What is your definition of smooth?

It is best defined as my ZT0770CF, M390...the only ZT I've kept out of perhaps 30 or so. It's great.
The grip is too short for me to carry but I keep it around just to enjoy it from time to time.
 
Smooth = easy to deploy using just a finger and with minimal effort when it comes to the grip during deployment.

I have a ZT0450CF. Many say it is a smooth opening knife. I think the trigger is too small and the scales are too short to hold in your hand without my palm getting in the way of the blade deploying.

My Medford 187F is by far my smoothest knife. Oversized trigger gives leverage for a finger to flip open the blade. Scales beefy enough that keeps the palm away from the blade. No need to hold with your fingertips while trying to deploy the blade. Knife has perfect detent and hardware doesn’t allow disassembly by customer, so no messing with it’s smooth operation.
 
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I have to agree with the relation made between consistency and smoothness.

IMHO that is the key point.
So far the manual opening ZT (0550 gen 3 and 0630) and some of my CRKs (Inkosi and large Seb 21) have really spoiled me over my other knives.
 
To me, I think consistent resistance all the way though deployment covers it.

This could be resistance like a GB2 or Sebenza, or virtually no resistance like many ZTs. This could even apply to knives with too loose or too tight of a pivot.
 
My definition of "smooth" is something like the action on my Lg Inkozi. It opens (and closes) very easily, but with a slight hydraulic resistance.
 
Blade opens and closes with the least amount of "bumps" or changes in force needed to complete the action. That's what I would call smooth knife action. For instance, I have many frame lock flippers that feel "smooth" for most of the opening/closing action, but I can distinctly feel that hitch as the detent ball rides up onto or off of the blade. Some knives, like my WE 615, have a decently-sized ramp on the blade that helps that, but I can still feel that portion of the opening/closing very slightly. My Sebenza 25 is a step closer with the way the detent ball is built into the lockbar. Comes off the blade as the lock engages so there's not that extra "bump". No matter the locking mechanism, it seems to me the way the detent interfaces with the blade has the biggest impact on what I consider smooth.
 
You know I've had a ton of flippers(4;)) and while they all ran on bearings they still just could not compete with my mini Ritter. With the lock disengaged the blade moves around like it's carried by angels. Even with the bar touching the blade it wasn't enough to slow it down at all. When I tend to think of "smooth" I think of that. Angels carrying a mini Ritter blade off into Valhalla.

I kept reading about how amazingly smooth these modern titanium flippers are and while they are quick as hell, the detent always causes some friction(as in not so smooth). When the detent isn't hitting the blade they do glide around, but not to the degree I was expecting.
 
Sonnydaze said:
It is best defined as my ZT0770CF, M390...the only ZT I've kept out of perhaps 30 or so. It's great.
The grip is too short for me to carry but I keep it around just to enjoy it from time to time.
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Deassisted?

For me, ZT0550 FTW! I've had three Hinderers: two new, one used, but whatever ZT was doing back then, just works. I also have a preference for thumbstuds, but....
 
emjay4248 said:
You can have low friction and still have a gritty knife. I have an Intrepid Vanguard series from Kizer. The first one flew out but was gritty and I couldn't fix it. I sent it back to them and they were nice enough to send me a new one. I'm sure it was new because I asked if I could swap it for one with Black scales instead of OD green and they obliged. Opened it up and it was the same problem exactly. The action was amazing out of the box but again the knife was gritty. There was obviously a problem in manufacturing. I still have and use it but the grittiness never went away.
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Oh absolutely. A ball bearing pivot with grit in it will be mostly low friction but not smooth. Then again, personally I like lower friction over absolute smoothness because means something still opens easier, even if it doesn't feel good.
 
Smoothness is better defined in terms of "gritlessness" and "frictionlessness." It is irrelevant to the initial resistance that you feel when opening or closing the blade. It is also irrelevant to the speed that the blade travels. It is when the detent ball glides over the surface whether you feel consistently the minimal amount of friction. The friction most often is from the pivot although the contacting point of the detent ball on the blade surface may contribute as well.
 
Main blade in a 91mm SAK is "smooth".
That is what I compare my a slipjoint knives to.
As for knives with a locking blade, I've only used lockbacks, like the Buck 110, Old Timer 7OT/6OT and Uncle Henry LB7.
For those, "Smooth" would be they don't feel gritty, and I don't have to fight with them to open or close 'em.
 
Lapedog said:
Keep working on that sebenza. My small 21 flicks amazingly well. Also The large 21 you have I had flicking open with no problem. I think you still have the pivot too tight for a brand new Sebbie probably.
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Is it just me or for the money we pay the action should already be smooth?
I have a small Sebenza 21 and it should not close like a “bank vault door” brand new out of the box in my opinion.
v/r
Chris
 
Smoothness is how little friction/resistence you can feel when opening and closing a folding knife, as well as how consistent is that friction/resistence throughout the entire process.
 
No roughness = consistent friction, to me.

My custom bearing knife is free-dropping without the detent pressure and smooth in actual action.
Umnumzaan, Sebenza, and GB1 are not free-dropping but smooth.
GEC slip joint knives and SAKs have friction and are smooth.
Some of back lock knives I have are smooth.
And my friction folder is smooth as well.
 
WreckedVeteran said:
Is it just me or for the money we pay the action should already be smooth?
I have a small Sebenza 21 and it should not close like a “bank vault door” brand new out of the box in my opinion.
v/r
Chris
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The Sebenza comes amazingly smooth. What it does not come with is a very free swinging action. This is the “hydraulic” action you so often hear sebbies being described as having and is in line with what Chris Reeve intended for the knife.

Chris Reeve mentions that the Sebenza is not meant to be flicked open. It is a design from a time when that was not considered the crux of a folding knife’s design.
 
I see that this is a mild thread resurrection, but the topic is obviously relevant. I’ll chime in.

As evidenced by the variety of replies, and the frequently evident disconnect from the actual definition of smoothness, “smooth” as used by knife people is often worthless. More often than not, I receive “the action is smooth” as “I like this knife”. It seems to simply be another piece of language hijacked for the purpose of assigning subjective value in a way that tries to sound objective.

The span of time between breaking a detent and lock up is virtually instantaneous. While I recognize that there are differences in feeling during opening or closing, that stuff is grossly overplayed. For example, “my Shiro is smoother than my Arius.” Really? What did you feel in the 1/1000th of a second between defeating the detent and lock up that told you it was smoother? Did you feel sticking points at 7/16 and 12/16 rotation, indicating that the Arius was less smooth?

/sigh
 
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