AG Russell 1-hand knife... isn't

S

Steelwolf

Joined
Jul 19, 1999
Messages
443
I just got a new Featherlite One-hand knife from AG Russell.

Maybe my hands just aren't dextrous enough. Maybe my technique is a little off. Whatever it is, I'm having trouble getting the AGR 1-hand knife to close with 1 hand. I can just barely do it, but I would much rather have a lockback than this. Maybe I should have saved the money?

Can anyone help or tell about their own experience?
 
i got one and wasn't very satisfied with the results, the spring was too strong and as such it was quite difficult to close. I also didn't like the oval hole, it was hard on your finger when opening, not like spyderco's perfect opening holes. :)

Pete
 
I have an AGR One Hand Knife with jigged bone scales and I will agree it's not the most natural lock release, it does take some getting used to. I use my thumb and two fingers to close it, pointing finger on the back of the blade and thumb and index finger on the sides of the lock release. Once you get used to it, it's easy, I can do it with either hand, which makes it great for weak hand use. The liner lock is still my favorite for one hand use. I know a lot of folks prefer lockbacks, but none of mine are practical for one hand closing.

I like the design and love the knife, the only thing I would change would be I'd rather I had stag instead of jigged bone scales. Other than that I'm glad I have one of these in my collection.

View
 
I have 3 of these knives, one plain, one black, and one walnut handled, made for Edge Company, back before they were bought and turned into an overpriced trinket catalog. They were my first one handed knives, and while they do take a little getting used to, I find them very easy to open and close with either hand.
 
Still can't get used to it. Quite hard to close. I think I might put this on the shelf for a while and go back to my BMs and Spydies.
 
You'll never get used to this knife sitting on a shelf.
If you think you can or can't do something, in either case you're probably right. Don't give up on it.

BTW, don't ever try to figure out how to close an Appleton knife, Ray and Ron take great pleasure in watching someone trying to figure out how. ;)
 
I do not understand. Why, if you have a problem, do you not call me and ask for help?

I cannot help the collector who bought the ripoffs form the Edge Company, but ANYBODY who buys one of my knives can reach me through 800-255-9034, if I am not there I will return your call.

A. G. Russell
 
Years ago I bought one of those EdgeCo ripoffs, A.G., and it was (of course) pretty lousy. I realized that the ones you sell are of higher quality, though, so I've never been biased against the design on the basis of the copy.

The example of which Phil posted a picture is incredibly attractive, too. They're fine knives, in my opinion.
 
I have both the small version of the Original One Hand and the Featherlite Version.

I do not have trouble with either. However, the motion for closing each one is a little different than other knives.

IMHO, It just takes practice.
 
Is this place great, or what?

You got a question about an A.G. Russell knife, and here's A.G. with his phone number and says, "Hey give me a call!" What could be better than that? And it's not just A.G. it's all the great makers and manufacturers that are a part of this community.

I say, "Hurray for BladeForums.com this place ROCKS!"
 
I found that if you put your thumb on the "front side" of the lock and your pointy(index) finger on the back of the blade and kind of cross the two i.e. push the two fingers together, thumb goes under finger, it closes quite easily. You don't need to get any fingers in the way, and you have the advantage of better leverage. You do have to have a good grip with your palm and remaining fingers, and twist the knife inwards (is that a word?), but if done right, is quite easy. I, myself, never cared for the way they recommend closing it, as it is physically not as easy (especially if hands are cold and not as dexterous), and seems to leave you without as much control.

That's just my opinion, of course. You might just call up the man himself, since it IS his design.

DD
 
Not only do we have A.G. and a lot of other fine knifemakers helping us out, but we've got PhilL, who Will Work 4 Knives.

The only downside to PhilL is, he collects stag ... in fact, he's collected so much stag, that the world supply is running out, and soon no one else will be able to get stag-handled knives ... :(

On a more up-beat note, I always liked the utilitarian look of the A. G. Russell One-hand knife but I thought the lock might be too weak -- now I'm reading how hard it is to close. Sounds like a good, solid lock-up to me.
 
I have one of the first ones. I remember getting a flyer in the mail offering it for an astonishingly low price from AG.before being offered to the public. I couldn't resist and still have it. This was way before everyone came out with their own versions of one hand openers with different designs.
Its like anything else-just practice and you'll get the hang.I can close and open as fast as any other of my one-handed knives,and I have a closet full of them.I especially like the general purpose blade shape. For me its perfect for a pocket knife.
One thing however. I'd love to see a version with some kind of low profile pocket clip. I know AG has stated he feels it is not needed. But with all due respect I remember he also felt that handle scales were not needed also and look at the response to those models. How about a limited run with a clip.
 
I originally bought a one-hand knife from The Edge Company. Both opening and closing were harder than I prefer, but the design was so nifty I bought another.

Years later I finally became more educated about knives and discovered the original version. I do not like to see creators ripped off, so I bought myself a pair of the real ones, direct from A.G. Russell, and threw away the copies. It was a pleasant bonus to discover that the real ones are better made and quite a bit easier to operate.

It did take some practice for me to learn the one-handed close, but these days I don't have to think about it.

I no longer carry a One-Hand most of the time--I prefer knives with pocket clips--but I still carry one whenever I have to wear dress pants. That thin profile avoids pocket bulge and the elegant look is perfect for my more formal occasions.

--Bob Q
 
Bob: What is the PickLock Era? I'm glad I'm still young enough not to know. Going to varsity as a mature age student sure can make one depressed.

AG: Sorry I didn't call on you. I don't like making international calls, partly because of the cost, partly because I'm not sure of the time difference, and partly because I don't want to cause you to incur the cost of an overseas call just to return my call. Thanks for sending me that email explaining how to do it properly. I think, though, that you thought I had trouble opening it. The problem I had was with closing it with one hand. :)

But not anymore... :D Thanks to Daniel's explaination, I think I've got it now. Definitely, my dexterity is not that great, but I'm able to see what he means and can get it working.

BTW, when I say that something has gone on the shelf, it doesn't mean that I don't touch it anymore. It's just that I don't want to fool around with the knives I carry. I need them to work without a second's thought. So I relegate the knives I'm not comfortable with to the "shelf" and practice on them in the safety of my own home. Only when I've become accustomed to their operation and feel, then I will take them out.

Thanks for all the help and explainations that all of you have given me. Now I think I ought to change the title of this thread to "AGR 1-hand knife... isn't?... Not anymore!!" :)
 
AG, i just want to clarify. I wasn't complaining about the quality of the knife at all. It seemed very light and well constructed, and the ats-34 took a hell of an edge. It just didn't suit me, so i gave it to my dad, and he's very happy with it.

- Pete
 
I bought a used original one hand knife from a forumite a little while ago. The more I carry it, the more I like it, particularly in an office workplace. Slim, lightweight and stout. It is a very practical knife.
Jim
 
Steelwolf
Picklocks were how Italian switches were made before the 58 ban. One had to grab and lift the rear locking tab thus picklock. Same principle as the one handed knife.
Bob
 
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