Need a New Assisted Opener

J

JNieporte

Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Messages
3,352
I plan on buying a new assisted opener, but need some help in choosing. I already have a Kershaw Chive and Scallion. I have no interest in a Gerber assisted opener. I was considering a Camillus Blaze, Kershaw Leek, or Buck Sirus, but welcome your thoughts. Here is what I need....

Blade at least 2.25", but no more than 3.5"
Pocket clip, preferably relocatable.
Non-skeletonized handle.
And the biggest factor.... Price: Not more than $50 shipped.
 
I have a Kershaw whirlwind. The Blade is approx. 3 1/2 inches with an overall length of approx. 7 3/4 inches. Knife is smooth and locks up great.
The clip is not moveable though. Just got through sharpening it last night, takes a very good edge.. I'm not sure you can get one new for 50.00 with shipping though. Might be able to get a good buy on a nice used one ....
 
I've had a few assisted openers and so far Kershaw knives are by far the best. I just got a Mini Cyclone and I love it, you can even turn the assist off if you want.
 
I have all the ones you listed and more. The kershaws are the best for AOs. The Blaze is good and fast ,but is a Twain made knife and is a little cheap feeling as to the plastic handle. The sirus is a Buck, which means a great warranty and knife, but I have all their AOs and none are my favorites. The handles are not a great feel and the blades don't have a good look to them. The leek is great and the mini cyclone is great also. The blur is another goody. You can find all three Kershaws for under $50 shipped on Ebay stores. I got all of them there myself.....
 
All others fall short of the consistant performance of the Kershaws in my opinion. I've used the BenchMades, the SOGs and others and none of them compare to the original. Get a Kershaw Leek of some kind. Great knives. The Scallion is good also by Kershaw. If bigger is what you want the Black Out is a great knife.

If bigger still is your cup of tea go with the Zero Tolerance 301 by Kershaw. Its big. Real big but a great one.

STR
 
I'd say a Kershaw mini mojo. It might be a hair over 50, but then, I didn't shop around that much before I bought mine.

Kershaw-Mini-Mojo-1800-350x350.gif
 
After reading the replies here and doing a little research, I'm thinking of a Kershaw Leek in plain black, or a Camillus Blaze. Any preference?
 
I really like the 'gold' ones myself. If you can find one the TiZDP189 Leek is the top shelf model. They only made 1000 though.

STR
 
I just bought a Benchmade 672 . Its very nice and you can remove the bar to make it manul or assisted . The blade is D2 steel with g-10 handels. You can find them for around 99.00 on the bay.
 
I'm kind of a fan of the Buck sirus...
I love the blade. Handle is pretty good. Always opens so far!
You can find them for under 50 with the 420HC blade. OR a tad over 50 (shipping included) with the 154CM blade or the ATS-34.
Thats what I would recommend.
Just my .02 worth. Good luck.
 
FWIW - Some of the new CRKT pieces are excellent. I especially like the Kommer Full Throttle, right around $50 and their new My Tighe. Both are very fast, solid lockup and not very expensive. I have a Wild Weasel that is fast, but feels less polished than these.
 
You would be very happy with a Kershaw Ken Onion designed AO. The Leek would be a very good choice. You have the choice of opening it with the thumbstud or the "flipper". Nice looking and light.
 
Go with the Kershaw Leek or the Mini Cyclone. The Cyclone also has Sandvik Steel and the on/off switch for the AO. Great knife the Cyclone!

The Mini Mofo (:) as I call it) is a great knife, but if you have a scallion already, you should try the MiniCyclone.
 
JNieporte said:
After reading the replies here and doing a little research, I'm thinking of a Kershaw Leek in plain black, or a Camillus Blaze. Any preference?
Click to expand...

I would go with the Kershaw. I thought about a Camillus also, but after looking at them , as someone else mentioned, the handles feel a little cheap.
. Kershaw knives feel solid and are well made. Also, I've never needed it, but there customer service is supposed to be outstanding...
 
What more needs to be said! Ken Onion anytime, and shop around for the best offers - there are some amazing ones around!
 
JNieporte said:
After reading the replies here and doing a little research, I'm thinking of a Kershaw Leek in plain black, or a Camillus Blaze. Any preference?
Click to expand...

I have a Camillus Heat (Larger version of the Blaze) and a Leek. I like em both. Both designed by world class knife makers. I would imagine that you'll have better service from Kershaw if Camillus goes under. I think I saw a thread about Camillus resolving their issues, not sure though.
 
I also have a Heat, slick knife, opens with a hearty thwack! Great ergos and quite lively in the hand. Nice blade design to boot! The Chive is also great, take a scary sharp edge and very easy to carry. The Leatherman C303 works out very well for what it is. The fact that it's a Leatherman makes it very people friendly in the work place. Might have to sharpen it a little more often, but it holds it's own for it's size. The AO is a little diffrent than the other but works almost as well.

Matador-
 
I agree with the Kershaw Leek.I've got one and it works good for me.The Leek seems to get more approval on these forums than any other AO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top