Advantages to Auto Knives

[Bushbadger]

I bought a Gerber automatic last year just to see what it was like, I had never tried an auto before and it was fun for a couple of days but the novelty soon wore off and it got relegated to the drawer until I eventually sold it. I prefer my folding knives to be simple, plus I could actually open the Military faster than the Gerber.

[Fdrotary]

i just got my first real auto like...10mins ago. It's a gerber and I really figured the opening mechanism would be different from the cheap ones you see in the flea market but it isn't, it is still the same and I am not all that impressed with it. It is too heavy, and I do not trust that the opening mechanism will last for years on end like a normal knife does. I think I can open my griptilian or Pacific Salt just as easy and quickly. I am going to test it out though, working in Afghanistan it will def. be tested. I am more interested in testing the s30v blade then the auto though.

[Dr Heelhook]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the original attraction with autos the mere fact that you could open them with one hand at all? Didn't the first automatic folding knife see the light of day during a time when manual one handed opening folding knives hadn't been invented quite yet and the only alternative was a two handed opening, nail nick folder or something of the sort? IMO, the opening quickness of an auto compared to a spydie hole is pretty marginal and I think the arrival of the spydie hole has rendered autos somewhat old fashioned.

[The Deacon]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the original attraction with autos the mere fact that you could open them with one hand at all? Didn't the first automatic folding knife see the light of day during a time when manual one handed opening folding knives hadn't been invented quite yet and the only alternative was a two handed opening, nail nick folder or something of the sort? IMO, the opening quickness of an auto compared to a spydie hole is pretty marginal and I think the arrival of the spydie hole has rendered autos somewhat old fashioned.

Yes, they were. One of the original "target markets" for autos was amputees, which wars and pre-OSHA machinery, had create an abundant supply. Another, oddly enough was schoolgirls, since the term penknife still had its original meaning and young ladies then, as now, did not like breaking a nail.

[Dr. Snubnose]

The Deacon and Dr. Heel are correct in their accounts...Funny times have changes a great deal in the last 75 years...not only here in the good US of A but in other countries as well. In Japan for instance, every school child brought to class each day a Kiridashi in their pencil box...(their equivalent to an exacto knife) Used for cutting everything and making school projects...Times they sure have changed....Doc :D

[Firefighter880]

Honestly for me they are for a cool factor... They mostly do not leave the house and if they do, its for something like a quick run to the store.

As far as the advantages, I think fast deployment and for sure an intimidation factor (If you need to use in that type of situation :eek: )

This right here :)

Cool factor...... possibly intimidation factor I guess, but I think a spyder-dropped fully serrated Endura would have the same intimidation factor.

Honestly, its the cool factor. Id really like to say its more lol, but I can open up a Spyderco pretty darn quick with just one hand as well. Now, dont get me wrong, even though its not by very much, and auto is still probably faster and easier (push of a button lol), BUT it also has more parts to break, and more stuff on it to fail. I look at it that way.

:)

[LowSpeedHighDrag]

Ive been issued the Gerber 06 and BM AFO, both are autos. They are fun to play with, and have extremely fast blade deployment. But, the lock made deploying the blade slower than a normal spydiehole and certainly slower than a waved folder. They have their applications for people who may be in one-handed situations like paratroopers, medical personnel, etc, but the avg joe in the Military or Civ world would be much better suited with a one handed opener.

And they are much slower to close.

[ToneGrail]

This right here :)

Cool factor...... possibly intimidation factor I guess, but I think a spyder-dropped fully serrated Endura would have the same intimidation factor.

Honestly, its the cool factor. Id really like to say its more lol, but I can open up a Spyderco pretty darn quick with just one hand as well. Now, dont get me wrong, even though its not by very much, and auto is still probably faster and easier (push of a button lol), BUT it also has more parts to break, and more stuff on it to fail. I look at it that way.

:)

+1.

When I flick open my Tenacious, it's a lot louder and more intimidating than when I deploy any of my AO's or auto's.

[RyanA]

A safety-less single action side opening auto typically only has one more moving part than a typical lockback knife.