Compare & Contrast the Merits/Reliability of different AO Mechanisms.

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Mar 3, 2009
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I'm still new here and without the search function so I'm not sure if this topic has been done to death but I'm in the market for a sub $100 AO 3 inch + Blade and was interested in hearing what the folks here had to say.

My natural instinct on this subject tells me that torsion bar AOs are by nature more reliable than spring AO systems which leads me to be focusing on Nitrious AO and Speed Safe AO large blade knives but perhaps my natural instinct has nothing to do with reality.

How do spring AO's compare? So far I have been interested in SOG S.A.T. (the Aegis specifically) and Benchmade's new Assisted-Axis. Are they reliable over time? Are spring AOs in general?

So please tell me how you rate different AO systems and what you find to be the best AO blades out there and why.
 
Kershaw has the lead in the AO designs, some of the best executed and most reliable designs avaliable.

The coil spring types like those in the SOG's, and Buck are a bit weaker and do not the strength that the torsion types do.

The benchmade AO's are every bit as good as their full autos, I've never head of or ever experienced a spring failure on a BM Auto. They just lack the snap of the kershaw's.

Remember its the cycles open-close open-close that kill the springs whether it be a coil, leaf, or torsion bar.
 
I feel the way to get the most out of any AO knife is to do preventative maintenance on a regular basis. If you feel the speed or the snap of the opening system drop off.... REPLACE it. If you open your knives up once every 6 months to clean them out REPLACE it. Kershaw never really has a problem with people working on their knives so they will send you extra torsion bars (and just about anything else you would need). IMO that puts Kershaw and SpeedSafe out in front of the AO game. 'Cause if you can't work on your tools and keep them in top shape yourself then what good are they ;):D
 
I broke the AO mechanisms on two Sog Twitch knives, and one Kershaw Leek over a span of perhaps 6 months.

The Leek uses a torsion bar and the action felt stronger on the Leek than on the Sog Twitch II (which I think uses a coil). Despite the stronger action, the Leek did not last nearly as long as the either of the two Twitches.

I do not believe these knives are poorly made. At the time, AO knives were relatively new to me and I wanted to test the longevity of the AO mechanisms. So, played with them a lot (opened and closed the knives).

If you like to play with your knives (ie open and close them a lot), I would suggest steering away from AO knives (unless you don't mind servicing them). That being said, any folding knife will exhibit wear and tear from being opened and closed. Whether or not the knife wears out will depend on it's construction and how much it is used. Cheers.
 
I played with my Buck Rush so much I think I blew the springs in under a year. Just fiddling and constant flicking...
 
I would tend to think that wire form springs, like Kershaw's "torsion bar", are probably a bit more prone to failing, compared to coil springs. I suspect coil springs would tend to get lazy more than out and out fail.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of the wide array of AO designs on the market. Is there any web page out there that displays various types of mechanisms on the market?
 
+1:thumbup:

spiralarchitect said:
I feel the way to get the most out of any AO knife is to do preventative maintenance on a regular basis. If you feel the speed or the snap of the opening system drop off.... REPLACE it. If you open your knives up once every 6 months to clean them out REPLACE it. Kershaw never really has a problem with people working on their knives so they will send you extra torsion bars (and just about anything else you would need). IMO that puts Kershaw and SpeedSafe out in front of the AO game. 'Cause if you can't work on your tools and keep them in top shape yourself then what good are they ;):D
Click to expand...
 
my very honest opinion is that AO is useless, it's a gimmik.

Go full auto or plain Jane.

~Jon
kniferights.org member 606. how about you?
 
IMO, Kershaw is leading the game with AO. Their bars are tested to 10,000 cycles according to their website and getting a new torsion bar is one click away with their great CS. There is a reason half of their product line has them, they just work.
And as far as replacing the torsion bar, it took me about 10 minutes the first ever time I did it and would probably take about 5 if I had to do it again.
 
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