Do you trust your locking folder so much that you often grip it with your fingers in harms way?

[Fixedwing]

All tools can be dangerous; properly firing neurons can minimize the danger... M-kay?

 

[stabman]

I injured myself while carving wood with a slip-joint as a child plenty of times.
Used to like carving little wooded canoes out of pine...they usually split in half just as I put the finishing touches on them.
Would always carve them late at night when I was supposed to be asleep.

But few points here:
1) I was a kid, and therefore stupid
2) I learned from the process of being stupid
3) Even when the knife folds over on your finger, your finger does not come off

 

[greater]

But few points here:
1) I was a kid, and therefore stupid
2) I learned from the process of being stupid
3) Even when the knife folds over on your finger, your finger does not come off

You forgot point number (4) It's a slip joint

Although I don't know I would guess it's a smaller knife than a lot of other lock equipped folders and even if it wasn't/isn't it's still/was a slip joint.

However the fact that there are a lot of folders with garbage defective locks out there your advice about using them the same way as a slip joint is very good. In fact it's good advice in general when it comes to any folder and I agree it's a good approach to take whenever possible. I would also add to that by doing my best to be as certain as possible that I don't purchase folders with defective or bad locks that are dangerous to use.

 

[norcalAF]

I injured myself while carving wood with a slip-joint as a child plenty of times.
Used to like carving little wooded canoes out of pine...they usually split in half just as I put the finishing touches on them.
Would always carve them late at night when I was supposed to be asleep.

But few points here:
1) I was a kid, and therefore stupid
2) I learned from the process of being stupid
3) Even when the knife folds over on your finger, your finger does not come off

Most of my childhood knife wounds are on the knuckle of my left index finger from holding something with my left hand and cutting it with my right

 

[os_tempore]

If I'm cutting with the knife: tell me how it could POSSIBLY fold closed on me.

Read cutting as stabbing. Weird stuff happens in war, man.

 

[Sibyrnes]

Read cutting as stabbing. Weird stuff happens in war, man.

Yeah, I'm sure Army MASH units are overwhelmed with hand injuries from folding knives closing during combat

 

[Cementite]

 

[norcalAF]

That was Vietnam Donny

 

[David Mary]

My main locking knife is a liner lock. And I wrap my hand around the handle when I cut things with it. And yet my fingers are not in harm's way.

 

[Spillproof]

I don't understand this thread.

Yes I grip my locking knives.
No I don't do "spine wacking tests" (as there is zero risk of this failure if you are using a knife as intended) and I have NEVER had a lock fail in 40+ years of use.

Where's the billion dollar class-action lawsuit against Buck, Benchmade, Spyderco, etc. documenting all these catastrophic lock failures and seeking compensation?

Much ado about nothing.

 

[ShaiHulud]

Only time I'd worry about my fingers is when using a swiss army knife

 

[HJK]

After some scares I don’t trust any folder completely although I try to keep them adjusted and my grip careful. I love folders but for something that might be risky a fixed blade is my preference
Having said that, besides self defense which is unpredictable you should be able to use a folder safely

 

[Lesknife]

This is getting to the point of stupid insanity. Do you also use tongs when you are taking a whizz ? Do you wear a face mask while showering?

If you are using your knife as intended and not being a total loony toon you should not have any problems. Or using the proper tool for the task. Yes they are out there and you gotta watch out if they are near you. I’ve seen some really stupid stuff in my 64 years on this rock and some never learn.

 

[stabman]

Most of my childhood knife wounds are on the knuckle of my left index finger from holding something with my left hand and cutting it with my right

Been there as a child as well.
Kids are dumb.

 

[SharpBits]

My main locking knife is a liner lock. And I wrap my hand around the handle when I cut things with it. And yet my fingers are not in harm's way.

Try harder!

 

[norcalAF]

Been there as a child as well.
Kids are dumb.

I do wish I had that old scout knife that drew so much of my blood though!

 

[Danny Linguini]

I do wish I had that old scout knife that drew so much of my blood though!

I almost took my pinky off with one of those way, way, way back, doing something totally stupid with it. Lesson learned, almost the really hard way.

 

[stabman]

I do wish I had that old scout knife that drew so much of my blood though!

Wish I still had my old slip-joints.
They kept falling out of my pockets on the playground at school.

That was the biggest danger of slip-joints for me: losing them.
Thankfully now there are slip-joints with pocket-clips, like the ZT 0235, and the offerings by Spyderco.

 

[ShaiHulud]

Also helps not to "baton" a folder, I shouldn't have to say that but...
People do it, and if the lock fails anywhere near your fingers, you're looking at a much worse incident than a knife just accidentally closing on your fingers at a much slower speed

 

[David Mary]

Worst knife injury I’ve gotten so far was actually from a little wharncliffe neck knife I carelessly left the tip of my finger in the path of while using a ruler to cut cardboard on a cutting mat. Wharncliffe tip beats finger tip hands down. A few folks will remember this as the time I discovered the marvellous properties of cayenne pepper for stopping a bleed. Haven’t even come close to that one with a folder.