Hey! This is Emily from the video! This was an amazing experience for me and I love the video! I never really wear nails a lot, but this was definitely hard to do with them on. I’m not a big knife person, so it was interesting to find so many different ways knives open! You guys are so awesome and keep doing what your doing! I would love to see you guys put on some stick on nails to do an experimental video lol! So nice to have met you guys!!!
I think one of the overlooked considerations is, these aren't their knifes. So they want to show you how careful they are being with your property which may explain the 2 hand open/close. Sometimes snapping someone else's knife open or closed feels like you are dry firing someone's gun.
I mean I know knifes but when I put my hands on a new knife I always open two hand first too get a feel for how the knife is. Sometimes they may be pretty stiff and you need to really flick it or it could be incredibly smooth and need not much of anything. So I think a majority of people will always open a pocket knife with two hands the first time they are handling it as it's the safer way to do it
I was half-way through typing my comment when I saw yours.... which was almost verbatim lol :D - I have tons of experience with all kinds of weapons... but if someone brought and entire rack of knives over to me to inspect... I'd handle it much the same way. Two handed, or slow going. Another consideration is; "Inspection factor". These were showcased and handed over as if the person was supposed to inspect them and check them out (which they might have been doing any way)... Now: If they had handed the knives and said "OPEN THESE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" then you might have seen more one handed, or flick-open attempts
Something else is that almost everyone knows knives=dangerous, so there's a baked-in "let's be careful with this" whenever handling a new knife. Especially people who aren't used to folding/sliding knives like these.
I bought my friend a liner lock knife for their 18th birthday. They apparently opened the knife, never figured out how to close it, and put it in a drawer open. Years later I visited them and watched them open the drawer and pull out the open knife to open a box, then put it away. I asked them why they didn’t close the knife and they said it “doesn’t close.” They lost their mind when I closed it for them.
Well... I should say that the same happened to me (openned once a knife and thought it was broken and not possible to close back, then put in a drawer for years...) BUT the shameful part is that I am a knife guy :D and a pretty commited one, I had several dozen of knife in my life. But it was a stiletto knife and theses are just incredibly hard to "guess" how to close them.
That’s hilarious. My dad is a pretty handy guy. He’s built decks, patios, drywall work, little plumbing, remodeling, general construction. I’ve handed him a liner lock knife a few times now and just says “it doesn’t close” and grabs his husky lock back utility knife. 😂 😂
I have handled knives since I was maybe 5 years old, but dont consider myself a knife guy. All these standard locking mechanisms just make sense to me and are pretty obvious. Never would have thought that my understanding of these is actually a learned behaviour, always felt kinda natural to me. Thanks for teaching people about this topic!
same, I handed my 70+ yr old mother a liner lock/back flipper, she looked at me like "wtf is this ??" it has a thumb groove so she got it open, wasn't until about her 5th time using it that she understood the lock
I would say even for someone who is mechanically inclined, the expectation for a spring loaded contraption is that it will only spring in one direction and that you will have to apply force against the spring in some way to reverse the action. Devices that spring both ways are definitely the exception, not the rule.
Im one of Cheryl's daughters "the rad mom" and it was very amusing to watch her open these knifes 😂 (I honestly wanted my brother to stop helping so it would be a little bit more funny)
I will literally pay money to have the two of you to get manicures with long nails to try this $10 each with your names on it. This may be one of the most interesting videos on knives I have seen in years!
I think one reason why people where quicker to figure out the OTF knife is that the action is similar to what you get with a box cutter. You hold it the same way and you extend and retract the blade the same way. Love the video, hope to see more.
Guys the reason everyone is using two hands, that most cheap folders are so stiff they require two hands. The cheap stuff is all most people have used.
The guys describing Emily: "I was so worried about her beautiful nails, she was a champion, she was so excited, she was very nice and respectful" The guys describing a fan: "Yeah, he was a cool guy I guess."
In my experience, most people that hand back a liner lock have tried a few ways and would get it with looking at it but think "this is someone elses property and I don't want to damage it or mess it up, hand it back". I usually encourage them to give it a second try and tell them not to worry its a knife, and they get it fairly quick. The learning curve is that they don't want to experiment on someone else property, without permission.
My father's "formal" knife (the one he carries when he dresses up to go to weddings etc.) has a liner lock and when someone shows interest in it, he likes to hand it to them. I've seen quite a few people concerned that they would cut fingers or break the knife after learning how it closed until my father would demonstrate it to them and hand it back for them to try.
@@trs4184 I don't carry an edc anymore because I work with special needs kids, some of which are kleptos, (I've had pens taken from my pocket unnoticed, so I sure as hell don't want a knife taken out of my pocket unnoticed) so I sometimes need to inspect my knives to remember how they work. I'm more interested in strange mechanisms than quality, so I tend not to have anything that opens intuitively.,
unlike a back lock, you can actually see the lock mechanism with a liner or frame lock. it should be intuitive, but without a longer look like you say, people are just befuddled.
If you guys don’t get Maria a Banter or button lock knife😂 I feel like with time she would totally be into the knife scene, she had a natural curiosity. Great video guys! Love when you and Ben are on camera together 🔪🙌🏻
As a non-knife person I learned a lot from this video! I remember once when I was handed a closed liner lock knife, and I couldn't figure out how to close it because I didn't think to look into the handle from the right perspective. The thing is, if I didn't have the guy I lent it from right there I probably would've spent more time with it before asking him how to close it. I guess having the option to take the easy way out made me less motivated to try figuring it out myself. Props to him though for telling me how to do it instead of just doing it himself. I think there's another thing to the two handed closing pattern you saw; it's a tool they're unfamiliar with so they in part want keep it slow so they don't cut themselves if it turns out to be spring loaded (like you said they handle the knives as if they were sharp), and in part to study the mechanism as it closes. It sounds silly but the curious caution with new sharp things is probably why most people go through their entire lives with all fingers still attached. :)
This is such a fun video. I’m an old lady with a little knowledge about knives, learned the hard way, scars to prove it. I loved watching folks learn about knives. I think you performed a great public service! Awesome.
Fantastic video! Sometimes I feel guilty for ‘judging’ someone’s ability to handle my knives before handing them one, but my knives are always sharp (people aren’t always) and I honestly don’t want anyone to get hurt! I’ve come to expect a cautious 2-handed approach, but I sure do get a kick out of someone who knows exactly how to handle and deploy with one hand... I get goosebumps when they comment on the action and the cutting performance! Did I just make a friend? 🤣 ❤️
This man stole my comment ...... The on screen chemistry between you two clearly comes from the time spent together and its still probably the most entertaining chemistry in all of the knife community
I've carried a knife since I was like 9?? I still have my first knife. It's strange to me that people don't intuitively know how to open mechanical objects. If I can hold something My brain goes oh okay cool it does this by doing that. This was a cool experiment guys. Love the Chanel
Also grew up with knives. Bought my first linerlock for myself. Same for axis lock. I just sort of always intuitively knew how to work them after holding it for a second. Wonder how much that comes from being used to using other kinds of knives. I love front flippers and I've yet to meet someone who flips it. Even people who use knives regularly. Fortunately my most common carry is a Pena so it's got the traditional look and people just two hand it.
A fun game I have been able to play a few times in the past, is trying to explain to someone who is not familiar with them, how to close a backlock knife without actually showing them. It's a remarkable challenge in effective communication; because in your head, the answer is to simply "push the thing and it will let you close it," but trying to describe what that means, with words alone, quickly shows you the very real limitations of natural language.
I'm a lefty and I feel like most of us are just conditioned to work with right handed knives. I've grown to love the button/axis lock style for one handed ambi opening
@@angrydragonslayer it didn't even cross my mind. I'm so used to using right handed things with my left hand that I forget they they are not made for the way I figure out how to use them.
lefty here as well, just gotten so used to converting most motions between either hand that it didnt occur to me that there are even left or right handed knives
@@albasavlord8855 there's this new knife that was just invented... i believe they call it a "fixed blade knife".. works surprisingly well for lefties too..
@@albasavlord8855 being serious this time though.. after i wrote that i picked up my right handed flicker knife.. opened and closed it quite fast without even having tried it before.. the only difference was using my left thumb to push the locking mechanism up whilst folding back in the same way i do it right handed. takes me about one second more due to the fact that i press down the locking mechanism with the thumb nail instead of the fleshy part when using it right handed... ive also loosened the flicker screw a little so it springs out without having to flick it, because im lazy.
Guys. You don't miss in the Blade HQ videos. The BHQ videos miss YOU. You two,plus Jamie editting... Just awesome, original and unique content and a lot and lot of fun ! Thank you for your time and entertainment. :)
i definitely agree. blade hq took a major turn after everyone from the original crew left. it's just not the same at all. there's no true energy or enthusiasm.
@@christianmarshall6250 it's mostly just sales pitches now. Doesn't feel as genuine anymore. Hopefully George and Spencer can find their stride bit it's definitely not the same as it used it be.
I stopped watching after Zach left. Kurt with someone like Zach to keep him grounded was fun, but when Kurt was joined with that other dude, the quality just tanked.
Lefty here! While I would say 90% of life as a lefty is about adapting your dominant hand in unorthodox ways, I absolutely love the lock bar like the Benchmade Bugout has. Ambidextrous, flippable, closable with one hand, it is the chef's kiss for leftys. And it has double studs too!
I usually carry liner lock knives (usually because they're cheap and readily available at most auto parts stores), and I have had to explain how to close the blade to most coworkers when they ask to borrow my knife. My knives are also usually pretty dull from cutting cardboard/tape/plastic wrap all day, so I'm not too worried about someone hurting themselves. It's interesting to me that you guys saw the same thing across a wider group of people.
This was great! The idea behind this video was genius. It really did go to prove how much we in the knife community take for granted the things that make knives so great to us. Plus, Zac and Ben together were the perfect two guys to do this! This should become required watching for all knife enthusiasts. Also, I'm so glad Knafs is sponsoring this channel. It's a match "made in heaven" and I'm looking forward to what you all will do next.
More Zac and Ben content after just watching Ben's video on this same thing? YES PLEASE!!!! More Zac and Ben content for sure!! It's such a great combo of friends and hilariousness! Cannot wait to get the Micarta Banter
As a lefty, I love open carrying fixed blades. I don’t like pocket clips because of my left-handedness, they’re uncomfortable and never are manufactured for my usage. But, I like fixed blades.
Great video. I’m a lefty and glad to see I can get the Banter micarta with left hand pocket clip. You have restored my faith in left handed knife love.
Slip joint scars made me laugh. My Grandad gave me a Barlow when I was around 10-years old, and my mom was not sure if I was ready. It closed on my finger, and I kept it a secret for at least a day, but later she asked why my finger had something wrapped around it. I ended up in the emergency ward. I have this and many other scars from that Barlow, I wish I still had it.
If you haven't been bitten by a slip joint we aren't the same. I grew up (and still live) in the Appalachian mountains. It is positively a right of passage for a young boy to get his first slip joint. Usually a case xx, or maybe a German eye, or a hen and rooster. I have several nice clean scars from slip joints. It's literally what pushed me to locking knives because I got tired of cutting myself lol.
I've been cut plenty of ways but I've never been bit by a slip joint. Partly do to my preferance for locking knives and partly because I had heard enough stories to be wary as a kid.
I’m also a left handed user. I carry in right pocket, and open with either my left or right hand. When I’m done with the knife I can close liner lock with right hand, but with compression or axis locks, I close with either left of right hand. I regularly use a 940, Shaman, Sage 5 LW, or a Civivi Pintail.
I used to carry right. Open right and hand it off to the left hand. I built an Ambi AR15 and finally a rifle felt like it was mine and not borrowing someone’s. Since that I’ve moved to lefty knives. I do carry a couple right handed knives but that is addition to my lefty knife. Usually a lil cheaper user.
Lefty here! My favourite knife I own is my Mini-Grip with sheeps foot blade. Reversible clip and the axis lock is inherently ambidextrous. I can however manage most frame/liner locks with my left hand only, never tried a button lock knife, but looking at the one in this video I'm 99% sure I could open and close that lefty as well. Just takes a little extra work and is slightly more awkward. My biggest issue with knives and being a lefty is fixed blades and the extreme rarity of left hand compatible sheaths. Basically limited to the kydex multi-position type ones. Thanks for shouting us out, don't get asked what we think too often! 😂
Man it's so good together see you two making videos together, actually think it's better it's your own channel gives you creative control. Loved the video keep up the amazing work
I’m a left handed person. I own 2 truly left handed knives. A Kizer Gemini, and PM2, both awesome. Love the axis lock for being ambitious and will be buying a few more Benchmade knives soon. Great video!
love it :) I carried an otf for my daily for years. I think the best part about it, was how great of a conversation starter it was. plus gave me a chance to be a knife ambassador and debunk all the "switchblade" misunderstandings.
Zac, you had the most influence in me getting into knives. I would watch your video reviews and Ben's as well. I bought the Benchmade bugout because of you. You guys made the videos enjoyable and exciting.
This is true. I really used to watch the bladeHQ videos but much less these days. Loved the old videos like the one on boot knives, and of course presented by this crew plus "ham hands" Kurt. Love the fact that pretty much every personal knife of Zac's has been used (and probably abused)! 😄
I also think that the slip joint might be the most intuitive, but most dangerous. Probably safest and intuitive would be like a Byrd. The forward choil protects the fingers during the back lock release.
To piggyback on this, the UKPK and Urban are excellent intuitive knives to hand someone. One hand open and close, completely ambi, a forward choil for safety, and a solid friction lockup
You were 100% correct with the you spend 3 minutes fidgeting with an otf and you never want to go back. I bought my first otf like 10 years ago and have consistently kept 1 as my favorite knife.
I appreciate that your analysis of the results included questions about the order in which you presented the knives and that the first three knives may have conditioned people and made the others harder to find out.
LOVE THIS! So good to see you guys back together, please keep em coming! You've always been my go-to since I started collecting and EDCing, so If I lever learned anything, it all came from you. Always in debt, always a follower. Always the best to you and Ben!!
Lefty here! Yes, Chris Reeve has been amazing to us. Almost every model and version has a left handed option. I wish a few other companies would take notes. Hinderer has released a lefty xm18 and that’s nice too, but we only got one blade option and we probably won’t see anything new for a while. Vero is starting to look out for us. They released a lefty Axon a while ago and recently, Joseph Vero made a poll in a lefty edc group asking what we wanted next. We voted and the Synapse won. So that’s coming soon. Liong Mah has also released several lefty models. The Field Duty EDC, KUF 3.0 & 4.0, as well as a new model coming out soon. Demko has always been great for us. They are completely ambidextrous.
Something I never considered could be a problem was handing a button Auto to a lefty XD. My lefty friend opened it with his index and then understandably panicked as it tried to swing open against his palm.
This was a great watch and I enjoyed the video. My first knife was a liner lock and took me a good 13 minutes to figure out how to close it. It was a Gerber just like Zac. Thanks and keep up the great work fellas!
My wife keeps long nails, and her EDC is a Kershaw spring-assisted folder, along with a Folts Minimalist Clip Point fixed blade. We've spent hours in knife shops trying to find the perfect EDC for her. I'm thinking, since I got my Böker "Falcon" 2.0 OTF, that a double-action OTF will be perfect for her, maybe a smaller model, like the USB.
Hi Ben, Zac, Jamie! This video is so cool! You guys have to do more videos! Congratulations on Knafs sponsorship! It’s amazing to see there reactions on different knifes! I agree with you guys about which knife to hand out to a non knife person!
Funny story, this video remembered me, of: At the end of of my school career, I was at a technical school, were the emphasis was learning a well rounded mixture of different engineering and craftsmanship topics, like mechanical engineering, metallurgy, metal working and so on. One of the teachers was a mechanical engineer and metallurgist, that taught those topics. One day, he had a package on his desk, he wanted to open and asked us students, if one of us could lend a knife to him. I gave him my Buck 110 Folding Hunter. He opened it and cut the package open. Then he tried to close it, by pulling at the metal bar of the back lock and so on, and didn't manage to close it, for half a minute, or so. Thus he gave it back to me opened. So even some guys with degrees and extensive knowledge in mechanical engineering, metal processing, tool design, metallurgy, ... can't close such a simple knife immediately, if they never used one of this type before. Maybe it was in part, because the whole class of mechanical engineering pupils were watching him. I want to add, that he was one of the best teachers, maybe the best teacher, I ever had. Incredible at explaining complicated things, with an impeccable script. But he was a bit shy. On that basis, I would argue that in many such experiments, not the people with the highest technical knowledge and experience of the experiments topic do best, but the people with sufficient technical knowledge, but more importantly with a character of being comfortable around people they don't know. 25:34 "... I don't know, that there's actually any science here ..." Maybe. If you give knives with a locking mechanism to a lot of people on the streets, there will be some amongst them, that are somewhat uncomfortable with unknown people and thus a bit stressed. So if you find a mechanism, that all people operate reliably, after they initially figured it out, you found a design, that is at least decently usable under some stress. But to be sure, you probably need a bigger sample size.
I grew up around knives, obviously some newer mechanisms I didn’t, but lockbacks and slip joints have always been easy to me. Sometimes I forget that others don’t have that experience though and I commend y’all for getting out there and educating, especially hands on.
I worked for Walmart in the sporting goods department. I ran across more people who opened the knives with two hands than how knife people would normally. It is very interesting to see. Most people have no idea about the flipper on the knives.
Great episode! So awesome seeing all 3 of you guys together! Very interesting experiment and super-fun to watch. Keep up the great work. Hopefully see you all together again soon!
I’m 16 been watching knife videos for like 5 years and really started with you guys on blade hq my collection has expanded immensely first real knife I bought because of yall was a mini Bugout now I have cold steels spyderco knives Microtech more Benchmade’s a couple customs including hinder knives a couple chaves and about to get a Chris reeve
This is cool! I think back locks are probably some of the most unintuitive, simply because of how much strength is needed to actually close it. My old man has a back lock Spyderco knife that's over 10 years old at this point and I struggle to close that thing when I open it and I'm in my mid 20's.
As much as knife guys don't prefer the Elementum button lock, I think non knife folk would figure it out quick and have muscle memory built in for the close. Great subject guys!
Oh, that beginning hurt my insides. LOL Great video, I love the premise. And you guys are great, never get tired of your conversations. And congratulations on your first sponsor! (of many.) (PS, Ben didn't sound sure that you were going to "find a way" to fix the knives you had to ruin. PLEASE, if you don't fix them, don't throw them away! I'll buy them from you and use them practice putting an edge on a blade =)
Loved the video, I’m from the country(TN), but have lived in LA for about 14 years and have carried a knife in my pocket, even in elementary school since I was less than 10 years old. I have a version of every type of knife locking mechanism that you used in your study/video. My EDC is a ZT 0300, but sometimes carry a Benchmade or a Protech auto. I sometimes carry an OTF. If anyone ever asks if I have a knife they can use, I always show them how it opens and closes prior to handing it over to them, still half the time, that person will hand it back to me opened, telling me they weren’t sure how to close it. I’m gonna share this video with my buddies, who are all knife guys. Keep making great content, appreciate your work.
I think the colorway of the OTF also might have clued people in to the mechanism. The black switch stands out from the red frame, where I think some of the other mechanisms are a little more camouflaged (eg. black-on-black with the button lock). Also more Ben and Zac together please!
This is an interesting social experiment and could be a good series. Gotta throw in a hidden bolster lock like the Protech magic or some odd ball ones like the rotary lock on my old vintage Kershaw by Kia.
Great video guys, I wish you included a detail shot of each mechanism in action! It would make this video 1000% more interesting for non-knife people... Just subscribed, as I don't want to miss the video, where you handle sharp knives in long nails! :)
I agree. I own knives with at least five of these mechanisms and one they don't show here, but now I have to look up some of the others since they didn't show how they worked.
You kind of answered your own question on the two hands thing. Most of these innovations came in the 80's. I'm only 51, and I was an adult before I saw a locking mechanism on a folding knife. It was a back lock of course. So yes, for many people folding knives are a two handed thing because they were for the vast majority of time they have existed. That creates a subconscious imprint on a society of what the thing is. Prior to that one handed knives were either a switchblade (I loved mine: 1950s, pearl handle, curvy snake blade stiletto. Alas it was a knife you don't hand people and my best friend didn't hold it firmly enough. On opening it flew out of his had and smacked the wall right in the center of the back, cracking the tension spring. Kind of a leaf spring that ran along the entire back.) or an OTF knife.
Watched it again and I must say, for me one of the best videos you made. As a kinfe guy I had to laugh so hard but it is so heartwarming at the same time. It almost got "good documentary" character.
I miss Jamie's edits. Such a good editer/camera work. I miss the F out you guys being together and hope y'all continue to make great content like this. If I had money out my ass, I'd pay y'all just to provide amazing, and just simply royal content as this. I'll start playing the lottery. 🤞🤞
I have a feeling the 2 handed operation is a measure of safety for a potentially dangerous object that is unfamiliar. I hand my Auto Benchmade to people all the time and they fumble and use it 2 handed.
I remember a high school classmate once brought his cheapo spring assisted knife to school. He handed it to me during class, I already knew how it worked due to videos I used to watch, saw the flipper and flicked it out. He then told me to hand it back so he can close it. I gave it a quick look, saw it was a liner lock, closed it and handed it back. He genuinely gave me a second look after realizing I closed it, he looked surprised and impressed. I was the weirdo nerdy guy in HS, so I guess I didn't look like a knife person.
I didnt realise this was tough. Ive seen small children figure this out. Damn, are we becoming so dense, that simple tasks seem like award winning feats?
Super cool video! My wife isn't much into knives and the only knife she likes are opinel. She loves the slow opening. She grew up handling knives and it's the only type of opening mechanism she likes. Doesn't like slip joints either.
Lefty here. Harbor Freight Gordon Pocket Knife, 3.6" Drop Point, double thumb open, liner lock and you can put the clip on in all 4 directions. Been using it as my EDC for years. Love it!
P.S. it is 9 dollars, works even when full of dirt and or saw dust and works as a combat knife, unlike many of the knives here. They are not paying me to say this!
Just saw this video. I have at least one of every type of those knives, plus others... I'm also a lefty. One thing that drives me crazy though is that a REAL lefty actually still carries a "right" hand knife because we use our left for our main "defense" so left handed knives are not really needed. Love this video guys! What a fun idea!
Lefty here, my favorite knife is the Case XX Sod Buster, Buck 110, 110 Auto and 112. I like the automatics, prefer drop point, coming around to tanto blades, and while not buy a serrated blades. As for fixed blades, Tomita Hori Garden knife, Buck 119, 120 and 113. My grandfather got me into Old Timer 80TY and Case XX WR. He chewed tobacco and used the short stout blade to cut off a chunk from the plug. I all ways cut with my left.
For years my EDC was a peck , tiny little thing and I really enjoyed watching people try to figure it out. A friend (my pastor ) just loved it so I gave it to him.
So DOPE seeing the three of you in a video again! Not only is it nostalgic, but an awesome premise too. The whole "dont hand people these knives, and heres why" always seemed a bit hyperbolic/knife snob-ish to me. Way to flip it in a productive manner
Lefty here. As a former LEO, I always carried edged weapons on my right side/right pocket carry. For non knife/firearms carrying folk, they're carried on my off side in the off chance someone attempts to gain control of my firearm. Obviously it gives you a way to maintain control while arming yourself, gaining distance etc. Even so, I never buy a folder (or OTF etc) that doesn't have a reversible pocket clip as well as it being made for tip up carry. Knives regularly carried: Warren Thomas folders w/thumb studs, flippers & Spyderco style hole openers. Terzuola ATCF's. Emerson Wave Assisted folders. Microtech OTF's & Side Openers.
I'm left handed but I've just grown so accustomed to all my knives being right hand centric that I simply adapted. Even the little bit of balisong flipping I practice, I practice right handed. It's just how I learn my knives. Flippers, or even thumb studs and "spydey holes" that can be opened with either hand have liner or frame locks much of the time and most I have seen are usually right hand close.
I'm a lefty and the best knife I've bought has been the swiss army model 2008 knife. It's a liner lock with the lock button in line with the left thumb. Makes for easy closing with one hand.
Keep in mind about the last knife, people will see the opening/closing action in a similar way to a box knife, see that it was spring loaded one way, and that the action doesn't travel the length of the handle like a box knife, and assume the action doesn't have the right kind of mechanism to close it. It's really a genius way to design the knife, but one that is not the type of thing most people think is possible.
My first ever knife that I got had a liner lock, took a month or two to get comfortable with the fact that I was literally millimeters away from lobbing my fingers off (I made it razor sharp) and the fact I had to put my fingers in the way of the knife. Probably not the best starting knife but damn it felt cool flipping it open.
I've got a Gerber utility knife (worlds best looking utility knife) and every time I hand it to someone, they open it, use it, fumble for a bit trying to close it and then hand it back open. It works like what you call a lighter lock.
I would think button lock over a cross bar lock. I’ve handed knives with a crossbar lock to people thinking it was really intuitive and they try to press it like a button lock. Button lock is the most intuitive locking mechanism for a non knife person imo. Definitely think people struggle the most with a liner lock/frame lock in my experience. Great video guys.
Leftie here! My two favorite southpaw-friendly knives are the Buck Marksman (Grey Ghost version) and the PM2 Left-Handed. I like unique locks and the fact that neither of these knives have compromised right-handed features. Cool video!
The other thing to remember is that when you get a new anything, the first thing you do is study it and do motions slowly to ensure you do it right. It’s why I literally practice flipping and closing knives when I get them to build that memory into my mind that this operates like this 😅 cause you don’t nessecarily know how it functions until you figure it out (sometimes it’s a quick process like most knives, other times it’s not like learning a new gun manufacturer)
Exactly, I would use two hands on any knife long enough to move everything that moves. Then if it seems like it's supposed to swing out, I'd try to do something fancier. I mean it's just human instinct to constrain an unknown mechanical object in order to keep from losing control and to study it's movements. Especially an expensive mechanical object that someone lends you, and is currently watching you intently as you handle it.
@@somethingelse4424 one thing I noticed with these that made me apprehensive (especially with the autos) was they allowed people to look at them way to close. Imagine the one girl who was looking at the ejection slit up close happens to open it by accident and hit her eye. A few safety precautions should have been taken on those, because as we have said, people like to study and learn the new mechanism but don’t understand the inherent risk of them either
South paw here. My favorite edc knife to date is a kershaw oblivion. I beet the everliving bejesus out of this knife as a mechanic and in the ag industry. Excellent fit for what I do.
Generally, if you are handing someone a knife to use immediately, it is best to just open it for them. This is especially good if they are not knife people. Then they usually don't even try to close it, so it doesn't matter how that knife closes. I have carried a knife every day since I was five. Seeing so many people who don't know how those knives operate seems odd but if the only knives you have any experience with are in your kitchen I can somewhat see why it might take you a moment to figure them out.
I stopped carrying liner locks in situations where i would be likely to need to lend my knife, IE gift giving occasions. Totally agree, people just don't get that one even though the mechanism is fully visible. I also would have loved to hear their professions to see if that influenced their ability to think about how the mechs worked.
Favorite left handed knife is my CRK Umnumzaan or Protech SBR. That being said I have been so excited that axis style locks are available for all manufacturers now. My wife and I are both left handed and most of our collection are Benchmade just for the fact that we could use them left handed without having to specially look for them
Yesssss! First sponsor! We're honored. Stoked. Let's do it again, eh?
You guys are the best! More soon!🤘
You 2 coming together in videos gives me the warm and fuzzies! It just feels right !!
@@zacinthewild why do you have to do that to a shaman
What color fingernails are you choosing? :P
Congrats! KNAFS is a impressive first!
Hey! This is Emily from the video! This was an amazing experience for me and I love the video! I never really wear nails a lot, but this was definitely hard to do with them on. I’m not a big knife person, so it was interesting to find so many different ways knives open! You guys are so awesome and keep doing what your doing! I would love to see you guys put on some stick on nails to do an experimental video lol! So nice to have met you guys!!!
Welcome to the knife world! It’s a fun place 😂
@@timb8098 Also expensive...
Challenge MUST be accepted!!
I laughed but you did amazing!
Great video idea, I hope they listen
I think one of the overlooked considerations is, these aren't their knifes. So they want to show you how careful they are being with your property which may explain the 2 hand open/close. Sometimes snapping someone else's knife open or closed feels like you are dry firing someone's gun.
You’re completely right that’s why it was happening idk why they question it
I mean I know knifes but when I put my hands on a new knife I always open two hand first too get a feel for how the knife is. Sometimes they may be pretty stiff and you need to really flick it or it could be incredibly smooth and need not much of anything. So I think a majority of people will always open a pocket knife with two hands the first time they are handling it as it's the safer way to do it
I was half-way through typing my comment when I saw yours.... which was almost verbatim lol :D - I have tons of experience with all kinds of weapons... but if someone brought and entire rack of knives over to me to inspect... I'd handle it much the same way. Two handed, or slow going.
Another consideration is; "Inspection factor". These were showcased and handed over as if the person was supposed to inspect them and check them out (which they might have been doing any way)... Now: If they had handed the knives and said "OPEN THESE AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" then you might have seen more one handed, or flick-open attempts
Something else is that almost everyone knows knives=dangerous, so there's a baked-in "let's be careful with this" whenever handling a new knife. Especially people who aren't used to folding/sliding knives like these.
Yep , very good point - that how we were told to do it ?! Be careful with the other boys toys 👍🏻
I bought my friend a liner lock knife for their 18th birthday. They apparently opened the knife, never figured out how to close it, and put it in a drawer open. Years later I visited them and watched them open the drawer and pull out the open knife to open a box, then put it away. I asked them why they didn’t close the knife and they said it “doesn’t close.” They lost their mind when I closed it for them.
Lmao I guess u should have showed them how to use it 😂💀
Oh no.. lol!!
And you trust someone like that, with a knife, you are a brave man😅
Well... I should say that the same happened to me (openned once a knife and thought it was broken and not possible to close back, then put in a drawer for years...) BUT the shameful part is that I am a knife guy :D and a pretty commited one, I had several dozen of knife in my life. But it was a stiletto knife and theses are just incredibly hard to "guess" how to close them.
That’s hilarious. My dad is a pretty handy guy. He’s built decks, patios, drywall work, little plumbing, remodeling, general construction. I’ve handed him a liner lock knife a few times now and just says “it doesn’t close” and grabs his husky lock back utility knife. 😂 😂
I have handled knives since I was maybe 5 years old, but dont consider myself a knife guy. All these standard locking mechanisms just make sense to me and are pretty obvious. Never would have thought that my understanding of these is actually a learned behaviour, always felt kinda natural to me. Thanks for teaching people about this topic!
same, I handed my 70+ yr old mother a liner lock/back flipper, she looked at me like "wtf is this ??" it has a thumb groove so she got it open, wasn't until about her 5th time using it that she understood the lock
Yeah now that I think about it it's shocking there are people going through life without having to physically handle things.
I would say even for someone who is mechanically inclined, the expectation for a spring loaded contraption is that it will only spring in one direction and that you will have to apply force against the spring in some way to reverse the action. Devices that spring both ways are definitely the exception, not the rule.
Im one of Cheryl's daughters "the rad mom" and it was very amusing to watch her open these knifes 😂 (I honestly wanted my brother to stop helping so it would be a little bit more funny)
Your mom is a champ! Please send her our thanks. She was awesome.
Lol, your mom was awesome!
I will literally pay money to have the two of you to get manicures with long nails to try this $10 each with your names on it. This may be one of the most interesting videos on knives I have seen in years!
🤣🤣
I second this. Thirds?
I will Third the motion
N4ths? We need to keep this going. The people have spoken, dammit!
Lifelong long nails here, never had a problem :V smaller flippers suck tho!
I think one reason why people where quicker to figure out the OTF knife is that the action is similar to what you get with a box cutter. You hold it the same way and you extend and retract the blade the same way. Love the video, hope to see more.
Guys the reason everyone is using two hands, that most cheap folders are so stiff they require two hands. The cheap stuff is all most people have used.
The guys describing Emily: "I was so worried about her beautiful nails, she was a champion, she was so excited, she was very nice and respectful"
The guys describing a fan: "Yeah, he was a cool guy I guess."
In my experience, most people that hand back a liner lock have tried a few ways and would get it with looking at it but think "this is someone elses property and I don't want to damage it or mess it up, hand it back". I usually encourage them to give it a second try and tell them not to worry its a knife, and they get it fairly quick. The learning curve is that they don't want to experiment on someone else property, without permission.
My father's "formal" knife (the one he carries when he dresses up to go to weddings etc.) has a liner lock and when someone shows interest in it, he likes to hand it to them. I've seen quite a few people concerned that they would cut fingers or break the knife after learning how it closed until my father would demonstrate it to them and hand it back for them to try.
Honestly a liner lock is my edc and if I haven't used my knife in a couple weeks I sometimes forget.
@@trs4184 I don't carry an edc anymore because I work with special needs kids, some of which are kleptos, (I've had pens taken from my pocket unnoticed, so I sure as hell don't want a knife taken out of my pocket unnoticed) so I sometimes need to inspect my knives to remember how they work. I'm more interested in strange mechanisms than quality, so I tend not to have anything that opens intuitively.,
unlike a back lock, you can actually see the lock mechanism with a liner or frame lock. it should be intuitive, but without a longer look like you say, people are just befuddled.
Plus cheap liner locks break if you look at them wrong.
Great to see Ben and Zac back together, we need more of this.
More coming…if people watch😁🤘
1000% Agree
Agreed, always good when these two get together
Totally agree! 100%!!!
@@zacinthewild we're definitely watching!
If you guys don’t get Maria a Banter or button lock knife😂 I feel like with time she would totally be into the knife scene, she had a natural curiosity. Great video guys! Love when you and Ben are on camera together 🔪🙌🏻
They should send her a few! 👍
As a non-knife person I learned a lot from this video!
I remember once when I was handed a closed liner lock knife, and I couldn't figure out how to close it because I didn't think to look into the handle from the right perspective. The thing is, if I didn't have the guy I lent it from right there I probably would've spent more time with it before asking him how to close it. I guess having the option to take the easy way out made me less motivated to try figuring it out myself. Props to him though for telling me how to do it instead of just doing it himself.
I think there's another thing to the two handed closing pattern you saw; it's a tool they're unfamiliar with so they in part want keep it slow so they don't cut themselves if it turns out to be spring loaded (like you said they handle the knives as if they were sharp), and in part to study the mechanism as it closes.
It sounds silly but the curious caution with new sharp things is probably why most people go through their entire lives with all fingers still attached. :)
This is such a fun video. I’m an old lady with a little knowledge about knives, learned the hard way, scars to prove it. I loved watching folks learn about knives. I think you performed a great public service! Awesome.
We need more old ladies with knives! Good stuff. 🙌🙌
Fantastic video! Sometimes I feel guilty for ‘judging’ someone’s ability to handle my knives before handing them one, but my knives are always sharp (people aren’t always) and I honestly don’t want anyone to get hurt! I’ve come to expect a cautious 2-handed approach, but I sure do get a kick out of someone who knows exactly how to handle and deploy with one hand... I get goosebumps when they comment on the action and the cutting performance! Did I just make a friend? 🤣 ❤️
Did we just become best friends?!
With a frame lock (sebenza) right-handed, I made too many edge contact, to ever consider it safe when scary sharp, where left is ok.
Ben, Zac and Jamie...the world is right again. Do more of these please and continue to bring peace and order to the galaxy.
This man stole my comment ...... The on screen chemistry between you two clearly comes from the time spent together and its still probably the most entertaining chemistry in all of the knife community
I've carried a knife since I was like 9?? I still have my first knife. It's strange to me that people don't intuitively know how to open mechanical objects. If I can hold something My brain goes oh okay cool it does this by doing that. This was a cool experiment guys. Love the Chanel
I felt the same way watching while we were filming. I love seeing beginners do things I’m proficient at because it always teaches me something.
I got the same little chines knife from when i was 7 and its still a edc for my fifth pocket
I feel the same way. I HAVE to know how something works mechanically if I'm going to use it. I feel like I'm a little tistic cuz of it sometimes 😂
I still have my first knife, I got it ithink around 12 or so.
Also grew up with knives. Bought my first linerlock for myself. Same for axis lock. I just sort of always intuitively knew how to work them after holding it for a second. Wonder how much that comes from being used to using other kinds of knives.
I love front flippers and I've yet to meet someone who flips it. Even people who use knives regularly. Fortunately my most common carry is a Pena so it's got the traditional look and people just two hand it.
A fun game I have been able to play a few times in the past, is trying to explain to someone who is not familiar with them, how to close a backlock knife without actually showing them. It's a remarkable challenge in effective communication; because in your head, the answer is to simply "push the thing and it will let you close it," but trying to describe what that means, with words alone, quickly shows you the very real limitations of natural language.
It's amazing to see you and Ben in a video together again. Old school banter vibes for sure.
I'm a lefty and I feel like most of us are just conditioned to work with right handed knives. I've grown to love the button/axis lock style for one handed ambi opening
.... I forgot my knife is meant for righties
@@angrydragonslayer it didn't even cross my mind. I'm so used to using right handed things with my left hand that I forget they they are not made for the way I figure out how to use them.
lefty here as well, just gotten so used to converting most motions between either hand that it didnt occur to me that there are even left or right handed knives
@@albasavlord8855 there's this new knife that was just invented... i believe they call it a "fixed blade knife".. works surprisingly well for lefties too..
@@albasavlord8855 being serious this time though.. after i wrote that i picked up my right handed flicker knife.. opened and closed it quite fast without even having tried it before.. the only difference was using my left thumb to push the locking mechanism up whilst folding back in the same way i do it right handed.
takes me about one second more due to the fact that i press down the locking mechanism with the thumb nail instead of the fleshy part when using it right handed... ive also loosened the flicker screw a little so it springs out without having to flick it, because im lazy.
Guys. You don't miss in the Blade HQ videos. The BHQ videos miss YOU.
You two,plus Jamie editting...
Just awesome, original and unique content and a lot and lot of fun !
Thank you for your time and entertainment. :)
🙏
i definitely agree. blade hq took a major turn after everyone from the original crew left. it's just not the same at all. there's no true energy or enthusiasm.
@@christianmarshall6250 it's mostly just sales pitches now. Doesn't feel as genuine anymore. Hopefully George and Spencer can find their stride bit it's definitely not the same as it used it be.
I stopped watching after Zach left. Kurt with someone like Zach to keep him grounded was fun, but when Kurt was joined with that other dude, the quality just tanked.
Give the people what they want - a loud and resounding “yes” to the fake nails video! It would give “Ben blue” a whole new meaning!!
It would have to be!🤣
Lefty here! While I would say 90% of life as a lefty is about adapting your dominant hand in unorthodox ways, I absolutely love the lock bar like the Benchmade Bugout has. Ambidextrous, flippable, closable with one hand, it is the chef's kiss for leftys. And it has double studs too!
I usually carry liner lock knives (usually because they're cheap and readily available at most auto parts stores), and I have had to explain how to close the blade to most coworkers when they ask to borrow my knife. My knives are also usually pretty dull from cutting cardboard/tape/plastic wrap all day, so I'm not too worried about someone hurting themselves. It's interesting to me that you guys saw the same thing across a wider group of people.
This video is pure gold! Thanks for the entertainment gents 🤘🏼
Thanks for tuning in!👊
This was great! The idea behind this video was genius. It really did go to prove how much we in the knife community take for granted the things that make knives so great to us. Plus, Zac and Ben together were the perfect two guys to do this! This should become required watching for all knife enthusiasts.
Also, I'm so glad Knafs is sponsoring this channel. It's a match "made in heaven" and I'm looking forward to what you all will do next.
More Zac and Ben content after just watching Ben's video on this same thing? YES PLEASE!!!!
More Zac and Ben content for sure!! It's such a great combo of friends and hilariousness!
Cannot wait to get the Micarta Banter
More inbound!
As a lefty, I love open carrying fixed blades. I don’t like pocket clips because of my left-handedness, they’re uncomfortable and never are manufactured for my usage. But, I like fixed blades.
Great video. I’m a lefty and glad to see I can get the Banter micarta with left hand pocket clip. You have restored my faith in left handed knife love.
Slip joint scars made me laugh. My Grandad gave me a Barlow when I was around 10-years old, and my mom was not sure if I was ready. It closed on my finger, and I kept it a secret for at least a day, but later she asked why my finger had something wrapped around it. I ended up in the emergency ward. I have this and many other scars from that Barlow, I wish I still had it.
It’s a right of passage for sure!
If you haven't been bitten by a slip joint we aren't the same. I grew up (and still live) in the Appalachian mountains. It is positively a right of passage for a young boy to get his first slip joint. Usually a case xx, or maybe a German eye, or a hen and rooster. I have several nice clean scars from slip joints. It's literally what pushed me to locking knives because I got tired of cutting myself lol.
I should have had stitches. Never did. But the scar turned out great.
@@benbanters hahaha absolutely same. Nice clean scar.
I've been cut plenty of ways but I've never been bit by a slip joint. Partly do to my preferance for locking knives and partly because I had heard enough stories to be wary as a kid.
I’m also a left handed user. I carry in right pocket, and open with either my left or right hand. When I’m done with the knife I can close liner lock with right hand, but with compression or axis locks, I close with either left of right hand. I regularly use a 940, Shaman, Sage 5 LW, or a Civivi Pintail.
As a lefty too my go tos are the lefty PM2 and a Griptilian.
I used to carry right. Open right and hand it off to the left hand. I built an Ambi AR15 and finally a rifle felt like it was mine and not borrowing someone’s. Since that I’ve moved to lefty knives. I do carry a couple right handed knives but that is addition to my lefty knife. Usually a lil cheaper user.
This channel is head and shoulders above than the BHQ channel. Keep up the great work guys.
Lefty here! My favourite knife I own is my Mini-Grip with sheeps foot blade. Reversible clip and the axis lock is inherently ambidextrous. I can however manage most frame/liner locks with my left hand only, never tried a button lock knife, but looking at the one in this video I'm 99% sure I could open and close that lefty as well. Just takes a little extra work and is slightly more awkward.
My biggest issue with knives and being a lefty is fixed blades and the extreme rarity of left hand compatible sheaths. Basically limited to the kydex multi-position type ones.
Thanks for shouting us out, don't get asked what we think too often! 😂
Honestly love the concept of this video. I think a lot of us take our "expertise" for granted but most people don't understand. Great to teach others!
Man it's so good together see you two making videos together, actually think it's better it's your own channel gives you creative control. Loved the video keep up the amazing work
Glad you’re digging it!
So great to see the dynamic duo again. Hope it happens more.
I’m a left handed person. I own 2 truly left handed knives. A Kizer Gemini, and PM2, both awesome. Love the axis lock for being ambitious and will be buying a few more Benchmade knives soon. Great video!
👊🤘
Thanks for just going out and making knife stuff feel friendly to random regular folks.
love it :) I carried an otf for my daily for years. I think the best part about it, was how great of a conversation starter it was. plus gave me a chance to be a knife ambassador and debunk all the "switchblade" misunderstandings.
Great to see you, Jamie, and Ben making videos again! You should try to get Kurt on sometime.
Definitely going to get Ham Hands in soon!
Zac, you had the most influence in me getting into knives. I would watch your video reviews and Ben's as well. I bought the Benchmade bugout because of you. You guys made the videos enjoyable and exciting.
So glad to hear! Hope you dug the Bugout.
I think most of us could agree. Kurt as well. Mountain man hands
This is true. I really used to watch the bladeHQ videos but much less these days. Loved the old videos like the one on boot knives, and of course presented by this crew plus "ham hands" Kurt.
Love the fact that pretty much every personal knife of Zac's has been used (and probably abused)! 😄
@@bigg4089 I though it was ham hsnds but all I kept thinking about was frank and his rum ham from its always sunny in Philadelphia.
I also think that the slip joint might be the most intuitive, but most dangerous. Probably safest and intuitive would be like a Byrd. The forward choil protects the fingers during the back lock release.
To piggyback on this, the UKPK and Urban are excellent intuitive knives to hand someone. One hand open and close, completely ambi, a forward choil for safety, and a solid friction lockup
You were 100% correct with the you spend 3 minutes fidgeting with an otf and you never want to go back. I bought my first otf like 10 years ago and have consistently kept 1 as my favorite knife.
I appreciate that your analysis of the results included questions about the order in which you presented the knives and that the first three knives may have conditioned people and made the others harder to find out.
LOVE THIS! So good to see you guys back together, please keep em coming! You've always been my go-to since I started collecting and EDCing, so If I lever learned anything, it all came from you. Always in debt, always a follower. Always the best to you and Ben!!
Lefty here!
Yes, Chris Reeve has been amazing to us. Almost every model and version has a left handed option. I wish a few other companies would take notes.
Hinderer has released a lefty xm18 and that’s nice too, but we only got one blade option and we probably won’t see anything new for a while.
Vero is starting to look out for us. They released a lefty Axon a while ago and recently, Joseph Vero made a poll in a lefty edc group asking what we wanted next. We voted and the Synapse won. So that’s coming soon.
Liong Mah has also released several lefty models. The Field Duty EDC, KUF 3.0 & 4.0, as well as a new model coming out soon.
Demko has always been great for us. They are completely ambidextrous.
Something I never considered could be a problem was handing a button Auto to a lefty XD. My lefty friend opened it with his index and then understandably panicked as it tried to swing open against his palm.
This was a great watch and I enjoyed the video. My first knife was a liner lock and took me a good 13 minutes to figure out how to close it. It was a Gerber just like Zac. Thanks and keep up the great work fellas!
Thanks for watching man👊
My wife keeps long nails, and her EDC is a Kershaw spring-assisted folder, along with a Folts Minimalist Clip Point fixed blade.
We've spent hours in knife shops trying to find the perfect EDC for her.
I'm thinking, since I got my Böker "Falcon" 2.0 OTF, that a double-action OTF will be perfect for her, maybe a smaller model, like the USB.
Yes, I am your people! That comment got me to subscribe. I've only seen the Sturgis video so far. Thanks for the content
Hi Ben, Zac, Jamie! This video is so cool! You guys have to do more videos! Congratulations on Knafs sponsorship!
It’s amazing to see there reactions on different knifes! I agree with you guys about which knife to hand out to a non knife person!
Like in good old times Zac and Ben together and Jamie of course) More of this guys! Cheers!)
🙏
Funny story, this video remembered me, of:
At the end of of my school career, I was at a technical school, were the emphasis was learning a well rounded mixture of different engineering and craftsmanship topics, like mechanical engineering, metallurgy, metal working and so on. One of the teachers was a mechanical engineer and metallurgist, that taught those topics. One day, he had a package on his desk, he wanted to open and asked us students, if one of us could lend a knife to him. I gave him my Buck 110 Folding Hunter. He opened it and cut the package open. Then he tried to close it, by pulling at the metal bar of the back lock and so on, and didn't manage to close it, for half a minute, or so. Thus he gave it back to me opened.
So even some guys with degrees and extensive knowledge in mechanical engineering, metal processing, tool design, metallurgy, ... can't close such a simple knife immediately, if they never used one of this type before. Maybe it was in part, because the whole class of mechanical engineering pupils were watching him.
I want to add, that he was one of the best teachers, maybe the best teacher, I ever had. Incredible at explaining complicated things, with an impeccable script. But he was a bit shy.
On that basis, I would argue that in many such experiments, not the people with the highest technical knowledge and experience of the experiments topic do best, but the people with sufficient technical knowledge, but more importantly with a character of being comfortable around people they don't know.
25:34 "... I don't know, that there's actually any science here ..." Maybe. If you give knives with a locking mechanism to a lot of people on the streets, there will be some amongst them, that are somewhat uncomfortable with unknown people and thus a bit stressed. So if you find a mechanism, that all people operate reliably, after they initially figured it out, you found a design, that is at least decently usable under some stress. But to be sure, you probably need a bigger sample size.
Great comment, thanks for the insight.
I grew up around knives, obviously some newer mechanisms I didn’t, but lockbacks and slip joints have always been easy to me. Sometimes I forget that others don’t have that experience though and I commend y’all for getting out there and educating, especially hands on.
I worked for Walmart in the sporting goods department. I ran across more people who opened the knives with two hands than how knife people would normally. It is very interesting to see. Most people have no idea about the flipper on the knives.
The dream team at it again! Love seeing the content!
Thanks man! It’s great to be seen!
Great episode! So awesome seeing all 3 of you guys together! Very interesting experiment and super-fun to watch. Keep up the great work. Hopefully see you all together again soon!
Such great content guys!! Love the science behind this! Lol… can’t wait to see what’s next with you guys. Congrats to the sponsor of Knafs!!!
I’m 16 been watching knife videos for like 5 years and really started with you guys on blade hq my collection has expanded immensely first real knife I bought because of yall was a mini Bugout now I have cold steels spyderco knives Microtech more Benchmade’s a couple customs including hinder knives a couple chaves and about to get a Chris reeve
Usually don't comment on any video's, but Zack and Ben back doing knife videos is super awesome. Great job 👍
This is cool! I think back locks are probably some of the most unintuitive, simply because of how much strength is needed to actually close it. My old man has a back lock Spyderco knife that's over 10 years old at this point and I struggle to close that thing when I open it and I'm in my mid 20's.
It probably needs a good cleaning, just pocket lint alone is enough to gum up locks on any knife
As much as knife guys don't prefer the Elementum button lock, I think non knife folk would figure it out quick and have muscle memory built in for the close. Great subject guys!
Thanks!
Oh, that beginning hurt my insides. LOL Great video, I love the premise. And you guys are great, never get tired of your conversations. And congratulations on your first sponsor! (of many.)
(PS, Ben didn't sound sure that you were going to "find a way" to fix the knives you had to ruin. PLEASE, if you don't fix them, don't throw them away! I'll buy them from you and use them practice putting an edge on a blade =)
Thank you so much! We definitely are going to fix them🤘
@@zacinthewild *Whew!* I figured you would; just making sure :) :)
this is great example on how different designs do different things and work better for different people
Loved the video, I’m from the country(TN), but have lived in LA for about 14 years and have carried a knife in my pocket, even in elementary school since I was less than 10 years old. I have a version of every type of knife locking mechanism that you used in your study/video. My EDC is a ZT 0300, but sometimes carry a Benchmade or a Protech auto. I sometimes carry an OTF. If anyone ever asks if I have a knife they can use, I always show them how it opens and closes prior to handing it over to them, still half the time, that person will hand it back to me opened, telling me they weren’t sure how to close it. I’m gonna share this video with my buddies, who are all knife guys. Keep making great content, appreciate your work.
I think the colorway of the OTF also might have clued people in to the mechanism. The black switch stands out from the red frame, where I think some of the other mechanisms are a little more camouflaged (eg. black-on-black with the button lock).
Also more Ben and Zac together please!
This is an interesting social experiment and could be a good series. Gotta throw in a hidden bolster lock like the Protech magic or some odd ball ones like the rotary lock on my old vintage Kershaw by Kia.
I struggled with that one just a few years ago🤣
A CRKT folding karambit could also be entertaining.
Great video guys,
I wish you included a detail shot of each mechanism in action!
It would make this video 1000% more interesting for non-knife people...
Just subscribed, as I don't want to miss the video, where you handle sharp knives in long nails! :)
I agree. I own knives with at least five of these mechanisms and one they don't show here, but now I have to look up some of the others since they didn't show how they worked.
You kind of answered your own question on the two hands thing. Most of these innovations came in the 80's. I'm only 51, and I was an adult before I saw a locking mechanism on a folding knife. It was a back lock of course. So yes, for many people folding knives are a two handed thing because they were for the vast majority of time they have existed. That creates a subconscious imprint on a society of what the thing is. Prior to that one handed knives were either a switchblade (I loved mine: 1950s, pearl handle, curvy snake blade stiletto. Alas it was a knife you don't hand people and my best friend didn't hold it firmly enough. On opening it flew out of his had and smacked the wall right in the center of the back, cracking the tension spring. Kind of a leaf spring that ran along the entire back.) or an OTF knife.
Watched it again and I must say, for me one of the best videos you made. As a kinfe guy I had to laugh so hard but it is so heartwarming at the same time. It almost got "good documentary" character.
I miss Jamie's edits. Such a good editer/camera work. I miss the F out you guys being together and hope y'all continue to make great content like this. If I had money out my ass, I'd pay y'all just to provide amazing, and just simply royal content as this. I'll start playing the lottery. 🤞🤞
🤞🤞🤞
I miss Jamie’s awkwardness
I have a feeling the 2 handed operation is a measure of safety for a potentially dangerous object that is unfamiliar. I hand my Auto Benchmade to people all the time and they fumble and use it 2 handed.
Lol... my wife wished my beard was your length 😄
Is yours longer or shorter?
@@zacinthewild Longer
I remember a high school classmate once brought his cheapo spring assisted knife to school.
He handed it to me during class, I already knew how it worked due to videos I used to watch, saw the flipper and flicked it out. He then told me to hand it back so he can close it. I gave it a quick look, saw it was a liner lock, closed it and handed it back.
He genuinely gave me a second look after realizing I closed it, he looked surprised and impressed. I was the weirdo nerdy guy in HS, so I guess I didn't look like a knife person.
This video is older but I’m watching all joy current videos and such a fan!! Keep them coming! Love your channel!! 👍👍👍
I didnt realise this was tough. Ive seen small children figure this out. Damn, are we becoming so dense, that simple tasks seem like award winning feats?
Super cool video! My wife isn't much into knives and the only knife she likes are opinel. She loves the slow opening. She grew up handling knives and it's the only type of opening mechanism she likes. Doesn't like slip joints either.
Lefty here. Harbor Freight Gordon Pocket Knife, 3.6" Drop Point, double thumb open, liner lock and you can put the clip on in all 4 directions. Been using it as my EDC for years. Love it!
P.S. it is 9 dollars, works even when full of dirt and or saw dust and works as a combat knife, unlike many of the knives here. They are not paying me to say this!
Just saw this video. I have at least one of every type of those knives, plus others... I'm also a lefty. One thing that drives me crazy though is that a REAL lefty actually still carries a "right" hand knife because we use our left for our main "defense" so left handed knives are not really needed. Love this video guys! What a fun idea!
Lefty here, my favorite knife is the Case XX Sod Buster, Buck 110, 110 Auto and 112. I like the automatics, prefer drop point, coming around to tanto blades, and while not buy a serrated blades. As for fixed blades, Tomita Hori Garden knife, Buck 119, 120 and 113. My grandfather got me into Old Timer 80TY and Case XX WR. He chewed tobacco and used the short stout blade to cut off a chunk from the plug. I all ways cut with my left.
For years my EDC was a peck , tiny little thing and I really enjoyed watching people try to figure it out. A friend (my pastor ) just loved it so I gave it to him.
I have been carrying a Milwaukee fastback for years, love the sound it makes when you give it a flick
So DOPE seeing the three of you in a video again! Not only is it nostalgic, but an awesome premise too. The whole "dont hand people these knives, and heres why" always seemed a bit hyperbolic/knife snob-ish to me. Way to flip it in a productive manner
Left reporting in! Former chef and someone with a LOVE of blades. I currently run a CRKT - Provoke! I've learned adapting is my best option.
Lefty here.
As a former LEO, I always carried edged weapons on my right side/right pocket carry. For non knife/firearms carrying folk, they're carried on my off side in the off chance someone attempts to gain control of my firearm. Obviously it gives you a way to maintain control while arming yourself, gaining distance etc.
Even so, I never buy a folder (or OTF etc) that doesn't have a reversible pocket clip as well as it being made for tip up carry.
Knives regularly carried: Warren Thomas folders w/thumb studs, flippers & Spyderco style hole openers.
Terzuola ATCF's.
Emerson Wave Assisted folders.
Microtech OTF's & Side Openers.
I'm left handed but I've just grown so accustomed to all my knives being right hand centric that I simply adapted. Even the little bit of balisong flipping I practice, I practice right handed. It's just how I learn my knives. Flippers, or even thumb studs and "spydey holes" that can be opened with either hand have liner or frame locks much of the time and most I have seen are usually right hand close.
I'm a lefty and the best knife I've bought has been the swiss army model 2008 knife. It's a liner lock with the lock button in line with the left thumb. Makes for easy closing with one hand.
Keep in mind about the last knife, people will see the opening/closing action in a similar way to a box knife, see that it was spring loaded one way, and that the action doesn't travel the length of the handle like a box knife, and assume the action doesn't have the right kind of mechanism to close it. It's really a genius way to design the knife, but one that is not the type of thing most people think is possible.
South paw here, I love the Spyderco paramilitary 2. I also have to say the liner lock being on the spine of the knife is a genius feature.
My first ever knife that I got had a liner lock, took a month or two to get comfortable with the fact that I was literally millimeters away from lobbing my fingers off (I made it razor sharp) and the fact I had to put my fingers in the way of the knife. Probably not the best starting knife but damn it felt cool flipping it open.
I missed seeing you guys together talking about knifes! You guys are truly a dynamic duo!
I've got a Gerber utility knife (worlds best looking utility knife) and every time I hand it to someone, they open it, use it, fumble for a bit trying to close it and then hand it back open.
It works like what you call a lighter lock.
I would think button lock over a cross bar lock. I’ve handed knives with a crossbar lock to people thinking it was really intuitive and they try to press it like a button lock. Button lock is the most intuitive locking mechanism for a non knife person imo. Definitely think people struggle the most with a liner lock/frame lock in my experience. Great video guys.
Leftie here! My two favorite southpaw-friendly knives are the Buck Marksman (Grey Ghost version) and the PM2 Left-Handed. I like unique locks and the fact that neither of these knives have compromised right-handed features. Cool video!
The other thing to remember is that when you get a new anything, the first thing you do is study it and do motions slowly to ensure you do it right. It’s why I literally practice flipping and closing knives when I get them to build that memory into my mind that this operates like this 😅 cause you don’t nessecarily know how it functions until you figure it out (sometimes it’s a quick process like most knives, other times it’s not like learning a new gun manufacturer)
Exactly, I would use two hands on any knife long enough to move everything that moves. Then if it seems like it's supposed to swing out, I'd try to do something fancier. I mean it's just human instinct to constrain an unknown mechanical object in order to keep from losing control and to study it's movements. Especially an expensive mechanical object that someone lends you, and is currently watching you intently as you handle it.
@@somethingelse4424 one thing I noticed with these that made me apprehensive (especially with the autos) was they allowed people to look at them way to close. Imagine the one girl who was looking at the ejection slit up close happens to open it by accident and hit her eye. A few safety precautions should have been taken on those, because as we have said, people like to study and learn the new mechanism but don’t understand the inherent risk of them either
South paw here. My favorite edc knife to date is a kershaw oblivion. I beet the everliving bejesus out of this knife as a mechanic and in the ag industry. Excellent fit for what I do.
Generally, if you are handing someone a knife to use immediately, it is best to just open it for them. This is especially good if they are not knife people. Then they usually don't even try to close it, so it doesn't matter how that knife closes. I have carried a knife every day since I was five. Seeing so many people who don't know how those knives operate seems odd but if the only knives you have any experience with are in your kitchen I can somewhat see why it might take you a moment to figure them out.
This was a refreshing sight. Missed the old knife banter setup you guys had back in the day
I stopped carrying liner locks in situations where i would be likely to need to lend my knife, IE gift giving occasions. Totally agree, people just don't get that one even though the mechanism is fully visible. I also would have loved to hear their professions to see if that influenced their ability to think about how the mechs worked.
Favorite left handed knife is my CRK Umnumzaan or Protech SBR. That being said I have been so excited that axis style locks are available for all manufacturers now. My wife and I are both left handed and most of our collection are Benchmade just for the fact that we could use them left handed without having to specially look for them