Why de-assist?

mjpgolf1 said:
As stated before in this thread, To me AO knives just remind me of a cheaper, gimmicky type knife that appeals to the guy that doesn't know any better and thinks it's cool like a switchblade. When I first started with knives I was into all the cheaper Kershaws on the market that have this opening mechanism, then I bought my first Spyderco and Benchmade and found out what quality was and that if a knife is built to certain standards there is no need to have any "help" getting the knife open and if the AO is there it's more for show if nothing else.
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As much as we both dislike AO's personally, they are (SpeedSafe) are for the most part reliable and safe. I mean, I understand the appeal for others but it's not for me at all.
 
Stays Sharp said:
As much as we both dislike AO's personally, they are (SpeedSafe) are for the most part reliable and safe. I mean, I understand the appeal for others but it's not for me at all.
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Absolutely. I've never had any issues with a speed safe or AO knife at all. It just seems gimmicky to me and not something that should be offered on higher end knives. Especially with bearing technology today there just isn't a reason for it. Most guys that get deep into this hobby would probably agree that once you work your way up to the higher quality stuff, you start to become less and less fond of assisted knives.
 
I don't really need a busy body, LEO, or some uninformed sheeple over reacting because they think I have a switch blade. IMHO, AO knives put me one step closer to making any one of these things a reality.

I have a few AO knives in my collection and it is just a matter of time before they are all de-assisted or become orphans looking for a new home.
 
I have de-assisted my zt 566 and my 581 barrage. they are so much better as manual. The blade on the 581 flung open just as fast, yet can be closed only by pulling the lock back now!

the 566 is not as smooth and needs good flick to get fully opened, but I still prefer it as such. I plan on de-assisting my CPM-154CM CF blur too soon.
 
bld522 said:
Which raises the interesting question of the kind of control people need when they open their knives. The only thing I care about is that the knife opens reliably every single time. Doesn't the existence of a spring help that rather than hinder it?
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I like to be able to open my knives with one hand without looking at them. For that I prefer non-assisted.

Is there any question that assisted open knives are harder to close one handed? Not in my mind. (For production knives anyway. I wouldn't know about customs.)

There are knives I would buy for the design and features, but assisted open leads me to pass on them.
 
mjpgolf1 said:
As stated before in this thread, To me AO knives just remind me of a cheaper, gimmicky type knife that appeals to the guy that doesn't know any better and thinks it's cool like a switchblade. When I first started with knives I was into all the cheaper Kershaws on the market that have this opening mechanism, then I bought my first Spyderco and Benchmade and found out what quality was and that if a knife is built to certain standards there is no need to have any "help" getting the knife open and if the AO is there it's more for show if nothing else.
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Come on - they are fun to play with. That's worth the $20. And they do get a lot of people interested in knives.

But for a knife to actually use, like you I'd choose something else.
 
Some people see it is a gimmick and some see it as a defining trait. When I think Kershaw it's tough not to think assisted opening. Like someone said above, I can't imagine my Leeks without the AO. Also as said above, the Blur and ZT566 are much better deassisted IMO. However, like the dude with the 770s it took me 3x ZT566s to find one that flip just as good without the spring as with it, luckily it finally happened because I really like that knife.

In defense of the AO, there is something to be said about knowing all I have to do is touch that little flipper tab or thumb stud and the the knife will almost without fail be open. If I'm working on a car or holding a bundle of something I plan to cut through and I'm in an awkward position it's nice to have a very easy opening AO knife. Leaning over something and trying to use your other hand to open a knife, regardless of how easy or smooth it deploys on bearings can be a pain sometimes if you hit it on your shirt for instance.

However, I will say that as my tastes progress where I used to be enamored by AO knives, I tend to shy away now if I can remove that feature. Also, as your tastes progress up the price scale makers don't tend to use that feature very much. Take CRK, Hinderer and Strider as a few high end mid tech manufacturers for instance. My favorite has become my CRK 21, I can imagine it with the AO feature. If it did have it I can't say for certain it would be my favorite if I was unable to remove it. It's pretty smart of Kershaw to give people the option in most cases, gives people more options and doesn't alienate those that don't want it from owning their products.


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A different perspective on the idea that an assisted knife being opened will scare the public: When someone asks for my knife to cut something open, etc., I can have the knife open and in their hands without anyone around even knowing what happened. It's essentially a 'pushbutton' operation for me.
I could also do it standing face-to-face with someone and they wouldn't know. I just force their focus away from the action. The "click" is no louder than an Otterbox going into a holster, a gum bubble popping, etc. Make the action not a show, and it won't be a show.

With a regular locking blade, traditional, or a flipper, there is (in my case) at least some visible manipulation to open the blade.
I realized it today while at lunch, probably due to participating in this thread.
My friend asked for a knife; I took it out of my pocket with my dominant hand and it was opened before I raised it above table level and handed it to him.
My other hand remained occupied with the soda I was sipping.
He gave me the look of "how did you have that open in your pocket without getting sliced up?"
 
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