Why not more MANUAL 'out the front' folders?

ThinkOfTheChildren

ThinkOfTheChildren

Joined
Jul 7, 2000
Messages
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Seems like a MANUAL 'out the front' knife would be a great companion. I think I saw one that Gerber made a while back but didn't like it. Why do I think this is such a great idea? Because, god forbid, if the lock were to fail you won't get hurt: your fingers will never be in the way of the closing blade.

Whadda ya think? Wouldn't you like a folder that could never possibly fold on ya? Why hasn't something like this ever caught on?

P.S. - I don't want to hear a damn thing about "get a fixed blade." :D
 
There have been a few manual OTF folders.

The biggest problem with them is, that any design that is not horribly cumbersome ends up being a "Gravity Knife" and if you're going to have to jump through the same Legal hoops as for an Auto, why not do the Auto?

The Tekna Security Card is a perfect example of this.
Any LEO could bust you for carrying a "gravity knife" and make it stick if he so chose.
Push the button, start it down the track, then flick.
Bang.
You're busted.
 

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Boker's BokerMatic is a good example of a manual OTF "folder." It's interesting enough, but a bit clunky and fragile. Years ago the Edge Company catalog was offering snazzed-up versions of these -- they were marketed as some sort of paratrooper knife, with serrated edges and (if I remember correctly) camo scales to butch them up in the appearance department.
 

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The classic OTF manual is made by Stanley and can be purchased at your local Home Depot if not at your favorite grocery store.
 
The other problem with OTFs, auto or manual, is that if they are built to fine enough tolerances (.001") to avoid lots of blade wobble they become very susceptible to dirt or lint preventing lock up.
 
That was the problem my BokerMatic had, Erik. Only it didn't just fail to lock up; it jammed, preventing me from sliding the handle scale and thus sliding the blade open.
 
your comment about lock strength/safety can be addressed by another piece of advice: get a balisong. the design is even sturdier than an otf, because the blade can't retract into the handles when opened.
besides, learning to use a balisong is funand you can take pride in it.
peace.
aleX.
 
Yup Razor, it is this feature which makes them impractical and dangerous as tools, although they are fun toys. The exception being the one mentioned earlier by Chuck and manufactured by Stanley.
 
Well.... looks like my idea wasn't so great after all :(
Anyway, that Boker is the one I was thinking of. For some reason I had it in my memory that Gerber made that. I played with it some but didn't like it.

P.S. - I do know how to use balisongs and I love them. It's just illegal for me to carry one :(
 
What about that Cold Steel "Emergency" knife? That was an OTF manual knife. BTW, I don't think we can really call them "folders" if they are OTF - they don't fold! Anyway, that CS knife, like all CS knives, could withstand two trillion pounds of pressure on the blade, plus you could fillet a Buick with it.

(SATIRE OFF)

Anybody have any experiance with these?
 
Cold Steel makes their version called the Emergency Rescue Knife. It operates like the snap-off bladed utility knives you sometimes find at home centers. While its operation and 3" blade length MAY get through airport security, its serrated blade will probably draw frowns from the folks manning the checkpoint and you may lose it. But they only cost about $15, so it's not fatal to the pocketbook.
Click on the picture here to see bigger version: http://www.1sks.com/store/cold-steel-er1-emergency-rescue-knife.html

To answer mgeoffriau's question, yes I bought one. It seems quite sharp (IME CS is usually very sharp NIB) and capable of cutting seat belts. It's not very smooth in deployment of the blade, seems sorta sticky. It might even out if I played with it more. But it wound up being one of those novelty blades I bought & was amused by, then it went into the knife drawer. For passage onto aircraft, I look more to a multi-tool with serrated blade or my trusty SAK. They never draw a second glance. The CS ER1 may not pass muster, so I don't carry it.
 
:D
LOL@Mark!
Fillet a Buick!
Wait until Lynn Thompson hears THAT one!
(coming soon to a VCR near you!)
 
You have to be careful with any knife that could be construed as a "box cutter," though, including actual Stanley utility razors and the cheaper no-name versions of these. There seem to be more and more laws that prohibit the carrying of box cutters because of the alleged use of these by kids intent on carving each other up.

While leafing through a trade magazine doing research on cabinets for a training module (doesn't Razor's average work day sound enthralling?) I stumbled across an ad for Stanley's Sport Utility tool, and was intrigued. It's a box cutter, but also has a one-hand-opening folding knife. (It's of cheap steel, but still kind of neat as a combination.)
 

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I'd like to see the slide action of the gerber 600 pliars put into a knife. The snap out action is really convenient and those latchs are strong as hell. the same basic all steel handle and latch components matched up with a nice and beefy 3"-4" blade would really be a tough knife. Too bad it would have any sheeple within 100 feet looking for a clean pair of pants, and probably earn you a nice trip to court and or jail :(
 
Yeah. Multi-Pliers are great, but they are essentially "gravity pliers" (have I coined a new term?).
 
Hi TOTC,

I think this has caught on already. The german parachutist knife comes to my mind. Great design and although it is a gravity-knife I think it's manual.

Greetings
red
 
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