Hatred of AO knives

Absintheur said:
I just don't see the need for AO, it's only purpose that I have ever seen is showing off...lol.
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Could it be your AO eyesight isn't quite 20/20 then? 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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I've said this plenty of times before, let's not get caught up on this "speed" subject. I use one everyday, it opens quickly, with one hand, it obviously cuts...I seem to find purpose??

Although I'm unsure how you measure this, AO was not developed to be the "fastest" on the planet.
 
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Thomas W said:
Could it be your AO eyesight isn't quite 20/20 then? lol.

I've said this plenty of times before, let's not get caught up on this "speed" subjuect. I use one everyday, it opens quickly, with one hand, it obviously cuts...I seem to find purpose??

Although I'm unsure how you measure this, AO was not developed to be the "fastest" on the planet.
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Why was it developed then?
Only thing I can think of: It looks cool. :cool:
 
It sort of seems like a solution to a problem nobody had. Opening knives quickly with one hand was easily done before Ken developed speedsafe. Law tends to lag behind technology, and the old definitions of auto and gravity knife are going to catch up to us eventually, it'll just take one media-worthy event with a knife that opens fast, however it's accomplished.
 
I don't understand the comment about your fingers getting in the way though.
I don't know of any knife where I place my fingers on the spine of the blade to open it.
I have almost every model from Kershaw, many models of Spyderco, BM, Buck, Case etc...and my fingers are never "in the way". :confused:
When I use a knife, I pay attention to what I'm doing I guess.

On AO:
It's just another way to open a knife. I like that.
If you don't, then fine. It's your money, buy what you like.

There is a lock on the SpeedBump for keeping the blade in place when closed. Either the standard or the ALBLK.

mike
 
Wow, I had no idea that there were this many people who didn't like the AO system. I personally love it, In fact, I have a great deal of Kershaws that are AO and I have a great deal of reliability in them. My current EDC is my SOG Twitch 2 and it's going to replace my G10 Caly 3 for a while. The flipper makes it easy to open when I'm working with gloves and there's no need to check if the blade was pushed out far enough to lock due to the almost automatic flick.

I have no problem with them whatsoever, in fact, I might even go a step further to say I enjoy them a lot.
 
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I don't know, I don't think it's very necessary. It just adds more moving parts when you can open the knife basically as easily with just manual action.

I kinda like flipper AO's and I have a ZT300 and love it, but at the same time, I think I could flick it open almost as easily if the spring wasn't there, just using a little more wrist action.
 
People can sure get pompous over their personal preferences. Who is anyone to say that something is unnecessary just because they don't like it? What may be useful to some people may not be for others. This thread is pretty much an exercise in futility. Ford VS Chevy. I have many knives in many configurations. I use an AO at work because I have to wear leather gloves with kevlar liners. Buy what you like and like what you buy. :)
 
What is great about America, if you don't like something, shut up and don't buy it and vice versa.;) I like them and about half of my folders are AO.
 
I like my Benchmade AO's, esp. the 913/907 models. They open quickly enough where I don't need an auto, and as a result have sold those off. True I can open most of my knives almost as fast but for me, maybe, it's just the fun factor of these enhanced Strykers that does it.
 
I don't hate them but after owning a few I found them not to be for me. I can not like them and not buy them and be happy. There are many who seem to like them and buy them and they are happy. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Funny how it works eh?
 
There are a lot of unnecessary things in this world, and I don't dislike them for being there. I just don't buy/use/support these things.

Assisted Opening is another step in the evolution of the knife industry. Manufacturers and Custom Makers are constantly looking for something else...anything that is new and/or different. If not, we would all be very happily discussing our slippies (I am NOT showing anything but love for slippies here!).

Apparently this "new fangled" technology is meeting with success, or there wouldn't be so many different designs, and a lack of sales would have forced them into obscurity already. Sometimes I miss the simplicity of a Model T, but I still enjoy the supercharged technology of my Cobra.

I like my AO's. I've never had one jump out of my hand, open in my pocket, break, cut me on opening, cause me to be before a Judge, or do any other of the horrible things that have been mentioned here.

Bottom line: If you don't like them, don't buy them. But realize that they are another very successful step in the evolution of the knife industry.
 
From the first time I bought a Kershaw with AO ,I love it,if youre too clumsy to use one,get a manual.Pulling your index finger is more natural then rotating your thumb,to me anyway.I personaly like the fact when i'm holding something with my left hand I don't have to fumble around to open my knife.You don't wrap your fingers around the handle to open any knife,also it's not the speed it's the convenience.Plus you can't beat the warranty-my 2 cents--Regards Butch:thumbup:
 
In response to Thomas, to clarify, there are some situations in which AO's existence (as opposed to a RAM-based existence) is justified. For instance, situations where you can't or don't want to use a flipper.

To be more general, I like the variety that AO gives the world...but at the current rate, AO is actually removing variety in the world....and that's what I think has some people frustrated. An increasing number of knives are using AO mechanisms, a greatly increasing number...so those of us manual guys are getting pushed out on many of our favorite models. I'm a huge Kershaw fan, this year they/you were my favorite company, hands down, but man, I wish I could just have the option to get a non speed assist knife in the way that on most knives you can choose to get a serrated or plain edge.

I'm not asking for their nonexistence--and were there an option on AO on the knives, I would definitely have one or two still in my collection just for the variety again.

As per one commenter saying that he couldn't imagine a non-AO being opened as quickly as an AO WITHOUT a wrist flick involved, try a RAM. You can keep your hand perfectly still. Granted, if you do not add a wrist flick, it will only open as fast as most AOs.
 
Artfully Martial said:
I'm a huge Kershaw fan, this year they/you were my favorite company, hands down, but man, I wish I could just have the option to get a non speed assist knife in the way that on most knives you can choose to get a serrated or plain edge.
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Appreciate that AM, and although we won't be offering our AO's as manuals, we have had many new patterns on the manual side (including the RAM you like so much ;)) to assist in rounding out our current line-up.
 
At least in the case of Kershaw SpeedSafe knives, most have only one more moving part (torsion bar) than the manual equivalent. Way less than are added by an Axis lock for instance.
 
I agree with Thomas. Due to my job I can legally carry an auto which I do some days. The AO gives me simillar blade deployment but with more models to choose from. I have arthritis in my right hand some times it's barely there and sometimes I'm in some discomfort. I thank God for Kershaw and Ken Onion! If your going for speed in getting a knife in action there is a lot of manual and fixed blades that are faster!
 
I don't hate them. In fact, I like them quite a bit. Is it needed to make the knife faster? No, but it sure does help sometimes. I like the fact that if my hands are numb, or hurt in some way, I will still be able to open my knife because of the assited opening feature.

The way I see it, if it adds variation to the knife business, than it should be there. The more, the better.

Now, if you were asking if I would rely on one, that is a different story. If I take a AO with me as an EDC, I will ALWAYS make sure to have another EDC blade that isn't AO. (Not a backup blade, a primary EDC)
 
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