Why all the de-assisting?

Exactly, the 0566 is a nice knife but I can see why some folks would prefer it to be a manual, especially considering how much less it costs than a lot of the other ZT flippers. Some people buy brand new cars, and have them reupholstered to leather and have a moonroof installed, nothing wrong with that either if it wasn't available from the factory.
 
brando555 said:
Exactly, the 0566 is a nice knife but I can see why some folks would prefer it to be a manual, especially considering how much less it costs than a lot of the other ZT flippers. Some people buy brand new cars, and have them reupholstered to leather and have a moonroof installed, nothing wrong with that either if it wasn't available from the factory.
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Simplicity of less moving parts to break is important too. The assisted spring can cause the knife to feel jumpy without a firm grip.
 
I haven’t de-assisted the few AO I own, but they can be cumbersome to close compared to unassisted flippers and axis locks which drop shut.
 
Ok first off, I'll explain that I own five spring assisted knives, all happen to be Kershaws, first are the pair of #3840x "Freefall" knives, that are EDC companions, a recently acquired #1885 "Entropy" which due to it's combination of smaller "flipper" and narrower blade places that flipper closer to the pivot, reducing leverage. is admittedly harder to close (AND open!) than my "freefall".

Next, I'll explain that I've had a stroke, that mainly affected my overall strength and fine motor control. mostly with my right side and frankly I have no issues opening either my AO-knives or either of my ball bearing flippers or closing them for that matter...
To be blunt closing an AO-knife one handed is NOTHING compared to de-cocking a 1911-A1 one handed. It took me most of a day after I was released from the hospital before I was confident enough, to do it with live ammo in the pistol. (mostly this is a mechanical thing you do mainly to PROVE to yourself that you can, because as anyone familiar with the 1911 knows you usually carry it "cocked & locked" (a round chambered and the safety applied) which incidentally is required in my holster, as the retention strap goes around the rear of the slide and it will not do so with the hammer down.

As for impressing anyone with my spring assisted flippers? As I am 57 years old does anyone really think I give a damn?

The things I am most likely to need to suddenly cut are a length of heater hose or an inconvient cable zip tie and when these events crop up my free hand is not available... Occasionally, I'll find a bag of chips that refuse to be pulled apart so I'll cut the bag.
 
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I only have 2 AO knives, a Kershaw Camber and a 580 Barrage. I don't particularly like AO, but it's not bad on the Camber as I can close it one handed, with these old stiff fingers.

The 580, on the other hand, I have to use two hands or push it closed on my leg or table etc. A totally inelegant solution AFAIC. However, I bought the 580 cheap from a guy at work who tried to sharpen it with what looks like a chainsaw, but the blade is still razor sharp and keeps an edge like 154cm is supposed to. I actually did deassist it (I entertained the notion of sending it to BM for a blade replacement but our border thieves nixed that idea). It actually worked real well and was one of my smoother BM's, but my OCD would not allow it, to my fevered mind it was "broken" without the spring. Now it's back to being an AO knife again and I'm happy, all is right with the world.

Still don't carry it much though.
 
I once owned and carried all the time a Benchmade Nitrous Stryker in D2 (no safety). One day I was wrestling with my boy in the backyard with the knife in my pocket. The thought occurred to me that super sharp D2 blade COULD deploy and keep me from having more children. I sold the knife and now am the proud parent of another child.

Irrational? Maybe. I am issued a glock at work and after all these years am sometimes ill at ease of packing and training with a pistol with no external safety and a light trigger pull.
 
I don’t really care much for assisted openers, but I still leave them as is since they were designed that way.
 
Well, speaking from a strictly assist/de-assist point of view and ignoring the rest, I have a number of manual Spydercos and Benchmades, but I really love the way my AO Kershaw Blurs (one in 14c28n and the other s30v) snap open. Yeah, the Spidey-flick looks cool, but the Blur opens with rock-solid authority every time with zero effort or hand-acrobatics and just feels GOOD!
 
It depends on the knife

I have a zt0566cf which I deassisted and I love it that way.

But I also have a Kershaw knockout and a ZT 0301 and both have the assist and are going to stay that way because I like it that way.

But I do t have a preference either way

Cheers Matt
 

Now that that is out of the way I will put in my two cents

While I understand some remarks which are if your going to remove a "feature" of the knife why buy it in the first place I have seen plenty of knives that there may not be a good alternative to so you either pass it entirely hoping one comes along or pick it up and mod it to suit. I personally am not the type to mod at least not at this time plus most of the knives I have looked at are so inexpensive the cost of modding it seems close to the cost of the knife itself.

I also want to point out more specifically about de-assisting as I personally dislike assisted knives. They have none of the benefits or an automatic and are not as nice as a manual knife its just really a disastrous middle ground where you really don't get anything but issues or disappointment.
 
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