Q&A for How to Close a Pocket Knife

See if you can find any visible blockages of the bar lock. If possible, try taking the knife apart to clean and maintain it, and perhaps that will show the blockage. Perhaps the knife just needs some oiling. If that's the case, again, make very sure no fingers are in the way, because it will close much smoother than you may be used to, putting your fingers at risk. Finally, if none of these work, take it to a knife shop.

It's actually much easier than you may think to close a knife without a lock. Start by holding the knife safely. Make sure your fingers aren't over the slot where the blade of the knife will go. Use a firm grip with the base of your palm and your thumb on one side and the pads of your fingers on the other. Then, hold the dull side of the blade with your thumb and fingers and slowly push the knife into the slot and make sure the sharp edge of the blade is secured in the slot completely. If you don't want to use your fingers, you can push the back of the blade against a solid surface to close it. That's it!

Some pocket knives use a button lock mechanism that keeps the blade open and locked into place, but they're actually pretty simple to close. Grip the knife on the top part of the hilt with your dominant hand. Make sure the bottoms of your fingers aren't wrapped around the hilt or you could cut yourself while closing it. Then, press down on the button and hold it down. If the button is difficult to push down, check inside the locking mechanism to see if there's a gunky buildup. If there is, try to blow it clear with your breath or use a small wire to clear it out. With the button held down, use your other hand to push the blade closed. Many button lock knives will hold the blade tight in place until it's pressed again, but make sure the blade isn't loose or will swing open on its own. Whenever you want to open the knife back up, simply press the button and pull the blade open.

A frame lock uses a portion of the outer casing to lock and secure the knife blade in place, so to close it, you need to unlock it first. First, find the part of the frame that's behind the blade on the underside of the hilt of the knife. Look for a small saw-toothed portion directly behind the blade. Hold the blade so the sharp side faces up. Move the locking mechanism so it isn't in contact with the blade. You'll notice the knife has less tension once you release the lock and the blade will become loose. Then, all you need to do is push the blade into the slot to close it. Just make sure you move your fingers and thumb out of the way so you don't accidentally cut yourself. Also, keep in mind that frame locks don't hold the blade closed, so be careful when you're carrying or using them so the blade doesn't open up.