Why "slip-joint"?

Henry Beige

Henry Beige

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I am curious about etymology of the term "slip-joint" as applied to folding knives. I have been familiar with slip-joint pliers ever since I first began picking up tools. Looking at a common household pliers, it is easy enough to see how the term came into use. The pivot pin slips between two sets of holes, to widen or narrow the grasp of the plier.

But I was well into my sixties before I ever heard a knife referred to as a slip joint. It may even have been here. But why? and where did it come from?
 
Henry, it's a constant source of wonder to many of us! :D

I don't think I ever heard the term used more than 20 years ago. Traditionally, they're spring-knives or spring-back knives :thumbup:
 
It's a collector term.

bernard_levine said:
That last line from the EB is interesting.

"Slipjoint" is a very recent collector term, never used in the industry til very recently, and still unknown outside the collector marketplace. It is a silly term, but not as silly as "non-locking folder."

BRL...
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bernard_levine said:
There was no term. That is why slipjoint was coined.

There were pocketknives. And there were locking pocketknives.

Most (99% +) in the old days did not lock. Unlike now, when a majority have one blade, and do lock.

"Slipjoint" is a silly term, "slippy" even sillier. But it conveys the meaning, once it has been explained -- it is not obvious. I did not know what it meant the first time(s) I saw it.

BRL
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I never recall hearing the term slip joint. To us, they were all called pocket knives. There was a stereo typical image of a pocket knife.
 
jackknife said:
I never recall hearing the term slip joint. To us, they were all called pocket knives. There was a stereo typical image of a pocket knife.
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My recollection also. My first introduction to slip joint was on this forum. Interesting topic.

Edited to add: I really don't have a problem with the term slip joint. Slippie/Slippy? Well that's another animal.
 
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At least we know what is meant by the term. What I can't stand is how "traditional" has almost become synonymous with slipjoint in this forum. Traditional is nothing more than an adjective, used to describe a myriad of knives, slipjoints among them. It also includes puukkos, khukuris, resolzas, navajas, balisongs, bowies, etc.
 
I think what's silly is to resist a new term. Though I don't necessarily like this phenomenon, locking folders are much more prominent than non locking folders. Like quoted above, originally non locking folders were just called pocket knives. Now that they are not the norm, they needed a term to distinguish from locking knives (traditional or modern). I also didn't hear the term until using bladeforums, but I don't think it deserves total dismissal. The blade(s) "slip" into a different position when enough force is acted on them. Seems pretty straight forward to me, but I realize that I am younger and newer to knives than many here and won't have as much familiarity with not using the term, leading me to accept it more easily.

What term do those who are against using "slipjoint" suggest using to distinguish or designate a knife as non locking with a spring applying pressure to the tang to hold the knife open and closed?
 
kamagong said:
At least we know what is meant by the term. What I can't stand is how "traditional" has almost become synonymous with slipjoint in this forum. Traditional is nothing more than an adjective, used to describe a myriad of knives, slipjoints among them. It also includes puukkos, khukuris, resolzas, navajas, balisongs, bowies, etc.
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I think it's mostly a matter of popularity rather than terminology. Knives from GEC seem to draw most discussion on this forum.
 
An old timer was talking to a young timer, while inspecting the young timer's new not locking 3 blade stockman. As the old timer was sitting down, his knee joint slipped, causing the old timer to mutter "______ slip joints!" The young timer only heard the last, not the cursing part, thought the old timer was referring to his knife, and the term stuck. :)
 
leghog said:
Same with friction folders and locking folders.
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Slip, to me, insinuates a change in velocity or direction. So when a slip joint is under more pressure at closed, halfstop, and open and "slips" into place. A friction folder has the same friction the whole time, and a locking blade can't "slip" out of its lock but has to be mechanically disengaged.
 
Exactly what I was going to say.
Seriously, I had never heard of this term either until joining and I'm not new to pocket knives. Everyone seemed to use it so I thought I had missed something along the road, so this is interesting.
 
Interesting topic and opinions :)
My first encounter with the word "slipjoint" happened on this forum. I'm fine with it, since it defines something quite specifically. In Italian, people seldom use the corresponding word ("coltello a molla") and prefer the more generic definition of folding knife (which can be deceiving to the untrained - since it does not specify if the knife has a backspring or not).Curiously, "resolza" only means "folding knife" but the fact you're speaking Sardinian pretty much implies what sort of folding knife you're talking about ;)

Fausto
:cool:
 
afishhunter said:
An old timer was talking to a young timer, while inspecting the young timer's new not locking 3 blade stockman. As the old timer was sitting down, his knee joint slipped, causing the old timer to mutter "______ slip joints!" The young timer only heard the last, not the cursing part, thought the old timer was referring to his knife, and the term stuck. :)
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You my friend aren't right.:thumbup::D
 
New to the forum, but have been carrying knives for 40 years.
A "Slip Joint" describes a joint that allows two things to rotate around a central pivot, but also to change their positions relative to each other BEYOND just roatating around the pivot point.

If any of my knives exhibits any "slip-jointery", I call it "broken" as the pivot hole must have become oversized to allow the blade and handle to slip, relative to each other.
 
jackknife said:
I never recall hearing the term slip joint. To us, they were all called pocket knives. There was a stereo typical image of a pocket knife.
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Much the same here Carl, when I was a small boy, I always heard folders called penknives, irrespective of pattern, and then later I'd hear 'pocket knife' too. Occassionally, someone might use the term 'jack knife' or 'clasp knife', usually in relation to a big military folder. My grandad carried a Jack Knife, and correctly identified it, but that was in Sheffield after all (and as you may recall, he did read a lot of cowboy books!) ;) It was only later, when I met old cutlers, and started learning about cutlery history that I learned the term spring knife. The other knives were lock-knives and sheath knives, the former of which I don't recall coming across until the 70's, and you would also hear about flick-knives occasionally.

supratentorial said:
Whoever came up with the word "slipjoint" has a free glass of blue Kool Aid coming to them. ;)
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I'd love to know who it was! :D
 
First I heard of it was this forum as well. This is also where I learned about sheepsfoot, Wharncliffe, and spey blades, so I just figured it was part of the regular nomenclature.

Before I heard the term applied to folding knives that are held open or closed by the pressure of a backspring on the tang, I had always associated it with Channellock pliers.
 
The term slip joint is about on the level as the term 'fixed blade' which I first heard on this forums as well.

I'm gonna go to my maker calling them pocket knives and sheath knives! So there!:grumpy:

:D
 
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