The Slip Joint versus

[DaveL]

I have been around knives for some time and just have to say, in my opinion, an important declaration, I really love slip joints. I have several Ray Cover's and enjoy the skill and beauty of each one. I just don't get off to liner locks or whatever other name one of these gets. I do have a few lockbacks and appreciate the extreme skill in making one but still prefer the slip joint overall. I admit to loving the double blades especially but that is me, again.

I think slip joints are more and more the market today.

[Don Robinson]

I agree, absolutely.

I make all kinds of folders, but my preference as a maker for the last couple of years is to make slipjoints.

[McAhron]

I too prefere the slipjoint.I love the fact their made with thinner blades than most other folders.A thin blade just works better in my opinion for daily tasks.Also if made from stainless there's little to no maintnence.A lock is good for a defensive situation but a knife in general is a poor weapon in the first place.After a stabbing has occured,police go to the nearest hospitals as the assailant almost always cuts the crud out of their hand.Only a knife with a proper guard makes a truly good weapon.

[Frank Niro]

Hey guys, I preffer liner locks but , that's all I make. All folders are kinda nice aren't they, and having your own prefference is good too !!!! Frank

[DAN VAN]

I like most styles of knives and appreciate the skill required to make them. I've had slipjoints since I was 4 years old, but I prefer a liner lock and other tpes of locking blades as I've had a few close calls when the slippy almost caused me harm. Dan

[David Broadwell]

Dave,

Slip joints are interesting and popular. I think one of the biggest reasons is because they are patterns that many people grew up with. Many makers are producing them today, and in various levels of dress, from high end with ivory and engraving, middle of the road traditional with stag or bone, and even in basic tactical format with green canvas Micarta.

I will have to disagree with you that slippers "are more and more the market today". While there are a bunch being made, the larger market is for other styles of folders, primarily liner locks and the variations such as frame locks. The predominant style is tactical or techie/tactical. I believe this is true for both the hand made and the factory aspects of the industry. From what I've seen slip joints are still a smaller segment of the overall custom knife industry. For me personally, in over 27 years as a knifemaker, I believe I've been asked to make a slip joint maybe once, and that was back in the early 90s. (I've been asked to make high end automatics far more often.) I have a couple of my old Cub Scout knives that are slippers, but I've had no interest in making them myself, preferring to go a more creative route with my work.

In defense of liner locks, like any knife they can be thrown together pretty quickly, and they work like they've been thrown together quickly! I've seen plenty of lock backs and slip joints that were poorly made. It does take a good level of skill to make a liner lock work properly, and to engineer them better than just the basics require. Same with slippers and lockers. In reality, the skills to make them all well are high. Liner locks do allow for more hand work, while lockbacks do benefit from having a milling machine for making square cuts.

I do like the knives of Ray Cover, Sr. and have sent a bunch of people to him. He's very good at making knives.

David

[DaveL]

The thread is opinion and that must not be overlooked, however I do feel that slip joints are the preferred knive by most for custom makers. My old friend Don Robinson I believe agrees from the standpoint of a custom maker. However, I love his liner lock more than any other LL I have. But I still prefer that beautiful slip joint. "I prefer" is the key...

[David Broadwell]

Dave, I have no problem with your opinions, and I know that you prefer slip joints. Hey, that's great! If you (and many others) like slippers it's fantastic. If I were a collector rather than a maker I would prefer some other type myself (like DAN VAN stated in his post), but I do find some of them, especially those by Bobby Toole, to be well crafted and would probably have a couple of examples in my collection. However, stating that slip joints are preferred by most makers is questionable. Both of your posts seem to indicate that you believe that slip joint folders are the most widely made type of knife, but I don't believe that's accurate. There are more makers of other types of folders than slip joints. There are certainly more makers making slippers now that 15-20 years ago, but there are also many more makers using the liner and frame locks as well.

David

[DaveL]

Thanks for the messages, David. No, I don't think really think slip joints are preferred by most makers, they are harder to make for one reason, but my point was and is that I think the knife buying public, not everyone for goodness sakes, but many are coming to the slip joint parade. Of course I have argued this point with several makers who do make slip joints but also make the little lockers. My old friend JP Moss will always believe in nothing but the lockback even though the first knife he made was a slip joint. Good talk is refreshing David. Thanks for helping my dull days...

[Don Robinson]

My first folders were slipjoints, then lockbacks, then when the linerlock came out I started making linerlocks . Now I've made quite a few slipjoints again. There in no comparison with the craftsmanship involved in making a single or multiple blade slipjoint that is accurately made with a half stop where each blade walks and talks and returns to the same common position, all blades lined up together on the back.

I can make a slipjoint faster than a linerlock, but the slipjoint requires more craftsmanship if it's done correctly.

Of course, all kinds of folders require a lot of skill, knowledge and craftsmanship.

Let's just say that slippies are what I enjoy making most right now when I'm feeling well enough to work.

That won't keep me from filling my orders for linerlocks, though.

[jdgunner]

I prefer the lockback myself.

[HermanKnives]

I love slips too! I started making my Sliver models in slips and they are really cool
Going to make myself one soon.