Who Makes the Best Assisted-opening knives?

Who Makes the Best Assisted-opening knives?

  • Kershaw

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • SOG

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Camillus

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Meyerco/Blackie Collins

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Buck (new Rush)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • OTHER

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
Messages
6,192
Who Makes the Best Assisted-opening knives?

I regret that I can only allow either 1 vote or as many as you like because I'd like to allow 2 votes, but I can't do that. So, just vote for your #1 favorite and voice you opinion on the rest.

I've had my Kershaw Whirlwind for a long time and I love it. Kershaws Assist is nice and fast and snappy but it's an only "OK" knife as most of their knives are. ON THE OTHER HAND, SOG has married BETTER KNIVES with their assist system so I had to vote for them. SOG makes good knives and has a wide assortment of GOOD knives that have their "assist" system so I have to vote for them.

Granted, Camillus has made some great knives with the "assist" system, but they are only a few, are expensive and only appeal to some people.

I gotta go with SOG because they have the best line of "assist" and at all different prices for all different people's needs. I think SOG currently has a better handle on the "assist" knife market and is offering more and better "assist" products than anyone else.
 
Ken Onion is my absolute favorite assisted opening maker. For production it's too close to call between Kershaw and SOG.

The Cobra [custom] is fast and smooth also...........
 
I have to say Kershaw.
I still don't think any knife has yet to top the original Boa.
Everyone on these forums used to go ape poopy over them,
but I haven't heard much about them in a while.
And the Bump is pretty wicked too.
 
wolfmann601 said:
Ken Onion is my absolute favorite assisted opening maker. For production it's too close to call between Kershaw and SOG.

The Cobra [custom] is fast and smooth also...........
Click to expand...

Dude, you're a gold member but you didn't vote! WTF? :eek:
I worked HARD on that thing! :D
 
Walking Man said:
I have to say Kershaw.
I still don't think any knife has yet to top the original Boa.
Everyone on these forums used to go ape poopy over them,
but I haven't heard much about them in a while.
And the Bump is pretty wicked too.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you chimed in. I'd forgotten about the Boa.
I've MANY good things about the Boa and it's a knife I've always wanted but never got around to getting.

I've got a knife up for sale and, thanks to you, I'm going to put it on the trade forum too because I always wanted a Boa.
The Bump looks nearly as good. Is it?
 
fulloflead said:
I've got a knife up for sale and, thanks to you, I'm going to put it on the trade forum too because I always wanted a Boa.
The Bump looks nearly as good. Is it?
Click to expand...
.
The Bump is a great knife, but I find I don't like the feel of the ridges.
I think the Boa is a better value, but the Bump is an excellent high-end model.
 
Walking Man said:
.
The Bump is a great knife, but I find I don't like the feel of the ridges.
I think the Boa is a better value, but the Bump is an excellent high-end model.
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch!
 
For my vote it is not even close. Kershaw was first to:
- Have an assisted opening device on a knife (Speed Safe)
- Have polished G10 for the scales
- Use CPM 440V (S60V) on a production knife
- Use the "flipper" to activate the assisted opener
- Have multiple bright colors on a knife to prevent "Sheeple" stampedes
- The smallest assisted opening knife (Chive)
- The first framelock with an assisted opener
- The first folder to use thumbstuds as part of the locking mechanism (Whisper)

Kershaw knives with Speed Safe:
====================
Random Task
Mini Task
Whirlwind
Blackout
Ricochet
Anniversary Random Task
Avalanche
Boa*
Chive*
Scallion*
Whisper
Leek*
Bump*
Blur*
Random Leek

* These knives have multiple variations

I count 15 assisted opening knives for Kershaw, although some on the list have been discontinued. Kershaw has assisted opening knives for all price ranges.

One question I've had is how durable is the SOG assisted opener. When you compare the SOG design to Ken's Speed Safe, the SOG is not as robust as SS. However, I've not read any reports of SOG's assisted opener failing. The SOG's I tested at knife shops were sluggish so I did not buy them. I should test a SOG again to see if they have changed.

I've had almost every Kershaw on the list above and have had only one failure which was my fault (I took it apart and bent the torsion bar). When I visited Kershaw and explained my problem I was given a handful of replacement torsion bars. So far I've only replaced the original.

Based on this information I say Kershaw is way ahead.
 
I like the Kershaw's alot and have two--the Richochet and the Boa--but I cast a vote for Camillus based on my recent purchase of the Dominator with the Robo-Power assisted opening system. It's by far the fastest assisted opener I've yet seen. Also snaps open rock solid with the frame-lock.
 
FYI

Ken told me Speed Safe can be adjusted from just barely opening the blade to having the knife jump out of your hand when opening.

Kershaw's first assisted openers were mild and "civilized". Now that people are familiar with SS the opening speed has been sped up.
 
I gotta go with Kershaw. Ken Onion is the original designer of the assisted opening knife. I will stick with the original rather than the copies others make.
 
Chuck Bybee said:
Ken told me Speed Safe can be adjusted from just barely opening the blade to having the knife jump out of your hand when opening.
Click to expand...

Interesting........ How is this done? Can Speed Safe be completely disabled to make a more traditional one handed opener?

......... C.B. that's the funniest damn avatar I've ever seen. I hope that penguin has a very large Busse handy!!!
 
KenOnion said:
Thanks for all the support guys! I appreciate the loyalty, your awesome .
Click to expand...

No, Ken, YOU are awesome! I just absolutely love my Bumps and my Scallion!
 
Assisted opening knives to me mean Onion/Kershaw... Everyone else is playing catch-up.... Its amazing it doesnt get the attention the "HOLE" does..
 
Funny you should mention that Trace, I happened to pose that very question a couple months ago, and the general response was "the mechanisms are all different, so it's okay", now I don't know a whole lot about such things, but It's easier for me to image different ways of spring-loading a knife than it is to imagine different ways of creating an axis-lock ala, C-S and SOG.
And I'll just say it, and I don't care if I get flamed or not, but SOG seems to be the masters of "recreation" It didn't take them long to "recreate" assisted opening, axis lock, or the rainbow effect.........
I used to like SOG, but now I have an ethical problem with their products.
 
I've got to disagree with the majority here. The title for the post is "best assisted opening knives". I am assuming that we are talking the whole knife, not just the opening device.

While Kershaw makes some pretty good opening knives, most have "ok" steel and plastic zytel type handles. There are a few exceptions the Boa being the most popular.

Taking into account the "whole knife" without a question it goes to the Camillus knives. First Dominator, has a 3.6inch S30v steel blade with a titanium handle. The Aftermath has a 5.5inch D2 steel blade with titanium handles. As opposed to the following:

Kershaw
Boa - 440v steel, Aluminum handles
Blackout : 440A Stainless blade, Polymade handle

Sog FlashII Aus8 steel blade, Zytel handles

Meyerco: Aus8 blade, plastic handles

Bush Rush: 420HC blade, aluminum handles.

The Kershaw knives are very good, especially for the money the Sog Flash knives are good, I like the Kershaws better, never handled the Meryerco or Buck. Yes the Camillus knives cost much more, but they are in a different class when compared to the others.
 
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