Why not assisted opening?

hunter s thompson said:
My dad would disagree with this whole heartedly. Hes an 80 year old knife nut who had to stop carrying a knife for a while because his fingers couldn't open his slip joints. Ask him how much of a novelty his Leek is and how its a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Just because you have no need for something does not make it useless.
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Good call getting away from slip joints, pretty much everything I can think of opens more easily than a slip joint, though CBL/axis/arclock and any other similar knives would probably be a pain to close with a loss of dexterity like that.

A fat handled little fixed blade might be easier to handle, now I'm gonna have to look around for one just in case.;)
 
I like my thumb to be on the blade for the entire duration of my opening the knife. I hate AOs because you start to push your thumb on the blade, then suddenly the blade kicks out and your thumb "loses balance." Not a good feeling.

I guess AO is okay on flipper knives, but then again that's kind of redundant.
 
Skimo said:
Good call getting away from slip joints, pretty much everything I can think of opens more easily than a slip joint, though CBL/axis/arclock and any other similar knives would probably be a pain to close with a loss of dexterity like that.

A fat handled little fixed blade might be easier to handle, now I'm gonna have to look around for one just in case.;)
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Yeah a small fixed blade would work for the old man but hes pretty set in his ways (former CSM with about 25 years in the US Army.). As far as hes concerned pocket knives fold :D(we had to take the pocket clip off because pocket knives go in the pocket not clipped to the top of it ) Plus when the Leek just snaps he just kinda shakes his head a little gives a little grin and goes on about his business.
 
I have a kershaw leek that i kept in my fishing tackle box for years after i managed to get a hook stuck in my thumb while unhooking a carp, the line still attached to a now fiercely struggling carp and my usual tackle box knife was a SAK, opening that with one hand and teeth while trying to stop the carp driving the hook deeper into my thumb or flapping about and damaging itself wasnt easy! but after i managed to cut myself free and release the fish i decided to get a knife that is easy and fast to open one handed. Hence the leek.

Unfortunately with the current public opinion and law regarding knife carry in the UK i decided to retire my leek to a desk drawer and replace it with a locking folder with a thumb stud, it does the pretty much the same job but i dont have any concerns about the legality of carrying it.
 
I just really dislike closing them. I've had 2 kershaws, and it really bothers me when I hit that tension "wall" for some reason.
 
I'm leaning away from AO these days. Just yesterday I carried a Shallot. By all accounts a great knife, but the AO just doesn't feel as smooth as a nice clean, well maintained pivot.
 
hunter s thompson said:
My dad would disagree with this whole heartedly. Hes an 80 year old knife nut who had to stop carrying a knife for a while because his fingers couldn't open his slip joints.
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My father also has bad arthritis, so he carries an AO.

I have had a few different assisted knives because I liked the design so im neutral.
 
snorkem said:
I was wondering why I constantly see people say they don't like assisted opening, or would prefer that knives don't have it.
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The day I need assistance to open a knife, I retire from being a knifenut. ;)




Gates67 said:
My father also has bad arthritis, so he carries an AO.
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Of course this is a good reason, but I would prefer a small fixed blade instead.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
1) They can break. Most knives work even with a broken AO spring, but it is annoying anyway.
2) They can open accidentally more readily. I don't need to accidentally stab myself with my own knife.
3) I don't like "reloading" the spring when I fold the knife. I like knives that fold easily.
4) Don't like the way AO makes a knife "jump" a little in your hands. There are plenty of non-AO blades that are fast, and easy to open.
5) I live in NYC. Manual folders like Sebenzas pass (just ask the three NYPD who tried to flick it) but AO is almost certainly a no go.
 
I like the K.I.S.S principle.

I've had AO knives that where really c**p due to bad engineering, Gerber mini fast draw being one of them, but a well made one has some advantages.

Pivot screw adjustment less crucial for good operation than on manual knife that you flip open.

Very reliable flip opening, requires less mental focus and manual technique.

Fun to play with (alright even manual knives are fun)

When you hit the resistance while closing the knife, it acts as a very effective protection for your fingers and yet the force you have to apply to close it is minimal.

If you dont like the AO you can remove it, if you break it you have a manual knife...

What i consider a very simple and reliable opening assistance can be seen on the picture below (please disregard the knife it's a chinese copy of a real knife)

AK47demonte800.jpg
 
I like the choice. I've owned A/O's, flippers, manuals, auto's, lockbacks....etc. They all have a specific role/fill a specific niche. No need to bash a style if it don't fit yours.

-M
 
I had a BM Nitrous as an EDC for 5 months. I liked it a lot, the D2 blade, the quick deploy.
What I didn't like was the occasional quick deploy in my jean pocket when I went to put it away or the pressure to close it properly, or the fact that it felt as though the spring was wearing out. Ebay, sold. I did like it though, just that the negatives outweighted the positives imho.
 
I've argued against the concept for some time but I'm going to give it another chance. Got a deal I couldn't pass up on a ProTech Ciabata this morning at a gunshow. This will be my third try. This time I'm going to carry it exclusively for a while to see if I can get totally comfortable with its fiddly mechanism. The Ciabata approaches the subject differently from most. Rather than as an assist to a manual mech it's a way to carry ProTech snappy goodness legally.
 
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