Why no high end assisted open knives (as an alternative to autos)?

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voltic

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Mar 28, 2010
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Why are there so few high end assisted openers available? By high end, I mean costing say approximately $150, with good blade steel and preferably metal handles. I believe that there are a lot of people out there who would love to own an automatic knife but are unable to due to the law. An assisted opener is the next best thing, and it seems to me that many of the people who are not allowed to own, say, a Protech TR-3, would pay the same cash for a spring assist version. I mean think of how large this market is. Where are autos legal? As far as I know, the only major market for autos, aside from law enforcement and military, is a minority of states in the US. Given that it's probably just the western world purchasing these knives, that leaves the rest of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and all of mainland Europe as a potential market for high end, assisted open knives.

I believe that the assisted open function largely satisfies the "gadget factor" that the autos satisfy, without breaking the law. Say what you want about assisted openers, I simply believe that a market for this product exists. That's all I'm saying. I would personally love to by an assisted open version of something like the Protech Tr-3 mentioned above (retails for ~$160), or any number of the other metal handled autos out there. But virtually none are available. Seems like a niche in the market that is waiting to be filled. A company that specializes in, or at least offers several, very high quality, assisted open knives, with machined aluminum handles and high quality blades? dang.

Seems to me like there are currently only three companies prodicing high quality assisted open knives: Benchmade, Kershaw, and CRKT. Most of the Benchmades don't have solid metal handles. CRKT designs are lacking, in my opinion. Kershaw's knives are nice (I own a shallot and love it), but they are only one player in the game.

What are everyone's thoughts? I figure a company that could fill this niche would do some business.
 
Benchmade Subrosa is a new, high end assist. S30V blade, machined Titanium frame handles with a mono-lock. Retails MSRP above $200. Street price right now is $160-190 (that I've seen).

Benchmade makes quite a few assists, and they're very nice, despite having non metal handles. They've got G10 on a few of their lines, and then other ones use different plastics. One even has a metal bolster.
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BM670SBK
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BM672SBX
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BM790
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=BM890

^^ Just a few benchmades

As for Kershaw, they've got some nice ones if you know where to look. They've got the Blur in S30V, ZDP-189, and 154-CM (I might be wrong on those). I'm not a huge Kershaw fan, but they're pretty high up there, and others could fill in that gap.

There really are a lot of great AO's out there, and even that act that fast, but aren't. Emerson knives (and others like Spyderco who uses the Emerson patent) have a wave feature, which pops the knife open as it draws. Others (usually high end customs, with the exception of a few CRKT's now) have something called an IKBS. Ikuma Korth Bering System http://www.ikbsknifetech.com/11/index.html . Instead of washers, it's got ball bearings. I've got a Korth with this system, and HOLY DAMN is it smooth and fast. I've been accused of it being auto.

Welcome to the forums!
 
Some folks feel like the solid metal handles are a bit slippery in the hand. Combine that with an opening mechanism that, in some cases, has a pretty strong 'kick' to it, and sometimes those slippery handles might try to jump out of your hand. I think the mostly G10 handled mid/high-end A/O knives (Benchmade, Kershaw, ZT) are configured that way because they're easier to hold onto. Not to mention, lighter and a bit 'warmer' feeling than metal. And from a manufacturing standpoint, metal handles probably cost a bit more to machine than a 'slab' of G10.
 
First of all, welcome to Bladeforums! This is an interesting question for us, but most people (mass market) just won't care.

Even among us, autos are often high end collectible art objects. Looking at them as users, a lot of people would be satisfied with a solid working knife, whether one-hand opener, waved, assisted, or auto. Too expensive doesn't always mean best hard use gear. Of course, browse the Exchange and you'll see that $150 isn't particularly expensive. :)

To answer the original question more directly, there are a lot of assisted openers that fall into the high end. Look at Kershaw ZT300, Ti Tyrade, even the better Leeks and the Shallot you mentioned. Look at Darrel Ralph midtechs.

But knife companies won't make knives because people say they want them. They want to see sales. How are these Kershaws selling, and where? have they stormed the market you see?
 
Hi amroc, thanks for the welcome. I'm aware of the Subrosa, looks beautiful. I would also love to handle a knife with IKBS, haven't had the opportunity yet, though. But still, out of all the knife brands out there, only three really sell many AOs. I just figure the market could sustain a few more players and products.

[edit] I didn't mean not to say hi to the other two posters, just didn't see your posts before I put this up :-)
 
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Because there not as cool as auto's, and offer no advantage over modern "one-hand" knives.
 
Wouldn't bet on that. The beauty of ao's is that it takes sooo much less effort open them, even compared to modern one-hand openers...
 
http://rjmartinknives.com/

^ ^ ^High end TI framelock flippers.

Xm-18's have flippers

The ZT300-302 as Esav mentioned have flippers.

Flippers are basically the same as assisted, waved knives or wave modded knives open faster than auto's and assisted knives.
 
Some AOs have flippers to activate the AO rather than a thumbstud. Some have flipper and thumbstud.

I have non-auto, non AO, one-hand openers that open as fast as any mechanical systems.
AO is fun, it is more easily repaired if a torsion bar breaks than most autos. But it is toy-factor.
 
voltic said:
I believe that there are a lot of people out there who would love to own an automatic knife
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I don't know anyone who really prefers them over non-assisted. I own a ZT 0300, a Blur and even a Speed Bump (silliest knife I have btw), and their being AO doesn't really add anything, in fact I would have preferred the ZT non-AO. Other people also tell me, they prefer their knives simple, non-AO. The Blur is the only one that kinda makes it work, it so fast and light, but it would be no less good a knife without it, IMHO. YMMV. ;)
 
Meh, my Shallot was cool for a while, and there is a bit of an intimidation factor for flippers(which can be both good and bad).

However, the "gadget factor" got old after popping it open 10 times. My brother still stubbornly insists on an auto despite the legal issues.

Thing is, any "tactical" use for auto/AO gets eclipsed by wave opening. And quite frankly, I have no trouble whatsoever opening most of my knives with one hand, and while some say that you need two to close, I do it without problems(after the first cut, I made it a point to avoid further cuts). The exception being my Cold Steel Talwar, as it is near impossible to open with one hand.
 
brandonc said:
Because there not as cool as auto's, and offer no advantage over modern "one-hand" knives.
Click to expand...

Hi,

While coolness maybe a factor for many of us, there is some advantage to AO's, like Kershaw, over one-handers for us lefties. Almost all thumb stud, thumb hole, and flippers are more difficult for lefties to operate. Due to placement of clips, locks, and general frame designs. Some are better than others, like Spydercos, but most are pretty abysmal.

dalee
 
Pretty much any axis lock benchmade will open as fast or faster than an auto or an AO. My axis lock knives deploy as quickly or more quickly than my kershaw leek.

-freq
 
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