Round hole and stud the best opener

[alancamby]

Obviously all of us are biased towards the round hole opener on this thread. What I was wanting to get an opinion on was Auto opener/switch blade (SB) vs other manual opening (stud, hole, Wave, spring assist, ect).


If all opening designs were legal, would you choose a SB or the manual opener.
Besides the cool factor and intimidating a attacker, I just don't see an advantage to a SB.
I responded with this in a thread on another forum about "Who uses a automatic for a EDC"

Originally Posted by alan camby
IMO the only thing switchblades have going for them is the Cool factor. If you want the most reliable knife, it is not a SB. To many moving parts to get sand, dirt, and pocket lint in. The safety is another thing that could fail.

If you want the fastest opening knife, it is not a SB, A Emerson waved knife can be opened before the knife leaves the pocket, and there is no safety to disengage while deploying.

More moving parts almost always means more weight. What is the lightest 3.5" bladed SB?

Never had a non-assist, Non SB fling open in my pocket. Hate to be out in the middle of nowhere, say deep in the woods, and my knife opens accidentally and cuts my hand or leg really bad, Or worse gets into my crotch.

I will admit SB's are cool and would love to have one to play with, but I think the biggest allure is that they are illegal in most areas of the US.

This is a reply I got

I own a dozen or more well made pocket knives, including the one posted by the OP. The Benchmade is one of the best made of the bunch. It doesn't accidently come open. There is also a slide switch to lock it closed. The belt clip can be reattached 180°. Until you've actually used the Benchmade, you don't know what you are talking about.

This knife can also be taken completely apart for cleaning and maintenance. How many other knives can you do this with?

[dbcad]

I believe it's an individual preference question :) Maybe a matter of "looking cool" as well.

I personally have no use for assisted and automatic openers for many of the reasons you cite. Also don't enjoy thumb studs. The hole is a much more elegant and attractive solution to the one handed opening challenge :) Different folks will have different opinions though

[Blerv]

This is more a topic for the restricted subforum but I'll bite.

Auto knives (and even assisted openers) add a degree of complexity. Often this means weight and a small chance for malfunction. Like a revolver opposed to an automatic pistol there is more to go wrong.

For a performance perspective people think it comes down to one thing: Speed. In times of duress the same stuff that makes you stronger, faster, and dulls pain (adrenalin) also makes your finer motor skills muddy, or at least fear has a tenancy to. Holding something and pressing a button takes the complication out of the equation. It's also retains a better grip as your thumb can stay mostly locked around the tool. It's way better than the thumbnail Youtube flick.

All of these are still MUCH slower and less reliable than pulling a fixed blade out of a properly designed sheath but those aren't up for debate. They are light, don't jam, and don't require actuation. In fact, when someone is trying to take off your head with a baseball bat it's the one draw most could actually accomplish.

[jnichols2]

I had part of my left thumb tip cut off. After healing, it's always been a bit tender. Thumb studs REALLY bother me, except for my assisted Kershaw blur.

I won't agree that Spydie Holes are attractive, but they sure work better than any thumb stud. And they don't hurt my thumb.

[zhyla]

All of these are still MUCH slower and less reliable than pulling a fixed blade out of a properly designed sheath

This. If your prime concern is deploying a knife under stress in a hurry then a fixed blade is what you want. Everything else is a compromise (though a necessary one, in my case at least).

[Stuart Ackerman]

Spyder Hole every time...
Can be opened with any digit in an emergency...

[mark408]

I have several of every type....i carry what i feel like on any given day (autos by far the least).....lots of great autos out there and safety with any knives i own is not the determining factor of what i carry....make no mistake, manuals can open un-expectedly also.

[dj moonbat]

Only an out-the-front auto saves you the step of shifting your grip once the blade is out. Spring-assists and out-the-side autos, you have to close your grip again after the blade deploys, just like you do with an unassisted knife. Add to that the extra jolt that can come from the spring assistance, and I think you've actually increased your chance of dropping the knife.

Even if I could carry an OTF auto, I wouldn't. Switchblades are scary to NKPs, and really just unnecessary for an EDC to boot.

So Spyder-hole it is.

[sal]

Hi Mark408,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

sal

[mark408]

They may work best for you but that may not be the case for the next person...there are many great kvives made.

My all time favorite is the S.T.U.D XL by G&G Hawk....The fastest smoothest mech. with an amazing lock design (IMO).

[alancamby]

[quote="dj Add to that the extra jolt that can come from the spring assistance, and I think you've actually increased your chance of dropping the knife.

So Spyder-hole it is.[/QUOTE"]
I think this is a huge plus to the manual deployment. I don't have a lot of SB experience but every time i try out a spring assist i feel i am going to drop the knife and assume SB's have the same jolt when the blade stops fast.

[Evil D]

Well, before i fell into the Spyderco web, i was all about assisted open knives. I had Kershaws and Bucks mainly, and i just thought they were the coolest thing, since before that all i ever had was a thumb stud. Once i started carrying my first Spyderco (Native lightweight), i realized i could snap open a blade fast enough that i preferred the hole over assisted opening, because of the possibility of an assisted blade opening when it's not supposed to. And yes, manual openers can open on their own too (i have pics and scars to prove it) but that can be countered by carrying with the spine tucked against the corner of your pocket...then there's no chance the blade CAN open.

[mark408]

Hi Mark408,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

sal

Thanks Sal. BTW, got that Tuff workin very well... It's a real nice tool.

[w3tnz]

For me it depends on the knife, of course the spyderhole is a great bit of ingenuity and really effictive for quick deployment, but I also like the thumb stud on my sebenza and the assisted flipper on my zt. variety is nice.

[mark408]

For me it depends on the knife, of course the spyderhole is a great bit of ingenuity and really effictive for quick deployment, but I also like the thumb stud on my sebenza and the assisted flipper on my zt. variety is nice.

All great choices.... IMO, Scott Cook has perfected the RIL thumbstud knife.

[GCG199]

I consider assisted-opening with a flipper to be just as good as an auto/switchblade.

[Ankerson]

I used to carry SB's back in the 80's, but I really don't see the need as something like a Military is very fast to deploy and a FB would be even better as we all know.

I won't get into the SD aspect as that is just one of those topics I don't usually say much about other than run like ****, if not then pick up a stick, brick or lead pipe if you don't have a gun...

[alancamby]

What about reliability. This seems to be a strong point for the manual deployment to me.
If you watch shows such as "Son of guns" or "American guns" you know they like to test a guns reliability by burying it in sand and mud.
Seems to me that the SB would have trouble passing this test as well as the manually deployed knife. Obviously the results would vary from brand to brand and model to model. if someone were to take ten high end manual openers and compare them to ten high end SB's, would you think the manual would continue to function better?
Like I said, some models would do better then others. I can't imagine any SB performing better then say a Military model in this test due to the military's open construction and lack of complex moving parts.

[jackknifeh]

I've had a couple of assisted opening knives. I don't like them. I like to have control over the blade as I open it.

About self defense. I am no one to talk but if there was one instance of actually using a knife in every 150 times someone mentions it in forums I'd be surprised. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being prepared but unless you have definite training (and maybe not even then) if your self defense is relying on the time difference in opening a SB or an Endura (for example) you are probably already scr****. From the time your thumb touches the Spyderco hole till the time it is open and locked is the only time that can be shortened by having a switchblade as I see it. I say, better off with a legal knife and spend some time practicing getting it out of your pocket. Personally, I like to be able to get the knife out of my pocket while running. :)

Jack

[gbelleh]

I've never had any use for autos. They're fun to play around with, but for EDC I want a controlled one hand opening. The Spyder hole is hard to beat for that. But I use (well designed and balanced) thumb stud knives occasionally too.