What's the hurry?

Lee48 said:
So many recent threads have to do with deployment methods and which method is the fastest. I'm just wondering why so many people are in a hurry to open their knives.

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I usually carry a defensive blade in conjunction with my concealed pistol. In that regard when you need the weapon, you need it as fast as possible with as little motor skills used as possible. The wave fits this role perfect.

Even on my utility knives I like fast deployment. why? idk, I just enjoy it. kinda the same as why people choose different steels, its not necessary to have a premium steel, but peoplelike it.

But in all fairness, I can't wait an extra second to break down a cardboard box!
 
Lee48 said:
So many recent threads have to do with deployment methods and which method is the fastest. I'm just wondering why so many people are in a hurry to open their knives.

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It's that second "cool factor," as Nutnfancy says. [emoji41]
 
craytab said:
What does "so many" mean. Can you link them?
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Just go to any thread that Charleymike has posted in. There'll be a minimum of 5 other posters who talk about rapid deployment via assists of some sort.
Waves, springs, gravity, etc.

Not uncommon at all.

As to the OP, I agree with others that it may be more a case of ease of opening single-handed vs. speed of opening.
Be it for self-defense, work (i.e. i switched from a Leatherman to a Gerber because I can deploy the pliers easier with one hand on the Gerber), or just because you can...
 
sharp_edge said:
I actually have the same question as the OP. I mean, how big the speed difference can be between the fastest and the slowest one-hand openning folders? does it really matter that much?
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It probably doesn't matter that much but why would a person want slower? Most of what we do in our daily lives we are concerned with speed and efficiency- traffic lights, lines in stores, things like that. A few seconds or minutes here and there tend to bother us even though it really doesn't make much difference in the long run. So if I can carry a knife one way and it is faster than if I carry it another way, I'll choose the faster way.

There are people that choose their carry methods for other reasons, and that is OK for them.
 
I carry a waved Emerson everyday. Don't think I have ever waved it open to actually cut something. Nor do I flick my Spyderco(s) when using them.

I have waved it more than a few times just playing with it. Same with flicking or the Spydiedrop.

Nice option to have an instant open knife, in my opinion. Just in case I get jumped by Ninjas, or hung up in the chain table or conveyor belt on my rock splitter at work.
 
craytab said:
What does "so many" mean. Can you link them?
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Everybody who reads these forums for any length of time have seen references to many folders speed of opening, with the faster opening speed indicating a better knife.
 
whp said:
Everybody who reads these forums for any length of time have seen references to many folders speed of opening, with the faster opening speed indicating a better knife.
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Speed can be an indication of quality but is not absolutely one. I am not a traditional fan per say but I can appreciate quality regardless of the speed.

Fast, faster, and slow....all quality.

lXIolsAh.jpg
 
bdmicarta said:
It probably doesn't matter that much but why would a person want slower? Most of what we do in our daily lives we are concerned with speed and efficiency- traffic lights, lines in stores, things like that. A few seconds or minutes here and there tend to bother us even though it really doesn't make much difference in the long run. So if I can carry a knife one way and it is faster than if I carry it another way, I'll choose the faster way.

There are people that choose their carry methods for other reasons, and that is OK for them.
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hmmm...got what you mean but still we are not talking about a speed difference of more than 2 secs or maybe even 1 sec.
 
Personally when I am cutting something 9 of out 10 times my other hand is busy holding the item or keeping something in place that needs cutting. If I am working on electrica cutting wires, putting something in place that needs a quick trim. One handed fast deployment is key for me. Self defence is not my MO and I don't think people should think its a realsitic way for defense without proper training. Slip joints are great for collecting and as a secondary backup knife. But I dont see their design to be practical for me with all the modern advances in knife making.
Second reason why...Why do people buy faster cars when a Prius gets you there just a bit slower? Cause going fast is fun...and opening knives quickly is fun to me as well.
 
craytab said:
Speed can be an indication of quality but is not absolutely one. I am not a traditional fan per say but I can appreciate quality regardless of the speed.

Fast, faster, and slow....all quality.

lXIolsAh.jpg
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What kinda sheath you using for that Bradford? I want one but am on the fence due to the leather sheath it comes with. Looking at the Kydex ones on the site but never seen a pic of one in use.
 
I think "fast" is relative and subjective.

Personally, depending on what I'm doing, I might want a knife I can open quickly (like when I worked a shipping dock and had to cut twine or pallet wrap on an outgoing shipment I was preparing, and every second counted because the truck was on a tight schedule and getting ready to leave. And if the shipment didn't go out that day it would cost the company big. It was a high-pressure job).

Or, if I'm in a more relaxed situation, it wouldn't bother me to pull out a much slower two-hand knife to cut something.

In any event, to each their own. If people like/want knives they can open lightening-fast, for whatever reason, I say more power to them. When it comes to knives, I think "Just because I like it" is good enough reason for just about anything.
 
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In absence of any truly on-point criteria to admire about a knife (not many wood carvers using tactical folders), you might as well fascinate on features that don't accomplish much, but are easy to observe.

I think it is similar to how folks always admire when a pocket knife's scales fit their hand like target pistol's grips. Yet I don't know what you'd do with a 3" knife with that sort of grip on it. Most of the time we use our pocket knives with our fingers, not fists.


So we should probably be focusing on something really useful, like the quality of camouflage on a folder's blade.
 
More important to me is
- pocket to pocket ease of ambidextrous one hand opening and closing with least compromise of a secure grip in the smallest, confined, tightest space possible.

oh yeah... and blade camouflage too.
 
RX-79G said:
In absence of any truly on-point criteria to admire about a knife (not many wood carvers using tactical folders), you might as well fascinate on features that don't accomplish much, but are easy to observe.

I think it is similar to how folks always admire when a pocket knife's scales fit their hand like target pistol's grips. Yet I don't know what you'd do with a 3" knife with that sort of grip on it. Most of the time we use our pocket knives with our fingers, not fists.


So we should probably be focusing on something really useful, like the quality of camouflage on a folder's blade.
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You speak the truth. However, there is a fun factor to consider. If we only focused on useful, practical things, then I think the knife collecting hobby would not be as fulfilling. I'm referring specifically to the collecting aspect, and not necessarily use, except maybe light/normal EDC.

I want fancy looks, and fun gismos to keep me interested. I'll reserve practicality for the blades I'm gonna ride hard and put away wet.
 
ALL of this stuff is fun. Including wasting time on a knife forum reading and writing about all the angels dancing on the tip of our blades.

What isn't fun is when we are occasionally confronted with the reality that Moras, Opinels and SAKs are old, ugly, cheap and probably more useful than the sexy stuff. But the Opinels and SAKs are so slow to deploy, no pocket clips and have terrible blade camouflage, so maybe they aren't useful.
 
RX-79G said:
ALL of this stuff is fun. Including wasting time on a knife forum reading and writing about all the angels dancing on the tip of our blades.

What isn't fun is when we are occasionally confronted with the reality that Moras, Opinels and SAKs are old, ugly, cheap and probably more useful than the sexy stuff. But the Opinels and SAKs are so slow to deploy, no pocket clips and have terrible blade camouflage, so maybe they aren't useful.
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Aww dang! You're right again. :(
 
RX-79G said:
In absence of any truly on-point criteria to admire about a knife (not many wood carvers using tactical folders)
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I do. ;)

RX-79G said:
What isn't fun is when we are occasionally confronted with the reality that Moras, Opinels and SAKs are old, ugly, cheap and probably more useful than the sexy stuff. But the Opinels and SAKs are so slow to deploy, no pocket clips and have terrible blade camouflage, so maybe they aren't useful.
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I've found the Swiss Army Knives go dull WAY quicker than my "tactical" knives.
I can still force it through wood due to thin stock and it being thin behind the edge, but the edge itsell goes away pretty quickly. You can very quickly notice a difference in cutting effort required.
Of course, it has a handy saw and other tools that I like, but the actual knife blade leaves something to be desired.

I have a Swisschamp in the backpack at all times, but the actual cutting stuff with a knife blade gets done by my single blade, modern, "tactical" according to many, knives.
 
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