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Showing 1 of 14 conversations about:
UsrnameUnknown
41
Apr 4, 2018
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BattousaiI'm fairly new to knifes, what is wrong with an assisted open? My current carry is a kershaw with an assisted open, I thought it works pretty slick!
Rexar5
284
Apr 6, 2018
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UsrnameUnknownSome people prefer a manual flipper. A well built manual can open equally as snappily as an assisted knife, but it's simpler to take apart and clean and the mechanism is more durable. I have never had kershaw torsion bars break on me after years of use, but others have. Having bought a few manual flippers, I must admit that I do now prefer them and find them more satisfying. But I have found Kershaw's assisted open design to be durable, reliable, and easy to maintain. So I don't knock assisted knives. I just have a slight preference for a nice manual now.
Three small edits:
At least in kershaws, if the bar breaks, many of their designs will not reliably stay closed. This could be a safety issue until the bar is replaced. Kershaw will send you a new one for free and replacement is simple though. And I have also never had one break and have carried assisted kershaws (2 of them, so not rotating between 10 or anything) for years at a time with daily use and frequent playing around where I open and close them over and over. I haven't babied them. So I consider the bar to be fairly durable.
An assisted mechanism can cover up any number of design and manufacturing sins, which is why they're often seen in cheaper, lower quality knives. Kershaw makes some good stuff, even in their budget range and a 20-60 dollar assisted kershaw is an absolutely excellent choice for anyone looking into getting into carrying a pocket knife or someone who wants to take their first step into "real" knives (as opposed to walmart shit or worse. I consider a real knife to be any knife where the steel has a name. Never buy a knife where the steel doesn't have a name, it's not worth your time. I'm too poor to buy that cheap.) Anyway... Assisted kershaws are solid knives and I wouldn't knock them, but that's another reason why people might prefer manual.
Lastly, a manual flipper that flips open with just as much speed and ease as an assisted is very difficult to legislate against. Assisted knives are kind of a loophole against switchblade laws and are fine in most places. But cops are frequently uninformed and might give you shit over it, take it, or charge you if you have an assisted and then you have to deal with legal bullshit. There's not much they can say about a well built manual opener.
Three small edits:
At least in kershaws, if the bar breaks, many of their designs will not reliably stay closed. This could be a safety issue until the bar is replaced. Kershaw will send you a new one for free and replacement is simple though. And I have also never had one break and have carried assisted kershaws (2 of them, so not rotating between 10 or anything) for years at a time with daily use and frequent playing around where I open and close them over and over. I haven't babied them. So I consider the bar to be fairly durable.
An assisted mechanism can cover up any number of design and manufacturing sins, which is why they're often seen in cheaper, lower quality knives. Kershaw makes some good stuff, even in their budget range and a 20-60 dollar assisted kershaw is an absolutely excellent choice for anyone looking into getting into carrying a pocket knife or someone who wants to take their first step into "real" knives (as opposed to walmart shit or worse. I consider a real knife to be any knife where the steel has a name. Never buy a knife where the steel doesn't have a name, it's not worth your time. I'm too poor to buy that cheap.) Anyway... Assisted kershaws are solid knives and I wouldn't knock them, but that's another reason why people might prefer manual.
Lastly, a manual flipper that flips open with just as much speed and ease as an assisted is very difficult to legislate against. Assisted knives are kind of a loophole against switchblade laws and are fine in most places. But cops are frequently uninformed and might give you shit over it, take it, or charge you if you have an assisted and then you have to deal with legal bullshit. There's not much they can say about a well built manual opener.
Morrowind542
127
Jul 13, 2018
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Rexar5This is a very good overview of the general differences. I would add that I find manual flippers safer. I've been cut pretty badly a couple of times when closing assisted knives after my thumb slipped while closing them. It was 100% my fault for being careless, but it is something else to consider.
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