No matter what sort of work you do, at some point you end up needing a sharp edge. I usually have a small folding knife with me for just such occasions. Sometimes, other people need the sharp edge so I lend them my knife. Now, they can open it fore sure, but almost everyone is confused on how to close the knife.
I even had one co-worker who ended up disassembling my knife trying to figure out how to close the darn thing!
It’s just a skill people seem to not have and they should as it’s a very popular design.
I have included a link to a video which illustrates how to close a knife. The video is not mine.
I have never owned one such knife, but the video makes it look like an extremely dangerous closing mechanism.
You have to press a button below the cutting edge to close it? I sure hope it has a blocking mechanism that prevents the blade from closing fully until the finger has been completely removed. Like a timed spring or something, and even that sounds like a laughably bad idea.
Now, that is what I have gathered from the video only, it might very well just be a bad illustration of the mechanism.
No such mechanism. Sharp things are inherently dangerous - go slow, pay attention, and you’ll be fine.
Sure, but even dangerous tools can be made with some safety in mind. Do you REALLY need a shield for that circular saw? Not really, but those who use a shield risk having more fingers than those who don’t.
Personally, I prefer sheath blades, or a regular old dumb folding blades if absolutely necessary. Are they more safe than other blades? No they are not, but a simple, stupid design is better than one that has been specifically engineered to cut off as many fingers as possible (again, going purely from what the video shows, which looks about as safe to close as a butterfly knife).
EDIT: This comment did turn out more aggressive than hoped, and I’d like to apologies for that. Your comment is of course correct, but I feel that it does not fully solve my confusion and the problem at hand.
Liner lock knives have been around for decades, I think that suggests there isn’t a problem when used correctly. The benefit is that you get a very secure folding knife when the knife is extended, and you can fold it with one hand.
It does indeed seem a little safer when extended, but I feel that the danger of closing it far outweighs the additional safety during use, regardless of technique used.
Furthermore, and perhaps more as a side note: Even if something is decades old, does not necessarily mean that it was safe or wasn’t riddled with problems, but it does imply that the tool was at least usable when handled correctly. As much as I love them, I think helicopters in general are a fine example of this.
risk having more fingers
this is the funniest phrasing I’ve seen in awhile
This video appears to be missing an important step - keeping pressure on the flipper part of the blade so it doesn’t accidentally come down on your thumb as you disengage the lock. It helps if there is a more significant flipper guard on the knife, which the sample in the video appears to lack.
I think you’re right, I didn’t notice it initially. Maybe I can find or make a better video.
I can’t speak to the design. I’ve just worked with this type of knife for years and I thought it was a fairly standard design.
I’m not advocating for one design over another, I’m just trying to spread awareness.
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