Assisted Opening or Higher Quality Blade Steel?

L

Lucky Strike

Joined
Oct 2, 2006
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131
I'm looking to get my first single blade folder...I'd like something with a 3 to 3.5 inch blade.

If you've read my other thread you'd have seen that I bought my groomsmen CRKT Wild Weasel's as gifts and I gotta say i love the AO feature....it's just plain cool. On the other hand I know that what the blade is made out is likely more important then stuff like AO. I use to mountain bike a lot and a comparison would be that what your frame on your bike is made out of is more important then fancier components or shocks.

My price point is somewhere in the $40-60 range

I've kind of narrowed it down to a couple knives like some Kershaws (Blackout, Blur, mini-Cyclone), SOG Flash II, CRKT My Tighe.

These knives use stuff like 440A, AUS-8, Sandvik 13C26, and 1.4116.

I'm also looking at the Spyderco Delica or Native and the BM MiniGriptilian (well only if I can find one under $60) which don't have AO but have higher grade steel for their blades stuff like VG-10, GN-1, and 440C.

My question is does this higher quality steel make a difference if you only plan on using the knife for normal everyday use with the twice a year camping/hunting trip usage? Is it like worrying about buying a car that can go 130mph vs one that can go 160mph when you never plan on going over 115?
 
If you like the flash or the black out, I would go with them. I have both well just the flash I gave the blackout to a friend, and both are great knives. I use my flash as a beater. It is aus8 and takes a nice edge, so does the 440a in the blackout. Try to handle them before you buy one and see what feels best to you. ( I personaly think the flash has a stronger lock thean the blackout, But never heard any bad things about it from my friend.) John
 
I bought a G-10 Leek on Ebay for $60 plus shipping. It has great S30V steel, very strong liner lock, and excellent textured G10. Plus the Speedsafe AO function. Its at the top of your budget, but sacrifices nothing. :D You can also choose from plain edge, or combo edge.

Here are some pics of the Kershaw 1660CGTST. Only 250 were made(or so I was told), but you can get them online pretty easily! :thumbup:

G10Leek001.jpg

G10Leek002.jpg

G10Leek005.jpg

G10Leek006.jpg
 
AO is fun, and neat, but it isn't important. You can open a Griptilian or even an Endura just as fast as a knife with AO.

However, for the very light use you describe, you may never notice the difference in steels. Steels like 440A and AUS-8 are hardly crap, so they should be just fine for you.

The main advantage of the "higher-end" stainless steels is that they will hold an edge longer. If you are willing to use a knife that dulls faster, and you like AO, then maybe you should get an AO knife.

Get what you heart wants. Get what speaks to you. Try not to get hung up too much on the blade steel (if it is at least decent), or whether it is AO or not.
 
And be sure to check out the Spyderco waved Delica 4 and waved Endura 4.
They have extremely good blade-steel (VG-10) and they are faster than any assisted-opener that I have ever seen!

Good luck,
Allen.
 
While there are other knives without the AO that I would prefer, for AOs:
Camillus Heat
Kershaw Leek
Kershaw Speed Bump

These would be my top choices.
 
thanks for the replies....yeah i'm gonna need to head back to the outdoor/sports store and handle all these knives to see which feels best in my hand. I've never heard of that wave thing before but it sounds like an interesting concept. I'll have to try that out as well.

Something tells me though that given my history with getting involved (ie obsessed) with things I'll probably end up with a combination of the knives mentioned in this thread before the new year.

Or perhaps i'll just save up and splurge and get something that combines both like a BM Apparition
 
Assisted Opening or Higher Quality Blade Steel?
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Higher quality bladesteel. After some practice you can open any normal onehanded knife just as fast as an AO, so why bother with the gimmicks? More parts=more chance to fail.

These knives use stuff like 440A, AUS-8, Sandvik 13C26, and 1.4116.
Click to expand...

I think Sandvik 13C26 is a very nice steel, much better than 440C in every possible way. Aus-8 with good heat treat is more than adequate also.
 
Damn....just saw a video on youtube of someone displaying the "wave" feature on an Endura 4........way cool.

I think the little wave notch is kinda ugly but when the knife can be taken out of the pocket and it appears that you've got a fixed stuffed in there I can't deny it's awesomeness. May endup getting one of these (in a Delica) as my first EDC knife.
 
Deffinatly blade steel , A/O is a gimmick , and can get you in trouble in some areas .

Chris
 
Hair said:
Steels like 440A and AUS-8 are hardly crap, so they should be just fine for you.
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i agree. these steels are fine. in fact, i love to sharpen stuff, i wish my other, high carbon knives would dull a little faster :D. based on my use, all of my knives could go for 2+ months easily without resharpening if I chose to carry the same knife everyday, including the AUS 8. AUS 8 is great even though i have other favorites. AUS 8 takes a great edge on the sharpening stone, and pretty quickly. you can get a pretty distorted perspective here because most people here are knife/steel snobs (that's not a bad thing).

i'd just buy a knife you like overall in design, blade profile, overall materials, and craftsmanship. it probably won't be your last anyway :D
 
I have a Flash II. Overall, nice knife. The knife sits very low in the pocket. This makes it a little harder to retrieve but also less likely to draw attention. I like the flat ground blade. It's a good length and AUS8 is fine for my uses. Hard enough to hold an edge, tough enough to not chip out if I do something dumb. The ergos work for me and the whole thing is light and thin enough to carry well. Little bit of side to side play on mine but that piston lock feels strong. Probably break the pivot pin before the lock.

My wife has a Blackout. Again, nice knife. Sits a little higher in the pocket. Maybe a hair heavier. Never seen the liner lock fail. For as much as she uses it 440A holds an edge pretty well. The handle design lends itself to more positions than the Flash, Ken knows how to design a knife. Alas, Kershaw isn't very lefty friendly. For me that's a deal breaker. Might not be an issue for you.

The Heat is a stout knife, feels really good in the hand, opens faster than the other two and that folded liner lock looks plenty strong. But I passed on it because I like tip up and the guy at the brick and mortar shop couldn't find the screws to switch the clip around. I guess the RH screws are too long and get in the way of the AO.

The Native, S30V, $40 at WallyWorld. Amazing deal. Fits my hand really well and carries like a small knife (it is smaller). Will hold an edge for a long time but may chip out if you push it hard. Smaller knife, if have big paws or like 4" blades you may want to pass. Mine has developed a tiny bit of side to side play and I've just about sharpened the nicks out (I was dumb, not the knife's fault). I still think it's a hell of an EDC.

The Native III, VG-10. At a glance they look very similar. When I started carrying it it seemed more like a cousin than a brother to the Native. The back spring is stiffer, the hole is closer to the pivot, the thumb grooves are more aggressive, the handle fatter and the wire clip smoother. All subtle things but together they change the feel of the knife. I haven't had it long enough to wring it out and get a real feel for the steel. But I like it a great deal.

If you're going to clobber it when camping I'd go for AUS8. If it'll see mostly office use and you do campground/car camping I'd go for a higher end steel. Pick the one that feels good in the hand. Most of us will never push our knives to the limit.

Frank
 
Lucky Strike said:
Damn....just saw a video on youtube of someone displaying the "wave" feature on an Endura 4........way cool.

I think the little wave notch is kinda ugly but when the knife can be taken out of the pocket and it appears that you've got a fixed stuffed in there I can't deny it's awesomeness. May endup getting one of these (in a Delica) as my first EDC knife.
Click to expand...

Just a word of caution....
I have the waved Delica 4 and the waved Endura 4, and the Endura 4 works better with the wave.
The larger blade and the weight of the blade seems to help it snap open stronger and quicker.
 
I'd like to point out that supersteels are gimmicks too....

In any case, why not get both. Kershaw Avalanche in G10, S30V and AO. 80s bucks. Kershaw's prices mean that you can actually get everything for less than some other knives...

They're not my favorite, but they're not far from it either. Good stuff.
 
cdf said:
Deffinatly blade steel , A/O is a gimmick , and can get you in trouble in some areas .

Chris
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Can you link any specific cases where an A/O got someone in trouble simple because it was an A/O?
 
allenC said:
Just a word of caution....
I have the waved Delica 4 and the waved Endura 4, and the Endura 4 works better with the wave.
The larger blade and the weight of the blade seems to help it snap open stronger and quicker.
Click to expand...


I just got back from the store so I could handle some the knives...unfortunately they didn't have any waved spydercos. So does the Delica work poorly or just not as good as an Endura?

I'm kinda hesitant to have a 4" blade as an EDC.


I also looked at the leek and blur...blur seemed a bit too big in the handle area. I really liked the forefinger opening action on the Leek but something about the blade shape makes me uneasy. It's so thin and skinny...i just imagine that it'd break off easily. I'm sure this likely isn't the case but it'd be cool if it had a more substantial blade shape.
 
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