid Folding Hunter.

Victorinox makes some. This Sentinel is one of them...

[tonijedi]

As far as I know Victorinox models that lock also have a back spring.

[James Y]

I bought my very first locking knife back in 1977. It was a large Schrade folding hunter. It did NOT look like the Buck 110-type knives. It had a brass liner lock and a back spring. The brass liner lock was only intended as an added safety to the back spring. It came with a leather sheath. It would have been too big and heavy to pocket carry.

Jim

[Doc Dan]

one time, i was sitting in a class and had drifted off into my mind. i completely forgot where i was and opened my cold steel recon 1 xl. i was trying out carrying it for the first time. you should’ve seen everyone’s faces when that thing clacked open. i learned you don’t fidget with a 5.5” blade in public. does that count? hahaha

HaHaHa! In some places that would be normal behavior, in others people would be running and screaming. :D

[Sharp Guy]

Only once. I was carrying my Sliverax IWB at about 5 o'clock (in back) and was getting up and down in my chair at work. I'm pretty sure it opened because the detent was kind of light and the flipper tab got pushed by the waistband of my blue jeans. I've since fixed the detent but I haven't carried that one IWB since

[Water Bug]

I've had folders with thumb studs and pocket clips configured for tip-up carry open in my pocket when I was simply trying to retrieve them... that's why I don't like tip-up carry in the pocket for folders. I'm fine with Spyderco folders with pocket clips configured for tip-up carry only because the company uses the Spyderco Round Hole versus a thumb stud.

I've had the blade on frame lock folders open when the knives were accidentally dropped on the floor.

[Bloke]

Yes! Only once, thank goodness. An unclipped Military opened in my pocket just over a week ago. :eek:

[aesmith]

Happened to me with an Opinel back when I was a kid. Of course I hadn't rotated the lock and it came open in my pocket. Gave me a nasty jab at the base of my thumb. Or maybe I should say "I gave myself a nasty jab".

[yablanowitz]

Multiple times with multiple knives. Salsa did it twice, once while clipped and once unclipped. Cut me both times. ATR carried IWB opened on draw and assassinated my shirt. D'Allara drop point opened clipped in a cargo pocket and cut me when I reached for it. Same thing happened with a Dodo. Ladybug on my keychain opened a couple of times as well. Dropped a Li'l Temp on carpet and it popped clear open and locked.

There is a reason I prefer tip down carry. Every knife that has ever opened in my pocket has been tip up.

[anycal]

Just when dropped. Never in my pocket. So I voted never.

Well... not accidentally anyways. One of the better cuts I sustained to me jeans was when I was trying to quick draw a PM2, with my thumb on the hole. I pulled it while it was already partially opened. No blood, but pocket didn't make it.

[RustyIron]

Yeah... and it wasn't pretty. It was a Mel Pardue designed automatic made by Benchmade. It's super-thin, super-light, and just right for a rigorous backpacking expedition. The edge was honed to an unnecessary degree of sharpness. I was carrying it without the safety on because... well... who ever heard of a knife coming open in someone's pocket? So I needed the knife to hack up something for dinner, jammed my hand in my pocket to grab the knife, and instantly knew that I had made a grave error in judgement. The red stuff was leaking out at a disconcerting rate. But when you're atop the mountain in freezing weather in the middle of night, options are limited. I washed it off in water, my partner found some kind of goop in a first aid pouch, we wrapped it up, and continued on with dinner.

Moral of the story: An auto with an easy-to-operate switch needs to be carried with the safety enagaged.