All About Pocket Knives

The current Blade Newsletter has a very interesting article on the subject of half-stops. Found out that AG Russell was firmly opposed to them. On the other hand Bill Ruple insists on having them. As I say, I found it a very interesting discussion. You might give it some thought and, if you care to, express your opinion here.

For myself, I favor half-stops especially if a blade has one of those alligator snap closures.

I'm a fan of half stops. No special reason why. I just like them.

I've gone back and forth over the years. First I preferred half stops. Then I didn't. Then I did again. Now I don't.

I don't let having the half stops or not affect my purchase.
If I like the knife, I buy it.
That said, if I had to choose between a knife with and a knife without, if they were identical in every other way, I'd probably take the one without the half stops.

TPK wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:21 pm I'm a fan of half stops. No special reason why. I just like them.

Me too! Offhand I can’t think of any reason not to like them. I’ve always found it curious why some knives having multiple blades have a mix of one or more blades with half-stop and the others without.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:42 pm

TPK wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:21 pm I'm a fan of half stops. No special reason why. I just like them.

Me too! Offhand I can’t think of any reason not to like them. I’ve always found it curious why some knives having multiple blades have a mix of one or more blades with half-stop and the others without.

Ken

I have a couple like that too. It's so that everybody likes them.

I like them.

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:39 pm I don't let having the half stops or not affect my purchase.
If I like the knife, I buy it.

Same with me. Presence or lack of half-stops has absolutely no bearing on my purchasing decisions.

Fan
John

I like half stops, yet none of my knives have them!

I’m a big fan of half stops.

I like the positive feel. As I collect old knives, they don't all come that way. I collect what I like either way.

I'll take half stops if I can get them, but like Ken said, I've got knives with "yay" & "nay" in the same frame.

I like half stops, especially on knives with lots'a snap. I think they are safer. Thanks
Bruce

Not a factor I do like a half stop that the blade is flush with the bolsters.

I prefer half stops . Especially on knives with really strong springs.
Froe

I like half stops foor sure. I often find they have great snap, and the look when closed where the blades are flush with the bolsters.

For most patterns, I generally prefer a half stop & I think a knife with more than one blade should be consistent, having half stops on all blades or none.

I have three knives which I would rank as my top three favorite user knives. One is a Case stockman without half stops. The other two are Boker and Canal Street congress knives and both have half stops on all four blades. Yes, I do like half stops.

I like half stops for a very good reason. You can play Russian Roulette with a knife with half stops vs one without in the one handed knife close challenge.

All kidding aside that is the reason I like half stops. I have a tendency to close my knives with one hand and have caught my fingers a few times on knives without them. I have to remember when I am closing them if the one I am closing has a half stop or not.

I was kind of ambivalent about half stops until I acquired two knives(one a Schleiper and the other a KA-BAR)that closed immediately after passing the half open position;both times inflicting injuries.I didn;t like half stops on early knives because I always had to use a knife opener to operate the blades.I have a Boker congress that should have a pair of pliers to open the blades they are so stiff. I think I would like to have one with rather than without.

I can take them or leave them.
I've never purchased a knife because it had half stops, but I have also never turned down a knife because it didn't have them.

ken98k wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:58 am I can take them or leave them.
I've never purchased a knife because it had half stops, but I have also never turned down a knife because it didn't have them.

+1 Exactly.

It does not affect my purchasing decisions, but I love 'em when I find a knife with half-stops!

hardman wrote: ↑Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:27 am I like half stops foor sure. I often find they have great snap.

My best snappers don't have half-stops. That could be because they're the largest in my collection.