Why no love for self assist?

My only assisted-open knives were a couple of Blurs years ago. I actually gave them away to friends before moving to a place where they are not legal.
Like others have pointed out, I couldn't find any benefit because my manual open knives deploy fast and easy enough without much effort.

I consider switchblades, automatics and assisted-open to be a "tactical" feature, which I have no real need for.
If my view is wrong, I am certainly open to being educated.
 
DMG said:
I prefer the simplicity and predictability of an unassisted knife. Plus some idiot cops in states that dont allow automatic knives have arrested people for assisted knives.
Click to expand...
Data to support your Anti-Law Enforcement claim?

I've worked in Law Enforcement for 30 years. I (we) only ask for compliance and cooperation.

In a sports venue I work, it has 'No Weapons ' policy. If they don't take their weapons away, we confiscate them and the have until the next day to collect their property or its destroyed.

I held on to and returned many, many knives. They made a bad decision. I helped them out. From the knives bought at Walmart to the knives bought at Arizona Custom.

People worked hard to buy that knife.

I may be the exception to your perception.

Don't call me an idiot please.
 
Springs do break but they last a long time before they break and the key is to have extra springs ready to go. I could change the spring in no less than 10 or 15 minutes. It's a piece of cake
 
Delgadonine said:
Data to support your Anti-Law Enforcement claim?

I've worked in Law Enforcement for 30 years. I (we) only ask for compliance and cooperation.

In a sports venue I work, it has 'No Weapons ' policy. If they don't take their weapons away, we confiscate them and the have until the next day to collect their property or its destroyed.

I held on to and returned many, many knives. They made a bad decision. I helped them out. From the knives bought at Walmart to the knives bought at Arizona Custom.

People worked hard to buy that knife.

I may be the exception to your perception.

Don't call me an idiot please.
Click to expand...
I don't think you're an idiot. But there was a case in New York state where the police officer didn't understand the difference between a assisted opening knife or automatic knife and there was an arrest. I read a little bit about the case but I'm really not sure what the outcome was or what the disposition is. Sometimes mistakes happen. Does anybody else know about this case? People versus berrazuelta? I think he was convicted and it had to go to the appellate Court.
 
Last edited:
Vlade said:
I don't think you're an idiot. But there was a case in New York state where the police officer didn't understand the difference between a assisted opening knife or automatic knife and there was an arrest. I read a little bit about the case but I'm really not sure what the outcome was or what the disposition is. Sometimes mistakes happen. Does anybody else know about this case? People versus berrazuelta? I think he was convicted and it had to go to the appellate Court.
Click to expand...
Thank you!

I do not know about this case.

A knife, any knife-a kitchen knife or a SAK, can be used and easily turned into a weapon. They may be the most common and easily accessible 'knives'.
Morse than any 'assisted knives', which in general may be more expensive.

Not knowing the case, it may be that officer was working in a high crime rate area and didn't want to take any chances.

The bystanders/public, their coworkers, the subject(defendant) and the officer themselves were all going to remain alive after that incident.

Not sure.

Wasn't there.

Don't know the facts.
 
Spillproof said:
I carry assisted Benchmades all the time.
I work in the woods, mostly at night, and carry a lot of gear. When I want my knife out and deployed it IS. I don't have to look at it and it never fails.
Click to expand...
Right! Aside from frame locks and liner locks, which I do not like, I love a good manual knife, and I love a good assisted knife, and I love a good auto knife. Around here, good assisted or auto knives are mostly Benchmades. I have never had a Benchmade assisted or auto knife fail to open. (But I dislike autos with such a hard kick that they can fly out of my hand.)

Under typical conditions, a really great manual knife--like a Bugout or Para 3--will successfully open maybe 95% of the time for me. Under bad conditions, I would much prefer 100%. A manual knife that is 3/4 open can be a serious hazard.

If I am holding a 200-lb ram with my left hand, and this ram violently objects to being held, and I need to deploy a knife with my right hand, a Spydie flick is just not as easy as it is when I'm driving and my wife wants to borrow a knife to open an ebay package.
 
I am a great fan of flipper knives. I am not a fan of assisted opening knives using a thumb button or hole in the blade. But then I am not a fan of using a thumb button or hole in the blade to open an unassisted knife one handed. The reason: you will eventually cut yourself.....badly....and it will not be pretty. It may take a while...years even...but if you do it long enough it will happen. I used to practice for hours on end with bali song knives and opening knives one handed using a thumb button or hole in the blade. I worked at a store selling them so I got really good at using them, either slow or fast. Until the day I cut my thumb to the bone practicing opening and closing with a thumb stud. Trip to emergency room, stitches and inability to use my thumb anymore for chording the rest of my life due to the scar tissue not allowing thumb to flex on guitar somewhat soured me on those knives.

With flipper knives, no chance of this. None. Because your thumb and fingers never come near the cutting edge of the blade. Now I like unassisted flipper knives that open easily one handed as well, such as my ZT Hinderer model, and for the same reasons. So assisted or unassisted flipper knives are the only way I go now with folders.
 
Delgadonine said:
Data to support your Anti-Law Enforcement claim?

I've worked in Law Enforcement for 30 years. I (we) only ask for compliance and cooperation.

In a sports venue I work, it has 'No Weapons ' policy. If they don't take their weapons away, we confiscate them and the have until the next day to collect their property or its destroyed.

I held on to and returned many, many knives. They made a bad decision. I helped them out. From the knives bought at Walmart to the knives bought at Arizona Custom.

People worked hard to buy that knife.

I may be the exception to your perception.

Don't call me an idiot please.
Click to expand...

I am not calling you an idiot or all cops idiots. There are some idiot cops that have arrested people or stole their knives because they dont know the difference between assisted and automatic. Similar idots have abused the gravity knife laws. It has happened many times.

There are idiots in every profession.
 
Delgadonine said:
A knife, any knife-a kitchen knife or a SAK, can be used and easily turned into a weapon.
Click to expand...

Key phrase “turned into a weapon”, so a knife isn’t a “weapon” until it’s used as one, otherwise it’s a tool meant to cut something. Seems ridiculous to take peoples’ tools from them and classifying them as “weapons” when they haven’t met the definition of the word don’t you think?
 
While I am not an assisted opening hater, I do not see a compelling need for it. I have had several "flipper" opening knioves that obviate the need for any assist.

When I was 13 or so, I did manage to get an Italian style stiletto switch blade. It was so cool I wore it out by deploying it and closing it about a thousand times a day. Now that I am an adult, I do not feel the need for that sort of thing.

I feel about the same about Butterfly or Balisong knives; cool . . .but why?

So, not a hater, just a grown-up thst doesn't need a fidget thing.
 
Last edited:
The popularity of the Kershaw Leek calls the title assumption of this thread into question.

I really like using my Leek and I like my Scallion even more.

I'm not alone there either - - far from it.
 
Vlade said:
I noticed the trend where most knife users and collectors do not like self assisted opening knives.
Click to expand...

While there's a general "lack of enthusiasm" for spring assisted knives prominent here on BF, I don't think there's any evidence that "most knife users and collectors do not like self assisted opening knives."

KAI has made and sold a lot of spring "assisted" knives with Kershaw & ZT logos on them and, as a "collector" of over 380 knives, I own many examples of them. So, even if a few "cognoscenti" here don't like them, doesn't mean that "most knife users and collectors" have anything against them.
 
Final Edge said:
... Until the day I cut my thumb to the bone practicing opening and closing with a thumb stud. Trip to emergency room, stitches and inability to use my thumb anymore for chording the rest of my life due to the scar tissue not allowing thumb to flex on guitar somewhat soured me on those knives.
Click to expand...
How do you manage to cut your thumb while opening a knife with a thumb stud? Do you mean when the blade fails to open fully?
 
Another Shepherd said:
How do you manage to cut your thumb while opening a knife with a thumb stud? Do you mean when the blade fails to open fully?
Click to expand...
Yep. I was opening and closing both right and left handed to kill the time. Opening forcefully with a substantial "snap". Done it thousands of times. Well, one time my thumb slipped off the stud apparently and the blade didn't open all the way. I kept my knife razor sharp and when it landed on the edge of the blade, didn't take much to go as far as bone would let it. Emergency charged me $75.00 just for the gauze to wrap the wound - not to mention what they charged me for the stitches and other stuff. Bad day in LA.
 
Didn't read the whole thread, so I'm likely repeating someone, but for me now that manual flippers have been perfected I see no need for assisted. A good manual flipper is just as fast and easy to operate and mechanically simpler. I don't dislike AOs, and would buy another one if I liked the knife, but it's not a feature I look for these days.
 
I am in the camp that believes a spring assist is there to conceal sloppy manufacturing practices. That a well made flipper can open and close just as easily without the assist.

n2s
 
Last edited:
not2sharp said:
I am in the camp that believes a sprint assist is there to conceal sloppy manufacturing practices. That a well made flipper can open and close just as easily without the assist.

n2s
Click to expand...
By that argument, you could say the same about automatics. The quality of even the best cheap assisted opening knives I have are as good or better quality than the less expensive automatics I used to have that cost 7 or 8 times their price. Side opening automatics like Beltrame have been using shoddy off and on manufacturing practices for years, but they get way more money than they should because people are willing to pay it. Some are good knives, others not so much and by the same manufacturer. A spring assist should not make any difference in quality of a knife - it is simply an added feature. If a spring assisted knife is poorly manufactured I would bet the model without the spring assist from the same company is just as poorly manufactured.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top