Spyderco Assisted Open Knives?

kawr said:
Spydie hole is faster and more reliable than AO... I dont see the need to downgrade in speed ;).
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I have had some REALLY fast AO knives, like the Needs Work. It kicks hard, fast, and aggressively. Play with one some time,i highly recommend it.
 
spyderco is a great piece of cutlery. no need to clutter it up with assists. the manual-ness of the knives lets you feel the smoothness of the action. also, ive never had to cut anything in such a huge hurry to need AO, as the spydie hole is plenty fast when you known how to use it. in my opinion (no offense intended) AO is more of a gimmick to maybe cover up a gritty pivot.
 
I agree with Sal. Kershaw offers a very complete line of well-made AO folders that cover that market very well. They overlap, but the two companies each have their niche. Companies that stray too far from their core competency tend to lose their way. Spyderco and Kershaw both act in a way that suggests they understand this principle.
 
i also feel that the AO wouldnt work well with the spyderhole. the hole is the simplest and most effective way to open the knife in my opinion, AO works better for knives with thumbstuds or flippers.
 
RxEnergy said:
They did make a model or two in the past. Not sure about current catalog.
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I can't remember any AO Spyderco neither in the past, nor in the present. I know they have a folder by Brad Southard in the works, but AFAIK it's just a flipper, no AO.
 
I can flick open my Spyderco just as fast as an assisted opener and AO's tend to be heavier and I like light knives like the Endura.
 
dialex said:
I can't remember any AO Spyderco neither in the past, nor in the present. I know they have a folder by Brad Southard in the works, but AFAIK it's just a flipper, no AO.
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:eek:
That will be awesome! I am still waiting on the Junior :D
 
What about the Spyderco Citadel? What's the difference between offering an auto and offering an AO? I don't think it has anything to do with company philosophy or adhering to their fanbase's convictions on what they think a Spyderco should be. FWIW, I own both AO and manual knives and love them both. I even have a Blur with the bar removed and I like it more as a manual. Nothing opens faster than a Kershaw Chive except for a waved knife and that only works on the pocket draw. AO, despite people's personal preference/ignorane has its place. My father's friend is an old retired machinist who has arthritic/damaged hands and he loved the little Twitch my dad has.
 
Keep yer fancy assisted opening away from my Spydies!

All joking aside, I agree with what others have said. I don't need my Spydercos to open any faster than they already do. The Spyder Hole is plenty enough for me. But, I'm also not a fan of AO and disable it on any knife I have.
 
Whether you as a knife owner like AO is (of course) a matter of personal preference. Whether you carry an AO knife could depend very much on state law. The federal law governing the transport and sale of switchblades expressly exempts AO knives from the definition of switchblades. My state law (NJ), however, defines a "switchblade knife" as "any knife or similar device which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife."

It wouldn't be hard to argue that an AO knife opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a spring in the handle of the knife. There are counter-arguments, but the initial obstacle is the discretion of some LEO who may not care about the quality of my legal argument. So, while I own some AO knives from Kershaw, I'm thinking of disabling them, and I don't begrudge Sal the decision not to make AO knives for the general public.
 
Seanifred said:
spyderco is a great piece of cutlery. no need to clutter it up with assists. the manual-ness of the knives lets you feel the smoothness of the action. also, ive never had to cut anything in such a huge hurry to need AO, as the spydie hole is plenty fast when you known how to use it. in my opinion (no offense intended) AO is more of a gimmick to maybe cover up a gritty pivot.
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Can you back this statement up or are you just throwing it out there?
 
Gadfly22 said:
Whether you as a knife owner like AO is (of course) a matter of personal preference. Whether you carry an AO knife could depend very much on state law. The federal law governing the transport and sale of switchblades expressly exempts AO knives from the definition of switchblades. My state law (NJ), however, defines a "switchblade knife" as "any knife or similar device which has a blade which opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in the handle of the knife."

It wouldn't be hard to argue that an AO knife opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a spring in the handle of the knife. There are counter-arguments, but the initial obstacle is the discretion of some LEO who may not care about the quality of my legal argument. So, while I own some AO knives from Kershaw, I'm thinking of disabling them, and I don't begrudge Sal the decision not to make AO knives for the general public.
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You're making it sound like Spyderco shouldn't make AO's based on a legal definition. By that argument, a large percentage of most manufacturers line exceeds many legal length limits. Your argument suggests that Spyderco drop all knives over say 3"?

As far as LEO perception with AO's, how would you think they may feel about Spyderco's MBC Series?
 
I like AO's not for any specific utilitarian aspect but for the fact that its legal. As knife enthusiasts I'll always support any type of innovation that enables us to freely pursue our interests. I am not concerned with misinterpretations by LE on my knives because I've dealt with LE maybe a handful of times in my life and their primary concern was the speed I was driving and not the tool in my pocket.

If we concede that a legal product can be misinterpreted as illegal by the uninitiated and act accordingly, we parcel out our freedom of choice which once gone, as seen by switchblade and balisong legislation, can be very difficult to get back.
 
my preference is without the AO, i love the zip-tie spyderhole tho, probly not as fun and i dunno if its faster or whatnot but it works for me if i need my knife out quickly

i dont like the idea of AO simply because i think it could break or fail after years of opening, or in dirty enviroments
 
Thomas W said:
You're making it sound like Spyderco shouldn't make AO's based on a legal definition. By that argument, a large percentage of most manufacturers line exceeds many legal length limits. Your argument suggests that Spyderco drop all knives over say 3"?

As far as LEO perception with AO's, how would you think they may feel about Spyderco's MBC Series?
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No, I'm not making it sound anything like your misreading, and I have no idea how the delusion that I have an opinion on what kind of knives Spyderco should or should not make got into your head. I'll restate my post in 2 simpler sentences:

1. I'm personally OK with no AO from Spyderco.

2. I'm wary of carrying an AO as a resident of NJ owing to the statutory definition of "switchblade knife" in my state.
 
morrowj_98 said:
Can you back this statement up or are you just throwing it out there?
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only my personal opinion from experiences with crkt (mini my tighe and full throttle) and some kershaw (blackout and boa). I did put "maybe" but perhaps i got lemons.
 
Gadfly22 said:
No, I'm not making it sound anything like your misreading, and I have no idea how the delusion that I have an opinion on what kind of knives Spyderco should or should not make got into your head. I'll restate my post in 2 simpler sentences:
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Sorry for the confusion, I am a bit of a simpleton.

When you mention that you do not "begrudge Sal's decision not to make AO knives for the general public", I thought you said it from the context of AO's being confused as illegal. Therefore, Spyderco shouldn't manufacture them.

Hope that makes sense. :)
 
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