Kill the AO

T

THG

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May 18, 2008
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If I got a Benchmade Stryker or Kershaw Leek or some AO knife, would it be possible to remove the AO function and turn it into a fully manual knife?

Thanks.
 
I'm not exactly sure on how it works, but my mini mojo, which appears to lack a ball detent, has no AO and also retains the blade. It's not just a tight pivot either, there's a level of force that's required to pop it out of its spot. I never removed the spring, it just broke on its own and I left it. I don't want to mess with it since it's perfect now with no silly AO to bother it. Anyway, maybe someone can shed light on that.

It's been like that for three or four years now.
 
From what I understand, BM's Nitrous assist can be disabled by disassembling the knife and removing the pin that connects a springy bit of the liners. I'm sure this would make more sense if I had pictures, but if you already have the Stryker, you probably know what I'm talking about.

Mind you, I don't have a Nitrous assisted model myself, and I've never personally tried making this modification. I have, however, read about people doing this, and it's probably something I would do if I got one, as I prefer the feel of the Strykers without the AO rather than with.
 
I remember that the Benchmade Apparition was advertised that you could remove the spring and it would work fine like a manual.

I really have no idea why AO is so common...I think it has a place in the world, but it really bothers me that on many knives I like I'm "forced" to get an AO model when a cheaper and much easier to open/close manual model should be available alongside it.
 
Yeah AO just confuses me. I've had a Leek and the CRKT M4, it required more effort to get these blades open. Even my fingers started getting hurt from using these. It's much easier to flick out a manual like the BM710 or my Spyderco Military.

I know they have some practical use, like maybe for people with injured hands or if you're wearing thick gloves then a flipper can help, but I'm pretty sure most people buy them for the "cool" factor and because they are basically legal switchblades using a loophole.
 
With the Stryker model, the made two versions. One had the Nitrous assist, and the other was a manual action.

On the Apparition, it had the Optimizer assist system, with a removable spring. The Nitrous feature cannot be disabled, hence the manual version.

The Optimizer system was flawed IIRC, and would make sense of why the bay is FLOODED with them. I think they were very prone to random opening, but dont quote me on that one......:foot:

I like the manual action of a knife personally, and I also appreciate having an auto knife on occasion (usually if Im feeling particularly saucey), but I never could find the liking of having the combo. It feels somewhat cheap to me......(but so does the blade play on my Infidel, so take it how you will). I know that the Nitrous system is highly regarded by many of the Benchmade enthusiasts, and the action is said to be solid and reliable.
 
I think that the average person who has owned a knife out there probably had a Buck 110 clone or something of that nature, which just can't be opened fast easily. Because they grew up with lockbacks, they never learned how to open knives with contemporary locking systems (and other improvements to the action). Thus, they might pick up two knives with a great action, let's say a Benchmade 710 (which is manual) and a Kershaw Spec Bump. Now, people who have used the 710 before (or any other contemporary design) can just easily flick that thumbstud, or use an inertial opening, as we can the AO on the Spec Bump. But this customer doesn't know that he can open the 710 just as fast and much more easily (and far, far more easily in the sense of closing) than the Spec Bump, so he gets really impressed with the Spec Bump's action and presumes, with good justification, that AO is really the way to go if you want a knife to open quickly. This is false, but I can certainly see where this would come from. I remember feeling this way many years ago when I played with my first Benchmade in a store.

Nothing against the Spec Bump, I'm a big fan. Just used it as an example
 
I've had Kershaw Blurs, Leeks, and a Scallion for years. Their A/O still works - but I still feel safer with my Spydie Native - thumbhole and lockback - or my old dull BM Grip - thumbstud and Axis-Lock. That mechanical 'thud' from the A/O opening still gets to me. I guess that - and the inherent newness - draws me more to my new JYDII and it's flipper design. To me, a knife is a sharp-edged tool - perhaps making the ultimate speed of deploying less important. Convenience be hanged some times - a Buck 110 is just a great utility knife - and often quite worth the slight aggravation in opening and closing.

Many have reported how difficult a Blur, Leek, Scallion, Chive, etc, is to open with a broken torsion bar - but they are still liner or frame locks. Perhaps the removal of said part is all that is required. Try this question on the Kershaw sub-forum.

Stainz
 
I have several AO knives and I never feel comfortable carrying them in the pocket in case they open accidently.

Seen it happen many times to many people. These should have a LOCK just like some autos.

I have had to buy sheaths for most of my AO include Kershaw Blurs, Shallots, ZT0302 etc. etc.

Shame really, they feel really good in the pocket!

WHAT'S that in your pocket?!

It's my ....... and I'm happy to see you [girls only]!

How sad...:foot:
 
I can see the A/O benefit on my Kershaw 1615 Onion/Centofante, because the knife too small to be opened easily with the thumb stud. My Leek is difficult to manually open because the thumbstud is too close to the pivot.
 
If you like the style of the Nitrous Stryker, but hate the AO, like i do, search these forums far and wide for a BM 910, they were made for quite a few years from what I understand, and you shouldnt have TOO much trouble finding them. I hate AO personally, I dont like the grey area they sit in law-wise, and I can open my blades as soon as they clear my pocket anyways. You also do not get the whole "when i accidentaly dropped it in front of someone, and it flung open" thing...

Heres the old 910 I just found NIB:
910-6.jpg
 
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I don't care for assisted openers , they are an invitation to legal trouble . All it takes is for a judge to decide that a flipper projecting between the scales is the same as a button on the handle . I've become a devout believer in KISS . I think that all assisted openers should be designed to be readily neutered .

Chris
 
kirko said:
I hate AO personally, I dont like the grey area they sit in law-wise, and I can open my blades as soon as they clear my pocket anyways. You also do not get the whole "when i accidentaly dropped it in front of someone, and it flung open" thing...
Click to expand...

cdf said:
I don't care for assisted openers , they are an invitation to legal trouble . All it takes is for a judge to decide that a flipper projecting between the scales is the same as a button on the handle.
Click to expand...

I expressed these exact concerns in another thread and I almost got shot! But I think that's cause it was in the Kershaw sub-forum :D

Some of my manual flippers are sooo smooth, fast and reliable that they really demonstrate how unnecessary AO is (RAM, JYDII, Groove)
 
AOs are not at all like autos under legal definitions, but merely similar in use. That being said I definitely prefer manuals since I can open most of them faster than assisteds and there's less to gum up/break/open up accidentally. No real advantage for me personally, but a lot of the general populace isn't very dexterous when they open their knives and it helps them out quite a bit. They're sort of like training wheels.
 
My only beef with AO's is my own tendency to follow through when using the thumbstud that usually gets me nicked. Those with a flipper are another animal and I can see the coolness of the mechanism.
 
I'm not saying that a good Kershaw AO (can't speak to other brands) will never open in your pocket, but I can say that my friends and I have carried Kershaw AOs with the safety off (on those that have safeties) for maybe five years, between the Scallion, Bump, Mini Mojo, Avalanche, several Leeks, a Chive and my recent addition of a G10 Offset, and we've never had an accidental opening. The thing is, it requires so much more force to open an AO, like my Avalanche, than it does to open a Minigrip, a Storm, or a Para, much less a RAM which you can basically open with your mind alone. The chances of these going off accidentally is really, really, really slim. I would consider myself an expert of knife-drawing and opening methods (I'm not a balisong expert, however, so I don't want people thinking I'm a master flipper or anything), and it takes me a lot more effort and precision to do inertial openings on my avalanche than it does on my, say, minigrip or para. Thus, I don't think we have much to worry about.

Now, as per the effort thing, some people will reply "but AM, most people have flippers on their AOs precisely to negate that increased effort," to which I'd reply that flipper based knives need AO the least of all. They take almost no effort to open quickly. Thumstud based knives probably need it the most, but receive it the least (if we include those thumbstuds that also have flippers).
 
Try to find a Kershaw Cyclone. It is an assisted Opener that you can turn off.
I have heard that Kershaw discontinued it. You could still find one.

J.W.
 
elmora2 said:
From what I understand, BM's Nitrous assist can be disabled by disassembling the knife and removing the pin that connects a springy bit of the liners.
Click to expand...

Wait, wait

rangerover_95 said:
The Nitrous feature cannot be disabled, hence the manual version.
Click to expand...

So which is it? The model I'm interested in is indeed the Benchmade Stryker, but I really don't want to deal with the AO (for legal reasons). I like the design and the D2 steel and the price, but I want to make sure I can simply open it up and take out a spring or something to disable the AO.
 
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