Columbia River Assisted Openers

I

icedog

Joined
Sep 6, 2007
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Has anyone any opinions regarding Columbia River folders, specifically the Outburst assisted openers?

Thanks,

Icedog
 
CRKT seems to be going downhill. That said, I don't have any experience with the knives you speak of. I would recommend a kershaw leek, at walmart though. Just about 40 bucks!
 
I have a My Tighe. It came to me sharper than anything but my Bark River and it is the strongest opening folder I have, including my Kershaw Bumps and Blurs. Good lock up. Slight lateral blade play(after I ran it through the dryer). Very strong over all construction, although there are much stronger blade steels available.
 
I bought the assisted opening Hissatsu Folder some time ago...the one and only CRKT I have. The vast bulk of my knife purchases are for practical uses, but I picked this one up on a whim, and because I long have had interests in Japanese martial blade fencing disciplines. The Hissatsu Folder's blade design seems to borrow from a rather early traditional tanto configuration, one having a very long, shallow curving fukura ending in a very, *very* stabby kissaki.

As far as my general opinion of this knife goes...it's very black, strong, hefty at 5.8oz, neutral grip ergos, probably on the large side for most folks, carries tip up, nicely designed left/right reversible clip, the Aus8 steel gets very sharp, lockup is good, and...um...it looks extremely fierce, and technical, just as most traditional Japanese blades do.

As to the AO design...exceptionally simple and strong. In fact, there is no way it can get any more simple than this...one hefty quill spring riding on a cam ground on the blade tang. It fires the blade *very* fast...and hard, with the most unique sound of any auto/AO I have ever heard...quite a complex sonic signature.
 
Thanks Headroom for the detailed review. The Hissatsu Folder is the knife I have ordered.
 
I have the Hissatsu folder. All I can say about it is that it's really hard to open with your left hand, but if you're right handed it's no problem.
 
headroom said:
I bought the assisted opening Hissatsu Folder some time ago...the one and only CRKT I have. The vast bulk of my knife purchases are for practical uses, but I picked this one up on a whim, and because I long have had interests in Japanese martial blade fencing disciplines. The Hissatsu Folder's blade design seems to borrow from a rather early traditional tanto configuration, one having a very long, shallow curving fukura ending in a very, *very* stabby kissaki.

As far as my general opinion of this knife goes...it's very black, strong, hefty at 5.8oz, neutral grip ergos, probably on the large side for most folks, carries tip up, nicely designed left/right reversible clip, the Aus8 steel gets very sharp, lockup is good, and...um...it looks extremely fierce, and technical, just as most traditional Japanese blades do.

As to the AO design...exceptionally simple and strong. In fact, there is no way it can get any more simple than this...one hefty quill spring riding on a cam ground on the blade tang. It fires the blade *very* fast...and hard, with the most unique sound of any auto/AO I have ever heard...quite a complex sonic signature.
Click to expand...

+1, I couldn't say it any better.

Will add only that this is one of the few AO's that I have, and the only CRKT AO that I have.

Not the kind of knife you'd generally walk around with, or anyway I wouldn't, but a terrific design and great AO action.
A wicked knife.

I've also had a few other CRKT AO's which I sold: an M4, a My Tighe, and a Tiny Tighe Breaker.

All were very nicely made - in Taiwan, BTW - with terrific AO action.
 
I have a hissatsu folder. I keep it just loose enough that when you disengage the locking liner it swings loosely. With most liner knives this would be a problem, but on the HF the torsion bar stops the blade after it's traveled about 90 degrees or so. So you can swing the blade down 90 degrees quite quickly and safely, then grab it with your hand and squeeze it the rest of the way shut. With practice you can draw, open, and close this knife lightning fast with either hand.
It was also designed as a designated fighting knife, which means it's imeccably well balanced for a fighting folder, but also that I wouldn't make it my first EDC choice.
I bought mine on a whim as well.
 
Hi!

Last year I tested several AO modells for a magazine, so my opinions:

-The Triumph folder works well, it's a hefty tactical folder :thumbup:, with extremely rough G10 handle. :eek: Without gloves it's a pain to work with it! The AO feature worked well, but the thumbstud wasn't too comfortable.
-The Tiny Tighe Breaker was a sweet one, but I only recommend for small/medium hand users. It's a good litte EDC knife :thumbup: - but now the minus point:
It was accidentally dropped to the carpet about 30 cm, and the torsion bar fully opened the knife! I tried it with several times, and the knife always opened. I wasn't happy with that fact... :mad:
-The Mini My Tighe was also a good little folder, but it's AO accidentally opened when fell off - as the TTB.

They're all good folders :thumbup: - but I'd prefer Kershaw's AO system.
 
I've found that dropping almost any AO onto the floor results in it opening.

In fact, one of the primary reasons I don't favor AO's is because of a concern that they
will open in my pocket.

And I guess I'm not the only one with that concern, since several models from various companies
are supplied with a safety to lock them in the closed position.
 
I have 2 crkt ICHI, they open fast,secure and are well biult, only thing i dislike is the 420J2 steel used for the blade, i'ts razor sharp out of the box but i think it won't keep an edge long

i really like camillus robo's, great quality, never opened in my pockets in more than a year

Maxx
 
rifon2 said:
I've found that dropping almost any AO onto the floor results in it opening.
Click to expand...

Heh...you know, I never even considered that possibility, so I tried this with the Hissatsu I have....refused to open no matter what I did. I dropped it pivot down from about waist height onto low pile carpet with no underlay.

In fact, one of the primary reasons I don't favor AO's is because of a concern that they
will open in my pocket.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for all AO implementations, but I sure can not imagine the Hissatsu AO spring firing the blade in one's pocket. To me it's much safer than a full auto with the safety off.
 
That's interesting & useful info, thanks for the testing.

I happen to like the CRKT OutBurst system.
The Hissatsu is one of the few AO's that I have; one of the reasons being that it doesn't
have that "feel" - to me - that it's going to suddenly open on its own at the slightest provocation.
I also notice that FWIW, CRKT doesn't use a lockshut safety on the knife.

But this isn't meant to be objective, it's just my opinion having handled and carried
a lot of knives.
And I'm sure there are plenty of knowledgeable people who disagree with me on this.

OT slightly, IIRC I've seen the lockshut safety on AO's by Buck, Kershaw, and SOG.
(Maybe not on every model from those companies.)

Benchmade doesn't use it on their Nitrous AO's, and coincidentally I happen to have a Nitrous Stryker that I like a lot.

Spyderco, of course, doesn't make any AO's.
 
ive noticed with some of the my tighe's that when it snaps open, there seems to be a twang or vibration afterwards,on the 2 i had. it was annoying.when the bar was slightly loosened,it went away. it reminded me of one of those jaw harps.
 
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