Best quality AO knife for a good price?

Carter80 said:
Looking for a 3-3.5 inch blade. No flipper. Around 30-50 bucks.
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Personally I am not a fan of AO knives that don't have a flipper. Reason being it is tough for me to operate the thumbstud while maintaining a secure grip on the knife. When using a flipper, I still have 3 fingers on one side of the knife, and my thumb on the other. When using a thumb stud I have 4 fingers on one side and nothing holding the other side. And my fingers can't grip it that well because they have to stay out of the blade's way.

I have no problem with thumb studs/holes on manual knives, but they seem vastly inferior on an AO. Again, not bashing your choice/opinion, just explaining why I feel the way I do.

Do you specifically NOT want it to have a flipper, or would a flipper be ok as long as it had a thumbstud/hole as well?

reholli said:
That said, I like flippers just fine...their only major limitation IMO is some awkwardness under circumstances where you want to pivot a blade open slowly; that's where Spyderco's Sypderhole shines...perfect opening speed control.

Ray :)
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Ummm, are you suggesting trying to open an assisted knife slowly using a thumbstud/Spyderhole? Sounds like a cut waiting to happen.

In any case, as many people have suggested, Kershaw has many many fine choices.

Many of their AO knives have thumb-studs AND a flipper, the Leek and Cyclone are both popular choices (I own both and would definitely recommend either).

3wolves said:
Kershaws spring assisted knives are way too risky to carry in Canada, the lightest touch on the flipper of a leek and the blade springs open no different from a switchblade, almost flew out of my hand, which is the main reason I won't buy a damascus leek no matter how much I want one (and I want one bad). After Kershaw you might want to consider some of the Buck or SOG AOs like the sirus or flash II.
Welcome to the forums:).
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I don't have this problem with my Leek or Cyclone at all. I have even tested my Leek by banging the flipper on a counter, it didn't open. If you are really worried about it accidentally opening, it does have a lock to keep it closed.

And FYI Kershaw Speedsafe knives are perfectly legal to carry in Canada. They ARE different from a switchblade/auto.

Go ahead and treat yourself to that Damascus Leek! :cool:
 
Give a flipper a try:) You'll like it once you get one, but if not; the Cyclone is a good choice. I got it initially for the same reason, I wasn't keen on flippers. I quickly changed my mind and have now gone almost entirely to knives with flippers, and could care less about holes or thumbstuds. The Needs Work is a cool little flipper too. Clint
 
Kershaw is where you should look. With so many models you may find yourself watning a couple! :D
 
coaldigger said:
I will say KERSHAW :thumbup: They have an awsome speedsafe system !
I have a speedbump & Love it ! It's very fast for a knife of that size !
Speedbump.jpg
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Is that an older version of the Specbump? I see milled G10 handles, but an uncoated blade? :confused:
 
clintg said:
Give a flipper a try:) You'll like it once you get one, but if not; the Cyclone is a good choice. I got it initially for the same reason, I wasn't keen on flippers. I quickly changed my mind and have now gone almost entirely to knives with flippers, and could care less about holes or thumbstuds. The Needs Work is a cool little flipper too. Clint
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It's COULDN'T care less. :grumpy:
 
reholli said:
However you make this sound like a very serious matter involving major concerns,
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lord knows cutting yourself with your own knife isn't a major concern, especially if you're trying to operate under some form of duress.
 
tom19176 said:
here you go...a discontinued color on sale 50% off....http://eknifeworks.com/webapp/eComm...t=&Mode=Brand&PriceStart=&Brand=16&SKU=BU5680
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I have a Buck Tempest in 154CM, which is essentially the same knife as the Sirus except with skeletonized handle scales.

It has an absolutely wicked AO action - much faster and snappier than any Kershaw I've tried.

I'm not saying it's better, but it is noticeably different than the Kershaw.

Also - on the Sirus and the Tempest - the safety is cleverly located just behind the flipper, so as you slide your finger along the spine you'll release the safety and then hit the flipper in one smooth movement.
 
Dekz said:
I don't have this problem with my Leek or Cyclone at all. I have even tested my Leek by banging the flipper on a counter, it didn't open. If you are really worried about it accidentally opening, it does have a lock to keep it closed.

And FYI Kershaw Speedsafe knives are perfectly legal to carry in Canada. They ARE different from a switchblade/auto.

Go ahead and treat yourself to that Damascus Leek! :cool:
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Thats weird, I barely touched the flipper and it sprang open with alot of force. I know that assisted openers are legal in Canada but an assisted knife might be considered more of as a weapon than a tool and it might be mistaken for a switchblade by a LEO. I am also kind of scared of one opening in my pocket. I might get one and disable the speedsafe. $80 for damascus in one hell of a deal.:thumbup:
 
3wolves said:
Thats weird, I barely touched the flipper and it sprang open with alot of force. I know that assisted openers are legal in Canada but an assisted knife might be considered more of as a weapon than a tool and it might be mistaken for a switchblade by a LEO. I am also kind of scared of one opening in my pocket. I might get one and disable the speedsafe. $80 for damascus in one hell of a deal.:thumbup:
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You may have a problem with disabling the speedsafe. I'm not 100% sure on how the Leek works, but a lot of them use the torsion bar to keep the knife closed. If you removed it, the blade may be able to freely move (aka gravity knife).

If you're worried about it opening in your pocket, you can lock it closed. If you're worried about law enforcement, that's your call.
 
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3wolves said:
Thats weird, I barely touched the flipper and it sprang open with alot of force. I know that assisted openers are legal in Canada but an assisted knife might be considered more of as a weapon than a tool and it might be mistaken for a switchblade by a LEO. I am also kind of scared of one opening in my pocket. I might get one and disable the speedsafe. $80 for damascus in one hell of a deal.:thumbup:
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Just recently got my Leek CB, and the flipper Speed-Safe system works perfectly. I have to apply a fair amount of pressure for it to open, and it in no way feels out of control. Very smooth, very enjoyable to use.

There's also a lock you can use to keep it from opening unwanted, but i keep it unlocked because i feel there is no risk of it opening in my pocket. The pressure needed to open it is to high.
 
Kershaw Leek or Blur would be good first choices. All around, the Leek is hard to beat; rides comfortable in the pocket, and is still small enough not to raise much attention.
 
Pretty much any of the Kershaw AO knives are a good choice. Two of my favorites are the Avalanche and SG2 Blur. I have never had a problem opening an AO with the thumb stud. I think that you would have to deliberately work at cutting yourself.
 
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