grkyle
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2005
- Messages
- 58
Hello BF,
I'm wondering if anyone here knows the story behind so-called California opener knives. I just bought one made by the late Warren Osborne and have only seen a few other examples of this style of automatic opening knife over the years. For those who are unfamiliar, they operate like an automatic, with a lever in the handle that when depressed causes the blade to pop out of the closed & locked position ... but only just enough that it can be grasped & opened the rest of the way by hand. It seems like a design meant to fly under the radar in places that otherwise strictly regulate automatics (hence the California in the name?) or perhaps for people that might otherwise struggle to open a knife by hand.
Any knowledge from folks here would be greatly appreciated. I'm really sorry I never had the chance to meet Mr. Osborne in person and ask him directly.
Thanks,
Garrett
I'm wondering if anyone here knows the story behind so-called California opener knives. I just bought one made by the late Warren Osborne and have only seen a few other examples of this style of automatic opening knife over the years. For those who are unfamiliar, they operate like an automatic, with a lever in the handle that when depressed causes the blade to pop out of the closed & locked position ... but only just enough that it can be grasped & opened the rest of the way by hand. It seems like a design meant to fly under the radar in places that otherwise strictly regulate automatics (hence the California in the name?) or perhaps for people that might otherwise struggle to open a knife by hand.
Any knowledge from folks here would be greatly appreciated. I'm really sorry I never had the chance to meet Mr. Osborne in person and ask him directly.
Thanks,
Garrett
