Benchmade assist/auto

H

hemi1300

Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
192
Have a handful of benchmades with axis lock and love them. Wanting something different and thinking about an auto or assisted benchmade. Only thing holding me back is can you close the auto or assist one handed or have to use both hands, anybody with one of these care to chime in?
 
I have a 470 emissary. You can close it one handed, but it’s a bit more precarious than a manual. You have to be more careful so it doesn’t slip and spring open. I didn’t like that enough that I don’t carry it.
 
I don't get why it's important to be able to close any folder one-handed.

I always use 2 hands to close any folder, regardless of its size, in the interest of my safety, just as I use 2 hands to make safe and reholster a handgun.

Doesn't take any more time to do it this way and I can't see why you'd be doing anything else w/your weak hand when you have to close an open blade in your strong hand.

If you've got something in your weak hand, just put it down until you've closed and stowed the knife away safely.
 
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Not sure why it's a big deal to me. I just have a habit of flipping my benchmades open and closed one handed all day, guess it's like my nervous twitch to flick a knife open and closed constantly
 
hemi1300 said:
Not sure why it's a big deal to me. I just have a habit of flipping my benchmades open and closed one handed all day, guess it's like my nervous twitch to flick a knife open and closed constantly
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AXIS lock Benchmades? Frankly, I have pretty much no desire for an assisted or automatic AXIS lock. You can't close those with a simple wrist flick.
 
With the AO's, if I want to close them one handed, I just place the unsharpened edge against my jeans and push it closed. The spring tension makes closing one handled a bit more difficult. I generally use two hands personally. Can't comment on the autos as I don't own one or want one.
 
sgt1372 said:
I don't get why it's important to be able to close any folder one-handed.

I always use 2 hands to close any folder, regardless of its size, in the interest of my safety, just as I use 2 hands to make safe and reholster a handgun.

Doesn't take any more time to do it this way and I can't see why you'd be doing anything else w/your weak hand when you have to close an open blade in your strong hand.

If you've got something in your weak hand, just put it down until you've closed and stowed the knife away safely.
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I do it all the time like when I'm standing on top a 10' ladder holding a cable that i'm stripping, flick, strip, close and slide in pocket. I could use two hands but then again i'm holding onto the wire or a pipe because standing on top a 10' ladder. Safer And cooler:cool::thumbsup:
 
I don’t particularly like assisted opening knives, but auto doesn’t bug me. I’m strange I guess.

22-rimfire said:
With the AO's, if I want to close them one handed, I just place the unsharpened edge against my jeans and push it closed. The spring tension makes closing one handled a bit more difficult. I generally use two hands personally. Can't comment on the autos as I don't own one or want one.
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I close my auto axis Benchmade knives the exact same way. Pull the axis bar back and swipe the spine of the blade against my jeans to close. Works great for me.
 
I carry a Benchmade Casbah auto and I find it isn't any trouble at all for me to close using the jeans method either. I have pretty good finger dexterity and can also close one handed but the jeans method is faster.
 
I’ve been carrying my Benchmade axis auto for years. I never really thought about it but I guess I also just swipe the back edge against my jeans while pulling the axis lock... not an issue.
 
If you had to choose, would you go with benchmade CLA auto or assisted 495 vector? These are the 2 I cant decide between. Kind of leaning towards CLA bc the vector is a tad big for my typical carry, but a great looking knife
 
I suppose that there are people who could close a Barrage one handed, but I ain't one of them. As mentioned, closing it by pushing the blade closed on my leg works, but that seems to be an un-elegant way to do it.

I de-assisted mine as I want to send it off to BM for a new blade some time, and it works fine as a manual too. However, it's a big knife and rather bulky so it doesn't see much action.

edit to add: I also have a Kershaw Camber that is easy to close one handed, but It also doesn't see much action either. I really don't like AO much.
 
22-rimfire said:
With the AO's, if I want to close them one handed, I just place the unsharpened edge against my jeans and push it closed. The spring tension makes closing one handled a bit more difficult. I generally use two hands personally. Can't comment on the autos as I don't own one or want one.
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Axis autos are the same, maybe a little stiffer because there's always spring tension on the blade. I really like my auto mini-presidio, it's really easy to launch with gloves on. I use the back of my pants or 2-hands, same as I do for all of my backlock and slipjoint knives. I can close it one-handed, without using a leg on the spine, but it's slow and clumsy. Here's I do it below to show it can be done but I don't like doing it.

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sgt1372 said:
I don't get why it's important to be able to close any folder one-handed.

I always use 2 hands to close any folder, regardless of its size, in the interest of my safety, just as I use 2 hands to make safe and reholster a handgun.

Doesn't take any more time to do it this way and I can't see why you'd be doing anything else w/your weak hand when you have to close an open blade in your strong hand.

If you've got something in your weak hand, just put it down until you've closed and stowed the knife away safely.
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It is wonderful that you have 2 hands....
 
i have a 490, 477-1, 580, and 9555. closing them i depress the axis bar with my forefinger, then push the blade closed with my thumb. on the assists, i can do the opposite & work the axis bar with my thumb and close the blade with my forefinger. i’m unable to do this on the auto-rift though, due to the handle shape and lack of thumb stud. cant quite get the blade all the way closed using my forefinger.
 
hemi1300 said:
Have a handful of benchmades with axis lock and love them. Wanting something different and thinking about an auto or assisted benchmade. Only thing holding me back is can you close the auto or assist one handed or have to use both hands, anybody with one of these care to chime in?
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OP, the 581 is a fantastic Axis AO. It is great in the hand, it’s pretty, it cuts very well, the blade is M390. You can close it against your trouser leg or equivalent if two handed closing is an issue. Mind you, thanks to @jill jackson I now want a 490! That is a very fine looking knife as well, in S90V.
 
Get an AFO 2. This is an amazingingly well made, solid and hard flipping auto.
I have found zero flaws in this knife.
x4NVTWz.jpg
 
HOKIE_FAN said:
Get an AFO 2. This is an amazingingly well made, solid and hard flipping auto.
I have found zero flaws in this knife.
x4NVTWz.jpg
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The AFO series are great knives. My biggest complaint with my AFO is that the pocket clip for tip up carry is way too low and a lot of blade sticks out of the pocket. It looks like that's gone on the II. I run mine with a lanyard as I like to do that with some of the bigger folders that put the butt of the knife right at the top of the pocket anyway.

The BM auto's fill that hand very well for folders, usually something that is lacking in many folders as they design for easier to carry and lightweight of most but ergo's are often left behind if you want to use it hard.

My AFO is a lot easier to close than my auto-presidio because of the button and the different direction of force needed to unlock the blade while trying to close it. I still like to use my pant leg but it is pretty easy to get this one closed and it still fires really nice. My first button lock, won't be my last though I'm probably going after a hogue next time.
 
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