most reliable assisted opening mechanism?

sgt1372 said:
... However, I have encountered a few loose and "rattling" torsion bars, which I "fixed" w/a dab of vaseline to hold it in place.
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This is actually part of the normal maintenance routine. However, Kershaw uses grease from the factory and recommends grease. White Lightning Crystal Grease is popular among Kershaw employees. One of them turned me on to it a few years back and I've used it ever since. It is non-toxic in addition to working well.
 
Chronovore said:
This is actually part of the normal maintenance routine. However, Kershaw uses grease from the factory and recommends grease. White Lightning Crystal Grease is popular among Kershaw employees. One of them turned me on to it a few years back and I've used it ever since. It is non-toxic in addition to working well.
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Yeah, I heard that before but I'm not going to buy some "special sauce" just to silence a ratting torsion bar which, frankly, only happened in 2 (as far as I can recall) out of over 100 "assisted" Kershaw/ZT/CRKTs that I've ever owned.
 
sgt1372 said:
Yeah, I heard that before but I'm not going to buy some "special sauce" just to silence a ratting torsion bar which, frankly, only happened in 2 (as far as I can recall) out of over 100 "assisted" Kershaw/ZT/CRKTs that I've ever owned.
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I haven't tried Vaseline but if it works long-term, why not? It just has to do two jobs: keep the bar slick and stop it from rattling.

White Lightning is actually meant for bike chains. It can be used for other things. If used only for the maintenance of SpeedSafe knives, a single tube of White Lightning could last a whole family of assisted action fans for the rest of their lives.
 
dorset said:
AO's always gave me the willies. Some subtle anxiety.
First one I bought, way back, was a Kershaw Whirlwind. Pretty neat, I (tentatively) thought.
Only $38 bucks brand new, a good size, USA made by a good company (Kershaw > Kai).
But still, the way it leapt open - could cause a nasty damn cut if it opened like that in
my pants pocket - not to mention that carry location is so close to those 'family jewels'.

😨

I decided it was pretty cool, but no way was I gonna carry it.

It was a pretty long time ago, but I then bought a Blur in S30V,
a SOG something or other, a couple of Benchmades, a Leek -
it was getting crazy, all these nice knives that I wouldn't carry.
Then it was the Hissatsyu - nice blade design but too fat and
heavy for my taste.
And then it happened, I bought a Buck Tempest off eBay,
the premium version in 154CM. When it arrived, I was both
amused and pleased to see the safety on the spine. Its location
and the way it operated was just too freaking clever.

Anyway, to finish this which is too long already, I guess
now I have maybe 25 or so AO's, all pretty much unused.
I don't intend to buy any more of them. And, in the end,
my favorite is = I don't have a favorite! I'd always have
my BM940, Millie in S110V, or PM2 in S39V.
Even the new Slim110 in S35v Every time!
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I cut the hell out of myself when I first got a whirlwind. They named it aptly.
 
I go by the KISS principle. With that in mind the torsion bar has always been the most reliable to me and easiest to maintain. I've had BM Axis assist that had to be sent in for fouled up springs. BM axis assist is snappy but it's over complicated if you ask me. And SOG is still crap in my book since 2 of the SOG Assist knives exploded.
 
I’ve broken a couple torsion bars on Chinese Kershaws but never on one made in the US, and certainly never on a ZT. fwiw that was years ago and it’s quite possible I had the pivot set too tight..?
 
Folks may rag on MTech with their cheap ‘gas station’ knives, but give ‘em credit for easy-opening, and reliable ‘spring assisted’ folders, which they’ve been making for ages. Still keep one of their cheapo serrated flippers on the boat, figuring no big loss if it goes overboard, and after nearly 3 years, the thing still works perfectly, and more important, it still cuts rope and poly line like a champ.
 
What I don't like about the AOs I've encountered that were NOT Benchmades is when the action relies on kinetic energy to fully open and lock. Every Kershaw and SOG I've checked out or owned hasn't had consistent spring tension through the whole motion, and if interrupted they don't finish opening and can chop your phalanges. This was also my problem with manuals for a long time, in that there is not a guaranteed full open & lock, which makes them more dangerous to the operator, and whipping them open with a wild motion of the wrist (like Cold Steels and other sticky jammies ask for) is a good way to accidentally throw your knife.

Flippers didn't really exist when I first started buying my own knives, but as someone mentioned on page 1, they've come a long way. I recently shelved my Benchmade in favor of a Reate K2 manual flipper because it's faster, doesn't require a safety, won't open on its own, and let's be honest- the K2 looks radder. Still, I love an AO in the right pants or circumstances, especially the Vector 496. This might seem weird but I thought about getting a sheath for it so that there's zero chance of it opening, and thus I could leave the safety off. But now with the manual flipper that's a non-issue unless I want to leave the K2 home.
 
Boombats said:
What I don't like about the AOs I've encountered that were NOT Benchmades is when the action relies on kinetic energy to fully open and lock. Every Kershaw and SOG I've checked out or owned hasn't had consistent spring tension through the whole motion, and if interrupted they don't finish opening and can chop your phalanges. This was also my problem with manuals for a long time, in that there is not a guaranteed full open & lock, which makes them more dangerous to the operator, and whipping them open with a wild motion of the wrist (like Cold Steels and other sticky jammies ask for) is a good way to accidentally throw your knife.

Flippers didn't really exist when I first started buying my own knives, but as someone mentioned on page 1, they've come a long way. I recently shelved my Benchmade in favor of a Reate K2 manual flipper because it's faster, doesn't require a safety, won't open on its own, and let's be honest- the K2 looks radder. Still, I love an AO in the right pants or circumstances, especially the Vector 496. This might seem weird but I thought about getting a sheath for it so that there's zero chance of it opening, and thus I could leave the safety off. But now with the manual flipper that's a non-issue unless I want to leave the K2 home.
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I like that good manual actions have become the norm. When I say "good", I mean zero wrist action. Just a finger or just a thumb to snap it open. That's what was cool about assisted actions back in the day. They snapped open with just a press when most manual knives seemed to require a big input of kinetic energy. Now, manufacturing and technology have gotten good enough to do it manually, with relatively simple mechanisms, for like twenty bucks. (Obviously, decent blade steel or fancy handle materials will increase that price. The point is that it can and has been done for like twenty bucks.)

I've been on a Spyderco kick this summer and carrying more back-locks. I found myself getting excited about the Rockjumper because the action is better than the Delica or Endura... then I carried one of my thumb-stud Kizers and the manual action was practically mind-blowing.

I still carry a Dividend once in a while but overall, I'm done with assisted opening. I just don't see the point anymore. I feel like if I'm going to go in that direction now, I might as well just go all-in on an OTF. Even then, it would mostly be for novelty.
 
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