Why Carry An Spring Assisted Knife?

[@johndrake5014]

When your fingers and hands hurt all of the time an assisted opener makes all of the difference.

[@Katana_Kid]

Another thing that could be mentioned as a reason for an assisted-opening knife: Short fingers! Some vertically challenged people of my acquaintance simply can't use the Spyderco's hole to open the blade more than part way. even when choking up on the grip.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Another good point! Thanks for sharing!

[@robertqueberg4612]

At the age of seventy five, and farming, as well as being a toolmaker, I have a few fingers with ruptured flexor tendons. A pc keyboard are a bigger challenge. I have found that a 3” folder with bi lateral thumb studs, ball bearing pivots, and an axis lock give me good service with my worn parts. Another accommodation that I have made is to carry the knife in my right shirt pocket with the tip up. This allows the best access, whether I am standing, bent over, or squatting around the farm. In the winter, with bibs of any type the knife is moved to the front bib pocket. I pulled a knife from my pants pocket while getting my keys, even with a good clip. By the time I missed it, it was likely someplace in a three ton load of horse manure. I did not dig for it. Your presentation was interesting and informative, which makes this a good day. Thank you

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video and I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@DougHinVA]

an assisted knife USED can be had at an online auction for $8-12 or at a gun show

[@theraven6836]

I have an assisted opener in which the spring finally gave out. Now I use it as an inertial opener. It usually works. Usually.

[@erikhaw7313]

Nice, good articulation of the stuffs.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@brandon_crow1291]

At this point I think its kinda redundant. Years back when manuals were often not great in terms of action except for on the high end sure I can get it. But manual knives aren't as bad as they used to be and can often be just as easy and fast to open as an assisted opener. Especially one with berrings. Couple that with the fact that springs wear out and sometimes even break. Even worse lets be honest, some cops don't really know the difference and laws are often fairly vague. They may just see "knife open with spring fast" and then try to hit you with a switch blade charge even though it's completely legal. It just seems like they were an important thing for their time but knives have gotten a lot better at this point to where they just don't seem necessary anymore.

[@primeministersinister625]

I competely agree, I just dont see the point anymore.

[@billclancy4913]

My favorite carry is a Spyderco Endura Wave. Best of both worlds.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@americanmade422]

In some states assisted open knives are illegal to own. Some states also won't allow them to be concealed carry. Make sure to brush up on your state laws.

[@MichaelHall-rf3pl]

Back in 2001 or 02’ I bought a Kershaw Whirlwind knife. This blade has been by far the best knife I have ever come across for assisted openers. I’ve only had it open once on me by mistake, OUCH! However, I use it everyday from stripping wires, cutting wires, pulling gaskets, caulking and probably everything in between. I have even broken the tip and have a couple burn holes from cutting a live wire 😬 and it still kicking. I’ve even used it for digging small holes. This is a true working knife. The only thing I haven’t done is figure out what the three holes at the top of the blade are for. Sadly I just found out that they discontinued this blade recently but that’s ok I don’t think I have ideas of getting rid of it.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks for sharing!

[@eric805]

Great video! Thanks for the info!

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@gingerbreadman5756]

I’ve always have/will EDC an assisted open knife without issue or unintended deployment. I have many of both manual & assisted but I only leave home assisted.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thank-you for sharing and I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@tachammer3925]

Great video James.

[@jamescherney5874]

I have carried SOG assisted opening knives for many years. I have never had one inadvertently open . The ability to quickly open aasdaddnd close these knives with one hand is very important when working on something. The non assisted ones just aren' t as fast or as easy to operate. One is clipped to my pocket all the time.

[@TeddyBoy7796]

Great video, I didn’t know the difference but do now, cheers for the video 😁👍🏻

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@devilish2345]

I had the Gerber fast 06 for over 2 years until someone still it recently,anyway even having the safety on I was OCD with that,however it would open in my pocket often,I kept it clean tighted with the star bit,all of the common maintenance however it would open in my pocket a good 5 times a month gor quite a few Knicks

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thank-you for sharing and I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@jeffreyfinney6930]

I like assisted opening knives because of small hands short fingers and when in a hurry to deploy there can be two ways to open flipper tabs or thumb studs. I have auto's but you better get it right if needed in a fast deployment also you have further to travel down the handle to hit the button.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks for sharing! I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@rowan1691]

i mainly carry assisted knives for the cool factor, but i like autos and balisongs better so i dont use my assisted knives much anymore

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

I prefer balisongs as well.

[@mikecz201]

Assist knives are great for those who need them, carpal tunnel, arthritis, so on. I’m glad they exist. For those who need help without being able to carry autos

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Exactly. A tool for a purpose.

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

These days caged bearings have made springs mostly unnecessary. Though there are obviously still some advantages to assisted.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

I agree. I typically recommend manuals to people, but I do enjoy Autos though.

[@ChimeraActual]

I've got an ~20 year old Benchmade Barrage assist knife, it's very reliable, quick, and the blade is ridgid. It's also easy to take apart to maintain and replace springs and other bits. No hand gyrations before or after opening it just falls into position by itself. While mine is strictly a tool for things, I imagine the fewer the motions, the better it would be in a tactical situation. I have a couple of German auto's, they're both nice but less convenient than my Barrage, and no faster. You have to manipulate them with your fingertips and keep your fingers out of the way. I dislike OTF's as I've never seen one that kept a ridgid blade. Why an auto or assist? It's often the case that what I want to work on is in my left hand, and I see no reason to put it down while I fumble to get the knife out and open.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Very nice! I've been playing with Pro-Tech autos recently and absolutely love them. I also agree with your assessment of OTFs.

[@private_ventures2592]

OTFs are supposed to wiggle a bit. Unless you got a Deadlock. The only OTF with zero play

[@Eric-cm9ri]

I'm okay with both. Manual and spring assisted but to carry for self-defense purposes spring assist is better in my opinion. In the event of an attack from an assailant you need quick deploy. In self-defense seconds count.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks for commenting and I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@Eric-cm9ri]

@@TheKnifeLifeChannel You're very welcome and I'll keep watching your channel. 👍😊

[@ChadForquer]

I call them a holster defense knife. I work armed security. If I am fighting with someone and they go for my holster I keep a knife in my left side cargo pocket. I can use my right hand and level 3 holster to fight them off while my left hand is hopefully free to pull my knife out of that pocket and take out the threat.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Meat_Skraps]

What is your opinion of technology like the "ermerson wave" hook on the spine of blades from Fox? (Refer to the Fox599 karambit as was advertised years ago by Doug Marcaida)

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

So I'm planning on doing a video in future on the wave. Long story short: it can work and be extremely fast. BUT you have to practice it just like any other opening, and there can be issues with partial openings and snags if you don't pull it out of your pocket right. As for the knife itself Doug Marcaida comes well recommended by my contacts, so I would say its probably a solid blade.

[@tachammer3925]

Sorry for the length of this but here's what I've experienced. We purchased about 30 of the Kershaw Emerson training knives for our MBC classes to use as student loaners. The $35 price point played a role in this, which is a pretty darn good price for a decent beginner trainer. Ultimately, I wound up grinding all of the waves off for the exception of one to use for demo purposes. I did this for 2 reasons. First, in MBC, our thumb rides on top of the spine of the blade for more powerful cuts and the ability to index your thumb onto what needs to be cut. The wave digs into your thumb in this position and pretty uncomfortable. I found because of this; students tend to creep from a Pilipino grip to more of a saber grip which is less effective for powerful deep cuts. Second, when deploying the knife, it needs to be angled and pulled to the rear a bit so the wave can snag onto the pocket to open. In a scenario where you are backed up against a wall or barrier, the wave becomes less reliant and usually needs to be opened manually using the thumb stud/disk or an inertial open due to the confined space. The good news is, WITH PRACTICE, you can use an inertial open with both the training and live blades! So, if you're going to use a wave for a self-defense knife, train all of the deployments and openings the knife will allow. Hope that helped...Al

[@nevadacario2000]

I had a 2 of them and unfortunately broke on me.

[@kek148]

If not circumcised, may consider one for pocket carry. God it’s kool! Get one with ball bearings. Play with it to your heart’s content.

[@TheDonnylee]

I have 2 of 3 assisted knives left, one broke. I prefer Switch blades. But assisted is easy once you get the hang of it. Practice, practice like anything else makes you proficient. But I have a stun gun and laser if night time and my semi. I'm a walking talking 2A Alpha male.

[@alphadawg81]

I actually don't see a point in assisted opening mechanisms. They aren't faster to open than a good unassisted knife. On some you really have to counter the torque when the blade hits the stop pin. More complexity and parts mean more things to go wrong. ...and it kills the fidget factor.

[@dangerous8333]

Disagree.

[@alphadawg81]

@@dangerous8333 Oh wow, you disagree with facts. Rational thinking must be your forte. ...nice try trolling. Better luck next time.😉

[@DougHinVA]

with only 1 hand available to open a box, an assisted opener that is sharp can make quick work of opening a large box...

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Thanks for commenting! I hope to see you around the channel again!

[@bertrandlewis4906]

Sadly my mom would call it a weapon lol

[@xPumaFangx]

I disagree and you did the arguing for me. Also I have been living with arthritis for a 5 years now. My issues is my feet. Clearly you listed that there are more flaws for carrying a assisted opening knife. Then there are bonuses. The thing is you can flick your wrist with any old knife to assist the opening. Making the spring part useless. Right now I feel that the liner locking knife with a thumb stud is the best system. But it does have its flaws when the knife is not made correctly.

[@TheKnifeLifeChannel]

Inertial openings lie your wrist flick are my favorite way of opening most of my blades. It works great for me. But a couple of my older friends with arthritis aren't able to do that, or it can be pretty painful. I see it as a case by case situation. For the most part I would recommend use a manual blade if you can. use an assist if you cant. Thanks for commenting!

[@TM_Stone]

Wouldn't you say it's the minority and not majority to carry an auto? Around 42 states it's legal to open carry.

[@robertadams4415]

Not in Canada

[@private_ventures2592]

The fact that not all knives are double action otfs is a failing of our society

[@private_ventures2592]

I mean, come on, it's a knife that stays 50% of its full size, like a folder, but can eject and retract itself like a lightsaber

[@Dieafreak]

Where I’m from… ghetto hoodlums who are usually cholos and people who don’t know shit about knives or cars ( people who aren’t knife people) carry spring assisted or folding cheap gas station - made in China style knives. Because they’re not knife people and think knives are only for self defense or to kill one. Also there’s alot of Gen Z knife people who are noobs. They don’t know the dofrent e between automatic/ switchblade vs. Soring assisted. I’ve seen many Gen Z’ers and non Gen Z’ers call spring assisted knives switchblades or automatics. It’s sad