Spyderco byte April 2024 - EDGE-U-CATION: Tip-Up Versus Tip-Down Carry
Tip-Up Versus Tip-Down Carry
Some arguments never die. In the firearms world, never-ending debates over topics like 9mm versus .45 and revolver versus semi-auto have sold gun magazines for decades. For knife enthusiasts, one comparable topic is the controversy over tip-up versus tip-down carry. Like most discussions of this type, the real answer ultimately depends upon well-informed personal preference, so the goal of this article is to provide a basis for “well informed.”First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page regarding terminology. A folding knife’s clip “orientation” refers to the direction of the blade’s tip when the knife is in the closed position and clipped to the pocket. As such, “tip-up” carry means the tip of the closed blade points upward and “tip-down” carry means the blade tip points downward. This orientation is determined by the end of the handle to which the clip is attached. If mounted to the pivot-pin end, you get tip-down carry. Attached to the butt end, you get tip-up carry. These terms apply equally whether the knife is carried on the left or right sides of the body—provided its design offers these options.
With that clear, let’s objectively examine the advantages and disadvantages of each orientation. To do that, it’s important to realize and accept the fact that they are ultimately driven by four primary factors: the size of the knife, the size of your hand, the height of the clip’s position on the handle, and your preferred opening method. Two of these—the size of your hand and your opening technique—can vary significantly from person to person. Since they are not absolute, there is no absolute, definitive answer to this question.
Tip-Down Carry
Let’s begin with tip-down carry because that’s where Spyderco began when Sal Glesser pioneered the concept of the clip-carried, one-hand-opening folding knife back in 1981. All early CLIPIT® knives had stainless steel handles and were configured for one carry position only—right-side, tip-down carry or, for the few dedicated left-handed models we made, mirror-image, left-side, tip-down carry. One significant advantage of this approach—especially since pocket clips and one-hand opening via our Trademark Round Hole™ were brand-new concepts back then—was that the mechanics of drawing and opening our early knives were fundamentally the same.Even though our early models did have different handle and blade lengths, if you compare the pivot-pin ends of the knives, you’ll see that the critical dimensions of the Round Hole, its radius from the pivot pin, and the height of carry afforded by the tip-down clip were all very consistent. As such, no matter which one of the early models you might own or what your hand size might be, the “user experience” was fundamentally the same. When you’re building a new, innovative brand, that’s a very smart move.
Drawing and opening a knife configured for tip-down carry generally works like this: Drive your thumb into your pocket between the knife and your body as you grip the outer surface of the clip with your index and middle fingers. Using a pinch grip, lift the knife up out of your pocket and rotate the handle into your hand. This will leave your thumb positioned very close to the blade’s Trademark Round Hole so the full extension of your thumb will open the blade fully. Using the tips of your fingers to anchor the handle to the top of your palm (at the base of your fingers), index your thumb in the blade hole and drive straight forward to open the blade.
Another reason early Spyderco knives were tip-down carry was that this carry position also facilitates an alternate opening method. Sometimes called the “Spydie Drop,” it involves pinch gripping the blade’s Round Hole, drawing the knife, pointing the handle butt upward, and then swinging the handle down to open the blade. Once open, you reposition the knife in your hand to achieve a using grip. Although shown in the classic out-of-print book The Spyderco Story and still widely used by old-school Spyderco users, this method is no longer formally recommended as it affords less positive control over the knife during the opening process. Nevertheless, the Spydie Drop also did not discriminate based on hand size.
On the positive side, tip-down carry offers a universal “manual of arms” for both large and small knives and easily accommodates users with different sized hands. Some knife enthusiasts also believe it allows gravity to help keep the blade safely closed in the pocket; however, this function is best determined by the strength of the lock mechanism’s detent function.
The primary disadvantages of tip-down carry are that, at least in the initial stages of the draw, it offers minimal surface contact between your fingertips and the knife’s handle. Some knife users mitigate this by carrying the knife further forward in the pocket and achieving a pinch grip from behind the handle, but this practice can make it harder to use the pocket for other items and may make the carry position of the knife less consistent. Tip-down carry also requires you to adjust your grip on the knife after drawing, but before opening the blade. This fine motor skill is very perishable under stress. Finally, if your preferred blade-opening method happens to be an Emerson Opening Feature, or “wave,” it simply doesn’t work with tip-down carry.
Tip-Up Carry
To draw and open a knife carried in the tip-up position, first drive your thumb as deep as possible into your pocket between the knife and your body. Grip the outer surface of the clip with your index and middle fingers and apply a pinch grip on the handle using as much surface area of your thumb as possible. Maintaining this grip, lift the knife up out of your pocket. Your thumb should already be positioned very close to the blade’s Round Hole. Using the tips of your fingers to anchor the handle to the top of your palm (at the base of your fingers), index your thumb in the blade hole and drive straight forward to open the blade fully. Then assume a using grip.The primary advantages of tip-up carry are that you have much more surface area of your hand in contact with the handle during deployment and, if all other factors are in balance, you don’t have to adjust your grip on the handle prior to opening the blade. Together, these elements make knife deployment from tip-up carry simpler and more positive than from tip-down carry.
The “catch” comes when the “other factors”—knife size, hand size, and height of carry—are not in proper balance. For example, imagine you have small hands and are accustomed to carrying a Delica® 4 in the tip-up position. With the knife’s standard clip mounted to the butt end of the handle, you reach into your pocket, draw your knife, and your thumb is perfectly positioned for an immediate opening every time. The key factors are in balance and life is good.
However, imagine you suddenly notice a shiny new Military™ 2 for sale and can’t resist. You configure its four-position clip for tip-up carry, clip the knife to your pocket, and reach in to draw. As it comes out of the pocket, you realize that your small-sized hand is only gripping the lower half of the handle and your thumb is nowhere near the Round Hole. To open the knife, you must now do some serious repositioning of your hand on the handle to reach the blade hole and have adequate range of motion to open it. That doesn’t mean tip-up carry is wrong or that the Military 2’s design or clip mounting position are flawed. It just means that, together, those elements do not fit your smaller hands.
Undaunted, you go back to your trusty Delica 4, but decide to treat yourself by tricking it out with an aftermarket deep-pocket carry clip. You remove the stock clip, put the new clip in its place, and tuck the knife discreetly into your pocket. Then, you reach in to deploy it with your well-practiced draw only to find that, once again, your thumb falls short of the blade’s Round Hole. What happened? By choosing a clip that lowered the knife’s position in your pocket, the initial grip you could achieve during your draw also changed. Although your knife and your hand were still compatibly sized, the deep-pocket clip lowered the knife’s height of carry in your pocket. Once again, your deployment necessitates a grip adjustment between drawing and opening the blade.
If you understand these dynamics and take them into consideration when choosing a knife, tip-up carry can make deployment simple, swift, and reliable. If you carry your knife all the way to the rear of your pocket, the pressure of the corner of the pocket can also back up the lock’s detent to guarantee the blade stays closed. And, if your preferred deployment tactic is to use an Emerson Opener, tip-up carry is the only way to go.
Unfortunately, for users with smaller hands who prefer to carry larger knives, tip-up carry may not be a good choice. At the very least, it requires a deliberate grip adjustment between drawing and opening—exactly as tip-down carry does.
What About Fobs and Lanyards?
In addition to clips, one other highly debatable knife-carry topic is that of fobs and lanyards. Many folder and fixed-blade designs include lanyard holes in the handle. When present, they allow the easy attachment of lanyards, fobs, and safety lines that can serve to extend the grip area of the handle, provide an exposed purchase to initiate a draw, or keep the knife from being dropped or lost.Lanyards, safety lines, and military “dummy cords” that actually connect a knife to something like the user’s wrist, body, or kit make perfect sense in environments where dropping the knife could make it unrecoverable (like in deep water or in the wilderness) or endanger people below you. Their utility in that context is well accepted.
A more controversial topic is that of fobs and short lanyards. These can be purely decorative, functional, or both. From a functional standpoint, they provide a flexible extension of the knife’s handle that can make short-handled knives easier to draw and grip during use. This can be particularly advantageous on knives with deep-carry clips, since they position the knife extremely low in the pocket. For some users, however, these additions to a knife’s handle make it unwieldly and get in the way during use. No problem. You don’t have to use them and, if present, are easily removable.
Personal Preference
The pros and cons explained above are based on an objective, performance-based analysis. The performance criteria are the ease, speed, simplicity, and positivity with which end users can draw and immediately open knives with specific clip orientations or accessories. If you carry a knife for defensive or other emergency use, these criteria should be relevant. If, however, you feel you have absolutely no need to ever deploy your knife quickly under stress, that’s fine. Your opinions on tip-up or tip-down carry and the use of fobs are therefore based purely on personal preference. The First Amendment certainly entitles you to those opinions and your right to express them, but remember, it doesn’t make them any “righter” than anyone else’s.The ultimate definition of what’s “right” is what works for your needs, your preferences, and your hand size. The deeper your understanding of the factors that affect that decision, the more confident you can be in your personal choice.