This. I'm shocked how many people just don't think of doing this. I close them basically the same way i do a liner lock.SpyderNut wrote:That's a good question, ccf. In short, I suppose it all comes down to personal preference and what is the most comfortable method for you to use. A lot also depends on the length and shape of the knife. For myself, lock-back knives are not any more difficult to open/shut with one hand when compared liner-lock knives. One easy tip: to close a lock-back knife, I generally use my thumb to disengage the lock while lightly pressing the spine of the blade against my thigh. (Naturally, you must always be mindful of where your fingers are when you do this :) ). After you do this several times, it becomes second-nature. Obviously, this is just one of many ways to close a lock-back, but it's the easiest method for me.
Another option on some knives is to just let the blade drop onto your index finger. Of course this only works on certain knives, most of which are going to have a 50/50 choil. The Native was the first knife i learned this on..if you just press the lock and leave your index finger where it naturally is, the blade/choil falls and hits your finger, then you just move your finger and close the blade the rest of the way. This was one of the big things early in my Spyderco days that drew me into loving 50/50 choils. Another way if you're careful enough is to do the same thing but let off pressing the lock just after the blade starts to fall, and the lock puts pressure on the tang enough to keep it from falling shut, then you just shut it the rest of the way.