Do you guys/girls prefer automatic, assisted, or manual mechanisms? asking because i'm considering a kershaw leek

I like ALL of the different styles of actions...
But autos and assisteds do have more "stuff" in them...
I have a Mini-Barrage that I like a whole lot; but it doesn't get as much pocket-time as it should...
 
fuyume said:
And trigger mechanism, and catch, and the safety, and the machining and testing for all of that. You’re fooling yourself if you think the cost of goods sold for an automatic or assisted opening knife is only marginally higher.

With a flick of my wrist, my Gerber Harsey AirFrame will open just as fast as any automatic knife, no mechanism or trigger that might fail needed.
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LOL!!! "Trigger mechanism", "catch"? You mean the thumb studs, stop pin, and lock, that are on any manual folding knife anyway? You clearly have no idea how speed-safe works, and yet you are bashing it. I'll grant you that a safety is a completely unnecessary part that should not be on any folding knife, manual or otherwise. Luckily there are plenty of assisted or autos without them. You're fooling yourself if you think the spring, and machining the pocket for said spring cost the manufacturer more than a couple bucks per unit. And the R&D costs have LONG since been paid for. Whether or not the manufacturer chooses to charge extra is of course up to them. But seeing that there are plenty of US made Kershaw assisted openers for under $100, while the rest of the market approaches $200+ for their everyday manual items, tells me that the spring adds no appreciable cost.
 
"Each to their own notion."; said the old woman as she kissed the cow...
 
Reswob said:
LOL!!! "Trigger mechanism", "catch"? You mean the thumb studs, stop pin, and lock, that are on any manual folding knife anyway? You clearly have no idea how speed-safe works, and yet you are bashing it. I'll grant you that a safety is a completely unnecessary part that should not be on any folding knife, manual or otherwise. Luckily there are plenty of assisted or autos without them. You're fooling yourself if you think the spring, and machining the pocket for said spring cost the manufacturer more than a couple bucks per unit. And the R&D costs have LONG since been paid for. Whether or not the manufacturer chooses to charge extra is of course up to them. But seeing that there are plenty of US made Kershaw assisted openers for under $100, while the rest of the market approaches $200+ for their everyday manual items, tells me that the spring adds no appreciable cost.
Click to expand...

Let's not knock people for describing things in different terms. I understood what he meant.

I actually know how Speedsafe works. I've owned several. I've got over a decade of condensed pocket time with them. I've worked on and maintained several. The Speedsafe is essentially a torsion bar in a little pocket. (To be fair, it's worth noting that Kershaw has always offered free replacements for broken torsion bars.) It is not an expensive part or machining process. It is often used on inexpensive knives and this dovetails with my earlier criticism versus good manual actions.

His real mistake was to mention Speedsafe in the same breath as automatics. For instance, a good OTF can involve more complex machining and more than one spring. The higher cost isn't just because the market size is artificially constrained by stupid laws.

As far as whether the safety on the Leek is necessary, see my earlier post about that...
 
I'm a big fan of spidey-holes and thumb studs, but have a a number of flippers too. I have a bunch of nail nickers that I use less and a few assisted openers I like, but they're not the first knives I tend to gravitate to for daily use. I don't have any autos and balisong knives because of laws and stuff. My first preference will always be a fixed blade wherever feasible. I enjoy each knife for how it was designed and made, or I wait for it to be made differently.

I like Ken Onion's Blur and got one when they issued it in M4 steel, but the only Kershaw I'm interested in the 3" blade length is the Dividend with the saw-tooth pattern on the blade. It's the same reason I have a hard time getting excited about the wildly popular Civivi Elementum. The only tiny knives I find myself using a lot (that aren't for wood carving) are the Kizer Mini-Sheepdog and Benchmade Bugout. It's both a case of ergonomics and personal preference.
 
It's even worse here in "New Yorkistan"...
Assisted openers are classified the same as autos, and are NOT legal...
 
The Leek is a great knife. Thin, lightweight and well made.
I would buy it and sell it if I didn't like it.
 
I received a cf Leek for Christmas, despite looking rather small and delicate, it has become my favorite gentleman’s folder. I could do without the spring assist, and the jury is still out regarding the sliding safety, but the Leek is a best seller for a reason.
 
I prefer manual.
Assisted knives usually have a reasonable amount of detent and I'll guess that most or all of them have thumb studs or flippers. It takes me a good amount of time and concentration to find the opener and activate it, and very few flippers or thumb studs are completely reliable. If I'm in a hurry my finger or thumb will slip off and I'll have to try again. So the advantage of the assisted opening is lost. The fastest and most reliable opener device for me is the large Spyderco hole such as the PM2 or Military. I don't miss it and it's fast and totally reliable.
Automatic knives might be different. I don't have enough experience with one to trust it so I would either need a specialized pouch to carry it in or I would use the safety, and again this loses the advantage of the automatic.
So the manual works better for me.
 
I’ve loved knives...all kinds...since I was a little kid. I prefer automatics and have carried and used almost every version of them, I switched over to autos in the mid 80’s when the Edge Company appeared on the scene. In these three plus decades I have had a total of three spring failures. None of them happened in a life and death situation. Haven’t been in one. I use my knives every day for every mundane thing you can think of. My knives are for my personal convenience and even with the advent of the now familiar assisted knives I still prefer autos. I also like manuals. I carry and use them right along with my main knives.
 
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