Huh stupid question about Spyderco

Mandragore

Mandragore

Joined
May 4, 2001
Messages
65
I don't know a lot about general cuttlery and that's why i thought about that last day:
Why don't Spyderco make automatic knives?
 
Most U.S. makers won't handle automatic knives because they are illegal to make, and sell in most states.

Hope this helps :D !!!
 
You might want to ask this in the Spyderco Forum. Go to the Makers/Mfgs. section and you will find Spyderco there. Sal would probably be only to happy to answer your question and who better to do so?
 
automatic knives is a very small niche market because of the limited availability among Americans, and Spyderco, being an American company, mostly markets TO americans.
 
As far as the utility of an automatic knife opening easily and quickly, Spyderco pioneered the opening hole that works better and lasts longer than any auto mechanism.
 
Not a stupid question at all. There are no stupid questions, only stupid blank stares from DMV employees;)
With that in mind, I'm gonna move this to the Spydie forum for their coherant illucidations. Might even hear from Mr Glesser himself.
David
 
I believe I once read that Sal said it was illegal to make automatics in Colorado...I don't know about Japan though....:) :D
 
The legal system in the United States is extremely complicated. The national government is not allowed to make certain sorts of laws. State laws govern many sorts of situations. The national laws currently forbid shipping automatic knives across state lines (except in limited circumstances) OR importing them into the USA at all.

There are a few makers of automatic knives in the USA, but they (unlike Spyderco) are located in states where automatic knives are not forbidden. Oregon (Benchmade) does not restrict auto knives. Florida (Microtech) did not, but the Florida state courts seem to be misapplying a quite different prohibition in Florida law to automatic knives and we will have to wait a bit to see how that all shakes out. Some states (e.g., Indiana, where I am located) forbid any sort of contact with auto knives at all so that one may not buy, sell, transport or even possess them. Others may have intermediate restrictions. AFAIK, Colorado, where Spyderco is located, has a sufficient level of restriction that you can't do much with them. I don't know if Colorado is quite as restrictive as Indiana, but it is certainly more so than Oregon is or Florida has been. But even if Colorado were as non-restrictive as, e.g., Arizona the market in Colorado or Arizona would not be large enough to make automatic knives very profitable. Note, too, that Benchmade and Microtech must manufacture their auto knives on site. Spyderco has historically had most of their knives manufactured in Japan, but this would not be possible for automatic knives because then the knives could not legally be imported into the USA. They could sell them in France, but not in the USA.

All in all, the legal restrictions and barriers make automatic knives less than attractive for a company like Spyderco. I can't speak for Sal, but IIRC, he has said that he considers Spyderco knives to be just as convenient as autos and a lot less trouble. Speaking for myself, I could not (legally) buy Spyderco (or any other) auto knives, so I'm glad Spydies are all manual.:D (I also suspect that they're a lot more reliable with fewer itty-bitty parts.)

Paul
 
My Dad's friend had a switch blade that he just bought and he wanted to show it to me and my Dad so we went out to his new truck and he opened the switch blade...and it caught on the dashboard and cut a huge freaking slice out of it

Just a little story I felt like sharing:)
 
The story is good. But I would like to be without the laughing. Somehow knife accidents are seldom funny. :(

Br.
Overgaar
 
Get a Spyderco Military.

Figure out the Spyderco Drop Opening Method.

You will understand.



Or, buy a Spyderco Moran and never have to worry about opening your folder again. ;)
 
Agreed on the Spyderdrop. Doesn't work all that well on the FRN models, but on virtually all of the G-10 and Stainless models, it is indeed a very quick opening method.

On the subjects of automatics, you can't CLOSE them with one hand - this is a distinct disadvantage in my mind for a general-purpose knife.
 
Hi Mandragore. Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

Regarding autos, as mentioned, they are illegal to make, sell or carry in Colorado. If we were to make an illegal knife, we could be closed down.

sal
 
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