Back in the day, twice in mountain bike crashes after the yard sale was over, I found my pocket knife locked open next to me. I started to pick in inside something. A bad day could of been much worst but really they always can.
Same here. I like the CRKT knives with the full crossguard....works like a waved opener.
Such as:
https://www.amazon.com/Special-Foldi...words=crkt+m16
"It's surprising how often you start wondering just how featureless a desert some people's inner landscapes must be."
-Maple Syrup Actual
I learned this the hard way.
I thought my newly-back-from-Lifesharp Benchmade Mini-Grip clip was mounted wrong. Swapped the clip and went to Lowe’s.
Reached in to get my keys out, and had a feeling like an electric shock in my fingertips.
Pro-Tip: Having a first aid kit with a buncha 2”x2” bandages in the door of the truck is a super good idea.
I didn’t need any stitches but it left a fairly nasty reminder.
I had a similar experience with a Benchmade Griptilian in D2 tool steel. My fault for carrying it appropriately. Cut my thumb into a bloody mess. I should have got stitches but I used bandages and copious amounts of duct tape.
Regarding knifes that lock shut, I had a SOG that would lock in the closed position. But the lock would self-activate in the pocket and then I couldn't get it open easily.
Now I just carry tip up, with the blade against the back of my pocket, as BillSWPA described.
Last edited by Mark D; 11-24-2018 at 01:25 AM.
If legal to carry where you live, a properly designed latch equipped balisong (butterfly) knife locks open and closed. The Benchmade 51 Morpho is more or less the gold standard for a carry balisong.
I've actually got the safety on my Leek disabled 99% of the time, since I, too, carry it tip up with the spine of the blade against the back edge of a pocket so it can't open. (Just put it in the "safety off" position and tighten the screw down a bit and it won't move into the "safety on" position.) However, when I put it in a checked bag the last time I flew, I re-enabled it so that I could ensure it wouldn't open and stab stuff in transit. Even though I don't use it most of the time, the safety was a nice feature to have for that purpose.
There are too many modern folders, in my opinion, that are way too prone to accidentally open. Most of them are liner locks. I've got a scar on my left palm from an Emerson that opened inadvertently. As several others have mentioned, carrying with a clip in the tip down configuration will prevent you getting stuck if it ever did open inadvertently.
That said, moving away from the Walker liner lock (and to a bit lesser extent the Reeve Integral Frame Lock) to lock-backs would help your problem without having a lock in the closed position. Lock-back knives tend to put more pressure on the blade in the closed position requiring more effort to open. They also benefit from being more bomb-proof and longer lasting, in my experience.
More traditional knives such as slip joints and friction folders would also work well for you if you didn't want to use a pocket clip. Their stiff springs (or friction) and lightweight blades create a knife that won't open in your pocket. When's the last time you heard of someone complaining about a Swiss Army Knife opening inadvertently? You didn't because they don't.