Best Assisted Opener design on the Market (production only)..... GO!

BePrepared

BePrepared

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Aug 26, 2010
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My vote goes to Kershaw Speed Safe.. but i don't have a lot of experience. I'm looking forward to hearing from those of you in the know
 
best? hard to define.

i actually like the bm axis-assist best..... for lots 'o' reasons.
 
I don't particularly care for AO, but I do have a Blur and the Kershaw stuff seems to be top notch.
 
I don't respond well to commands(such as GO!), so I can't tell you. I do better when asked in the form of a question.












I'm just kidding with ya... I don't even like, or have, an AO.:p
 
I have experience with and disassembling examples by both SOG and Kershaw and I can tell you without reservation that Kershaw's torsion bar design is more durable, easier to service and more reliable. The SOG AO uses a flimsy coil spring that comes unseated and isn't particularly easy to re-seat.
 
I haven't tried more than a couple, personally, I don't know. I'm guessing most postings will be opinion-based on limited experience as well.

You're an insurance guy, it's surprising that you'd try to define "best".
 
Just received a zt 0350 and i can't put it down.
Speed Safe gets my vote.
My only other comparison is a Benchmade Apparition. Don't like the AO while using a thumb stud all that much.
The flipper on the 0350 makes the AO much easier to use.
 
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There are many like this, but this one is mine so my vote is the ZT 301.

zt3016.jpg
 
CWL said:
I haven't tried more than a couple, personally, I don't know. I'm guessing most postings will be opinion-based on limited experience as well.

You're an insurance guy, it's surprising that you'd try to define "best".
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I'm an insurance guy, which means i spend a LOT of my day bored... and posting threads of an interesting nature dulls the pain of endless boredom
 
crom said:
I have experience with and disassembling examples by both SOG and Kershaw and I can tell you without reservation that Kershaw's torsion bar design is more durable, easier to service and more reliable. The SOG AO uses a flimsy coil spring that comes unseated and isn't particularly easy to re-seat.
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This X 11tybillion. I've not taken apart and Benchmades, but I had a time getting a SOG back together. The kershaw speedsafe is 100% than Sog's assisted IMHO.
 
I was not impressed with the SpeedSafe on Kershaw's Mini Cyclone, Leek, or Blur, nor with the torsion bar on the Benchmade Nitrous Stryker. Perhaps the spring just needs some breaking-in, but I always found them to tense, holding the blade closed too tightly and snapping open either too hard (which can cause the knife to leap from the user's grasp - more a fault of handle design, but still that much tension will result in catastrophic fatigue more quickly) or so slowly I'd rather it were not there at all.

Of all the A/O's I've handled, my favorite by far (and now my EDC) is Benchmade's 585(s) mini-barrage with axis-assist. The spring action is powerful but not excessive in either keeping the blade closed or forcing it open, action is smooth, handle provides a secure grip, totally ambidextrous single-hand openning/closing, can be deployed via the thumb-stud or simply pulling back the axis lock-bar and flicking, has a secondary lock mechanism to secure the axis bar with the blade open or closed (so neither can occur accidentally) - I have dropped this knife, tossed it, had it bump into things forcefully (while in my pocket or bag) and never have experienced an accidental openning. I think that this design is the safest and best functioning assisted-openning knife on the market today...
I don't have much to say regarding SOG's assisted openners as the knives themselves have always failed to impress me (esp. at the price-point).
 
I really like Kershaw's SpeedSafe, as well as Benchmade's Nitrous and Axis Assist, but my favorite would have to be the spring assisted opening on the HTM Gunhammer.
 
I own a Kershaw Blur, a Kershaw Leek, a SOG Twitch II and a Benchmade Barrage 580. I have owned a SOG Flash II and a Benchmade Nitrous Stryker, as well as another Nitrous knife.

My experience is that it is more than the opening mechanism as it is named: implementation seems to differ per knife type, at least sometimes. For example, the assisted opening of the Blur is strong and swift, whereas that of the Leek is weak: if you don't press hard enough it may not even open fully. Also, the Axis-assist of the Benchmade 580 is great, but I don't like the Nitrous mechanism: it is rather weak and makes a knife particularly hard to close.

Then again, the Benchmade 580 is not my favourite knife, mainly because of it's handles, and also the Kershaw Blur has its disadvantages.

Bottom line: first choose the type of knife you are looking for (blade material, blade form, size, handle and whatever matters to you) and then see whether there is an assisted version of it. You might not even need an assisted version (and then you have a lot more choice), since knives with locks like the Benchmade Axis or SOG Arc (unassisted) can easily be opened with the flick of a thumb.

But I must admit that even with this advice, I have high hopes for the Benchmade Emissary. I've got one on order and hope to be able to tell you more in a week.
 
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As much as I love kershaw knives their assisted system blows. I don't know why people say they like them. The bars break all the time. But they have the best CS and will send out a couple if you need and they are easy to replace save for the Boa. The 2 bars that BM uses on the Subrosa are very strong and I think they will last a long time. Don't have any extended experience with the axis assist and to be honest I wouldn't ever buy one. All axis knives are smooth enough and don't need to be assisted.
 
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