Who makes the smoothest folder you've handled? >>

Naming one is pretty close to impossible.

Here's my pick: :D

Kit Carson, Tom Mayo, Phil Boguszewski, Grant Hawk, Koji Hara, DDR, Larry Chew, Don Maxwell, Brad Duncan, Charles Marlow, Jim Burke. . .and the list goes on. :D
 
My mini-grip is easily the smoothest folder that I own,and probley the strongest.
 
The smoothest fold that I have personally ever handled is my BM 550. Before that, it was my Spyderco Delica. Then again, I have a VERY limited collection of locking folders, most of my blades are multis (and the Vic. Soldier is incredibly smooth OTB, too).
 
I'd have to qualify my answer this way: some knives open as if by themselves once you get the blade moving -- Boguszewski and Chew (and others using his pivot mech.) come to mind. Other knives need to be opened fully by your hand -- Carson, Cook, and Mayo come to mind. There are still others that make incredibly smooth openers that aren't one-handers -- Horn would be the top of my list of those makers.
 
patrickb said:
Note, my definition of smooth may differ from yours. For instance, if I loosen the pivot on my BM Axis folder, the blade drops out with just gravity. That's not the kind of smoothness to which I refer. The Obie's have a hint of resistance, but their action is so uniformly smooth, it's addicting.
-pb
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well said patrick. I have never been able to describe obie's smoothness.

but the king of the hill for me is my mayonised sebbie. it's real slick.
 
First production Gerber Paul Knife.
Pinch the button and thumbwheel and the handle swings away like it's on ice. No touching the blade and the thing locks in the closed position.
Also my customized Dodo with polished liners, pivot, and heel. Very smooth and quick (removed one of the two springs)
 
gorlank said:
The smoothest has to be the Spyderco Viele, it opens like "buttah" :)
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I have to agree for a production knife the Viele is way up there.

I don't own many customs folders, but the ones I have are pretty choice. My Carson, JW Smith and PJ Tomes could best be described as fluid, they just move. The knife I would have to call slick would be my Art Washburn. I've never handled any knife that's smoother.
 
KOJI HARA and KIRK REXROAT make the smoothest I have handled, that's one reason I bought them. I wish i could send you a pic
 
Two come to mind: first was a custom knife made by Allen Elishewitz that I handled at a local knife show. That was smoooooooth on the open and close.

Second is my Benchmade Ares, designed by the same Mr. Elishewitz. :)
 
Phil B's liner locks are about as smooth as I've seen. I'm a frame-lock man, so the heavier lock bar on the knives I own slow the action down compared to a liner or axis lock.
 
Kit Carson, John W. Smith, Mike O., Phil B. and Brad Duncan just to name a few.
 
I don't own any customs, but the Al Mar SERE 2000 is about as smooth an opening production I've handled.

Plus, it locks open with zero blade play, has never disengaged, and you can flick it open with a nice loud "clack" that is reminiscent of a monstrously beefy auto going off.
 
my smoothest is a darrel ralph mini maxx 4" talonite spearpoint with carbon fibre handles, ya barely flick the blade horn and it snaps in place, very smooth, yet locks solidly shut too(and open), #2 is my emerson spec war CQC8, its smooooth too but not like the maxx.


greg
 
I don't own a custom folder, but I've handled Sebenza's and Lochsa's. The Lochsa is the smoothest custom I've ever handled. For production knives, the Buck folding Alpha Hunter beats everything else.
 
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