Chris Reeve automatic

I don't see anything wrong with automatic knives, and I can appreciate the novelty. The only useful auto for me is an OTF; I carry a Combat Troodon on occasion. The others are just toys....

Frankly, if CRK made an auto (which they won't), I would get in line to buy one - if only for the pointless novelty.

One day I was in Ross Cutlery in downtown LA, speaking to Alan Wattenberg (Father of Dave Wattenberg, President of Pro-Tech Knives). Alan told me a story where Chris Reeve approached his son at a knife show and said he had no integrity for making automatic knives. As a response, Dave started making the titanium scaled, S30V bladed, Integrity manual folding knife. I thought it was a pretty funny story!
 
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onespdfrk said:
I don't see anything wrong with automatic knives, and I can appreciate the novelty. The only useful auto for me is an OTF; I carry a Combat Troodon on occasion. The others are just toys....

Frankly, if CRK made an auto (which they won't), I would get in line to buy one - if only for the pointless novelty.

One day I was in Ross Cutlery in downtown LA, speaking to Alan Wattenberg (Father of Dave Wattenberg, President of Pro-Tech Knives). Alan told me a story where Chris Reeve approached his son at a knife show and said he had no integrity for making automatic knives. As a response, Dave started making the titanium scaled, S30V bladed, Integrity manual folding knife. I thought it was a pretty funny story!
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Cool story.
 
To my understanding based on a few guys who know him, Mr. Reeve's take on automatics is that 'they are illegal for most people to own, I make knives for most people, and so I will not make an automatic.' If he did, I'd have zero interest and probably look at the CRK brand differently because an automatic would kind of defy many of the design and manufacturing principles CRK has made over the past quarter of a century.

Truth be told, it would not make the Sebenza a better knife. While many knives develop a name for complicated/advanced parts, the Sebenza is a notable model because the knife is the polar opposite of this and is very, very simple. Minimal parts with simplicity in design and operation allowing anyone to detail strip it and maintain it has defined the Seb. Adding components to make it an auto would involve more parts, more moving parts, more complicated disassembly, likely means either a thicker knife or one with a lot of titanium removed from the handle, less reliability, a higher chance of the knife drifting out of its tight tolerances, possibly work against branding as a "gentlemen's folder", and would only cater to a very small market segment whom may or may not have interest in purchasing a luxury product like a Seb (say maybe 5% of their current customers could own an "AutoBenza"-that's a lot of R&D for a limited target audience). The other major issue is that many people would not be able to close the Seb easily with one hand; this is a trademark of the Sebenza and Reeve Integral Lock much like the Round Hole is to Spyderco or the AXIS is to Benchmade.

Automatics were more useful at a time when one-handed openers were limited, and locking mechanisms precluded one-handed closing. I just don't see a big value for them in this day and age. Even for the people who can legally own them, a huge portion of these people are purposely choosing manual counterparts because of easier operation, better reliability, and often lower price with less legal hassle.

I also think manual features give some degree of operational superiority. Pro-Tech not too long ago made the TR-3 Integrity using their base TR-3 automatic. The Integrity traded the automatic button lock for a Reeve Integral Lock. And honestly, the TR-3 Integrity was better in every sense to the TR-3 Auto, and the best knife Pro-Tech ever made (and they make really great knives in general).

So I could be wrong but to my understanding, it's never been an option and it never will be.
 
I've been wanting a Protech TR 3 for the longest, but I'm not sure it will hang with my 25 in build quality.

I have a few Microtech OTF's and they're basically still around just for fun..could NOT see myself really using them hard.

Flippers on the other hand are VERY useful(IMO), in fact I'd rank them a little higher than a spydie opening hole(which I consider the best mechanism)

Any Hinderer XM series is sure hard to beat in ease of opening.
 
lemmuhj said:
I've been wanting a Protech TR 3 for the longest, but I'm not sure it will hang with my 25 in build quality.

I have a few Microtech OTF's and they're basically still around just for fun..could NOT see myself really using them hard.

Flippers on the other hand are VERY useful(IMO), in fact I'd rank them a little higher than a spydie opening hole(which I consider the best mechanism)

Any Hinderer XM series is sure hard to beat in ease of opening.
Click to expand...

I think the TR-3 is on a build quality in the ballpark of the Sebenza (although not as compact). Considering it was ProTech's first go at a frame lock, it is amazing how well they did it!

Like most every other knife, it's not going to have the fit and finish of a Seb...but I don't expect anyone to hit that level of fit and finish, and it's of notable quality and far beyond that of most other knives in its price range. As you can find a TR-3 Integrity sometimes for $150 used or less, it's incredible quality for the money. The pivot, detent/ball, and washer system is nowhere near advanced as the Seb, but it's plenty strong and still is very good. I also like the TR-3's blade grind more, and how Pro-Tech treats their S35VN as it is a little harder than CR. I have a few of their SHOT Show anodized/textured models and I think the anodizing quality is on par with what CRK is doing, and got them for half the price as a Unique Graphic Seb. Their Nichols damascus models are fantastic and on a scale of beauty with what Devin Thomas is doing. They can withstand pretty heavy usage.

One guy decided to show how much the Integrity and S35VN can take...
(while many have said S35 is a minor upgrade over S30, I personally find it to be a major step as I find S35 to be tough, avoid chipping like S30, and this boost in toughness allows makers to harden S35 higher than S30 without the same concerns of toughness at that hardness...the flexing image in the above shows S35 can withstand pretty nasty lateral strain!!!)
 
pnsxyr said:
I think the TR-3 is on a build quality in the ballpark of the Sebenza (although not as compact). Considering it was ProTech's first go at a frame lock, it is amazing how well they did it!

Like most every other knife, it's not going to have the fit and finish of a Seb...but I don't expect anyone to hit that level of fit and finish, and it's of notable quality and far beyond that of most other knives in its price range. As you can find a TR-3 Integrity sometimes for $150 used or less, it's incredible quality for the money. The pivot, detent/ball, and washer system is nowhere near advanced as the Seb, but it's plenty strong and still is very good. I also like the TR-3's blade grind more, and how Pro-Tech treats their S35VN as it is a little harder than CR. I have a few of their SHOT Show anodized/textured models and I think the anodizing quality is on par with what CRK is doing, and got them for half the price as a Unique Graphic Seb. Their Nichols damascus models are fantastic and on a scale of beauty with what Devin Thomas is doing. They can withstand pretty heavy usage.

One guy decided to show how much the Integrity and S35VN can take...
(while many have said S35 is a minor upgrade over S30, I personally find it to be a major step as I find S35 to be tough, avoid chipping like S30, and this boost in toughness allows makers to harden S35 higher than S30 without the same concerns of toughness at that hardness...the flexing image in the above shows S35 can withstand pretty nasty lateral strain!!!)
Click to expand...

Thnks for the link, that was interesting. The guy was funny as hell lol
 
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