The knives that are the most satisfying to fidget for me, like my taste in knives, have changed over time. And based on the responses here, my preferences seem to go against the grain, although I'm not surprised. The types of knives that are some of the
least favorite for me to fidget with:
- Automatics (double / single action OTF, OTS)
- Assisted openers
- Traditional slip joints (usually)
For the autos, my issue is that they essentially remove control over how the knife opens and closes. It's just one way to open and close them and you can't control things like speed. For manual folders, I can open them just as fast as any auto, but I can also open them at variable speeds. I can move the blade toward an open or closed position, back and forth without fully opening or closing them. Often times manual folders have more than one way to open them.
Knives that turned out to be favorites, but surprised me:
- Small Sebenza 21
- Umnumzaan
The smooth hydraulic feel that people describe with CRKs is just a satisfying feature for me. I can open them fast, but often just playing with them slowly and appreciating the smooth action is more satisfying.
Some of the drop-shut knives are nice, but that feature alone isn't enough. But some of the drop shut knives I like:
- Microtech SOCOM Elite
- Koenig Knives Mini Goblin
- Sharp by Design Void
- Pena Knives Zulu Front Flipper
Axis and Compression locks are fine, but I think I've just fidgeted with them for enough years that it's less fun for me to be opening and closing those sorts of locks as quickly as possible. So for fidgeting purposes, those are more middle of the road for me.
Other things I look for are multiple ways to open and close. Spydercos are great for that. So I'm not entirely clear what it is about knives that make me want to fidget with them. It just depends on the individual knife, and my reason for liking how I fidget with a knife can be totally different from the next knife I like to fidget with. That said, here are some random knives I like fidgeting with:
- Sharp by Design Arch Nemesis
- SBD Micro Evo
- Spyderco Military
- GEC Beer Scout
- Emerson Tiger
- Caswell Knives Morphing Karambit
