Assisted Openers

[Dorito Monk]

I continue to be amazed by the popularity of assisted opening. It provides no speed advantage, no meaningful utility and yet it provides some negative safety issues and unnecessary complexity to the product. I've been scratching my head over it for years.

Meh *shrugs shoulders*. It's definitely a bit of a strange trend in the knife industry.

I agree that, for me, A/O provides no real benefits over non-assisted one-hand-openers. However, I don't find that it provides any real negative safety issues or adds any unnecessary hassle or anything like that for my uses, either, with the possible exeption of a bit of added maintenance. I find it's neither a main selling point nor a reason to avoid a knife - for me, kind of like considering a back lock versus a liner lock, or something like that. Just a different feature, neither here nor there.

For example, if I liked the design of an a/o knife, I'd still be interested in the design if the company decided to discontinue the assisted feature.

Just my two cents.

 

[mdauben]

Thats why Kershaw makes that handy little blade keeper that has to be disengaged before you open it , that is if it was engaged in the first place.

I've never had an A/O open in my pocket, but I have had one fail to open becuase the "lock" became unintentionally engaged. That's why I removed them from all my A/O knives.

I continue to be amazed by the popularity of assisted opening. It provides no speed advantage, no meaningful utility and yet it provides some negative safety issues and unnecessary complexity to the product.

I tend to agree. An A/O offers me no speed or convenience advantage over a well designed thumb-stud or thumb-hole. I look at them mainly as just a cool gimick that's fun to play with rather than a truely useful feature.

 

[Col. Cornelius]

I think AO have a "cool/fun" factor that some people enjoy (I know I did when they first came out!).

Through the years, like others here, I have learned that the AO is not really neccessary, but it is still fun (for me at least) to flick them open.

I have found, however, that I enjoy the Benchmade Axis lock system more, and the AO's I have don't get used much anymore.

 

[Flashpoint]

For me at least, A/O does offer some convenience. There are times when I go to flick open a non-A/O and it not quit make it open, but that's never been the case with A/O. On the other hand, I've never bought or not bought a knife based on how it opened. Quality, comfort, and bang for the buck mean much more to me. To me A/O just adds diversity to the market and how could that be a bad thing.

 

[illumination]

I bought a couple when I fist caught the knife bug because they seemed cool. I've subsequently figured out that a good non-assisted Knofe with some locks (eg, AXIS, ball lock) can be opened as fast but much easier to close and much safer.

The only AO I still use a lot is the Chive because it is so useful for opening boxes, etc.

 

[Thomas W]

I continue to be amazed by the popularity of assisted opening. It provides no speed advantage, no meaningful utility and yet it provides some negative safety issues and unnecessary complexity to the product. I've been scratching my head over it for years.

Perhaps your perception, and the actual reality in everyday lives are not in sync.

 

[jthomas]

I've never had one open in my pocket. I use my knives alot during the day and sometimes the AO is appreciated. I have thrown non-AO knives on the floor when trying to flick them open with wet / sweaty hands when in a hurry. I guess it is like a sunroof on a car. If it has it, great. If it doesn't, great. But I do see the utility.

 

[Dusty One]

Have had a Leek in my pocket for a few years....No problems...

 

[Tostig]

Perhaps your perception, and the actual reality in everyday lives are not in sync.

To answer Knifeoutlet.

All knives have a role somewhere to someone or they would not be made , in my opinion.

It's all about preference


Tostig

 

[Odds]

I bought a couple when I fist caught the knife bug because they seemed cool. I've subsequently figured out that a good non-assisted Knofe with some locks (eg, AXIS, ball lock) can be opened as fast but much easier to close and much safer...

Same here. I never had a problem when I did carry them. Nowaday even though they are legal in Canada I don't like carrying them because they scare sheeple and in a highly unlikely situation I don't want any problems with uninformed LEO's.

 

[hwpaintballer]

I have never had one open on me while being carried in my pocket, I have even put a small drop of super glue on the sliding blade stop of my leek so it stays unlocked "safety off". I carry my knives tip down, so worst case scenario the blade stick up out of my pocket.