Slipjoint

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A slipjoint knife is one of the most ubiquitous types of pocketknives.

A slipjoint knife consists of a handle with one or more folding blades. These blades are held in position by a strong "backspring" which biases them towards the open or closed position. Contrast this with the penny knife, which has no locking mechanism other than friction, or the lockback/"buck" knife which mechanically locks the blade with a lever.

[edit] Legal status

In several countries, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, pocketknives incorporating a locking system are not legal for public carry^{[citation needed]}. Thus, slipjoint knives are a viable alternative.

[edit] American slipjoint knife variants

The United States produced a massive array of slipjoint knife models from the mid-19th Century to the present day. The following is a list of representative models and their defining features:

Peanut -- a very small (3" or less) pocketknife, with a slightly irregular ovaloid shape resembling an elongated peanut. Generally with two blades of different sizes/profiles opening from the same end.