Looking for a good spring assist, thin with clip

C

cvcman

Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Messages
21
I have several spring assist knives, most are pretty thick and when I have them in my pocket on the clip and forget and put my hand in my pocket I dig the crap outta my hand
I saw one the other day that looked nice and thin...Leak maybe ??
 
ZT0770 and the Kershaw Link are thin knives. You can get the Link in S35VN and don't know if it's still available in M390.
The ZT comes in S35VN, I think KSF has the CF with black blade in M4. Some of the older ones came in Elmax.
 
If you want a big blade and a thin knife look for a Kershaw shallot the knife has been discontinued so they are getting hard to find . Great knife
 
Leek is the obvious answer, another thought, a BM bugout, not assisted, but after 30 min in the hand it flips as well as any assisted, weights under 2 oz, it's part my EDC rotation
 
I have the ZT 0770 CF, great AO knife and thin. Feels much like a Spyderco Delica in the pocket. I believe the new Southern Grind Quill and perhaps the Fox 573FC for 2018 may work for you. One may not be assisted, but those are the two that I remember as being thin for the 2018 lineup.
 
I would recommend the Kershaw Link or Dividend in an upgraded steel, or if you can swing over $140 a ZT 0770. All 3 models are very sleek, slicey, and great examples of an assisted knife done right. Personally I'd recommend the variants of the M390 Link or Dividend if you can find one, or the Elmax 0770 (easiest way to assure it's Elmax is find an aluminum handle version, those were only made with Elmax). Sadly none of those variants are currently in production, so you will have to look a bit, but the steels are great and the price is right for what you get.
 
The Kershaw Leek is a nice knife, you may also want to take a look at the Kershaw Blur or Link as well. The Link would easily be my favorite of the three, it is a whole lot of knife for the money.
 
miltmaldo got it right.
The leek is too small for me to truly appreciate:; but the Shallot gives the extra length while staying slim in the pocket.
Great knife - I've regretted more than once that I gave both of mine away during a recent purge of no longer carried knives. (I actually still carried the Shallot from time to time; but I prefer the unassisted Vapor II, so I kept that)
 
I don't regard the Kershaw Link as remarkably thin or pocket friendly. With a handle thickness of 0.49" the various aluminum models are just run-of-the-mill these days, and at 0.60" the glass-reinforced nylon ("plastic") versions are even worse.

Just limiting your choices within the Kershaw line, I'd turn my attention toward the various Al Mar AM-3 or AM-4 models. I've purchased a half-dozen of the 3.5" AM-4, and each sample has exhibited good workmanship and assisted flipping action. And, with a handle thickness of just 0.42" plus a far more slender profile than the Link, its sheer pocketability is very much superior.

I'd disregard the Al Mar AM-5. I've owned three of them, and it's my opinion that the design of the flipper tab erred too far toward sleekness and sacrifices ready accessibility. This model demands that I make a conscious effort to hit the flipper tab "just so" (not so with the AM-4).
 
Kershaw Knockout has a .40" thick handle which is very thin for a 3.25" blade. Also weighs only 3.4 oz and is USA made.
 
yamsi12 said:
Kershaw Knockout has a .40" thick handle which is very thin for a 3.25" blade. Also weighs only 3.4 oz and is USA made.
Click to expand...
But, consider the Knockout's height, not just its handle thinness. It takes up more pocket space than the much more slender Kershaw Al Mar AM-4. It is the combination of thinness with a slender profile that determines relative pocketability. It's partly for this reason that many traditional slip joint patterns endure.
 
I see several Link recommendations. Not exactly a thin knife and quite heavy at that. I like mine in M-390 but thats me and my needs. You want light and thin, right? Link is not it.
 
Any limitations on size? Budget?

EDIT - I read that as you wanting a thinner blade....
SOG Flash 1 or Flash 2. Some of the thinnest blades out there.
 
Last edited:
So ? on the Leek, do you have to use that little unlock button everytime to open it ?? Or is that only if you lock it, in other words cn you have it in your pocket unlocked like my other cheapo spring assists
 
cvcman said:
So ? on the Leek, do you have to use that little unlock button everytime to open it ?? Or is that only if you lock it, in other words cn you have it in your pocket unlocked like my other cheapo spring assists
Click to expand...
The button is to lock the knife closed, you don't ever have to use the lock button and it will open/close like a normal speed safe knife.
 
No need to ever use the "safety" lock. My Leek has never opened in my pocket. Great small and thin knife. It is a about the same thickness as a SAK so it could fit in most EDC leather slips like the ones from Hitch and Timber. I have a Runt and it fits in perfectly.


IMG_2194.jpg
 
ZT 0770 CF is a great knife. Very versatile blade and light as a feather for its size. For fans of AO, I don't think it can be beaten.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top