Paramilitary 2 - Tip Up, or Tip Down?

[Evil D]

All you "tip down is safer" people out there, don't be so sure. This happened to me at work. I'm still baffled as to how the blade caught and opened this way, but I give you my word that this was 100% real and not made up. Somehow when I put the knife in my pocket after using it, the blade snagged somehow and opened without me knowing it. I later brushed my hand along my thigh and got a nice 1/4 inch deep stab wound in my palm. I'm sure this is a pretty rare thing, but in my experience it's also pretty rare for knives to come open when carried tip up with the spine against the side of your pocket, so it really is circumstantial. One guy has an issue with tip up coming open, and as far as he's concerned tip up is unsafe, whereas I personally have never had an issue with tip up, so it would be easy for me to assume tip down is the Devil since my only accident happened while carrying tip down...but I don't. My point is, user error is probably always the cause of these kinds of accidents, not the way you carry.





There is also the chance that Darkside (the name of that particular knife) was just inherently evil, and was out for blood, as usual.

[senorsquare]

In addition to tip up, I like deep carry clips on my knives. If my pants get too tight and they are hard to retrieve then I'll put the tip of my middle finger under the end of the clip and pull up to get the knife out.

[greenewk]

I personally agree with the tip-up is safer camp. I've carried tip-up exclusively for a good while, but when I used to carry tip-down I remember finding my back pocket sliced open somehow. Not sure if it was extracting or replacing the knife in the pocket, but, nothing of the sort has happened to me tip-up!

Purely anecdotal and circumstantial, but... it's something! Either way, I find tip-up to be both more comfortable in hand and aesthetically pleasing.

[xceptnl]

I vited tip up and have preferred this configuration since I had my first clipped knife, with some exceptions. I also think the clip position can vary depending on the length of the handle as well as the pocket they are carried in. Almost a year ago I decided to change my strong side carry from my FR pocket to my back pocket. This change was to aid in accessing my wallet pocket and also to make pocket space for my daily carry pen (office work means I access the pen more than the knife).

This shift took some getting used to, however I did notice the following advantages. The rear pocket works better for the right hand tip down carry (Military and Paramilitary 1). The pocket seam closest to my hip holds the spine closed and the grip at the pivot end only takes a short while to get used to. Equally as comfortable is the tip up grip on my Manix 2, Caly 3.5, Caly 3, Native, Delica, Etc... The only knife that doesn't work in this configuration is the Southard. This is due to the flipper (hip side) hitting the pocket seam and opening about a 1/4" which has cut 2 pieces of furniture in my home. I can only imagine how much the tip would open with say a ZT-0560. I think the knife and your personal carry conditions really determine what will work best.

[MattBPKT]

I personally agree with the tip-up is safer camp. I've carried tip-up exclusively for a good while, but when I used to carry tip-down I remember finding my back pocket sliced open somehow. Not sure if it was extracting or replacing the knife in the pocket, but, nothing of the sort has happened to me tip-up!

Purely anecdotal and circumstantial, but... it's something! Either way, I find tip-up to be both more comfortable in hand and aesthetically pleasing.

+1
Tip up for me.

[FCM415]

I go with tip up for all of my knives purely for consistency's sake.

[jabba359]

I usually carry my knives tip up (this puts the spine against the rear of my right pocket), but I carry my left pocket knives tip-down (again, to keep the spine against the rear of my pocket). Since I've only got a couple TD knives (Military, Calypso Jr.), I like to keep my Para 2 TD as well, just so I have another choice for my left pocket rotation.

[Detdaddy]

All you "tip down is safer" people out there, don't be so sure. This happened to me at work. I'm still baffled as to how the blade caught and opened this way, but I give you my word that this was 100% real and not made up. Somehow when I put the knife in my pocket after using it, the blade snagged somehow and opened without me knowing it. I later brushed my hand along my thigh and got a nice 1/4 inch deep stab wound in my palm. I'm sure this is a pretty rare thing, but in my experience it's also pretty rare for knives to come open when carried tip up with the spine against the side of your pocket, so it really is circumstantial. One guy has an issue with tip up coming open, and as far as he's concerned tip up is unsafe, whereas I personally have never had an issue with tip up, so it would be easy for me to assume tip down is the Devil since my only accident happened while carrying tip down...but I don't. My point is, user error is probably always the cause of these kinds of accidents, not the way you carry.





There is also the chance that Darkside (the name of that particular knife) was just inherently evil, and was out for blood, as usual.

I had the same thing happen to me with a Paramilitary (first version)! I sat down and felt a sharp pain in my upper thigh. The blade was open in my pocket and it dug into my leg as I sat down.

I figured out what happened. More than once after the thigh stabbing, I caught myself putting the knife in my pocket by trying to slide it down into my pocket. Both sides of the handle were not going into the pocket, only one. The rim of my pocket was going between the scales, and the tip dug into the top of the pocket causing it to open. When I felt resistance, I lifted the knife and then reinserted it, not know the blade was open (no self closure).

I sold that Para after realizing what was happening. I've very happy now with a Para 2 camo! Tip up!

[bdblue]

If my pants get too tight and they are hard to retrieve

All of my pants are tight, I can't get a hand in my pocket while I have a good sized knife clipped in there. I've gotten used to that and I don't try to carry other things in that pocket except an iphone. To pull the iphone out I stick first finger and thumb in the pocket, pinch the phone and pull it out. To draw my knife I put my thumb in the pocket, pinch the end of the handle between thumb and first finger, and pull it out. I've seen people on youtube demonstrate drawing tip-up while wearing pajamas. I'm sure that normal pajama pockets are looser than my jeans pockets but I'm not going to work wearing pajamas. Maybe with pajama pockets you put your whole hand in the pocket and get a good grip on the knife before pulling it out. All I can do is stick my thumb in the pocket and it doesn't go in all that far.

A lot of people talk about rear pocket carry- if you do that then how do you sit down without damaging your knife, your pants, or whatever you are sitting on? I can't put anything in my back pockets except a wallet and it is a little soft and contoured now with no sharp edges.

[greenewk]

A lot of people talk about rear pocket carry- if you do that then how do you sit down without damaging your knife, your pants, or whatever you are sitting on? I can't put anything in my back pockets except a wallet and it is a little soft and contoured now with no sharp edges.

With jeans it's a big less comfortable -- especially with larger knives, in which case it can be unfeasible in some pants. For work/around the house I wear 5.11 pants quite a bit and the back pocket is by far the most comfortable way to carry... well, really, the pants are just insanely comfortable anyways. 4" blades completely disappear and are imperceptible.

[JudasD]

I always carry tip-up in right front pocket with the blade against the back of the pocket. If i do ever carry tip-down then it moves to the blade against the front of my pocket.

JD

[DeathBySnooSnoo]

I do a middle finger flick...and I find that tip down is FAR easier to do that from. And I find that tip down in general is easier to open. I tend to grab it by the pivot and by the time a knife is fully out of the pocket, it is in my palm and ready to open. I find that with tip up I have to reposition a lot more.

[chuck_roxas45]

I do a middle finger flick...and I find that tip down is FAR easier to do that from. And I find that tip down in general is easier to open. I tend to grab it by the pivot and by the time a knife is fully out of the pocket, it is in my palm and ready to open. I find that with tip up I have to reposition a lot more.

I'm in the same situation.

[Clip]

Couple thoughts:

1) I think the P2 looks more natural with the clip tip-down (not sure if I've only been conditioned looking at the factory pics and getting brand new P2s that way)

2) Tip-up keeps the spine of the blade against the seam putting G10 against my hand, more comfy to slide in for keys

3) Knife right against corner of pocket when tip-up helps keep blade secured

I'll have to try with tip-down again as I was almost sure it was easier to deploy tip-up with my thumb positioning.

[PMBohol]

Tip down. Just easier for me to retrieve and deploy. My Southard is tip up only and after catching the blade tip on my knuckle, I removed the clip.

[ViperGTS]

Evil D, I always make sure the blade faces the seam of my pocket. May be a lesser chance of this happening.

[chuck_roxas45]

No vids yet? Let me start then. This is how I do it on my tip down knives.

[video=youtube;8_aW3x_d6FA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_aW3x_d6FA[/video]

[nirvanero]

I prefer tip-down but tip-up is no problem, just a little slower. Anyway I usually don't cilp my knives so...

EDIT: Of course I didn't include Emerson openers or the Brad Southard, when you pull out this one it's ready for "pushing the triger". I also agree that tip-up with the blade against the side of your pocket seems to be safer.

[Evil D]

Evil D, I always make sure the blade faces the seam of my pocket. May be a lesser chance of this happening.

So are you saying you carry with the clip set up for left hand tip down carry in your right pocket? That just seems really backwards and over complicated.

[NAKK77]

Tip up always for me