Assisted opening folders (2)

[1623]

I owned a Kershaw Blur for about a week

[Jazz]

They are a complete waste of a perfectly good knife, in my opinion. Useless, and flippers are the same - just in the way. The Spyderco hole is the surest, safest way to open a knife - period. I might add it's fast, if need be, so what's the point of AO?

- best wishes, Jazz.

[Water Bug]

Personally, if I can't open a folding knife with two hands, or thumb it open using a Spyderco Trademark Round Hole™, a thumb stud, a thumb disc, or something closely related, then I have no need of it.

[chuck_roxas45]

I really like my ZT 301's(I have 2). I'd like them whether they are A/O or not. So I guess it would depend on the particular knife.

[phillipsted]

I much prefer a Spydie hole and a quick thumb. Much more deterministic behavior. The assisted opening folders I've used were temperamental and a little dangerous if you weren't paying attention.

I can deploy my Spydies faster than an assisted opener anyway...so what's the point? :cool:

TedP

[theZOOfromHELL]

When i can get a well made assisted opener, i'll take it. For example, kershaw's speedsafe is fast and elegantly simple - not to mention, easy to remove. I've never heard from anyone i know of a Speedsafe knife failing.

On the other hand, my BM580 with Axis Assist has completely broken (to the point where the blade takes two hands to open and close and makes a grinding noise at the pivot) TWICE. This is a knife that I EDC perhaps once every two weeks, and it otherwise remains closed with the safety on, in the drawer. I feel that the Axis Assist is simply too complex to be reliable.

I'm glad spydies are, from what i know, all manual though. it would just seem a bit weird with that big old thumb hole to have a spring in there, too... :)

[Evil D]

Buck makes one of the smartest assisted opening locks i've seen yet. This is the only reason i even bought a Rush years ago. I lost it at work years ago or i'd probably still be using it today (in fact, i might have never discovered Spyderco if i hadn't lost that knife so it's a blessing in disguise). The locking tab is right behind a flipper on the spine, so you can still use just one hand to unlock and deploy it.




The only drawback i ever found to this was it bit your pump if you really pushed into a cut hard.

[markg]

I have found, that if I carry an AO for a few weeks, I am surprised when I go back to a manual. You realize just how much different it is.

I love the Zero Tolerance knives with the AO and the flipper.

This makes me wonder, do you think the Spyder hole would work with an AO? Or would your thumb in the hole impede it? Thoughts?

[jackknifeh]

I have found, that if I carry an AO for a few weeks, I am surprised when I go back to a manual. You realize just how much different it is.

I love the Zero Tolerance knives with the AO and the flipper.

This makes me wonder, do you think the Spyder hole would work with an AO? Or would your thumb in the hole impede it? Thoughts?

I believe having my thumb in the hole WOULD hinder the inteded opening operation. No doubt about it. The hole is absolutely better than a stud or a stud with AO springology. With the hole you have complete control of the blade in any direction. When opening the blade you decide not to open it you can immediately close it. With an AO knife you have to fight against the spring. I hate that. Plus, that may be hard on the opening system and cause failure. That's a guess though. The idea of starting to open a knife and deciding not to open it that quickly seems strange but I've done it, not often though.

I see videos of people "flicking" the Spyderco blade open. That is great but I can't do it with any of my knives. Even the ones that open so smoothly I think they came from another planet. Maybe it's my technique but I don't care. I get my knives open just fine without a "flick". It sure does look cool though.

Jack

[theZOOfromHELL]

Jack -
Flicking the spydies open can actually be really easy. It's my preferred method over "slingshotting," or keeping my thumb in the hole through the whole opening process.

the trick is to not place all of your thumb fat into the whole hole - just dig your nailbed into the rim of the OUTSIDE of the thumb hole. apply some pressure downwards (toward the far scale of the knife) and then in one motion, flick your wrist and rotate the pressure upwards, pushing the knife open. gravity will take care of the rest :)

[NYRich]

I only own two assisted openers...SOG Twitch II and a cheap S&W something or other.

They were two of the first knives I ever bought and I don't know if I'd ever by another. After a little practice, I can open most of my knives just as quickly. Maybe I'm from another planet, but I find using my index finger instead of my thumb works better for me with a Spyderco.

I don't understand the big deal about automatics. They've been banned here in NYC forever and people still get stabbed every day of the week. The government of this city would ban a plastic knife from McDonalds if it could because somebody might make a shank out of it. If one person is determined to stab another, how the knife opens (if it even needs to open at all) is of little consequence.

[jackknifeh]

Jack -
Flicking the spydies open can actually be really easy. It's my preferred method over "slingshotting," or keeping my thumb in the hole through the whole opening process.

the trick is to not place all of your thumb fat into the whole hole - just dig your nailbed into the rim of the OUTSIDE of the thumb hole. apply some pressure downwards (toward the far scale of the knife) and then in one motion, flick your wrist and rotate the pressure upwards, pushing the knife open. gravity will take care of the rest :)

I tried your method and was thinking this idiot must be stupid. Three more tries at your suggestion and I am now an expert in the making. It's really easy. I had seen a video of Spydiechick's where she was "flicking" the blade open. I had resigned myself to the fact that girls were smarter than me. :o Now I can believe in myself again. :D Thanks for the reply.

Jack

[ChrisR]

Buck makes one of the smartest assisted opening locks i've seen yet. This is the only reason i even bought a Rush years ago. I lost it at work years ago or i'd probably still be using it today (in fact, i might have never discovered Spyderco if i hadn't lost that knife so it's a blessing in disguise). The locking tab is right behind a flipper on the spine, so you can still use just one hand to unlock and deploy it.




The only drawback i ever found to this was it bit your pump if you really pushed into a cut hard.

The Buck Rush is definitely one of the nicest AOs I have ever used and is my go-to AO around the house. The Kershaws are certainly faster but they are quite savage too - I have had one jump completely out of my hand as it opened! The easy-use lock on the Buck is also one of the main reasons I use it. But it is a little uncomfortable to use for a long time.

That said, we cannot EDC them here and if the Courts got an excuse they'd probably ban them ... even though, as we all know, they have no impact on knife-crime what so ever - the knife of choice for most "gangstaz" seems to be mum's cheapo supermarket carving knife, not a specially imported high-end AO :rolleyes:

If Spyderco made one would I try it? Yes, if I could get one over here and I had the money ... but I am guessing it'll never happen or it'd be a very high-end model so out of my price range :)

[theZOOfromHELL]

I had resigned myself to the fact that girls were smarter than me. :o Now I can believe in myself again. :D

lol, glad i could be of some help! :D

what a beautifully versatile deployment method :spyder: has created...

[rosconey]

i have a few ti mini cyclones-1 nib and one was beat to snot as a edc-
knife has been apart quite a few times,i broke the assist spring and ended up removing the rest of the assist parts-

knife also has great ergos for me,on par with the ukpk i had-not the same shape,just hand grip and feel

the edc beater is too this day the smoothest knife i own other than the ikbs custom i have-its religated to livingroom duty now-opens a few packages and stuff-semi retired so to speak-lol

i have some smooth as butter spyderco knives,but this sucker is smooooooooth-

just give me a butter smooth knife,springs are no biggie

[Samwise]

I currently EDC a Becker Eskabar on my belt; my philosophy is that if I need something that quickly, why not just carry a fixed blade.

[BAL]

I much prefer a Spydie hole and a quick thumb. Much more deterministic behavior. The assisted opening folders I've used were temperamental and a little dangerous if you weren't paying attention.

I can deploy my Spydies faster than an assisted opener anyway...so what's the point? :cool:

TedP

My opinion exactly. Although if someone else likes them and feels comfotable carrying and using them, it's all good.