How many people use there Microtech OTF knives?

On ig check out Carrytrainer, just stabbed a few microtechs into metal and they were fine. Another test showing otf knives to have great locks that are safe and strong.
 
I carry OTFs some of the time, though mostly not Microtechs, and they work fine for me for any sort of regular pocket knife use. If I knew I was going to really beat on a knife or get it super dirty (you can do a poor job of cleaning a folder and fold it up and clean it well later, not a good idea with an OTF) I'd probably pick something else that day, though. The do tend to be on the big side for how much blade they pack (e.g. the one I carry most has a ~3.3" blade and is about the same size as a Benchmade Fact closed, and the Fact has a ~4" blade) but the also tend to be pretty narrow, so they carry pretty well.

I think I'd carry OTFs more if the tiny bit of blade play on a good one didn't bother me. I've tried OTFs from Microtech, Benchmade, Hogue and some Chinese cheapies and they've all had some amount of play. There doesn't seem to be a really strong correlation between price and play, either--the two I own with the least play are Chinese, one that I paid ~$40 and the other ~$150. It's silly how much it bugs me, because the knives work fine with the little bit of wiggle, it's just kind of off-putting to feel a tiny bit of give when you start cutting something. If you aren't bothered by the little wiggle, I can't see any reason to not carry one if they're legal where you are.

I'd like to try a G&G Hawk Deadlock (which apparently doesn't suffer from the play that other OTFs do) but I'm not into OTFs enough to buy one that expensive, at least not yet.
 
Last edited:
Ordered a Dirac from DLT Trading a few days ago. My first OTF. It's projected arrival date is tomorrow. I'm so excited to try it out that I think I'll pitch a tent down by the mailbox tonight. ;^>.
 
I carry OTFs some of the time, though mostly not Microtechs, and they work fine for me for any sort of regular pocket knife use. If I knew I was going to really beat on a knife or get it super dirty (you can do a poor job of cleaning a folder and fold it up and clean it well later, not a good idea with an OTF) I'd probably pick something else that day, though. The do tend to be on the big side for how much blade they pack (e.g. the one I carry most has a ~3.3" blade and is about the same size as a Benchmade Fact closed, and the Fact has a ~4" blade) but the also tend to be pretty narrow, so they carry pretty well.

I think I'd carry OTFs more if the tiny bit of blade play on a good one didn't bother me. I've tried OTFs from Microtech, Benchmade, Hogue and some Chinese cheapies and they've all had some amount of play. There doesn't seem to be a really strong correlation between price and play, either--the two I own with the least play are Chinese, one that I paid ~$40 and the other ~$150. It's silly how much it bugs me, because the knives work fine with the little bit of wiggle, it's just kind of off-putting to feel a tiny bit of give when you start cutting something. If you aren't bothered by the little wiggle, I can't see any reason to not carry one if they're legal where you are.

I'd like to try a G&G Hawk Deadlock (which apparently doesn't suffer from the play that other OTFs do) but I'm not into OTFs enough to buy one that expensive, at least not yet.
Yeah, it's easy to forget that the blade play doesn't affect how it functions, or even locks up. I've never noticed it during actual cutting with my UTX-70, but maybe I'm not as perceptive of it as you are.

I wouldn't accept that level of play on a framelock, where the play could even result in the lock working loose, but on an OTF with strong locking sears like an Ultratech? Never going to be a problem.
 
Yeah, it's easy to forget that the blade play doesn't affect how it functions, or even locks up. I've never noticed it during actual cutting with my UTX-70, but maybe I'm not as perceptive of it as you are.

I wouldn't accept that level of play on a framelock, where the play could even result in the lock working loose, but on an OTF with strong locking sears like an Ultratech? Never going to be a problem.

Yeah, it's not a function thing at all, it's just fingernails on a chalkboard for me when the blade shifts when I start to cut something. I also find any rattle that I can feel or hear super annoying, to the point that I won't carry a rattling speedsafe knife until I pull it apart and put a glob of vaseline or grease in the cutout where the torsion bar sits.
 
I’ve used a Combat Troodon and a Makora for a little bit. While they were fun, I never found them to be particularly practical knives.

Their very nature makes them generally worse choices for most cutting tasks; the springs are vulnerable to corrosion, debris, and failure. The locks depend on relatively small amounts of material. The reliability of successful deployment is highly dependent on how well-maintained the internal mechanisms are. Front-to-back blade play is nearly a design requirement, which can make fine cutting a little trickier when the blade moves back a bit upon applying pressure.

They are light-duty knives at most. I sold mine once I got over the novelty of automatics being legal in my state.
 
folowing up on previous post about modifying my 'custom' Microtech clip. Note, the two little spots where the green is missing were from the original pocket-clip. I almost got rid of this knife because of how much I hated that clip.

lEoStho.jpg

Yfy6Eid.jpg
lHFQO8j.jpg
 
I carry a gun, no OTF needed

I wear socks, no OTF needed.

That makes just as much sense as what you wrote. In a thread discussing how functional OTF knives are or aren't, what does carrying a firearm have to do with anything? I carry a firearm pretty much constantly where I'm legally allowed to, and I sometimes also carry OTF knives. The gun doesn't obviate their utility, as I use them to cut things, not SD.
 
Love my ultratech- I find it to be well made and a nice change of pace in my knife collection

There’s a video from Bladehq (I think) where a guy in the Air Force is testing it/abusing the hell out of it and it holds up very well
 
I wear socks, no OTF needed.

That makes just as much sense as what you wrote. In a thread discussing how functional OTF knives are or aren't, what does carrying a firearm have to do with anything? I carry a firearm pretty much constantly where I'm legally allowed to, and I sometimes also carry OTF knives. The gun doesn't obviate their utility, as I use them to cut things, not SD.
Maybe he opens his mail or cuts up his apple with his gun. Let's not judge...:D
 
First post on BF!

I carry my Troodon quite a bit at work. I use all of my knives, and some I use pretty hard. This little guy spent a day in the floorboards of a job truck. Still fires hard and makes me smile most days :)

I like the switch in gloves! I like it in the cold! The combo edge cuts rope and packaging. And no part of my hand gets in the path of the cutting edge while I am deploying/using/pocketing. Anyone who doesn't instantly say "Sh!t that's cool!" at least understands why I like carrying it :thumbsup:
Kb1SKWIh.jpg
 
First post on BF!

I carry my Troodon quite a bit at work. I use all of my knives, and some I use pretty hard. This little guy spent a day in the floorboards of a job truck. Still fires hard and makes me smile most days :)

I like the switch in gloves! I like it in the cold! The combo edge cuts rope and packaging. And no part of my hand gets in the path of the cutting edge while I am deploying/using/pocketing. Anyone who doesn't instantly say "Sh!t that's cool!" at least understands why I like carrying it :thumbsup:
Kb1SKWIh.jpg
Welcome to the forum!
Nice set-up there :thumbsup: Too bad no copper-top Troodon, but they do offer an Ultratech and UTX-85 with copper... not seeing a partially-serrated UTX85 but maybe you could do a blade-swap...

What's the folder in the pouch along with your fisher pen and AAA light?
 
I have a weakness for metals that patina... I took a gamble on the Troodon from a pawn shop and cracked it to check authenticity. Gamble paid off :thumbsup: so maybe a blade swap could be in my future, since I like to tinker with my edc gear.

It's a proper with copper scales I modified, I have a bunch of pictures and was planning to post it somewhere in the near future:
yWG4z8Rl.jpg

Sorry for the off topic post in this thread :oops:
 
I have a weakness for metals that patina... I took a gamble on the Troodon from a pawn shop and cracked it to check authenticity. Gamble paid off :thumbsup: so maybe a blade swap could be in my future, since I like to tinker with my edc gear.

It's a proper with copper scales I modified, I have a bunch of pictures and was planning to post it somewhere in the near future:
yWG4z8Rl.jpg

Sorry for the off topic post in this thread :oops:

Nice!
 
Back
Top