Assisted vs. Manual Opening 2018

Earl1

Earl1

Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
459
I carry both types of knives. I have a link in my right pocket and a rat 2 in my left. I own several kershaw and all of them are so. I just ordered a skyline to have a manual kershaw to carry on vacation. Many places don't allow ao so I will be covered. I use both but for me I might lean more toward manual as long as it is a good action
 
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Well, since it's been reanimated...

I introduced one of my friends to decent folding knives via a Kershaw Thermite. Since then I've given him a couple other knives, but he keeps coming back to Kershaw's assisted opening offerings. I do think there is a bit of a cool gadget factor to AO knives. I also think it's great that there are many good knives to choose from with different types of opening mechanisms.

Personally, I'm an unassisted flipper kinda guy. Though I wouldn't say no to a nice D/A OTF for the cool gadget factor! Unfortunately, there's just not many sub 2 inch D/A OTF knives (the only one I know of is the Microtech UTX-70 CA edition....which is really hard to find....)
 
GundaManiac said:
Well, since it's been reanimated...

I introduced one of my friends to decent folding knives via a Kershaw Thermite. Since then I've given him a couple other knives, but he keeps coming back to Kershaw's assisted opening offerings. I do think there is a bit of a cool gadget factor to AO knives. I also think it's great that there are many good knives to choose from with different types of opening mechanisms.

Personally, I'm an unassisted flipper kinda guy. Though I wouldn't say no to a nice D/A OTF for the cool gadget factor! Unfortunately, there's just not many sub 2 inch D/A OTF knives (the only one I know of is the Microtech UTX-70 CA edition....which is really hard to find....)
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It hasn’t been reanimated. The people who were posting here 12 yrs ago on this thread are mostly no longer active. Start a new thread if you really think it is an interesting topic to discuss. Again.
 
GundaManiac said:
Well, since it's been reanimated...

I introduced one of my friends to decent folding knives via a Kershaw Thermite. Since then I've given him a couple other knives, but he keeps coming back to Kershaw's assisted opening offerings. I do think there is a bit of a cool gadget factor to AO knives. I also think it's great that there are many good knives to choose from with different types of opening mechanisms.

Personally, I'm an unassisted flipper kinda guy. Though I wouldn't say no to a nice D/A OTF for the cool gadget factor! Unfortunately, there's just not many sub 2 inch D/A OTF knives (the only one I know of is the Microtech UTX-70 CA edition....which is really hard to find....)
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AO always feels like a bandaid for poor pivot action. A well-designed and well-manufactured manual knife opens just as quickly and easily as AO and doesn’t fight being closed.

The only AO knife I’ve ever liked the feel of was the Cold Steel Swift.
 
I never look for AO knives, I might buy and enjoy an AO knife because of other features but other than that, I'd rather have manual folders or proper autos.

I'd love my ZT 0300 or my Kershaw Blur just as much if they were manual.
 
I dont snub my nose at AO knives, i love my link as well, great knife and opens great with out being to cumbersome to close, pplus the links blade has an awaome belly for slicing but i would take my zt0450 or 940 osbourne any day over a ao. A good smooth action beats ao everytime in my book. But on the low end price scale you cant expect that kind of craftsmanship so i think AO is just the easiest way to keep the price low while making the knife still fun to operate. I really really want a gravity knife however :rolleyes:.The paragon warlock just looks like so much fun!!!:D
 
I have had both AO and manual and I prefer manual mainly because I like a thick blade and most AO are quite thin. Nothing beats a thick blade Tool knife with a deep belly.
 
I find most of today's top folders (Sebenza, Spyderco) so easy to deploy I think they're quicker (and less complex) than assisted opening folders.
 
Agreed with above. AO seems first of all unnecessary and secondly just another thing to go wrong.

With today’s well made modern folders there usually no need for AO. With thumbstuds or a flipper (etc.) most knives can be flicked open just as fast as AO or an auto. It wouldn’t be so bad if you could just remove the spring bar, but most these AOs have no detent and so removing the bar means nothing is holding the knife shut.

I do agree also that assisted openings are often jsed to mask a poor action. Seems like every gas station special made in China knife comes assisted. I’m talking tac force ones and such.

It seems like many people are into AOs when they first get into knives. In many places autos are illegal so new knifeurs think “wow I am getting a knife that is practically an auto!” Since auto knives are often considered sort of “taboo” and therefor “cool.”
 
I don't want my knife fighting me on the close. I discovered that after I first tried a newfangled speedsafe lo those many years ago.

Having said that I recently bought a long-out-of-production AO Kershaw because that's the only way the darn thing came and I wanted it for other reasons.
 
Gravy said:
I don't buy assisted knives. It's unnecessary and it adds another part that can break.
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My thoughts exactly. Bought a speed-safe Kershaw several years ago and have never bought another one. Just a needless gadget, imho. (ditto with the wave)
 
Boozoo Chavis said:
My thoughts exactly. Bought a speed-safe Kershaw several years ago and have never bought another one. Just a needless gadget, imho. (ditto with the wave)
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Personally I love the wave. Unlike AO systems having a wave on your knife does nothing to detract from any other function of the knife.

If it were up to me pretty much every knife would be waved. Well not tip down knives.
 
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