silent folders ?? why no-one tought of that tactical aspect?

B

Bart student

Joined
Nov 17, 1999
Messages
676
Hello folks,


I've been thinking about tactical knives lately, for collection purposes, and the tought crossed my mind that in a real urban tactical situation, it may be critical to open a fighting folder whithout even a whisper to alert the bad guy.
I tested a lot of folders, on my room, opening them while my girlfriend was 3 meters from me, behind a half open door, facing the other way. I tried every folder except my SIFU, she could hear them all open.
My BM 750s, BM 910S, BM 710, Bm AFCK, CRKT Pointguard, CRKT KFF, CRKT M-16, Spydie endura, Gerber SLG 3.25, a balisong, A MT Auto kestrel, A MT SOCOM-Elite...... all failed. If she would have been an armed criminal which I was forced to sneek up to, I'd be dead if these would have been my knife!

These are all said to be a tactical knife...

Only my SIFU and my opinels were capable of silent opening.

Is it just me, or is this factor overlooked by the tactical knife industry?

Oh..just for fun.. The SOCOM-E and the Pinnacle made the loudest sounds.

Which are your most silent and loudest folders?????

greetz, Bart.
 
I am able to open my BM Stryker without a sound by dropping my thumb after the initial push to the liner and depressing it and releasing as the blade hits the stop pin. But I just love that click when opened normally LOL. I guess thats why I love classic Italian Stilettos so much. "It just ain't slick if it don't go click"
Bob
 
nice thread!

if you have the drop on a bad guy, you're probably not going to utilize your rapid (noisy) presentation. practice silent openings with your carry, and if you have a liner lock, try to depress it while manually moving the blade into position first.

1 open blade past ball retainer.
2 (righty) hold blade with index finger, depress liner lock.
3. move blade into position, release liner lock carefully.
4. scales on some are noisier than others. practice, practice, practice.

toast
 
I have no difficulty opening my voyager lockback silently, but it does take two hands rather than the normal one, and a lot more time. One more example of how fixed blades are superior to folders. Now, if it were only legal to carry a fixed blade concealed where I live...
 
Perhaps this is why the fixed blade neck knife was invented. :D

My Emerson SOFCK and Chew Cujo's Spawn can be opened silently by holding back and then releasing the liner lock on to the back of the blade when it is open. The Emerson can be opened silently using one had, the Chew needs two.

Using the wave feature the Emerson is quite loud, but the auto Chew is louder.

Regards,

Ed

Usual Suspect
 
fast replies! keep'm coming folks and thanks for the replies.

I can open my SIFU absolutely silent by just holding back the rolling lock button, letting the blade fall open, and turn my wrist around so it continues to fall open. The, when it is nearly on the stoppin, easy, and realese the rolling lock slowly.

Hey strider, thanks..now I am able to open my stryker too without a sound! But you gotta practice this one good, because it isn't easy.

Greetz, Bart.
 
Originally posted by edmoses
the auto Chew is louder.
Click to expand...
LOL! Auto chew is louder. Sounds like one of my wife's complaints about my eating habits.

Raver - Phat bastid
 
All my Benchmades with Axis locks can be opened silently by pulling the lock back with thumb and forefinger first, then opening the blade. Once open, allow the lock to move forward with your thumb and finger slowing it so it doesn't spring forward.
 
Originally posted by Bart student
If she would have been an armed criminal which I was forced to sneek up to, I'd be dead if these would have been my knife!
Click to expand...

OK, maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you want to sneak up on an armed criminal? :confused: I thought that the correct tactical approach is to put some distance between yourself and the bad guy. If s/he hasn't noticed you yet, that would seem to be the perfect time to do so.
 
Originally posted by dsvirsky
OK, maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you want to sneak up on an armed criminal? :confused: I thought that the correct tactical approach is to put some distance between yourself and the bad guy. If s/he hasn't noticed you yet, that would seem to be the perfect time to do so.
Click to expand...

Once, while sitting in the parking lot of a business where I was scheduled to start, I waited alone for the boss to show up and let me in. While I was standing there, an obviously deranged man wandered up, demanding to know if I was the police.

"Why? Do you need the police?" I asked him.

He was able to offer nothing coherent in response. As he raved on, I quietly removed the knife I carried at the time -- a stiletto lockback -- from my jacket pocket, shielding the move with my body. I then opened the knife behind my back, muffling the click against the cloth of my jacket.

That's a situation where you'd want a knife that would open silently. The nutjob wandered off eventually, but for a few moments I was honestly contemplating being forced to defend myself with a blade. Immediately after that I started carrying a less conspicuous folder, since the incident forced me to imagine a cop's reaction to that stiletto.
 
dsvirsky: I agree, and if (s)he wouldn't have noticed me yet, i'd run my ass off probably. But the point of tactical folders is that they also can be used by LEO's or soldiers. And they are not supposed to run off... or did I get that part wrong
:rolleyes: :D :D ???

Greetz, bart.
 
Loudest: MicroTech LCC D/A auto mode :D



Quietest: MicroTech Mini SOCOM auto

By catching the blade with my index finger before it hits the stop pin, and holding my thumb down on the button and letting it up slowly, this can be done silently :) I think this would work for any coil spring auto with push button release/lock.

Most any blade can be opened silently using two hands.

DD
 
i too noticed i can open my 940 silently. great thread, these are the best threads, the ones that get you to appreciate your knives in a different way :)

Pete
 
So, you want to open your folder quietly, very quietly. Sounds cool.

You do know that most defensive circumstances that may require you to use a knife often happens as quickly as a car crash! BOOM! BANG! BASH!

With the extra adrenelin pumping, deminishing motor control skills, and the other guy smacking you around, you'll be lucky to find your folding knife, much less hold on to it.

Perhaps a better use of time is to practice deploying, opening, and getting the proper grip on your knife.

Develop that muscle memory...and good luck

JD
 
Razor,
Once again you've missed my point.:p I didn't ask why one would want to open a folder silently (I can think of several good reasons, although crazy street people have never inspired me to thoughts of deadly force). I asked why one would want to sneak up on an armed criminal.

Bart,
Didn't occur to me to think of LEO's, who would probably only be using a knife only as a last ditch defensive weapon. Can you imagine what the media would do with that one? "Cop sneaks up on criminal and stabs him to death. Film at 11." :D

Don't really associate soldiers with urban tactical situations, at least not in my neck of the woods. :D
 
Regardless of the reason, I would say the loudest opener is the Spyderco Chinook. Rolling locks on REKATS and Axis on Benchmades are near silent. Fixed blades are real quiet as well. I would not consider quiet openings a must have on any knife. Also for the record, its a bad idea to have a knife in your hand when you may only have to grapple or punch some unarmed attacker or nutcase.
No weapons should be in your hand until you see he has one or you begin to fear for your life. Then you better be able to justify that fear as realistic to a jury sitting all safe, warm and comfy in the jury box.
 
the loudest i found is the "Cold Steel Scimitar"

but if i have to open my knife in a low light or hidden scenario because the "enemy" gets too
close to me, why not let him/her hear the click,
it sounds not too different from cocking my .45 pistol and may make him/her thinking again. ;)

If i dont have a pistol or another backup i will open my knife very silently of course :cool:
With two hands slowing all moving parts you could open a folder with less noise than some plastic sheats will make with fixed.

:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by dsvirsky
Razor, once again you've missed my point.:p I didn't ask why one would want to open a folder silently (I can think of several good reasons, although crazy street people have never inspired me to thoughts of deadly force). I asked why one would want to sneak up on an armed criminal.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm fully aware of what you asked. But your question reminded me of an instance where I wished I had a knife that opened quietly, which is why I capped my remarks with the statement, "That's a situation where you'd want a knife that would open silently."

Crazy street people are probably the folks most likely to force you to defend yourself, because they're totally unpredictable and not easily deterred by things that would discourage "normal" people. For example, I am not often harassed by strangers -- but crazy people don't seem to care how big you are or how surly you look.

Fear not, Dave. I don't often miss points; I simply choose to drive around them sometimes. ;)
 
Well, all of my knives make too much noise for a stealth attack. I guess I could cup my hands and "pop" his ears real hard--and then he would'nt be able to hear me open my knife!
Problem solved.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
My HK USP is pretty quiet until the noise the bad guy would never hear... Oh you said folder :)

My Spyderco Chinook is the loudest by far, if I could Rube Goldberg it to open and close rapidly at any given time you would have a pretty formidable alarm clock.

Most quiet would be any of my REKAT's. Because of the design of the lock they really don't snap into place the way other locks do.

If I were really concerned though, and was sneaking (aka - moving slow) I would hold down the lock of my Chinook, open the blade and then release the lock when the blade was open, effectively rendering it silent.
 
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