Are knife safeties a good idea?

I don't like safeties on knives, but if a certain knife appeals to me enough, I am willing to overlook a safety. My Hogue folders, for example. I love my Hogues and just ignore the safeties.
 
Makael said:
Why did you buy itt?
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I had a guy approach me with some knives for dirt cheap sone I bought that and a Gerber Kettlebell just to check them out. For what I paid it's no big deal to give it away or keep it as a beater.
 
I EDC a Cold Steel Swift with a safety. Tell you what, I would not carry this knife in my pocket without one.
On the other hand, I have OTF autos and a Rat Worx mini MRX that does not have one because the button is flush with the scales. Never fired on me without direct hard pressure on the button.
 
G. Scott H. said:
I don't like safeties on knives, but if a certain knife appeals to me enough, I am willing to overlook a safety. My Hogue folders, for example. I love my Hogues and just ignore the safeties.
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Same here. I'm really indifferent as long as the knife design overall appeals to me. About the only safeties that make sense to me are the ones that lock the Axis locks from the spine. "In theory" if my Adamas auto's two omega springs fail, I can still lock my folder open or closed which means it's still functional.

Some frame-lock designs employ safeties such as Ruike and Lionsteel. I don't care for the rotating lock, but the Ruike has a sliding button that is easily ignored, but simply used. As long as the safety doesn't get in the way and can be ignored, I don't get my panties in a wad. However, like many, it's not something I seek out (unless on an auto or most assisted-knives).

ROCK6
 
John_0917 said:
I had a Launch 5 blem fire in a side pocket and cut a small hole through my pants, randomly happened while I was walking one day.

No ones “close call” compares to a person who used to be on here who was nearly castrated by a Kershaw leek. The short version is that a Leek fired in his front pocket (tip down carry) and the needle fine tip sliced through his pocket, his underwear, and then sliced into his scrotum
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And people here wonder why I am adamant that I carry tip up, right hand pocket. Blade can't open because it's pushed up against the pocket edge, and if it did open, it isn't going to be cutting anything besides my pants.

It's not just a preference, it's a safety feature.
 
Never used a safety until a Kershaw Leek fired open in my front pocket. No damage to clothing other than the pocket, and no bodily harm, but it made me engage the safety from then on.

I snapped the tip off the knife some years later, and instead of sending it in, I just filed the tip back into a usable-ish point and kept using it. Kept using the safety too, but what I didn't think about was the fact that the tip was now too short to be engaged by the safety bar. Some time later the knife popped open in my pocket again, where I had that "a-ha" moment that made me realize the safety was now useless.

So I bought a new Leek, so as to have a knife with a functioning safety again.

I don't mind a safety on a knife, but nowadays I'm carrying mostly un-assisted manuals so its kind of moot.
 
I generally buy manuals---but if its assisted or an auto, I won't even look at it if it doesn't have a safety.

Made the mistake of buying a Kershaw Launch---its never carried because of the lack of a safety----hasn't opened on me, but that's because I never carry it----just an accident waiting to happen----its very sharp and I value my flesh parts.
 
I have a safety on my SOG Flash and it's the most annoying thing I've ever owned. The whole point of the knife is that it opens quickly in an emergency, but the safety sometimes accidentally closes in the locked position while inside my pocket so you never know.
 
razorburn said:
I prefer a safety on my AO knives.The only knife that I have that doesn't have a safety is my protech tr-5
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Is your Protech TR-5 spring assisted? I couldn't find a TR-5 auto without the safety. In fact, it's the thing I liked the least about the TR-5. Not just that it had a safety, but that it was so pronounced. It sticks up pretty high and has a rough surface that would grab my thumb and not let go as I tried to slide it towards the button without looking. The button on this knife is in a depressed area making it flush with the scales, so I don't feel like a safety is needed. I did like what ROCK6 said about being able to lock your knife open if the spring fails, though. That makes sense. As long as the safety stays out of the way (unlike on the TR-5) and takes a little effort to lock (so it doesn't lock accidentally), then I guess it's fine. I'm pretty sure I'll know it if my Protech Strider PT (no safety) accidentally opens in my pocket. It's not subtle.
 
Tom Greer said:
Is your Protech TR-5 spring assisted? I couldn't find a TR-5 auto without the safety. In fact, it's the thing I liked the least about the TR-5. Not just that it had a safety, but that it was so pronounced. It sticks up pretty high and has a rough surface that would grab my thumb and not let go as I tried to slide it towards the button without looking. The button on this knife is in a depressed area making it flush with the scales, so I don't feel like a safety is needed. I did like what ROCK6 said about being able to lock your knife open if the spring fails, though. That makes sense. As long as the safety stays out of the way (unlike on the TR-5) and takes a little effort to lock (so it doesn't lock accidentally), then I guess it's fine. I'm pretty sure I'll know it if my Protech Strider PT (no safety) accidentally opens in my pocket. It's not subtle.
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The button being in the depression is only a marginal safety my Sprint has open in my pocket while being carried loose.
 
I'm curious. Do most people who have had an automatic knife come open in their pocket carry the knife loose or use the pocket clip? I clip mine and don't see an easy way for the button to get pushed accidentally since that side is against my leg. I guess it would also depend what else you carry in your pocket with your knife. For me, it's usually just my car's key fob.
 
Part of me thinks that most people who have owned a Kershaw Leek or Chive know how bad those safeties are. Those knives are just designed poorly and always seem to want to open in your pocket; in my opinion this reflects less on how useful safeties are and more on how bad those designs are to basically require them.
 
My uncle gave me my first switch and told me to always use the safety and to not carry the knife if it broke. He was a cop and chased someone who fell and the guy's switch opened in his pocket and cut him badly. Since then I've read the same story in the local paper.

Some people believe locking open and locking closed is an important design spec for a knife. It's the guiding principle behind the Paul lock and leverlock.
 
Tom Greer said:
I'm curious. Do most people who have had an automatic knife come open in their pocket carry the knife loose or use the pocket clip? I clip mine and don't see an easy way for the button to get pushed accidentally since that side is against my leg. I guess it would also depend what else you carry in your pocket with your knife. For me, it's usually just my car's key fob.
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In my experience, loose in the pocket raises the risk greatly. Carried clipped seems to be nearly foolproof.
 
the only knives i have with safeties are benchmades. three are axis assisted and one is an auto axis. i don’t use the safety on them very often, mainly when i’m doing some harder than normal cutting and want to lock the axis mechanism open.

i don’t use the safeties when i have the knives in my pocket and have yet to have any unintended openings. i did have the rift open once in a suitcase on a trip once tho. so now i’ll lock the safety if i’m carrying any of them in that manner.
 
My opinion is that I dont like safties. I can live with them i guess. I dont think any knife should be designed that requires a saftey to not open in your pocket. I think alot of people dont use them. I won't say they have no place, but I am not a fan.
 
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