will there ever be an AO Spyderco?

[Qboy]

Hi all:

I have been wondering if Spyderco will ever make an assisted opening knife. If they do, I will buy one simply for collectability and to see how they manage it. I have mixed feelings about AO knives--they always make me a bit nervous if I carry one--but they are fun to play with and there is a lot of room for innovation. I like the concept but execution is often poor. If Spyderco made one, I would be a lot more confident about the reliability of the mechanism. Perhaps something like an AO Para? I have AO's as a novelty but I am hoping that I find a good EDC AO knife. I have a Kershaw BOA on order and I have heard that some folks really like that AO mechanism.

I am guessing that many Spyder knuts don't like AO's on principle but I was just wondering.

Regards to all!

[SoCal Operator]

I have two Kershaw AO's. The action is very smooth, and the knives are very ergonomic, but the blades just don't want to stay sharp. I'd like to see a Spyderco version, and I believe I heard talk of one on the Amsterdam show thread, but it might take a while before the Crew can come up with a design that they are happy with, as AO's are prone to malfunction.

[ATR216]

I think that Spyderco should have at least two Assist open models. I am part of the "Boomer" generation with hand mobility issues. Most Spydies are very easy for me to open, but some like the Native III are a two handed project. I have a Buck Tempest and it works very well. It would be nice if Spyderco would try a sprint run of something like the Tempest/Sirus series which also
gives two blade steel choices their 420 and ats-34....William

Maybe something in H-1 or VG10?

[Axlis]

I'm not that crazy about AOs myself, but it would be interesting to see Spyderco-Engineering at work. I'm sure the Spydercrew would come up with some good stuff.

[Ted]

There was an AO concept model at the A'Dam show ... Nice piece!

Too bad I'm not allowed to post the pic ... :p :rolleyes:

[Mr Blonde]

Yup, there was a really nice AO as a concept model. I think Eric is somewhat of a driving force when it comes to 'new and technical' stuff, so I wouldn't be surprised to see an AO or other mechanisms being introduced in the future.

Wouter

[TheKnifeCollector]

I am not really into AO knives. I had a few Kershaw AO's, but they are just a novelty to me now.

[Qboy]

Thanks all for your comments. I agree that the Buck AO knives are actually some of the best--I love the Sirus and Tempest. I also like my Kershaws, but the ones that I have carried are kind of low end--hence my Boa on order. We will see. It is hard moving any size of blade--as users of Boa's have noted. There also needs to be a very positive secondary lock to stop accidental opening. The Buck Sirus that I have has its cam lock that comes loose all the time. The much talked about SOG Meridian that I owned (briefly) was the worse-made knife in its price range that I have ever owned--tons of lateral play. Nice look and action, but the tolerances were very poor. I own some other SOG's that I like--just that one was bad.

The real challenge for Spyderco will be getting the super easy bearings required to make a knife snap with not big a spring in the knife. My Poliwog is silky smooth that way, but my other Spydercos tend to take more work to open--including a wide range of sizes from my Karambit to my Endura.

A good AO will not come cheap for this reason, but if Spyderco makes one I think that a lot of us will buy it. The warning to Spyderco will be the case of the Benchmade Apparition which is their AO but suffers from stuff like a crappy handle material which is simply not up to snuff for a knife that lists at $150. I have never seen anyone rave over that knife. If you make it, make it really good and then people will pay for it--but don't go half way. Not that Spyderco compromises but I think that BM, a great company, felt as though they had to cut a few corners to get the knife out the door at a reasonable price.

[zenheretic]

I would buy an AO Spyderco, but really it seems the technology is for the makers that don't want to copy Spydercos round hole technology, but are trying to compete with its perfection. Aside from folks suffering range of motion issues, I believe anyone can open a Spyderco just as fast, and you don't have to worry about in popping open in the pocket, as much. I prefer my openers to be under the K.I.S.S. doctrine.

But, AO is sure fun!

[smcfalls13]

I believe anyone can open a Spyderco just as fast, and you don't have to worry about in popping open in the pocket, as much.

I agree, that's one of the reasons AOs don't appeal to me. That and the nearly ubiquitous liner locks and right handed clips I loathe.

[ATR216]

QBOY..I would be interested in your overview of the Boa when you get it.
Their are some days when an AO is pretty much the route to go for EDC.
When Spyderco markets its AO then I will be 99.44/100% :rolleyes: pure Spydie EDC. again...William

[224477]

Personally I am not interested in an AO :spyder:

[The Deacon]

Not a fan of AO's myself, for the combination of reasons expressed by ZH and smcfalls.

On top of that, cannot help but feeling that their legal status is in serious jeapordy. The legal distiniction between an automatic and an assisted opener is tenuous at best. All it would take to "close the loophole" is one bleating heart liberal politician who needs an "issue" to prove he/she is "tough on crime", but in a way that cannot be interpreted as implying that criminals are responsible for their behavior. After all, they would not want to alienate the families of those who are, or have been incarcerated.

All of that said, if Spyderco made one, I would buy it, assuming it was still legal to do so here, simply because it would be a "first" for Spyderco. But I doubt if even a Spyderco AO would ever find its way into my pocket.

[JaM]

I have an SOG Flash II, it's AO. I do like it, but somehow I'd rather have a backlock if I ever needed to stab it hard into something... The lock is ok, but I am not too sure if I can trust it...
Other problem with AO: there is a lot "inside" the handle/knife, that can fail or get dirty. After opening and cleaning my Flash, I found a lot of spare bits that need to go in there. Reassembling wasnt really a probpem, but the more parts you use, the more parts can fail or get dirty.

Then again, if Spyderco can make a good AO, they'll probably make it so that it's almost knife-care free...

[Qboy]

Good comments all. They reflect that fact that AO technology is developing but far from perfect. Many folks don't like them and the only one that I have ever used for EDC is a Kershaw Whirlwind. There are some subtle issues with their technology that seems to make them far less prone to opening accidentally.

I agree that if Spyderco did it, they'd do it right--which does not seem to have been achieved so far. Many people like AO's and a really good one would be of interest to me and many others. It is a bit outside of what Spyderco is known for, but that makes it all the more interesting. Also, it would probably have to be a liner lock, which will take it off the table for many of you. I have some very good liner lock knives--such as by Benchmade and I love my Karambit framelock.

AO's are an engineering challenge and no one has won the war yet. If anyone could do it, I'd put my money on Kershaw, BM, or Spyderco. The Boa apparently has some issues with durability and it can seem bit limp--from the ones that I have handled, but I think that this is a function of newness and can perhaps be remedied by reducing the tightness in the pivot screw. An example of a really bad AO (similar to my experience with SOG Meridian) is the CRKT Wild Weasel / Voodoo knives. They list for $130 or so and the blade play was truly pathetic. I have some great CRKT's but I have not bought one since playing with these AO's. Bottom line is that I believe that Spyderco is capable of engineering feats that would be impossible for mere mortal knife makers so I'd just like to see what they do with AO.

I'd love to know more about that prototype from the Amsterdam show---anyone?

Regards and God Bless.

[Simple Man]

AO's don't do anything for me either, Spydie or otherwise.

[Irish Lager]

I have been wondering if Spyderco will ever make an assisted opening knife.

Personally i hope not. The way i see it, why ruin a good thing, i can open my :spyder: 's faster than any kershaw I've used, and in many cases i have found from the reaction of my previous customers that AO are not to welcomed by non knife people.

I don't like the idea of relying on a spring for SD use, and don't typically need super speed to open a box. I can understand why some people would want it, but so far i have been happy that Spyderco has stayed away from the AO fad and focused on using better steel and materials and delivering a better overall knife for the money.

Nothing personal, but its not for me, and i think it is best if spyderco left it alone.
J

[Qboy]

Hi all:

I got my Kershaw Boa last week and it has led to a few more thoughts on AO's in general and also possibly of interest to Spyderco designers. The Boa is one of the best knives available in AO and this is why I thought I give it a go. If you are familiar with Kershaw, it is a nice surprise. The AO action on Kershaws really limits the potential for accidental opening in a pocket because you have to impart som momentum to the blade--not just press the flipper. I like this feature a lot. This Boa also demonstrates that it is possible to build an AO with no lateral blade movement. Obviously Spyderco and Kershaw 'get along' okay with one another. Perhaps a Kershaw/Spyderco collaboration would make sense along these lines. Kershaw's AO mechanism is the best that I have found overall and the Boa helps this impression along. But please don't make it with the Spec Bump / Spyker blade shape.

An interesting note: the fit and finish of the Kershaw Boa are very good, as are the materials and general ergonomics. I must admit though that Spyderco knives are superior in all of these categories. I really like the deep-belly blade shape on the Boa and I am thrilled to see that same profile on the Lava.