Tip-down (heresy? maybe not...)

[Surfingringo]

I have somewhat ... tight jeans. Also I've noticed that even when wearing tight jeans I can carry a knife ...

bd, you wouldn’t be tricking us now? :p



What pocket do you carry the knife in? :confused:

:p :p :p

[Evil D]

It really comes down to size for me. My Autonomy is tip up only but I'm fine with it because I can get my thumb into my pocket far enough that I can just about draw it with my thumb on the fire button so there isn't much shimmying up the handle involved. The same goes with smaller knives like the Dragonfly, I couldn't imagine that knife being tip down. But, on larger knives I think I'll stick with tip down. I've carried the Military like that for years now and I've tried switching back and forth on my Ulize and found it's much easier to draw and open from a tip down position. The only negative for me is scraping my hand on the thumb ramp jimping when going into that pocket. I actually rounded off the point of the thumb ramp and smoothed the jimping down a bit on my Centofante 4 because of this. I think I may have that one switched to tip up now. I also used to be quite fond of the spydie drop opening method and still use it from time to time with my Militaries.

[dan31]

Agree with most. Larger knife I prefer to down. PM2 is around the break for tip down. Endura tip down. Smaller is usually tip up.

[Wartstein]

Always tip up. Would have loved my Millie to have that option too, and thought about modding it in that way (some member here pointed me towards the option to use the lanyard hole to mount a clip . great idea! (if you are not a lanyard guy, which I am not).

I honestly think I can deploy a knife a bit faster when carried tip up, but that is certainly mainly due to a lot of practice and muscle memory with that configuration (and much less with tip down).

Also, if quickest way of opening really is a main concern, the way to go is Michael Janichs inertia opening anyway, and for that tip up for me is better. If you´ve never done inertia opening: For me it was easier to get the trick in a reverse grip in the beginning!

See Michael show how to do here (starting at about 2:30) https://youtu.be/h2alffGQ4NY
(And impressively show HOW FAST this is in draw at about 3:30!)

[Xformer]

I'm ok with both depending on the knife. What I don't like is when both are offered. It messes with the knife design and its lines imo. Two much unused screw holes everywhere. In terms of lines, the lil native wireclip version (tip up only) and the lil native spoonclip version is a good exemple. Manufacturers should make a choice imho.

Offering both on all knives reminds me of cheap or uninspired knives companies offering knives with thumbstuds AND a flipper tab. I appreciate the military being tip down only, it works great with its design and makes me feel like Spyderco made a radical choice for a radical knife.

[bobnikon]

So for those that carry tip down, I presume you are carrying it blade forward if in RF config (like the military)? I am always trepidatious about that. I realize the odds of opening in pocket are low, but I had it happen once (pm2 tip up RFP). With the blade pointed away from the tackle (and anything else) it was just clothing that was affected. If that had been pointed towards stuff, it could have been a bad day. Now I realize gravity is actually working against it opening when carried tip down, but unless I carry it reversed, which you can't do with the factory military, I am always going to be thinking it could happen. I don't carry RB because I slouch and have leather comfy chairs and figure the clip and end of knife would shred them in short order. I suppose I could carry it LFP and cross draw, but that is the pocket where my wallet has ridden for 30 some years, so ....

[aicolainen]

For me it comes down to the application.
I carry most of my knives tip up, and most are even tip up only. But..
If I carry a knife for sports, workouts or any other reason I might carry a knife IWB, I always carry a backlock salt tip down for the perceived additional safety.
Also when doing carpentry or maintenance work I have a maxamet P3 clipped tip down to the belt of my work pants. I just feel it’s easier to get to the knife and even put it back after use when it’s clipped to the belt, and in that setting open carry is a non-issue anyways. I did switch it around to a left hand, tip down configuration so it deploys naturally with my right hand and the clip on the inside. Reasoning being the same, with an unsupported knife blade I wan’t gravity to be on my side.

[bearfacedkiller]

I carry tip down right rear pocket. I have carried that way since way before I was this into knives. I do it for a number of reasons.

1) I find tip down clips more ergonomic.
2) I find tip down more natural to deploy.
3) I find that I am less likely to scratch car paint or wood furniture. I used to work on cars a lot more.
4) I often carry a small firearm in my right front pocket. That takes priority.
5) I have had seatbelts grab ahold of the clip when in my front pocket.
6) When carried in the back pocket it puts the spine against the seem for safety.
7) Most knives used to come tip down so the habits might not have started by choice.

I have not had much issue with damaging furniture while sitting. I don’t have a very wide backside and the knife sits more to the side towards my hip so I don’t actually sit on it. That also might make it more comfortable for me than it would be for others.

[Notsurewhy]

One day when I was sitting in the car waiting for my wife in the store, I pulled out my PM3 M390 from a sitting position. Don't know what happened? -but it opened up on me and slit my jeans inside out like nothing. I could just imagine how that might have gone tip down?
Think I am good with tip up, and slower deployment.
C

I realize this is an old post, but I thought carrying tip down minimizes damage if a knife partially opens in pocket? if you're carrying tip down, the knife will tend to shut itself as you draw if it came open accidentally. Tip up, the act of drawing is likely to force a partially open knife more fully open and really cut things up. Maybe I'm missing something or misunderstanding what you were saying?

[bearfacedkiller]

One day when I was sitting in the car waiting for my wife in the store, I pulled out my PM3 M390 from a sitting position. Don't know what happened? -but it opened up on me and slit my jeans inside out like nothing. I could just imagine how that might have gone tip down?
Think I am good with tip up, and slower deployment.
C

I realize this is an old post, but I thought carrying tip down minimizes damage if a knife partially opens in pocket? if you're carrying tip down, the knife will tend to shut itself as you draw if it came open accidentally. Tip up, the act of drawing is likely to force a partially open knife more fully open and really cut things up. Maybe I'm missing something or misunderstanding what you were saying?

Many people carry tip up in their front right pocket so that the spine of the knife is against the seem of the pocket thus preventing it from being able to open.

I essentially do the same thing by carrying tip down in my right rear pocket.

[Wartstein]

Edit: Deleted for being not clear enough... :o

[Rp5]

That picture almost needs a NSFW filter.

[Menipo]

Mi first (and for a long time only) Spyderco was a Millie. So I got used to the tip-down carry and for me it was natural. My second was a Civilian. Same. The third was a Dyad (with any clip position, one blade up and the other down). When I received my first Spydie which allowed the four clip positions (Endura) out of the box it had the clip mounted in the tip-up position and I considered to try that carry but I couldn't. In urban environments I prefer to carry my knives as discretely as possible, so I replace the factory clips of all Spydercos with Lynch deep carry clips (if the factory clip is not already a deep carry one like that of the UKPK for instance). Lynch deep carry clips make Enduras, Delicas or PM2s invisible only if mounted in the tip down position.

In any case, I keep the clips on the tip up configuration on those Spydercos that come that way from the factory until I'm going to carry them. And I haven't noticed any big differences in the speed of deployment of knives with the clip tip down or tip up. If there were, they would not be a reason to change the clip settings either. Until I decide to become a ninja, Navy Seal, Ranger or street knife fighter, a second or so doesn't make any difference (for me). :D

[vivi]

Knives can open in the pocket carried tip up or tip down, pressed against a seam or not.

[Sumdumguy]

I have somewhat ... tight jeans. Also I've noticed that even when wearing tight jeans I can carry a knife ...

bd, you wouldn’t be tricking us now? :p



What pocket do you carry the knife in? :confused:

I've heard of fat guy in a little coat. But, this....

Um... No.

[PStone]

Only time I have mishaps with accidental/unintentional blade opening occurr while putting the knife back. Never while IN the pocket. And although I agree that no matter tip up or down it can happen to any knife, I think ball based detents with little to no closing bias are the most susceptible. (Excluding CBBL/BBL)

[Xformer]

Only time I have mishaps with accidental/unintentional blade opening occurr while putting the knife back. Never while IN the pocket. And although I agree that no matter tip up or down it can happen to any knife, I think ball based detents with little to no closing bias are the most susceptible. (Excluding CBBL/BBL)

Yeah, I know it's trendy but I will never trust knives with bad retention when closed. Those lightning fast action knives are way too dangerous imo. I used to carry a Sog flash II for a while and sometime, I'd forget to put the safety back. All it takes is a light push and the knife flies open. Had a few close calls because of that... New Sog are slightly better in that regard but... still. I also had the same problem with a ZT0452cf...

I prefer knife you can trust even when you're not 100% aware, because stuff happen.

Never had this problem with any Spyderco and I think the choice of bronze washers might be for something. That and tight manufacturing tolerance.

[bdblue]

Knives can open in the pocket carried tip up or tip down, pressed against a seam or not.

I've noticed that more of my knives these days have a good amount of detent holding the blade closed. Some of my knives in the past (other brands) had little or no detent and could open pretty easily. I've never had a knife open in my pocket but I did have a tip down knife (not a Spyderco) open partially when putting it back in my pocket and cut a small slit in my jeans.

[yablanowitz]

One day when I was sitting in the car waiting for my wife in the store, I pulled out my PM3 M390 from a sitting position. Don't know what happened? -but it opened up on me and slit my jeans inside out like nothing. I could just imagine how that might have gone tip down?
Think I am good with tip up, and slower deployment.
C

Tip down the friction of the jeans would have been trying to close the knife during the draw. Tip up, that same friction tries to open the knife, and once the tip clears the handle, the point digs in and pulls the blade the rest of the way open, cutting all the way. It has happened to me as well. I don't carry tip up unless it is the only option.

[bearfacedkiller]

Knives can open in the pocket carried tip up or tip down, pressed against a seam or not.

But it is extremely unlikely with a quality backlock unless the tip isn’t buried far enough into the handle and some fabric grabs it. One of the reasons I like backlocks is that strong bias towards closing. You probably stand a better chance of getting struck by lightning than having a quality backlock come open in your pocket.

Weak detents on ball based detents are another story and they can easily ruin a pair of pants or worse. :eek:

Also, I gave up on assisted openers after having a Kershaw Leek come open on me. I carry in my right rear pocket and sat down and heard my jeans getting sliced open. Boy could that have gone terribly wrong if that blade had gone the other way!