Deployment speed?

R

RBid

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Apr 6, 2014
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How much of a concern is deployment speed for those of you who, like me, carry knives for utility reasons?

Personally, I value one hand opening, but don't care if a blade is blazing fast to deploy. I've never been in an emergency cardboard situation.
 
OHO is convenient, which is why I like my Svord Peasant knife, but I don't need the knife to fly open like a bat outta hell.
 
I like knives that open and, almost more importantly, close quickly, but it's not really a necessity for me at this point in my life. The majority of tasks I perform I'd be fine with a slipjoint. I just like the convenience and mechanical ingenuity that modern folders offer.
 
Deployment speed and the time it takes the knife to open is not the same thing. Most of the time is spent pulling the knife out and positioning your fingers to actuate the blade.

I'll take reliability of opening over speed any day. I hate slipping past a thumb stud or failing to fully flip a flipper.

Speed matters a lot IMHO. Not for defense reasons but often I find myself drawing the knife over and over. Occasionally I'll draw it for something where it was time critical to cut something unexpectedly.
 
RBid said:
How much of a concern is deployment speed for those of you who, like me, carry knives for utility reasons?
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As long as I can "deploy" my knife faster than is the carrot or apple I'm after, I'm not too worried about speed.
 
I agree with one hand opening and reliability of opening being more important for utility and "other"...speed is just about repetitive practice, dexterity, and situation
 
I have a GEC Bullnose slipjoint in my pocket, the cardboard is dead no matter how fast I deploy my blade it just doesn't know it yet. Even on a slow day I doubt a single cardboard box has ever known what hit them when it comes to me and my trusty pocket knife, tactical knives are over rated.
 
I would say a knife with the (wave) feature, next would be a close one with, automatics, and or assisted, flippers.
 
fixed blades iwb with friction sheaths are the fastests to deploy.
I get that it's of no consecuense at all in real everyday tasks.
But, why not?

I have seen a youtube video of apostlep where he says he bought a knife slow on purpose. To him was a pleasure to take his time to open it.

To me it's the other way around. I take pleasure in fast and "out of nowhere" deployment.
I'm a lawyer, a faculty professor, loving husband and father, and very polite in my manners. When I deploy a knife, it's like I'm the least expected guy to have one.
In Argentina I have plenty of opportunity to show a knife in a justified context, we eat a lot of barbecue, "asados".
Always the host has lousy knives. He struggles with a piece of meat.
Then I go, "please, try this one" and I produce an 8 inch facon out of nowhere, and they say wtf? but when they try the knife, they always end up thanking me.

A lot of dramatic impact would be lost if I would do it slowly :)

Jokes aside, I say that fast deployment is a plus, not a minus. You can deploy slowly a fast deployer, but you can't deploy fast a slow one.
Ok, it's the same thinking wich started overbuilt folders, 6mm thick fixed blades, etc. I get it.

So you don't need fast deployment.

Need is a strong word, in the other hand.
 
I carry my folders for utility and a fixed blade for self defense. At the same time my folder has a wave. I believe that all tools should be multi purpose so my utility knife should also be self defence capable. Even if it isnt a main concern in picking a knife for utility, deployment speed is always a plus in my mind.
 
Need a waved folder.

 
I carry knives for utility reasons but still enjoy a knife that opens/deploys quickly and easily. I guess it would be most important that it deploys easily but I find there are tons if knives that open easily so speed and smoothness are really significant to what I like in a knife.
 
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