Why would you want to carry your knife with the point down?

[Waco]

Point-up seems perfect, since my thumb is already close the hole when I pull the knife out. Then it only requires a slight adjustment of my grip to to open the knife.

[tap]

With the tip down my thumb pretty much lands IN the hole and then I "spyder drop" it. From there it gets kind of a hand toss to final grip as the hand is moved to the front of the body.

[Joshua J.]

For most people it makes no difference. I carry lots of knives either way. I do sometimes prefer tip down just because gravity helps keep the knife closed, where tip up it can sometimes swing open while in your pocket.

[jezabel]

For larger folders, particularly liner locks I prefer Tip down, purely for safety reasons.

[jzmtl]

For a lot of knives tip down usually results in a lower profile. Spyderco is not bad but Kershaw is awful, on a 4.25" long leek there's an inch and half sticking out of my pocket in tip up position.

[Water Bug]

I prefer tip down, especially if it is a liner lock or a frame lock knife.

First and foremost reason is safety for me. I had a frame lock designed for tip up carry open up unexpectedly on many an occasion when removing it from my pocket. It is a heck of a shock to look down and suddenly see that you're within an inch and a fraction of a second of pressing your hand against the edge of a partially opened and very sharp knife. :eek:

Also, as mentioned, for a :spyder: clipped in the pocket tip down, the Spyder Round Hole is right there waiting for my thumb to press into as I draw the knife from the pocket, and with the slightest of adjustment in the hand, deploy the blade.

[clovisc]

Spyderdrop.

[scout]

Good question. It has been asked many times. I like tip up myself, but I have found that I have missed out on some incredible knives because of my bias. The Viele is an awesome knife that I would have missed out on, if my prejudice had let me. (smooth as silk) There are many knives that are quick in the hand, that are tip down.
For me, the Mili is the slowest out of the pocket folder that I own. ( and the Mili is one of the best knives ever made) It just snags too much for me. In 15 years of carrying tactical knives, I have never, ever, had a tip up knife do me harm upon deployment. As long as a tip up knife is snug to the corner of your pocket, there should be no danger. I find that I can tolerate tip down carry in places where deployment speed is not necessary. (work, church) I love my kopa!

[THG]

Grab by pivot area with middle of index finger and thumb, pull up out of pocket, pull in with fingers, open knife.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but it's really one motion. Faster imo.

[Th232]

For me personally, safety reasons in the case of liner and frame locks, as has been stated above. Carrying IWB makes accidental openings even more worrying! :eek:

That said for other locks, I suppose it'll depend on the knife, I'm fine carrying most of my lockbacks either way.

[The Deacon]

Mostly I carry my knives loose, lengthwise across the bottom of a pocket, but when I carry clipped I prefer tip down for the reasons already stated - safety and easy of deployment. The only knives tip up has ever made any sense to me on are those which are waved and I have no particular use for those.

[ozspyder]

Ahhh, the proverbial tip up vs. tip down question..... matter of preference really, as well as a matter of production of the knife from SPyderco.

I 'prefer' tip up carry, but I don't really mind tip down either. Persians and Delica and Caly III I carry most of the time in my RBP, but the Kopa which is tip down I carry clipped in front pocket or shirt pocket and sometimes loose in pocket.

For most people the need to deploy a knife super fast is not an issue and thus they can take their time to open it and put it to good use.

I can understand for SD and MBC purposes the need to carry a knife all the time in the same spot on your body and in the same orientation etc. for gross motor responses. However, for most ordinary people the 1/2 second difference to whip it out to application of the blade to task shouldn't be too much hassle.

I suppose if you have a favourite knife , say like the Viele quoted in a previous post, then you might want to get it customised to your taste.

[Henry1960]

Tip down for me. Saftey wise and easy deployment but like Deacon said most of the time i do not use my clip and sits at the bottom of the pockets. I will still carry (and have many of them) tip up knives but perfer tip down

[ldun33]

To echo what Daniel said, if you have ever been in a fight or flight situation, your brain doesn’t work so good. If, God for bid, :eek: you do have to deploy in a situation, you need to know where and how to do so without thinking.

[GoMeR]

I used to not have a preference tip up or down until I cut my hand pretty bad with a vg-10 Mcusta while I was shopping at Dillards. The point of the blade is just slightly behind the liners and I was reaching into my pocket to get my keys out. Its a tip up design and it was in my left pocket, blade facing toward the center of my body. The meat of my hand caught the tip of the blade and made about an 1.5" slice. I felt it catch but it wasn't really painful I just felt blood running down my fingers. Made me really pay attention to how a blade sits inside the liners/handles when I handle other knives now.
I prefer tip down for the most part but its not a deal breaker if I really like a certain knife.

[ozspyder]

I think Spyderco's hole in the blade design speaks volumes when it comes to blades opening accidentally when clipped or pocketed. Sometimes studs and other opening mechanisms can get snagged onto other tiems of clothing or the sides of pockets etc. I seem to have very little problems with the Spyderhole compared to other opening methods used by other manufacturers.

+1 for the Spyderhole, and thus any positions carry is fine by me. When carrying for SD or MBC, the trick is to carry the same knife EVERY DAY. ANd thus less likelihood for your brain to malfunction :D

[JD Spydo]

Personally I have never been hung up on either a "tip up" or "tip down" carry option. I find Spyderco's folders so fast to utilize that it really doesn't make much difference to me personally at all. Now I'm open to anyone who can convince me otherwise but I have EDC Spyders of both variations.

I'm personally more concerned about handle material and grip factor than I am the option of "point directions".

[choubbi]

faster deployment.
I carry IWB, and you just can grab the end that sticks out, not the entire length of the handle.
This way, I pinch the pivot end of the handle between the thumb and the index/middle fingers, then I just have to open the knife and it's in place in my hand.
When I do that from tip-up, I have to rotate the whole knife in my hand to get to the spyderhole with my thumb.

On the safety side, when you put a knife IWB, you're sure that you've closed it well, so you won't stick the blade in your body. when it's tip-up, the danger is at the draw, and when you've carried the knife all day long you can't be sure that the blade hasn't opened accidentally. That being said, I've never had any problem with my tip-up knives, I just prefer tip-down.

[feeny]

Dont forget the lint factor :) Manix for example gets less lint and other pocket crumbs inside it when carried tip down. It is also a much more discrete profile protruding from the pocket when carried tip down, if thats important.

The rest in my view is about accessing. E.G. I find havgning somethi clipped for lefties but carried right hand side, tip up... is the fastest access into reverse grip possible...

[Sherpa]

As a construction working fellow I worry about having tip down because, if the tip is down the pivot is up and free to accept all sorts of falling debris (drywall dust and things). I feel that the dust getting in the pivot will really accelerate the wear.

I find no real difference in opening pleasure, between tip up or down. I like them both.