# Assisted opening and Automatic Knives...



## Mongojoe (Nov 2, 2006)

As trappers I know you all appreciate a good knife, so I thought I'd ask this here....

Up until a couple years ago I thought "Automatic" knives (switch-blades) were illegal...but I find that some are being sold at various places on the internet, and have even seen them on Ebay, so perhaps I am mistaken... And I am also seeing alot of the "Assisted opening" knives coming out lately, even by some quality companies such as Buck, Shrade, Kershaw, Gerber, and others...and a few of them look pretty good. In fact, I won the bid on an assisted opening knife from CRKT on Ebay just the other day, and am waiting for it to arrive... Presently I carry a CASE Muskrat pattern pocket knife, but as I get older, my hands are starting to "feel their age" and don't work quite like they used to, and I was thinking of getting something a little easier for my hands to open and manipulate... Do any of you carry these assisted opening, or automatic knives...and if so, what do you think of them?


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## LAtrapper (Feb 5, 2007)

i dont have an assisted opening but i've used the ones by kershaw and gerber, they're good knives. but my favorite is still my benchmade fixed blade that i carry on my belt everywhere. i HATE it when blades wobble.


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## smitty223 (Mar 31, 2006)

I don't carry a knife.....I carry a Ruger  Seriously, I carry a larger Craftsman lock-blade. I have problems with the hands too, so a larger knife is easier for me to handle.

Let us know how you like the new knife when it arrives.

Smitty


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## rifle6 (Jan 7, 2007)

i think it's the tearm assisted opening . thats why they are ok to have .
i carry a kershal girst it opens fast has great steel, stays sharp and they have a great return policy. i broke the tip off my 1st one geting the ivory out of and elk head, i told them i was prying on it and the still sent me a new one!
i carry it everywhere!
price is good to under 40 bucks you can't go wrong.


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## galyn4 (Dec 21, 2006)

Try (www.bladeplay.com ) and check out the buck knives


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## Mongojoe (Nov 2, 2006)

LOL... galyn4, funny you should mention that... To be honest, I ordered two knives from BLADE PLAY here awhile back, the prices were certainly low enough....and they came in yesterday evening... One is a RIPTIDE automatic knife, and the other is a FIREFLY assisted opening knife... I just wanted to "check these type knives out", and figured that if I liked them I would hang onto them, and if I didn't, I would sell them (My wife and I take a small shop to biker swap meets in this area in the summer, and set up and sell things to the bikers.) I am still waiting for the CRKT knife to arrive.

But I have been hearing alot about the "legalities" of these knives, so to try to get a little clearification on all of this, and to be sure I remain legal (I don't want to go to jail for carrying a non-PC knife)... yesterday evening I called a fella I know who has the local pawn shop. He used to be a police officer, and he sells assisted opening knives down there... He told me that he recently asked the local District Attorney here, about them...and the DA told him that assisted opening knives are perfectly legal to own in Oklahoma............... HOWEVER ........... carrying them in public is a "gray area"...at least at this time..... If you are stopped, and found with one, it would really kinda depend on the officer as to whether he decided to cite you for it or not, but he could if he so chose... But, if you are a current member of the armed forces, or an officer of the law, then both assisted opening knives, and switchblade knives are legal for you to carry......... 
So, with that being the case, and with my already being a disabled veteran and not wishing to repeat military service, and being presently retired and not particularly wanting to get a job as a cop... I think I'll just keep that assisted opening CRKT knife I bought in the house, and my old CASE Muskrat model in my pocket... and sell the other two.


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## galyn4 (Dec 21, 2006)

I know every state is probably different.I have a carrying permit . I have had my knife which is a buck switchblade now for five years. Just knew where to get them and passed along the info.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

Mongojoe,

I carry an assisted open knife made by Buck. I bought it when they first came back out a few years ago. It was $50. @ Walmart. I've had it for almost 4 years, and use it every day, the assisted open still works like the day i bought it. It also has a locking mechinism so it doesn't flip open in your pocket. I know the Kershaw has the lock also. The blade on the Buck does not wobble at all. It is so smooth opening and locks open. Great blade. I've done a lot of back country skinning so i don't have to haul the whole carcass out. I've even gutted a deer with this knife in a pinch.

http://www.buckknives.com/catalog/detail/408/238

xdeano


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I currently have three, but I purchased them more for the steel in them than the assisted opening. All three are Kershaw. It would appear that Kershaw comes out with the new steel types in production knives before other companies. I first purchased a Kershaw Avalanche, then traded a Gerber with shoulder holster for a new Kershaw Random Task, both in the then new CPM 440V (Crucible particle metallurgy with a high percentage of vanadium ). 
One of my gifts for retirement was a Kershaw Leek with ZDP189. I think it and one of the Spyderco are the only production knives with this steel. I see in Russel knife catalog that a two inch blade with this steel made by William Henry is $535. A little spendy for me. The Rockwell hardness is 66-67, and I had to buy diamond stones for my lanky because the hard Arkansas would not touch it. I just know someone is going to say "how do you touch it up in the field), but they make nice small fine diamond hones for that also. However, you will only need to touch up something this hard if you cut the lug nuts off your pickup with it.


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## rifle6 (Jan 7, 2007)

if a knife is is double edged (dagger) or fixed blade or automatic in utah it could be seen as a concealed weapon if it is in your pocket, but you can have a 12 " bowie on your hip! 
but i've got a concealed firearm permit that covers knives as well as handguns.

i think it has alot to do with the cop and the situation. every one has a knife in there pocket.

i agree with the kershaw coments made, for the money a kershaw is hard to beat, i've got quite a knife collection some i paid 3 times more than my kershaw but it is the one in my pocket. and the ken onion line of kershaws has one to suite everyone.

one thing i don't like about it, the pocket clip is hell on pant pockets! almost all my jeans have clip tears on them. :******:


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## Mongojoe (Nov 2, 2006)

galyn4, I do appreciate your passing along the info about BLADE PLAY. I realize you were trying to help me, and I do thank you for that... I wish I had asked about these knives, at this forum a month ago. It would have saved me alot of looking before I finally ran across BLADE PLAY myself... I have a carry permit for a handgun here in Oklahoma. But, I wish I had thought about it when I took the classes, and asked about carrying these knives at that time as well.

rifle6, it is kinda the same way here. Everyone that I know carries a pocket knife.... and Plainsman was talking about the KERSHAW assisted opening knives...a friend of mine came by the other day, and he was carrying an assisted opening KERSHAW... Nice knife, and he said he really likes it... Then too, I have several BUCK folders, and like xdeano said, they do make some fine blades...and if I were able to get out and hunt still, and decided to carry an assisted opening knife, I think I'd take a look at them.

But after all the things I have been told, and all the "confusion" there seems to be in my small town about these knives, I think, just to be sure to avoid any possible legal hassels, I'll just continue carrying my CASE Muskrat pattern folder...and stick those other three back in the gun safe.

And hey, I want to thank all of you guys for offering me information, advice and help on this. I do appreciate it.


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## rogerxxx (Jun 18, 2011)

galyn4 said:


> Try (http://www.bladeplay.com ) and check out the buck knives(Auto's)


WOW they are nice.


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## gaaranet (Nov 16, 2012)

yeahh... they are nice..
^_^


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