Deployment speed?

RBid said:
It seems as though you're criticizing me for:

1. Using a word correctly.

2. Not having invested more time in an Internet forum.
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Not really. I'm criticizing you for telling those of us who have been here longer than a month what you think the word implies here.

But, hey, you deploy away. Make sure you go "wu-shawww" when you do so. Its the rules. :thumbup:
 
Speed of opening (and closing) are definitely major concerns for me. I have no intention of ever using my knives for self defense or anything "tactical," but I don't have all day to open and close them. I work in a chemical biology lab, and experiments that I'm running are generally fairly time-sensitive. Sometimes I fail to plan ahead and need to run across the lab to open a new bottle of reagents in the next 30 seconds while my cells spin down in the centrifuge. When that happens being able to whip a knife open and closed to cut open the boxes and seals is absolutely invaluable.

Just remember not everyone who relies on autos and waved knives are mall ninjas.
 
I'm not too worried how fast my knife gets deployed. I use a regular slip joint, and I have not yet met the UPS or FEDEX box that can out draw me. And it's death on apples.
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I like for it to open quickly enough to be convenient and not annoying.

I have found that for me I can open large knives the fastest with tip down carry. I can open knives with large spyder holes the easiest. I have some knives with thumb studs where the thumb studs are hard to reach and it might take a couple of tries to get them to open. This is what I find annoying.

This week I'm carrying my Benchmade 890. It is tip down, assisted, and the thumb studs work well. But it has a deep carry clip which makes it hard for me to get out of my pocket so that makes it a little bit annoying. All in all, something like a Para2 seems to work the best for me.
 
marcinek said:
Not really. I'm criticizing you for telling those of us who have been here longer than a month what you think the word implies here.

But, hey, you deploy away. Make sure you go "wu-shawww" when you do so. Its the rules. :thumbup:
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That is incorrect. At no point did I say anything about what the word implies here. I used the word according to its actual definition, and subsequently highlighted that very point by relating what the actual definition is.

I haven't been hostile or insulting, nor have I challenged anyone's BF.com manhood or status.



Thank you to participants who have received my question for what it was, and posted accordingly.
 
I like "deployment" speed because it's fun. It sure as heck isn't necessary, but sweet flippers make me happy so I carry them.
 
To go from in pocket folded to in hand open has always been a marketed feature for knife manufacturers. In the heyday of the Case Sodbuster my brother worked and practiced until he could get that Soddy open with one hand as fast as he could. I don't think he ever was in a situation that demanded it his entire short life but he was very proud he could do it. A lot of things we do with our knives have no practical purpose but "Hey Man, ain't this Cool?" And there isn't a thing wrong with that. Just choose the when and where wisely. Some people will see that 'Lightning Fast Deployment' as a personal challenge. Remember the fastest knife is the one 'Felt' not 'Seen'. And that has a lot more to do with the individual more so than the actual knife he carries.
Assisted knives, Thumb Studs, SpyderCo's signature Thumbhole, all exist so you can "Whip It Out" & the only popular reason is its fun to do. Sure somebody will raise their hand and shout out 'I need it open to defend myself' but if thats the case then carry a fixed blade in a side mount kydex....
 
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amg137 said:
Speed of opening (and closing) are definitely major concerns for me. I have no intention of ever using my knives for self defense or anything "tactical," but I don't have all day to open and close them. I work in a chemical biology lab, and experiments that I'm running are generally fairly time-sensitive. Sometimes I fail to plan ahead and need to run across the lab to open a new bottle of reagents in the next 30 seconds while my cells spin down in the centrifuge. When that happens being able to whip a knife open and closed to cut open the boxes and seals is absolutely invaluable.

Just remember not everyone who relies on autos and waved knives are mall ninjas.
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yeah, but your example is pretty concrete and precise, wouldn't you think?
like "i'm a lion tamer and I need to open and close one handed because we use rope to close the lion's cage and when there is a problem with a lion, I need to hold a chair with one hand to fend the crazed lion, and the other hand to cut the rope to get out".
It's not like there's an universal, general, or even a majority of people in the same situation. I bet not even 50%. Not 10%.

Btw, they let you get inside a lab with one hand opener folder? Oscorp security standards are pretty lower than I thought.

Just joking, only pointing out that ok, not everyone is mall ninja. But the vast majority, it is.
 
jackknife said:
I'm not too worried how fast my knife gets deployed. I use a regular slip joint, and I have not yet met the UPS or FEDEX box that can out draw me. And it's death on apples.
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Same here, in my general day to day activities I've never really found a pressing need to fling it open. I'm sure some may need such a rapid deployment, but the "fun" factor is probably the most common reason.
 
I prefer knives that don't open or close. They deploy faster than folders, and no lock to worry about. If you need it open fast, in your hand, ready to go - nothing beats a fixed blade.
 
AntDog said:
I prefer knives that don't open or close. They deploy faster than folders, and no lock to worry about. If you need it open fast, in your hand, ready to go - nothing beats a fixed blade.
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Yep, when outdoors on a long hike or a camping trip the BK14 or BK2 get the nod. But the old slip-joint is still in the pocket and gets the typical little jobs done.

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Well, I live in the sticks, so unless Bigfoot tries to get me while I'm walking my pups, I don't need a one hand opener. Most of the time, I just carry a mid size slipjoint and a small slipjoint. If I need anything bigger I go for a neck knife. I do work in the city, but usually only have my little peanut on me. I don't see much mayhem going on there.

Other than my 9 or 5 year old labs dragging me down the road as if I was waterskiing, I don't see any real need for a one hand opener, other than I still have fun with them. Also, non knife people tend to get wound up around someone practicing the deployment speed of their knife ;).

If you're somewhere that you need to practice the deployment speed of your knife, you might need to practice on your other skills too.
 
May be worth mentioning that this question came to me after running through a bunch of reviews of blades from a variety of reviewers. It seems like deployment speed comes up consistently, even when the reviewer is going over a knife that is utility oriented, rather than tactical. It seems to me that speed gets a lot more attention than it should.

Again, I absolutely understand one hand open and close as value points. I use those features regularly. They make sense. A fraction of a second speed differential is something I don't see real value in for a cardboard & package cutter.
 
I like a knife that opens smoothly and consistently.
This usually also means that it can be opened quickly if so desired.
 
Rock climber here. More a priority that a knife opens positively and locks up solid than that it gets out fast, but a lot of the knives that open fast also lock up solidly. Currently on my belt is a Spyderco Military. Looking to add a Rescue.
 
I carry a slipjoint knife in the bottom of my pocket. So in terms of getting it out and opening it, speed has never been a concern for me. I use it for little daily tasks when I need to cut something, which may mean several times in a day or it may go for days without being used for anything.

The exception to that type of carry is when I am doing home handyman tasks, at which time I will switch over to a pocket-clipped one-handed opener (or two, depending on the work) for ease of access and the ability to open and close while holding onto something else with my other hand. Speed is not the concern there either.

I don't carry knives for use as weapons, nor do I work in the emergency services, so how fast I can get it out and into use is just not important to me.
 
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