Hatred of AO knives

A

A_Blade_Afficionado

Joined
Jan 20, 2009
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Why do people hate assisted opening knives. I love the simplicity and the fact that it helps hold the blade closed in my pocket. So why do people despise it exactly?
 
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theres something to be said about the feel of a manual knife. Currently my Kershaw Leek is my EDC while my Griptilian is being fixed, and i really do miss the simplicity of being able to flick it open. AO is a cool feature, but ive always worried about its reliability. not to mention most sheeple cower at the sound or look of anything Auto-esque (if that is a word.)

i like em, but i think i have a hankering for a new manual.
 
Kershaw has lifetime warranties as for parts though right? I like the auto sound of my blur, it pops open like a capgun but I haven't used it for edc yet so I don't know other peoples reactions to it.
 
It has been sometime since I have carried my S30V Blur and since I am selling it to a friend at work I will not be carrying that one anymore, but I am getting a Benchmade 913D2 and I myself carry mostly manual knives but AO's are nice and lazy as I guess you could call it. Kershaw's are nice beacuse you can remove the bar and make it a manual if you like the knife but not the AO, the BM Stryker isn't like that. But guys like my brother don't like AO's for some reason or another but hey it's personal preference I love Spyderco's but the next guy likes SOG's and the world goes round.
 
I don't hate them, but they aren't my preference. If I like the knife, I'll get it regardless of assisted opening.

I don't like to rely on the torsion bar. It can fail, and in the case of my speedbump, renders the knife uncarryable (there's nothing to keep the blade in). Sure it is easily replaced, (for free), but I don't want to depend on it.

It's also nice to be able to open a blade slowly or quickly. Flippers with thumbstuds are good tor that.

If I really want to carry something that's fast and easy to open, I'll carry an auto.

Phillip
 
I can open my thumbstudd or thumbhole knives faster than any auto. Plus i like the legality of a NON auto.....
 
For something called speedsafe I don't find them particularly speedy nor safe. I don't like relying on a spring to open my knife. And I can flick out my bm710 or spydie military faster than any auto or AO knife. It's also easier to close non-ao knives. I think AO w/ flippers have their place. It could be useful if you're wearing thick gloves or if your hand is injured.
 
To the poster that said that knives with broken torsion bars won't retain the blade. Many AOs, from Kershaw and otherwise, have non-torsion bar systems retaining the blade. And some that don't still function fine with a broken torsion bar, like my Mini Mojo. The torsion bar doesn't assist even 1% that I can tell, and I can't find any system to retain the blade either...but it retains it quite well.

Anyway, I don't hate AOs, I just don't like them very much. First off, they make knives much harder to close. Second off, they're much less fun for me to open. Third off, they're slightly slower for me to open than many knives (especially Kershaw RAM). And finally, if I want to open a knife slowly in public, I have to use two hands to do it.

In light of the RAM, AO has no point of existence. The RAM's flipper will load that blade faster than any AO system I've seen, and if you want to open it slowly, just do so with the thumbstuds. Also, no extras to break. Also, no special legal issues.
 
Bushman5 said:
I can open my thumbstudd or thumbhole knives faster than any auto. Plus i like the legality of a NON auto.....
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I pulled the AO torsion bar off my BM 913 D2 a year ago.
Opens just as fast, closes much easier.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=615573

Best EDC knife I own. Heavy use.

I can shake the 913 upsidedown from the thumbstuds, it won't open.
Yet a very gentle flick of the thumbstuds flicks it right open.
Smoother and easier opening than my BM 943 or Lg. Sebbie..

My 3 best EDC production folders: BM 943s, Lg CRK Seb & BM 913unAO
94seb.jpg



-Ron
 
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I have a Kershaw Shallot and I don't like the AO one bit.
It makes opening the knife much slower because I have to check and make sure my fingers aren't in the way.
And I'm afraid it might open in my pocket accidentally if I fall (drunk) or something.

I removed the AO, but now opening is a pain, and it doesn't have a lock for keeping it closed.

Thirdly, I got a remark when I used my Boker Trance in public, (holy crap look at that big knife he is carrying!) I can't imagine the remarks I would get if I where to open an automatic knife.
 
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I've got a couple AO knives. Sometimes I like to carry them, it seems "neat".
I however never seem to be able to trust them like I do my manual knives. I think the reason is this..

I think it is important to be very careful and control yourself while holding a knife. I feel in the instant that the knife is opening, I am not in control, the knife is.

One time I let my wife try to open one of my AO's. I told her... "Hang onto it, it's going to kick".... It popped open, bounced off of her lap, and onto the floor. Luckily for both of us the handle end hit her leg.

I always feel legally it is better to carry a manual too. In the eyes of some 95 year old judge. He's going to see that thing pop open and think, dangerous switchblade weapon. Damn young'ns!
 
A.O. knives are gimmicky at best. I'm continually disappointed to see more and more offered by manufacturers. They are a way around most of the laws prohibiting switchblades (autos), and for only that reason, I think they're alright, but the laws appear to be catching up with them, as we've just seen in Texas.

As far as function, A.O. knives are lacking. As previous posters have stated, they're cumbersome and require more work (disengage safety, check path of blade, don't follow through with thumb or finger) to open than a simple, non-assisted, one-hand opener. I've never liked autos and I like dislike A.O. knives even more. When it comes to pure knife opening function, reliability, and speed, the Spyderco hole, a flipper, and/or an Emerson wave feature cannot be beat!

I don't hate 'em, but I sure don't like 'em!

Regards,
3G
 
But I always had the idea in the back of my mind that assisted-opening knives would "bridge the legality/illegality" gap between manual and automatic openers.

Just look at what's shakin' at the moment in Texas with assisted openers. What I'm afraid of is that, where once a solid line of distinction drawn between manual openers and autos, assisted openers will serve to blur this line.

Just my .02.

Professor.
 
Well for me AO is all I'm buying lately. Maybe its how I use a knife, really don't use one very often. I like carrying a knife but I'm just carrying a part of my collection. I don't use them for cutting down trees or opening barrels so I dont think about failure. As for safety I agree when giving a AO knife to someone to handle for the first time I do tell them to be careful. But once you have a little experience there is no issues with safety or having to think about what your doing its just not that hard. Don't get me wrong, you have to be careful when handling any razor sharp objects but come on its not that hard.

I have lots of manual knives and really enjoy all of them and the hobby.

By the way I would have to see prof of which is faster to open.
I think my Emerson Mini Commander maybe the fastest for me to remove from my pocket and open. But hold your hand still and I don't see any manual open as fast as a AO or auto. Even measure the time of your hand motion to get a manual open I don't see how it could be faster, maybe similar or close, how fast does it have to be anyway. Is that rope going to get away lol Darn box blew away before I could get my EMC out of my pocket. I didn't pay my bills because my AO was to close to the counter and kept hitting it and would not work to cut open all those envelopes.

All knives are cool!
 
My buck tempest opened in my pocket once and cut my pinky. Wasn't too bad of a cut but I made it manual after that, the lock was just too loose.
 
Artfully Martial said:
In light of the RAM, AO has no point of existence. The RAM's flipper will load that blade faster than any AO system I've seen, and if you want to open it slowly, just do so with the thumbstuds. Also, no extras to break. Also, no special legal issues.
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Every word of this. Exactly. It's like you're in my head :eek:
 
3Guardsmen said:
A.O. knives are gimmicky at best.
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I would quite disagree 3G. We constantly get mail from our base thanking us for the benefits that AO's bring to their specific knife need situation. It works well in my world, and I own most every style of knife available.

AO's are indeed a most successful category within the knife world, I don't think you get to be a category by being a gimmick.
I'm continually disappointed to see more and more offered by manufacturers.
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Wonder why that is, more AO offerings than ever before I mean? Maybe more popular and helpful than you might imagine?
...but the laws appear to be catching up with them, as we've just seen in Texas.
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Not to disagree with everything you're saying 3G, but there is better vocabulary on the books concerning AO's now than there ever has been. Being in the middle of the TX. case, the situation is far from finished, let's talk once it's all over. It's knives in general that we all need to be concerned about, not just AO's.

As far as function, A.O. knives are lacking. As previous posters have stated, they're cumbersome and require more work (disengage safety, check path of blade, don't follow through with thumb or finger) to open than a simple, non-assisted, one-hand opener.
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I'm just not feeling your words today 3G, as again, I don't find AO's any more difficult or dangerous than any other style out there. You sure we're talking about the same kind of knives here?
 
Artfully Martial said:
In light of the RAM, AO has no point of existence. The RAM's flipper will load that blade faster than any AO system I've seen, and if you want to open it slowly, just do so with the thumbstuds. Also, no extras to break. Also, no special legal issues.
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Although most of what you say is true, AO most certainly does still have a point of existence. Maybe a slightly dramatic statement? :)
 
I own a couple but I wouldn't buy a knife that was AO if a similar model was available without it. I just don't see the need for AO, it's only purpose that I have ever seen is showing off...lol. Given your finger still has to find the stud and start it I am not any faster with my AO Kershaw 1560 than I am with my AG Russell Folding Sting, Mcusta, or Benchmade Boguszewski Spike. The wave on Spydercos and others seems to make more sense if you want lightning fast opening.
 
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