Are autos dead ?

W

whetrock

Joined
Nov 13, 2010
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Today I ventured into the automatic/switchblade sub forum and well... I found it to be somewhat vacant and inactive this lead me to think that possibly in this world of "assited openers" and "flippers" automatics could be considered unnecessary or obsolete, anyhow I'm not in any way condeming their use or supporting legislation that prohibits them but I honestly have no desire to carry or own a switchblade seeing as AO's and flippers offer 90 % of the speed of an auto without the legal hassle or cost even the novelty aspect of them has very little appeal to me when I was 13 or 14 I felt that they were all the rage but know it seems I could care less oh well I suppose that's maturity for you.
 
I would buy more autos if it wasnt such a pain. The main reason I have the ones I do is because of the design such as the case with the protech godfather I have and a couple of stilleto types. I would bet that autos would be more popular if they were not so heavily restricted.
 
I think the heavy restrictions and high prices are was keeping them a very niche market just like balisongs
 
The ridiculous legal hassles are what kill them. Call it childish or whatever you want but every time I hit the button on one of my autos it brings a smile to my face.
 
Dead? Naw, but they are in a bit of a lull. Like everything, they will come back around. You do make some valid points. IMHO, some of the name production makers have inferior knives for the cost.
 
whetrock said:
Today I ventured into the automatic/switchblade sub forum and well... I found it to be somewhat vacant and inactive
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It maintains a fairly subdued pace. Over the last week or so there have been a number of threads about stilettos, otfs, "best", etc.

this lead me to think that possibly in this world of "assited openers" and "flippers" automatics could be considered unnecessary or obsolete,
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Don't think so. Spyderco discontinued one of theirs, but then autos have never been a fun area for Spyderco anyway.;)
There are a lot being made, and new versions being done quite often. Everything from the flea market junkers (which I avoid) to name brands like Kershaw and Benchmade. There are well over 20+ manufacturers of good quality autos. Even a few custom makers doing them.

I was 13 or 14 I felt that they were all the rage but know it seems I could care less oh well I suppose that's maturity for you.
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Funny, I didn't buy my first auto until I was quite mature (age-wise anyway :D).
 
I can legally own and carry autos here in Oregon, I bought a few when I was 18/19, then stopped because I "had to many knives". Well, seven years later I own more knives then ever annd not one is an auto.

Why? Because I can get affordable manual opens/fixed blades with great steel (damn you Spyderco/Fiddleback Forge/BRKT!), instead of Expensive auto opens with "mediocre" steel.
 
brets-ftw said:
I think the heavy restrictions and high prices are was keeping them a very niche market just like balisongs
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Yep. And it's even more annoying when companies like Microtech are the ones producing 95% of the available OTF designs on the market.
 
I wouldn't say so. Especially based on the auto forum. Allot of the niche forums are slow moving.

Guess if you live where can legally own and carry one they have more interest to you than an ao. I can legally concealed or openly carry and use one. So I own a handful and carry them. They have a use like anything. The only advantages an ao has over an auto is less laws to stop folks from owning and carrying and lower pricing due to volume.

The biggest hinderance to autos besides overzealous states and the feds sily laws is the sheer price. Otfs are sickly expensive, imho. Due to the small niche, due to the anti-freedom states and the fed shipping laws. Those outdated and silly laws go away, we'll likely see more demand and competition and pricing will come down. Good old fashioned free market at work.
 
I own 3 autos, one of which is an OTF that my brother got in a quarter machine back in the day (no joke)! I live in Illinois and I understood that as long as you only use them as collectors pieces and not carry them they're fine to own. On top of those three autos I have two assisted opening knives, which are legal to carry here.
 
I don't think they're dead. They are just not as accessible to civilians as assisted or manual folders. Yea, some states allow you to own automatics, but chances are that it is unlawful to carry such a knife. The quality ones also cost a lot of money, so I'm guessing not many people will spend that on knives that could be considered novelties at best. I am trained as a first responder, but even I don't find the need for an automatic.

There is however an OTF everyone can own, and they even come scandi ground:
SNN1015B_369607a.jpg
 
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harkamus said:
There is however an OTF everyone can own, and they even come scandi ground:
SNN1015B_369607a.jpg
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I just have to say that this is awesome well done sir.

Now on topic, I would own one because I think they would be fun, and I will probably pick one up sometime. But the hassle with them just makes it such a pain to try and buy one and then never carry it because of the legal issues.
 
Autos aren't "dead". I wouldn't even call them "sick". But I would call them sleepy. Even though there's been some new models recently by Benchmade, Protech, and others, the enthusiasm for them hasn't exactly been high. At least not here; there's other forums where there's more chatter about autos. It does seem kinda "dead" on our forum though.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the market for autos sees a great boom in the next several years. An increasing number of states are introducing (and passing) bills to repeal switchblade bans, as well as "preemption" laws that prohibit counties/cities to enact laws more restrictive than state laws (usually applying to guns as well). That means more and more states that have banned autos will soon have thousands of people who wanted to carry them and will then be able to.
 
They have been legislated out of popular use, due to onerous laws and highly ignorant lawmakers.

I would much prefer to see lawmakers banned, and switchblades legal.
 
I love my autos. I don't carry/use them that much because I tend to carry cheaper knives. But , they serve a purpose and if you can get past the price and laws, most will find an AutoAxis benchmade to be pretty nice.
 
Can you buy tobacco? Of course. Can you smoke it anywhere? Yep, in your house. Same reason autos are declining, just another thing the protectionists would enjoy phasing out, and then erased from history books.
 
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