Looking for a certain Assisted Open knife with the following.

R

Rento

Joined
Jun 12, 2006
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213
Well. I want to get another knife because they are just too fun to fiddle around with. I want either an AO or a Axis Lock type.

These are what I'm mainly looking for:
- under $70-$80 shipped.
- Easy to close with one hand
- reliable
- Easy to sharpen, I'm new to sharpening so I can't sharpen hard steels like S30V.
- I need to be able to order it via money order.
- 8" overall max.
- 3.25" - 3.5" blade
- Thin profile so my pocket doesn't look like it's full of marbles.

I've looked at SOG Flash IIs, but I hear the quality is pretty bad, size is perfect though. I like the Camillus Heats, but finding a plain edge is HARD... BMs are beautiful but too expensive, unless there is a model I missed. I can't find anything regarding Kershaws, but they are really cool! Hope that helps a bit.

I just want something I can have fun with like my CRKT M16-10KZ, yet still be able to easily EDC it.

Here's a video having a bit of fun with it. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOE7Ru0AkYM
 
Kershaw has lots of AO models. I am going to recommend the Leek, but there are a lot of nice Kershaw models and I'm sure someone will fill you in.

Axis locks are very easy to open/close with one hand with just a quick flick of the wrist. With $70, you can get a Griptilian with 154CM steel which I find not too difficult to sharpen.

The only problem I can think of is paying with money order. I would look on Ebay where you can typically find some good deals and a lot of sellers accept MO's.
 
Hmmm... Well. I don't want to order off eBay. But I did some more research on the Griptilian since I keep seeing that name everywhere.

Looks to be one hell of a durable knife as show on youtube when searching "Griptilian" and watching the tests.

Hmm... Anything else?
 
The Griptilian is a bit bulkier, but of course there's the mini Grip. Both are excellent knives, shouldn't be hard to keep sharp. Pull back the axis bar, flip your wrist, and the blade snaps out.

The Leek is a great design, fast AO, and that straight edge is easy to sharpen, too.

My Leek is the S30V version, but I'm set up for sharpening just about anything. You might look into setting money aside for a Sharpmaker.
 
Yeah, I forgot about the Leek. You're right about the Griptilian, it looks kinda thick, something that needs a dedicated pocket.

How is the Leek when trying to close it with one hand?

Forgot to say that the Leek is a bit smaller than the M16-10kz. Sorta looking for something with a 3.25" - 3.5" blade
 
The Leek is easy for me to close, and my fingers are a bit old and stiff. The leek has a short but very sharp and pointy blade.

Kershaw has a lot of good stuff, and some of it may be more to your liking. Check out the JunkYard Dog II, for example. Great grip, but flatter than the Griptilian.
 
I use my Leek daily (both one-handed opening and closing). It's very easy to accomplish both. My only problem with my Leek is the smooth aluminum handles can get slippery. A little grip tape fixed that problem.

You also mentioned hearing of problems with SOG Flash IIs. I have one of those as well and have beat it with no troubles at all. I don't think you could go wrong with either one.
 
What about Kalashnikovs by Boker?

EDIT: Nvm.. they are fully automatic, I'd like that.. But, California laws blow.
 
I would second picking up a Heat from Chestnut Ridge Knife Shop if you want an AO.
I like the Camillus version of the Heat.

Another AO knife that fits your requirements but is more expensive is the SOG Trident.
Both the Heat and Trident use the same steel; the Trident is a little larger and uses the Arc-Lock. Heat uses the liner lock.

Also - keep in mind that no assisted opener is going to be as "easy" to close as a non assisted opener, because you'll be getting some resistance from the torsion bar/spring/whatever assisted opening mechanism the knife uses.

And, IMO, the knife that BEST FITS your description is the Benchmade 530!
 
Kershaw guy on this site has the Blur for about $38 shipped....Buck has a few that are good ...the Heat is great
 
The Kershaw Mini Cyclone might be another one to look at. GOOD LUCK! Kevin:thumbup:
 
Did anybody get a look at the new Camillus Heat Knives?

Darrel Ralph Design
Lifetime Factory Warranty
Nice New Box with Warranty Card
They went first class with this knife

The same as the old Camillus knives with 1 improvement:

>>>>> 440C steel <<<<<

All 6 Models:

1) Plain Satin
2) Serrated Satin
3) Plain Black
4) Serrated Black
5) Tanto
6) Serrated Tanto

Tom
Chestnut Ridge Knife Shop
 
Listen to me...I'm an old guy, and I know wht I'm talking about :D...Get a Kershaw Mini-Cyclone...There's even one at the "For Sale" forum right now for very little money (but I'm SURE it might be gone by the time you read this).
 
morrowj_98 said:
I use my Leek daily (both one-handed opening and closing). It's very easy to accomplish both. My only problem with my Leek is the smooth aluminum handles can get slippery. A little grip tape fixed that problem.

What he said! I use my Leek frequently and have even carried it clipped to the waist band of my trousers instead of pocket carry. Great little knife! :)
Click to expand...
 
For an assisted opener, check out Benchmade's HK Nitrous Blitz. It's around 100 shipped but otherwise fits everything you're looking for. Mine has been riding in my back pocket since I got it and I don't even notice it's there until I get the urge to play with it. I love the blade shape, titanium liners, g10 handle, how slim it is, and that it doesn't need a safety. I'd been looking for an assisted opener for a long time, but none of the ones I'd seen really did it for me. 154cm isn't bad to sharpen either.

The other AO I strongly considered was the Kershaw Leek in S30v and G10. It's a frame lock and very nice. Don't let the s30v scare you. You want to learn how to sharpen it eventially, right? If you touch it up frequently instead of letting it get really dull, it's not that hard to keep it sharp. You can get it for around 80 shipped.

If you want an axis lock, check out grips or mini-grips. I like my mini-grip a lot. It doesn't see much pocket time though, because the plastic handle feels cheap after you get something else with G10 or carbon fiber. The axis lock is my favorite lock, it flicks open and closed very easily. It has absolutely no blade play. Liner / frame locks tend to have a little horizontal blade play by their nature.

If you can go to a brick and mortar store where you can handle a bunch of knives it really makes your decision much easier. I don't think you'll have trouble getting major online stores to take a money order. You might have to call them instead of ordering online though.
 
kuro said:
For an assisted opener, check out Benchmade's HK Nitrous Blitz. It's around 100 shipped but otherwise fits everything you're looking for. Mine has been riding in my back pocket since I got it and I don't even notice it's there until I get the urge to play with it. I love the blade shape, titanium liners, g10 handle, how slim it is, and that it doesn't need a safety. I'd been looking for an assisted opener for a long time, but none of the ones I'd seen really did it for me. 154cm isn't bad to sharpen either.
Click to expand...

I'd buy one of those in a minute, except that it seems to have the thumb stud only on one side of the blade.

Could you confirm that, one way or the other?

The other AO I strongly considered was the Kershaw Leek in S30v and G10. It's a frame lock and very nice.
Click to expand...

I noticed that Kershaw makes a few versions in S30V and G10.
I had one, but it was a liner lock. Great knife, but a touch too thick for my taste.

So I'll have to check out which S30V / G10 Leek is a framelock.

BTW, the S30V Blur is a terrific knife as well.
Great AO action, tight lockup, and for me at least, a perfect size.
 
For the Nitrous Blitz the thumb stud is on one side. You can screw it out and put it on the other side if you want. I'm not sure why they did this, because it seems like it can only annoy people. I'm right handed and completely inept with my left hand, so it's not a problem for me.
 
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