Comparing autos with ...justified?

[Kaizer]

Hi people,

A lot of you are adept with *lightening fast* deployment of your respective bugs. So much so that you often deploy faster and quicker than automatic deployment blades.

I also read a thread a while ago that talks about this phenomenon.

I just was wondering...is it really justified to compare speeds of two separate opening systems?

OK OK so some of you may be hollerring..."But i CAN open my <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> quicker than an auto". To all who can do that my reply is "I bow to thee turbocharged people". It's like comparing a nasscar to the standard "paved road" model. The former will beat the latter hands down on a lot of counts and rightly so...the nasscar is DESIGNED for something else...the "paved road" car is DESIGNED for something completely different.

So are we comparing apples and oranges? when we say that some people can deploy <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>s quicker than other can deploy autos? Or are we just strutting our stuff (with no intention of hurting all you quick on the draw people...**** i'd like to be as quick myself!!)



Have a nice day,

Kaizer.



A door half open is a door half closed. But a knife half open is a knife fully closed.

[glockman99]

One thing to keep in-mind in trying to compare an automatic knife to a Spyderco is that the Spyderco doesn't have a "power" spring (or springs) that can weaken with age and slow down the opening speed, or fail completly. For this reason, (not to mention potential legal problems with automatics), I'll stay with my manual-opening Spydercos.

Dann Fassnacht Aberdeen, WA glockman99@hotmail.com ICQ: 53675663

Edited by - glockman99 on 9/4/2002 10:52:48 PM

[icebj¿rn]

I used to carry a Böker Speedlock and it never failed because of the auto mechanism. But after I realised how smooth it is to open a knive manually i had to change. It's just that if you don't grip the auto safe in your hand it can flip out of your hand or at least "it tries to". To open a Spydie you have to have the safe grip first. So the task of getting it right into your hand has to be done before opening a sharpe blade...

[dialex]

Kaizer, don't be sad that you can't open your <img src="http://www.spyderco.com/forum/uploaded_ ... gspidy.gif"> faster than an auto. In fact, I'm sure you can, but the Copilot is not suitable for lightspeed opening. My Meerkat easily beats autos, and I heard that the Millie operates even better, heh, heh...
Now your point is clear, there are different concepts, but it just happens that some spidies are so well made that can even be compared with autos <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>

[mac_heath]

Kaizer,

I think the reason so many people compare opening a folder to opening an auto is that autos are generally illegal in this country. Excepting Oregon, Arizona, and maybe one other state, automatic knives are illegal for civilians to either own or carry. There is no real good reason for outlawing automatic knives, particularly when many one-handed opening knives are faster to deploy.

Of course there's also a danger comparing to the two systems: one-handed openers may be outlawed. That's highly unlikely, considering the impetus to outlawing autos was a general fear of their use by street thugs and gangs. Criminals have easy access to much better weapons nowadays.

there is no ginger

[sc_rebel1957]

Ughhhhh it had to happen, why can't i keep my mouth shut :-) i HATE being the odd man out BUT! I promise you i can open my BM Reflex faster than i can any 1 hander, sorry guys i know we all can open em quick and all but no way will it out run a simple button push. Ok now jump in with both feet fellow fourum members lol. Ron

[spydieman]

I checked out a friend's auto last night, and it opened very quickly. It would have been hard for me to open any of my <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> any faster. One thing I did notice that is an advantage for my <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> is that the release button for his auto was in an awkward position on the handle and if I take into account how long it took me to adjust my natural grip and find the button I could open a <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> quite a bit faster. Of course if I played with the auto long enough I would get accustomed to the button position and would undoubtedly be able to deploy it faster than I did last night. The button also doubled as a locking mechanism when the blade was open and would be easy to release when gripping the knife during use. I prefer the <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> hole.

Mark.

Edited by - spydieman on 9/6/2002 11:24:21 AM

[Rex G]

I have compared auto knives at a dealer that had a good selection, and some opened quickly, while others were slow, and this even varied within the same model. The experience left me with mixed feelings about autos regarding spring strength and quality control, and wondering what a little grit in the mechanism would do to an auto. And yes, these were high-end autos, not junk. Plus, nothing beats a fixed blade, and luckily for me, fixed blades are legal in Texas.

[Tightwad]

Other than a bit of toy factor auto's offer little over
a spyderco or many other quality one hand knives.

No spring to break , no cops to dodge. Gimme a spydie
anyday!!

[Mike Sastre]

Anytime you are talking about deployment speed, you have to factor in the time it takes you to acquire the knife from wherever it resides (pocket, sheath, waistband, etc.) and then open it. Autos require the extra steps of locating, then pushing the button (locks are another) after drawing the knife. With the SpydieDrop or inertia openings that can be done with most quality folders, the push button knife becomes a solution to a problem that does not exist.

Edited by - Mike Sastre on 9/7/2002 7:22:59 AM