Slipjoint for your EDC?

jackknife said:
Carry a pack of gum and chew like mad. Its hard to bite your nails with a wad of Wrigglys spearmint in your mouth. Or carry some Altoids mints. Then you get to make all kinds of neat little first aid kits and mini survival kits out of the emtpy tins. It you stop biting your nails, a whole new world of pocket knives will be open to you!:thumbsup:
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Brilliant! I'm going to try that, but got a tooth I have to fix first, haha.

Thanks my friend!
 
I was tired of modern locking folders, so I decided to see if there were any interesting slipjoints, out there. After the Alox, I started collecting electrician knives. I've managed to keep it under control, though I know I will eventually end up with one of the Case wood-handled versions.

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The brass-scaled example was a Father's Day gift. Now you know....
 
Shorttime said:
I was tired of modern locking folders, so I decided to see if there were any interesting slipjoints, out there. After the Alox, I started collecting electrician knives. I've managed to keep it under control, though I know I will eventually end up with one of the Case wood-handled versions.

y8ywLFT.jpg



The brass-scaled example was a Father's Day gift. Now you know....
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The trusty old TL-29 is one of the most versatile pocket knives you can carry. That screw driver blade/tool adds another level of multi use that no one hander can mach. They had a boxful of them in our supply room while I served with the army combat engineers, and they were used and abused as only a young G.I. who paid nothing for it could do. They screwed, stripped, pried, dug, like no regular pocket knife could have. The screw driver tool opened bottles, pried open lids of paint/stain/sealer/putty, and had a steep edge for those jobs that you absolute know that when you cut that, its going to screw up your knife edge. That way, you kept the real knife blade on your TL-29 electricians knife in good shape for when you want a really sharp edge. Like cutting open the boxes the C-rations came in.

I'd rather have a TL-29 than any of the one hand wonder tactical things that are popular nowadays.
 
I have been carrying a slipjoint every day for the past few years. Once you get used to the operation and it becomes second nature, you might find that you won't miss the convenience of a one-handed opener. In fact, I often carry both but I will go for my slipjoint first almost 100% of the time.

If you want some ideas, I'd recommend looking into some of the Italian manufacturers. Viper, lionSteel, Maserin, Fox. They use high end steel and have a great selection of cover material choices, ranging from Stag to Carbon Fiber.

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TripleB67 said:
I greatly appreciate all the responses so far - fantastic hearing how many people carry slipjoint knives daily and hearing all the experiences you've had as well as the knives you carry. This is definitely an educational experience for me...not only hearing about the variety of knives people carry, but also hearing about the knife laws in different areas and how they dictate what you carry!

Several of you mentioned having to use two hands for your slipjoint knives - I think that's why I was looking at the Civivi Appalachian Drifter...it does hav e a long nail nick, but it's also a flipper (which, I would think, makes single hand use possible). It also has a deep pocket carry clip which I typically look for in an EDC. It has a double detent slipjoint "locking" mechanism which I'm not too familiar with though.

Several of you mentioned SAK knives - I have several of those and love how useful they are with all their tools and how they just hang out at the bottom of your pocket just waiting to be used. Unfortunately, I've got a 45 year old habit of biting my nails so I prefer knives that don't have me rely on a nail nick to open (I know, I know, I should at least grow out a thumb nail so my choice in knives isn't limited :D ).

Again, thanks for all the incredible and fascinating information you've passed along so far!

TripleB67
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Well, not to be a downer, but my experience with knives that rely upon a detent (like flippers) means that they will eventually come open in your pocket. :eek: I also want one hand opening. I often carry a SAK for the tools, but I settled on the Spyderco because it give me safe carry and one hand opening. It does not rely on a detent, but has a bias towards close, like a good slipjoint should.

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I carry GEC slipjoints to the office every weekday. I often carry an alox SAK as a secondary in my back pocket when not at work.

I've really come to appreciate the thinly ground blades, variety of scale materials and natural colors, the beauty of certain patterns, and the patina of carbon steel.
 
I carry a SAK Classic SD on my keychain; I guess that counts. I don't use the blade that much but the scissors, small as they are, come in surprisingly handy.

Having said that, although I own a bunch of slipjoints I don't EDC them. I got enough stuff in my pockets as it is, and I don't like the way they feel there. I generally carry a locking folder inside the waistband where it's out of the way but still readily accessible.

Slipjoints are a classic style of knife though and when I do get to use one I really enjoy it.
 
I carry a range of slippies depending on the jurisdiction I find myself in. Ironically, the Hinderer has much more of a tactical 'look and feel' than my locking Osborne, Griptilian mini or Small Inkosi. In thoroughly paranoid urban areas, the Spyderco Roadie or Fällkniven LTC are safe choices for light tasks such as opening mail or parcels or cutting string (not rope).slipjoints.jpg
 
Englishman here! So, of course, more often than not a slipjoint is in my pocket when out and about.

Enzo [Brisa] were the first company to take pity on UK knife users, and produced the PK70. I have a CF one with Scandi grind. It’s a wicked little knife.

Spyderco, of course, now make the excellent UKPK, I have one in CPM 110SV.

For modern slipjoints, my real favourite is the Bulgarian company called Manly, based in Sofia. Their UK friendly knife is the Wasp, which is gorgeous. But a really beefy slip joint, with outrageous walk and talk, is the Manly Comrade. Perhaps not the most judicious choice of names, but it makes @LEGION 12 and me giggle a lot. ;)

I’ll take some pictures. Other than that, I have plenty of SAK’s and a nice collection of Case knives, because I like ‘em! :)
 
I had a slip joint close on my finger as a teenage. I was using the tip of the blade to poke through some material. The blade cut down to the bone, hurt like holy he!!, and took forever to heal. Misuse or not, after that experience, I'd pretty much never use a slip joint again. I've never accidentally discharged a firearm, but I still want my guns to have a safety. Plus, with so many locking blades available, I just don't see the point of a non-locking blade.

JMHO







 
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shinbone said:
I had a slip joint close on my finger as a teenage. I was using the tip of the blade to poke through some material. The blade cut down to the bone, hurt like holy he!!, and took forever to heal. Misuse or not, after that experience, I'd pretty much never use a slip joint again. With so many locking blades available, I just don't see the point of a non-locking blade.

JMHO



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Perhaps it is because it’s a Sunday that 1 Corinthians 13:11 came to mind. ;)
 
Most often I have two slipjoints on me at all times, a GEC 23LL and one of my assortment of stockman. I do occasionally carry a modern one hand wonder when I think the days work will be easier with its capabilities but as others have said even when I have a modern on me I find that the slipjoints still get the most use.
 
I've carried a slip joint since about 1956 near as I can remember. Since I learned how to properly use a knife back then I have never had one close on my fingers. I have always lived in an Urban or Suburban environment where sheathed knives are not very acceptable so I have always pocket carried and most lock-backs are just a touch too long to comfortably front pocket carry and I don't like pocket clips, to me they are a nuisance. I do have a couple of smaller Buck lock backs I bought to experiment with that carry pretty well in a pocket but I prefer my traditional patterns so the Bucks sit in a box.
 
shinbone said:
I had a slip joint close on my finger as a teenage. I was using the tip of the blade to poke through some material. The blade cut down to the bone, hurt like holy he!!, and took forever to heal. Misuse or not, after that experience, I'd pretty much never use a slip joint again. I've never accidentally discharged a firearm, but I still want my guns to have a safety. Plus, with so many locking blades available, I just don't see the point of a non-locking blade.

JMHO







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Had a less dramatic experience with the Benchmade Proper, which I otherwise liked. Flipped it and restricted my future slipjoints to models with finger choils (and strong back springs) that reduced the consequences of disfunction/misuse to a painful pinch rather than a truncated digit.
 
I like the aesthetics of traditional slipjoint knives and I carried them for some time - Case, Victorinox, GEC, Boker knives, Douk-Douk. I do not carry them anymore, and the biggest drawback is not the lack of blade locking, but lack of one-hand opening and closing. I alse tired Spyderco slip-it knives, but I prefer locking blades to them.
 
Between these two Civivi knives and decided I probably would prefer the stronger of the two in terms of remaining open so I went with the TrailBlazer and really like it's action and overall looks, very solid knife.
Here's a nice video by Civivi that shows these two and also how they look when taken apart. While the TrailBlazer is more a true slip joint in opening, that, for me, makes it more secure feeling in use.


G2

I recently put a very nice mirror polished edge on mine and wow...cuts like the dickens, never understood that expression I guess I will have to look that up ;)

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
 
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